Making a home in a floating world

When you consider that the price of a houseboat starts from £24,000, it is not difficult to see why people are attracted to living on the waterways.

Most European countries have long-established and large floating communities either in their cities or in the countryside. These have developed along the transport arteries that connect canals and rivers with seas, such as the routes that cut across the heart of Europe and link the North sea, in Holland, with the Black Sea, or the Baltic sea, in Poland and Germany, with the warmer waters of the Mediterranean sea.

Everyone is aware of the visual melody of large and modern houseboats, or the more traditional wooden and steel converted barges that moor along the intricate network of canals in Amsterdam. Floating communities are also popular in other European cities such as those dotted along the River Rhine and its tributaries, or in recently restored Porte de l'Arsenal in the Bastille district of Paris, and at London's docklands, Chelsea and Richmond on the River Thames.

Although there are believed to be, currently, around 300 people living on Irish waterways, "houseboats have never developed properly here because of the lack of facilities along the waterways", says Stephen Hollinshead, of Belmont Boats, Co Offaly. In a recent policy paper on Ireland's inland waterways, the Heritage Council advocated the setting up of more serviced sites for houseboats along the waterways. Although, at present Duchas's waterway service would prefer not to see any development of this kind being directed towards the houseboat sector, it seems unlikely that the needs of houseboat owners can be ignored for very much longer, as interest increases in houseboats in line with the surging house price rises around the State. The houseboat communities are based in rural and urban locations, such as Shannonbridge, where the Grand Canal meets the Shannon, and at different points along the river Shannon, such as Athlone. They live alongside the growing barge and cruising tourism trade that operates on Irish waterways. Up to 20,000 overseas visitors come to Ireland every year for holidays on Irish waterways, according to Bord Failte. Recently, the Shannon-Erne Waterway was re-opened, linking the north and south of Ireland and creating a renewed interest and business in the area. Over 15,000 vessels have passed through the waterway since it re-opened in 1994 and it is felt that investment will continue to be pumped into Irish waterways, North and South, given its status, and potential, within the framework of the Northern Ireland peace process.

Typically, barges can be rented from £425 (two/four-berth) a week from operators on the different navigation routes and two-berth cruisers cost from £300 a week, in the low season. Most of the visitors who come to Ireland for waterway holidays are from Germany, according to Bord Failte.

Floating communities have sprung up at Hazelhatch and Sallins, on the outskirts of Dublin. Many people from these two communities on the Grand Canal, commute to the city to work. And at the Grand Canal basin on the south-side of Dublin are moorings for house-boats to stop and carry out the necessary annual maintenance and repairs, according to Gerry Allen of Shipwatch, a boat repair and maintenance yard at the Grand Canal basin. Many people have made enquiries in recent years regarding buying and living on houseboats, says Mr Allen, "because they can't afford to buy or rent houses in the city any more".

But according to Mr Allen, living in the canal basin "is not encouraged" at present because the basic services do not exist. An application for a pumping station and water supply has been made by Dublin Corporation on behalf of Duchas at the canal basin and until then it will not be very practicable for people to moor in the basin for long periods of time, although some do.

The canals are controlled by Duchas, The Heritage Service, Waterways, which comes under the remit of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands. Duchas issues annual permits for £100 for boats to use the canals and the canal bye-laws can be obtained from Duchas's offices in Dublin. Since Duchas's primary concern is with waterway navigation, they issue permits to boats only with engines. So long as boats do not block up "navigation" on the waterways, long-term moorings are not impossible on waterways.

SOME people have being moored for up to 12 years in the same location without any problems from the authorities, according to one source who lives on the canals.

In general, the situation seems to be that if you are reasonably determined to live on a houseboat and careful where you moor, the authorities will not pay too much attention to this economical and tranquil lifestyle.