AN ARTIST has shared what it’s like to live off-grid in a canal boat where she can save £600 a month.
Shannon Lane, 29, ditched her room in Clapham for a 30ft narrowboat which she cruises in with her pug, Gilbert.
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She decided to move on the water after learning her landlord was raising the price of her rent to £1,000 a month.
The freelance artist and video producer took out a loan to buy a £24,000 narrowboat and now spends just £300 a month paying it off.
Ever since Shanon moved, her mental health has improved and she no longer suffers from “bad anxiety and depression”.
Nonetheless, the transition from bricks to a floating home takes adjusting to.
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The Narrowboat community is a “tight-knit” community where everyone gets to know their neighbours.
You can imagine the smell
Shannon Lane
Shanon regularly has neighbours introduce themselves whenever she “moors up” to a different spot.
However, she is always on the move because she doesn’t pay a mooring fee.
She told MailOnline: “It’s important to keep the canal system moving because it makes space for other boaters to enjoy different parts of the canal.”
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Constantly being on the move could deter people when considering a life on water but it offers a chance to explore areas of London that would have previously been unaffordable.
Shannon can cruise up to Regents Park or Little Venice and pays a fraction of those living in houses there.
A major downside to living on water is the unglamorous job of emptying the toilet.
The video producer claimed the worst thing to do is leave it too late as the smell can be unpleasant.
She has a cassette toilet on her boat and has to wheel the sliding cartridge to a communal disposal area.
“You can imagine the smell,” Shanon added.
Coal is essential when living on a narrowboat, according to Shannon.
Winter can be difficult, particularly “when everything gets icy” so having a good quality log burner is necessary.
Shannon added that stocking up on blankets and jumpers is also useful to keep warm while the boat is heating up.
The 29-year-old admitted that her barge almost sunk when she was sleeping.
She had tied some of her ropes too tight and that caused the boat to start leaning to one side.
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Shanon only noticed something was wrong after she got tipped out of bed in the middle of the night.
She said: “Luckily I noticed and loosened my ropes, and safely got back into bed.”
How the figures compare
Finances while renting a room in a house share
Rent per month – £900
Share of bills per month – £100
Finances now living on a narrowboat
Monthly loan repayment – £300
Gas – £40 every four months – so £10-a-month
Electricity – Free as generated by solar panels
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