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Narrowboat Costs
Narrowboats moored on a quiet canal under overhanging trees

The Narrowboat Planner

Everything you need to decide whether to move aboard, and to plan it properly if you do, in one PDF made from your own numbers.

What’s inside

  1. 1

    Your running costs, and what to set aside each month

    Every cost for your boat and how you'll live on it, with a monthly figure to put away so nothing catches you out.

  2. 2

    The big bills and when they land

    Licence, insurance, blacking, the BSS examination, batteries and winter fuel, with what each costs and how often it comes round.

  3. 3

    Boat vs renting vs a first home

    The true cost of each over the years you choose, worked out with your savings, your rent and the house you'd buy instead.

  4. 4

    Your first-year budget

    The cash you need to buy the boat and get through year one, and whether your savings cover it.

  5. 5

    Three checklists

    What to look at when you view a boat, the paperwork to get before you pay, and the order to do things in when you move aboard.

How it works

  1. Buy it through Gumroad, which handles the payment.
  2. Gumroad emails you a receipt with your licence key.
  3. Enter the key on this page, put in your numbers and download your planner. Come back and make a new one whenever your plans change.

The figures are the same ones behind our free running costs calculator and boat vs renting comparison. Every source is listed on the methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the planner personalised?
Yes. You put in your boat, where it will live, your savings, your rent and the house you might buy instead, and the planner is made from those numbers. It uses the same model as our free calculators, so the figures always match the site.
What if my plans change?
Change your numbers and download it again. Your licence key keeps working, so you can make as many versions as you like, for example one for a continuous cruiser and one for a marina berth.
Who handles the payment?
Gumroad. It takes the payment and sends your receipt and licence key by email. We never see your card details.
Is this financial advice?
No. It's a planning tool built on sourced, dated figures. Only the CRT licence fee is exact. Everything else is an honest range, and you should get a survey and real quotes before you buy a boat.
Do the free calculators stay free?
Yes. Every calculator and guide on the site stays free, and so does the one-page Budget Pack PDF. The planner is for when you're ready to make a plan, with everything in one place.