Narrowboats are a familiar sight on the English canals. The U.K.'s canal system was a crucial nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, but with the rise of railways, commercial canal traffic stalled out around the 1970s, leaving a surplus of narrowboats that are uniquely equipped to navigate the slim English waterways.
Myles McDowell is a former circus performer who took the plunge into the boat life by moving into one of these narrowboats. Myles and his wife were renting in London but found the high costs detrimental to their savings plan. So they decided to downsize and move to a narrowboat, which they could actually own. Unlike many boat-lifers who’ve waded into the floating life during the pandemic, Myles has been living on the boat for eight years.
Myles documents his journey in great detail on his YouTube channel, educating others on what it’s really like living like this. His videos show everything from how to empty the toilet tank to what it’s like to self-isolate during lockdown when you live on a river. At the time of filming, Myles was based on the Grand Union Canal, heading toward the River Thames. Myles tells Bustle that one of the biggest appeals of living on a narrowboat is the flexibility to move when you’re in need of new scenery.
Myles McDowell is a former circus performer who took the plunge into the boat life by moving into one of these narrowboats. Myles and his wife were renting in London but found the high costs detrimental to their savings plan. So they decided to downsize and move to a narrowboat, which they could actually own. Unlike many boat-lifers who’ve waded into the floating life during the pandemic, Myles has been living on the boat for eight years.
Myles documents his journey in great detail on his YouTube channel, educating others on what it’s really like living like this. His videos show everything from how to empty the toilet tank to what it’s like to self-isolate during lockdown when you live on a river. At the time of filming, Myles was based on the Grand Union Canal, heading toward the River Thames. Myles tells Bustle that one of the biggest appeals of living on a narrowboat is the flexibility to move when you’re in need of new scenery.
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