Methodology & sources
Every figure on this site, where it came from, how much to trust it, and when we last checked. If a number here is wrong, that's a bug — report it and we fix it.
The rules we follow
- Exact where exact exists. CRT licence fees are published prices, so we treat them as facts: our licence figures are verified against the official CRT licence calculator (July 2026) and re-verified every April when new rates take effect.
- Ranges where reality is a range. Moorings, heating, insurance and maintenance genuinely vary by region, boat and habits. We publish low–high ranges with the assumptions stated, and we label how confident we are in each.
- Dated, always. Every figure carries a last-verified date. Undated cost content is how this niche ended up full of 2019 licence fees.
- Corrected by boaters. When someone who actually pays a bill tells us our range is off — with a real price and a location — we verify and update. That feedback loop is the product.
The source register
Last full verification pass: 2 July 2026.
CRT licence fees
High — official/verified2026/27 base prices by length band (e.g. 54–57ft narrowbeam with home mooring: £1,404.46/yr)
Source: Verified against the official CRT licence calculator, July 2026; 4.85% rise confirmed by CRT press release, 12 Nov 2025 · verified 2 July 2026
CRT licence surcharges
High — official/verifiedNo home mooring +15%; beam 2.17–3.24m +19%; beam over 3.24m +38% (2026/27). Phasing to +25%/+25%/+50% by April 2028
Source: CRT: “New structure of boat licence pricing”, plus verification against the official CRT calculator · verified 2 July 2026
Licence discounts
High — official/verifiedElectric propulsion −25%; historic boat −10%
Source: Verified against the official CRT licence calculator, July 2026 · verified 2 July 2026
Boat Safety Scheme
High — official/verifiedCertification fee £97.20 from 1 April 2026; typical all-in examination £230–£320, every 4 years
Source: Boat Safety Scheme official fees page; examiner price lists · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ Examiner labour varies by region — get local quotes.
Mooring — marina
Low — genuinely variable, widest rangesLeisure ~£45–£70/ft/yr; residential ~£75–£110/ft/yr (Midlands/North baseline)
Source: 2026 market guides (JD Narrowboats mooring costs; narrowboats.uk) and marina price lists · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ The most regional figure on this site: London & the South East can be 2–3× higher. Tell us your real mooring cost and we'll refine these ranges.
Mooring — CRT online (towpath)
Low — genuinely variable, widest ranges~£1,500–£4,500/yr for a typical narrowboat, by region and facilities
Source: CRT Waterside Moorings guide prices; 2026 market guides · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ Set by auction/fixed-price listings; varies widely by location.
Insurance
Medium — corroborated market figuresComprehensive £250–£600/yr for a typical narrowboat; liveaboard +10–20%
Source: Market indications from UK narrowboat insurers (Craftinsure, GJW, Topsail) and 2026 market guides · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ Indicative market ranges, not quotes — boat value is the biggest factor.
Solid fuel
Medium — corroborated market figures25kg smokeless briquettes ~£13–£17/bag canalside (2025/26 winter)
Source: Canalside chandler/fuel-boat prices; liveaboard budget guides · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ Winter usage assumptions (1.5–3 bags/week, 20–26 weeks) are stated in the calculator.
Diesel
Medium — corroborated market figuresCanalside diesel ~£1.10–£1.50/L domestic rate, ~£1.30–£1.70/L propulsion rate (2026); typical burn 1–1.5 L/engine-hour
Source: Canalside price boards and marina price lists, mid-2026 · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ Prices move with the oil market; the 60/40 propulsion/domestic split declaration affects the duty you pay.
Gas
Medium — corroborated market figures13kg propane ~£40–£50/bottle (2026)
Source: Canalside chandler and marina price lists · verified 2 July 2026
Hull blacking
Medium — corroborated market figures£13–£18/ft including dock, every 2–3 years
Source: 2026 yard price lists (e.g. Braunston Boats, holding 2025 prices at £13–£14.75/ft + VAT) · verified 2 July 2026
Maintenance contingency
Low — genuinely variable, widest ranges£350–£700/yr leisure; £500–£1,000/yr liveaboard
Source: Judgement figure informed by liveaboard budget write-ups — labelled as such · verified 2 July 2026
⚠ Deliberately conservative; an older boat or a bad year can exceed it.
What the calculator deliberately leaves out
These are real costs we exclude from the headline totals — either because they only apply to some boaters or because bundling them in would hide them. The guides discuss each one:
- Council tax on residential moorings (usually Band A, ~£1,300–£1,600/yr)
- Marina electricity (metered, typically £300–£900/yr for liveaboards)
- Gold Licence for Environment Agency rivers (Thames, Nene, Great Ouse)
- Paid winter moorings for continuous cruisers (~£600–£1,200 for Nov–Mar)
- Broadband/connectivity and TV licence
- Capital cost, depreciation and survey costs of buying the boat itself
Update cadence
CRT announces new licence fees each autumn, effective 1 April. We re-verify the full licence table against official CRT prices every April (and when any in-year change is announced), and re-check the market-based ranges at the same time. Licensing reform following the 2025 Commission is in progress — the licence guide tracks it.
Changelog
- 2 July 2026: site launched with 2026/27 licence fees verified against the official CRT licence calculator; all running-cost ranges sourced as listed above.