Narrowboats too cold for winter living

HAVING recently attended two live-aboard boaters suffering pneumonia, a doctor has approached narrowboatworld telling of her concerns at the conditions of people living in narrowboats in winter.

Dr. Alison Fells is concerned that conditions in a narrowboat in winter are putting the lives of people  living in boats, especially older retirees, in danger owing to their virtually complete lack of insulation from the cold weather, explaining:

Lack of insulation

"I was completely amazed at the answers to my questions to the patients about the living conditions [in narrowboats] that there was normally only an inch of insulation between the steel hull and the inside including the roof, [Current building regulations stipulate 270mm (10½ inches of loft insulation.] and none underfloor giving any any extra protection between the cold winter water and the interior.

"The heating of the boats of the patients I attended was abysmal and way below the standard expected, having a stove at the end of what I was told in one case was a 65ft boat [the cabin space is less of course] yet the bedroom at the other end, and though with a radiator, this was completely cold, though I ascertained it was fully turned on, the stove not having the capacity to drive the many radiators in the boat."

Transferred to hospital

Dr. Alison remarked that the patients told her that the stove gave out plenty of heat and lasted all night, that she refuted after assessing the situation, and told that both the boaters were immediately transferred to hospital.

It seems that neither of the boats had secondary heating from either a gas or diesel heater, but relied solely on the stove.

[No details of the patients names, boats or even where moored were of course given.]