Today I figured out what it would financially take for me to buy a long narrow boat and cruise the waterways of England.
It looks something like this in $ and £:
- $60,000 = The minimum cost for a decent used boat. To offer an idea, the pic above is a boat double that price. So cha-ching that £££ up a wee bit more, eh?
- $15,000 = Spare account for unexpected maintenance. The word ‘unexpected’ automatically means adding in a few more £££ here.
- $15,000/year = Daily living and canal expenses, which includes wood for heat, trash removal, Wi-Fi and licenses. In full disclosure, I don’t think that figure covers re-stocking the ‘ole bubbly selection. So we’ll need additional £££ for caviar and champagne.
To give this slightly eccentric endeavour some perspective. …
For a career professional to take up floating through the locks of England, it’s going to cost just under a year’s salary to live a stress-free comfortable £££ life for 12 months.
So … Year 1 is looking great!
Knock on wood.
However [insert dramatic pause here], those £££ do not address the subsequent years until one can safely pull from the world of IRAs and 401Ks.
Which means by year 2, it’s a genuine possibility that I’ll be eyeing my spare maintenance £££ to cover my monthly £££ for my Dom Perignon Brut Rose, 2006 and Olma Beluga Sturgeon Hybrid Caviar kitchen staples.
That’s if the boat’s motor hasn’t already drained that account dry by then.
So, not terrible per se, but definitely lots to consider before tossing my lanyard and login for a captain’s cap.
Realistically?
I think I would have to continue working for a paycheck from the boat.
It’ll take a bit getting used to, what with having to hold onto the monitors as the water level drops, but that could work if the Wi-Fi does.
Because I don’t think I’m likely to book any interviews on dry land with a CV that reads:
- 10 yrs – Software Developer
- 8 yrs – Sr. Portal Software Engineer
- 5 yrs – Sr. Portal Database Architect
- 1 yr – Long Narrow Boat Lifer
Happy Sunday.