Narrowboat shenanigans

As we were walking along the river at lunchtime, we saw these boaters apparently trying to steer their hired narrowboat into the river bank.  In fact, they were attempting to moor up alongside the pump-out station.  Their method was unorthodox, but successful.

A lot of people in Cambridge are overheard referring to narrowboats as barges.  Narrowboats have a narrow beam (width), typically 6'10". Narrowboats were used both for freight and residentially, as both liveaboards and holiday boats.  Most working boats have now been converted for residential use, and new-builds are almost all residential.

Wide beam boats, a more recent innovation, are a wider version of narrowboats, with a beam of 10–12'.  They are typically used residentially, and have much more space inside.

Barges come in various sizes and their original purpose was for freight.  The smaller ones are nowadays often converted for residential use.  One common type of barge is the Dutch barge.  Barges are usually at least as wide as a wide beam boat.