Last weekend over 2000 people visited central Birmingham to enjoy the floating market: A three day event organised by The Roving Canal Traders Association. Traders who both live and work on the canals arrived in Birmingham by boat to sell their arts, crafts, jewellery, palmistry, poetry and food.

Many of us think of boating as a leisure activity, but a select few enjoy being aboard as part of their business. With the right mobile internet connection a computer-based business can be run from a boat, resulting in the much envied freedom of the ‘laptop lifestyle’.

If you’d like your boat to be more than a hobby here are three inspirational ways that boat owners have turned their canal boats into their business.

The Cheese Boat

One of my favourite floating businesses is The Cheese Boat which sells specialist Welsh Cheeses, chutneys and pickles. Geraldine Prescott and her husband Michael, combine their passion for narrowboating with their love of cheeses. Their company motto is Try Before You Buy and the chutneys are all homemade by Mike. They’re continuously cruising, but you can keep up with their location by visiting their website www.thecheeseboat.co.uk

The Book Barge

The Book Barge is a 57ft cruiser stern narrowboat: a floating, travelling independent bookshop. Stocking a good selection of new and second-hand books it offers an interesting alternative to the high street bestseller lists. Boat owner and book-lover Sarah Henshaw combats the modern trend for quick-click online book buying with a more relaxed and idle browsing experience on the canal. She also hosts friendly events such as book clubs and craft nights, most of which seem to involve tea and cake. At the time of writing her website was experiencing technical difficulties but do drop by her Facebook page to find out more.

The Floating Salon

Nicola Dawkins offers a unique hairdressing experience on the water. Her wide-beam canal boat has travelled the Kennet and Avon, London’s canals and the Lea and Stort and appeared in the Queens Diamond Jubilee Thames Flotilla in 2012. In July 2013 she secured a permanent mooring in Bradford on Avon near Bath. The Floating Salon is the only hair salon on the Inland Waterways and offers services the same as any high street salon, with the added extra of some quiet, relaxing watery surroundings. www.thefloatingsalon.com

Give up the day job!

So don’t let your day job limit your boating time. Could your own career be reinvented and taken afloat full time on the English canal system? What would your boat business be?

To find out what other businesses are travelling the 2000 mile canal network visit The Roving Canal Traders Association.

You may also like:
How to buy a boat – the process / Thinking of selling your boat? / Gadget Test – Brolly Mate / Make money selling boats / Get started with your own Boatshed business / More news articles and stories.

See when the next boat auction is.

New here? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to hear of new listings, and regular boating, sailing and brokerage news.