BBC News
· collected 2026-08-06 · by Sofía Luis-Hobbs, Nathan Turvey, Fatima Aziz
Ken Tracey, 57, sold his house in Suffolk in 2022 to live on a narrowboat after struggling with mortgage payments. He spent £75,000 on the boat and an additional £20,000 on maintenance, but feels it was the right decision despite the challenges of life on water. A survey by the Canal and River Trust found that over a third (34%) of respondents in Yorkshire and the North East use their boats as permanent homes, up from 27% in 2025. The article profiles two individuals who have made the switch to living on narrowboats, with one couple finding it "fantastic" and slowing down their pace of life.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The article presents a neutral account of individuals choosing a life on narrowboats, but notes that the framing of Ken Tracey's experiences, such as his description of locks being 'dangerous places' and the 'technology' being 'a couple of hundred years old', may lean slightly right due to its focus on individual responsibility and resourcefulness. However, this signal is relatively weak.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score +0.40 for article 569 · logged 2026-08-06
- Published
The cost of living crisis is well documented and for many people a mortgage is a millstone around their necks - but a growing number have chosen to cut costs by swapping their houses for a narrowboat.
asserted
number → publish → narrowboat
The BBC took to the waterside in Leeds to find out how it's worked out for some of them.
asserted
it → take → them
Ken Tracey, 57, sold his house in Suffolk in 2022, citing the need for "a change in life".
asserted
Tracey → sell → life
"The cost of the house, it was really tricky to keep up with everything, keep the payments going," he says.
"
asserted
he → keep → everything
I've not got a mortgage any more, but I own this, so it's safe."
asserted
it → get → this
However, he admits there are "swings and roundabouts" to his new lifestyle.
asserted
he → admit → lifestyle
Alongside trying to save money, Ken says he bought the boat to "live an adventure" - but admits he had not realised how difficult boat life would sometimes be.
"You're not really prepared for it at the start - things like winter are a different thing.
asserted
things → try → winter
"You've got to deal with a whole load of things that you wouldn't have to deal with if you're in a house.
asserted
you → get → house
And then travelling around, you've got to solve problems every day."
asserted
you → travel → problems
He described life on a narrowboat as "not a land of health and safety" and warned: "Locks are dangerous places".
asserted
Locks → describe → health
"This is technology that's a couple of hundred years old now and you can see that in some places," he claimed.
asserted
he → see → places
It also took him more than 18 months to "get to grips" with steering the boat.
asserted
It → take → boat
"It takes weeks and weeks of bumping into things, scraping along the side of things, before you can work out the best way to steer it."
asserted
you → take → it
Ken spent £75,000 on his boat and a further £20,000 on unforeseen maintenance.
asserted
Ken → spend → maintenance
However, he still feels the decision was the right one.
asserted
decision → feel → ?
"I wouldn't necessarily choose the same path to get here - but I like being here," he says.
"
asserted
he → choose → path
Ken is not the only person to have opted for a new life on the water.
asserted
Ken → opt → water
The Canal and River Trust says that, post-Covid, our waterways have increasingly become "places of dwelling".
asserted
waterways → say → dwelling
According to the Trust's annual Boaters' Survey for 2026, in Yorkshire and the North East just over a third of respondents (34%) said they used their boat as a permanent home - compared to 27% in 2025. , external
uncertain
they → accord → 2025
Just under half (49%) of respondents in Yorkshire and the North East said they used their boat as a temporary home.
asserted
they → say → home
After holidaying on narrowboats, Andy Brown said it was "a fairly easy decision" for him and his wife to move into one post-retirement.
asserted
him → holiday → retirement
Before they retired, their son died, which they say also influenced their decision to make the move.
asserted
they → retire → move
"I'm sure he would have loved to have done all this so he's always at the back of our thoughts wherever we are and wherever we go," Andy says.
asserted
Andy → love → thoughts
They traded their life at home in Edinburgh and have been living on board for around two and a half years since having the narrowboat built for them.
asserted
narrowboat → trade → them
"It's been fantastic," says Andy.
asserted
Andy → say → ?
"It slows you down and you get to see places you just wouldn't see in a car.
asserted
you → slow → car
We've seen places we just never would have dreamed of stopping at before."
asserted
we → see → places
He says the Leeds Liverpool canal is among his highlights, as was "skirting along the southern edge of the [Yorkshire] Dales."
Though a significant downsize from a house, Andy says it's not necessarily much cheaper.
asserted
it → say → house
"It's probably a bit cheaper than living in a house, but not significantly so," he says.
asserted
he → live → house
Ken Marshall, from Wakefield, has owned his boat Willow for about eight years.
asserted
Marshall → own → years
Two years ago, he decided to sell up his house and move on board full time.
asserted
he → decide → board
"There's struggles involved living on a boat, but I enjoy it," he says.
asserted
he → ' → it
Moored up in Leeds city centre's Granary Wharf, with his son on board for a few weeks, Ken says he still feels a sense of community despite not having permanent neighbours.
asserted
he → moor → neighbours
"I find in general that that people you know are very open to talking and helping," he says.
asserted
he → find → ?
Now working part-time, Ken says he has "no regrets whatsoever" about his decision to sell his house and move onto the water.
asserted
he → work → water
One of the main things he bears in mind when deciding where to moor up is ensuring he can get to and from work from there.
asserted
he → bear → work
Ken says his favourite thing about moving onboard is being able to choose your surroundings.
asserted
thing → say → surroundings
"I like being here in the city centre, but then I also like to be able to get back into somewhere quiet, where you're surrounded by fields and nature."
asserted
you → like → fields
He has been living on his narrowboat for just over a month after cashing in his pension to make the move.
asserted
He → live → move
He says he found the transition "easy enough", but travelling around is difficult.
asserted
travelling → say → ?
…and 7 more, not listed.
