War of the waterways as young boat owners disturb the peace

IT HAS long been regarded as a bucolic pastime for the older enthusiast, but canal life is fast becoming dominated by younger boaters, setting up a clash of generations on the water.

Growing numbers of young people are choosing to live on houseboats along the riverbanks, leading to tensions between them and more traditional and older canal goers.

Arguments over loud parties and rows about a lack of mooring spaces have become common along the once tranquil waterways.

Figures from the Canal and River Trust show that 64 per cent of those who live on houseboats on permanent moorings are aged under 45. The survey also shows that almost half of those living on what are classed as continuous cruisers, boats which move from mooring to mooring, are aged 16 to 44.

On the once industrial River Lea, near Stratford, east London, which underwent regeneration for the London 2012 Olympics, smartly-painted boats can be hired for parties. Long-standing boat owners say the influx of young people is causing problems. “It’s great to see a new generation coming up and enjoying the river because it means they will become its new custodians, but from Thursday to Sunday they socialise very loudly,” said one canal dweller of thirty years.

“I don’t think young people appreciate how far sound travels outdoors at night, which causes tensions because the rest of us have chosen to be here for the peace, the quiet and the solitude.”

Particularly in urban areas, a growing number of young people are living on canals to avoid rising house prices.

But that has created a shortage of mooring spaces, leading to many older canal goers feeling reluctant to venture into urban waterways for fear of not finding anywhere to stop for the night.

Mike Grimes, head of boating at the Canal and River Trust, which is responsible for maintaining the 2,000 miles of British canals and rivers, admitted that the survey had revealed “a growing polarisation between boaters’ views”.

However, he stressed that “generally, the sense of community is very much alive” and that all boaters share a desire to protect Britain’s canals. A succession of narrow boats proceeds through London’s Little Venice and Lisson Grove. A survey has shown that 64 per cent of boaters on permanent moorings are now under 45