Wide beam narrowboats are the ideal choice for those considering living aboard full time and who are not worried about cruising every inch of the canal network.
Any wide beam with a permanent mooring and which are used a
houseboat can be almost any size; but a wide beam intending to cruise the waterways must comply with size restrictions which depends upon the dimensions of the waterway.
Narrowboats are usually 6ft 10” wide but wide beam narrowboats are generally between 10ft to 14ft in width. The most obvious advantage is the additional living and storage space. The inside of a wide beam can look like and have the feel of a small apartment rather than a boat.
Wide beams are available in a cruiser, semi-traditional and traditional sterns. There are four main ‘cruising grounds’ for the wide beam owner: London and the South East, East Anglia, the Severn waterways and The Trent and North.