Providing a taste of life on a boat, for veterans in need of a home
Join us refurbishing narrowboats, which have been donated to us and make them in to safe havens for homeless heroes.
Registered Charity Number
1211509
Our Mission
Forces Veterans Afloat brings civilian and veteran boaters together, to refurbish boats donated to the charity. It was inspired by a remark on a Facebook page, 4 years ago - and has had a couple of names The Forces Vets Afloat Project, The Forces Veterans Afloat Charitable Trust and now Forces Veterans Afloat or FVA. We're proud of what's grown from a vague idea to raise a sunken boat and give it to a homeless person, to a registered charity. Forces Veterans Afloat, registered charity number 1211509.
The charity now owns 9 boats, three deployed with veterans, one almost ready to deploy, our 70ft, 104-year-old flagship, NB Daisy and the rest waiting either refurbishment or a decision on their future.
The charity is very new – granted our number in December 2024. Money is tight and donations of goods and services are vital for us to continue until what we passionately believe is vital work. We may not help hundreds of people but seeing the change in the veterans we do help makes it clear what we do is needed and life-changing.
Our boats for refurbishment are currently kept on Sawley Cut, just ourside Sawley Waterside and Marina, Tamworth Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 3AE
Forces Veterans Afloat - Providing A Safe Haven for Those in Need
A Lifeline for Britain's Heroes
Forces Veterans Afloat takes boats it's donated and turns them in to safe havens for former members of British armed forces. Boats can be a cheaper place to live, being on a boat makes you part of a ready-made, UK wide, unique community - something veterans are used to and often miss after leaving. Boats and water can be a haven for those who experience PTSD episodes. Boaters spend much time outdoors, close to nature and operating a boat calls for an established routine - often appreciated by those who have served in our armed forces.
Forces Veterans Afloat - Latest News
March 2024 - NB Capricorn, our "Barney Boat" and NB Clover have been moved from their moorings and and now being got out of the water for hull inspections. The thickness of the hulls will be check and blacking applied if needed. A decsion will then be made as to what we do with these boats in the future.
Who can apply for a boat?
The short answer - you have to have been a British Armed Forces veteran, and either homeless (that includes sofa surfing), in an HMO, or in imminent danger of being made homeless, AND - this is important - under the care of a recognised armed forces charity. You will be loaned - not given, you have to give it back - a warm, dry, safe, legal boat, for initially 12 months, to help you get back on your feet. We don't charge you rent but we do ask that you put fuel in the boat, license it and if you are in a marina, pay the mooring fees - the last two, DWP and local authorities will pay if you're out of work. And that's a good deal - read on and see why.
The long answer - As you might imagine, lots of people like the idea of living on a narrowboat - they see TV shows like "Canal Boat Diaries" and "Narrow Escapes" and think it looks like a great life. And it can be.
But although it IS cheaper than bricks and mortar, you still need 10's of thousands of pounds to have somewhere decent to live. So, getting a boat to live in, that's warm, dry, safe and legal, isn't cheap.
Anyone who's been around boats will tell you, the less you pay for a boat in the 1st place, the more you'll spend keeping it afloat and making it decent to live in. For a lot of people, and definitely if you're homeless and can't get a job because of that, it's out of reach.
If you're a homeless veteran, that's where FVA comes in.
People looking to get on to a narrowboat, but with not much money, usually try to buy what's called a "Project Boat"
Project boats are ones which need - usually - a great deal of work needed on them. The electrics are usually shot. The plumbing doesn't work - the pumps to move the water in or out have often had it. It could have been sunk or water come in through windows, doors and the roof - so the whole of the inside, walls, floors and ceilings, have to be stripped out, thrown away, the boat dried out and it all being replace with new stuff. The hull could need welding or steel plates on it, a skilled and expensive job. That's all before you get a bed and furnishings, something to sit on, some way of staying warm, fit out the kitchen, heat your water.... you get the idea. That can cost 10k or more.
Most of the boats FVA are given are project boats - so we spend that money, put in the time and the expertise.
That's why we don't give our boats away - we have spent thousands on them and countless hours of volunteer's work.
We are fortunate to have been given 3 boats in excellent condition - worth 30k or more of anyone's money. We're given them by incredibly generous people, who want to help as many veterans as possible. If we give them away, if the person who is given it, decides to sell it, it'll go back into the leisure or liveaboard market - and that wasn't what the owner wanted. So that's why we loan boats, not give them away.
We don't loan people boats who have housing, but who fancy dipping their toes in the water and have a go at living on a narrowboat.
We don't hire out boats for holidays.
We don't have "spare" boats for emergency accommodation, at the moment, but we hope to by the end of 2025.
As our boats go out for a year or more, we won't always have a boat for a veteran who a charity approaches us about - we wish we did - but doing anything to boats is a slow business and a costly one, and just because we have X number of boats, they won't all be ready to go out.
So that's what we do.
Still think we might be able to help you? Get your case worker to contact us and if we can help, we will.
Information for partner charities
Who is eligible for a FVA boat?
Without wishing to state the obvious - the person must be a veteran of the British Armed Forces. We cannot loan boats to family members of veterans but you'd be surprised how many people ask.
A person must be either homeless or on the point of homelessness. We will also consider veterans who are housed in HMO's but are not finding this compatible with their mental health.
We do not loan boats to people who "just" want to live on one, as they like the idea of the lifestyle or think it will be better for them financially.
We will be happy to accommodate couples, and dogs and cats are allowed. Unfortunately, in part due to the size of our current boats, we are unable to offer boats to families. We may be able to consider a parent with an over 18 child, who is still in their care.
There are other criteria, which we'll be happy to supply you and talk over.
So, what else should I know?
Forces Veterans Afloat works in tandem with a number of established, Armed Forces Charities, who approach the organisation, when they have a veteran who has expressed a desire to live on a boat, or who they feel would benefit from living on one. These partner charities need to undertake to continue to care for the veteran’s physical, mental and financial wellbeing, while they are aboard a Forces Veterans Afloat boat, as they would if the veteran were housed in bricks and mortar.
It is very important to stress that Forces Veterans Afloat is only providing somewhere safe, warm, dry and economic for the veterans to live, so with the help of their umbrella charity, they can get their lives back on track. Forces Veterans Afloat are boat experts and will do everything to ensure both boat and veteran are safe, in regards to living on and operating the boat but that is where the organisation’s responsibilities end. Forces Veterans Afloat are in effect, landlords - although the organisation will receive no payment from any veterans for living aboard the organisation’s boats.
Boats will initially be loaned for a period of a year – which can be extended at the discretion of FVA. A veteran can be removed from a boat if they are placing themselves, it or other waterway users in danger.
Veterans will have the choice of marina living or cruising the network. However, if FVA considers a veteran suitable for a boat in a marina but not cruising, it will reserve the right to make this a condition of the loan.
The differences between Marina living and cruising will be fully explained to the veteran by FVA, so they can make an informed choice, should they be passed as suitable for the loan of a boat.
Financial Implications – FVA will supply as accurate as possible breakdown of the costs for each boat, as prices increase by the foot, so all boats do not cost the same.
FVA will insure the boat, under their Fleet Insurance – at no cost to the veteran. FVA will make sure the boat has a valid, enhanced Boat Safety Scheme Certificate (a boat MOT – to the higher standard demanded of holiday hire fleets) FVA will service the boat’s engine. FVA will maintain the hull’s blacking (paint on the area in or just above the water)
The license from the appropriate waterways authority must be purchased by the Veteran. In the case of the Canal and River Trust License, now FVA has it's charity status, it will be entitled to 60% off the cost of the license - this is a considerable saving and may mean FVA pays the license, or the cost will be very much less for the veteran. Talks are on-going with CaRT to put this in place - it's not as simple as it sounds!
Marina fees for berthing the boat must be undertaken by the veteran.
Diesel fuel for movement and/or heating must be paid for by the veteran.
Volunteer Opportunities
Join our dedicated team of volunteers in refurbishing narrowboats. Your time and effort can change a veteran's life. We hold working party days between early spring and late autumn, which will be publicised on our Facebook page and on this site. Or you can email us your contact details and we'll let you know what's happening and how you can get involved. Anyone can help, whether you have specialist skills like plumbing or electrics, or you're really good at painting or tidying up - and we always need someone to make the tea!
Donating a boat to FVA
Do you have a boat that you think we might be able to use? We wouldn't exist without the generous people who give us boats and we can't thank them enough.
Because we are a small charity, we have to be careful with pennies, so we have to assess boats we are offered. We are fortunate to have been given 4 boats which were in extremely good condition and we could put veterans on to them almost straight away.
Others are definitely projects, which could take a year or more to get ship-shape.
And then there are the boats which will simply cost us too much time and money to refurbish – we do accept these boats but, as we’ll make clear to the donor, the most likely course of action with these is that we sell them as project boats for people with more time and money than we have. That money will then be reinvested in the boats we keep, to refurbish them, get their Boat Safety Certificate, insure them, license them, service them and replace things which break.
If you have a boat which you might donate to us, do get in touch for a chat, either by email or phone.
A big thank you from Forces Veterans Afloat to...
We couldn’t do a lot of what we do without the generous help and sponsorship of a number of wonderful people and firms. Take a look at who’s helped us out and if you can, give them a bit of custom. Thanks.
Boat sponsors
These wonderful people have become our very 1st Boat Sponsors. They have donated a sum of money to be used to get CC Susie Splash inspected and tested, so she can become a home for veteran. It’s brough her being deployed considerably closers – thank you www.lofts4storage.co.uk
PJ Barber, Boat Builders
Paul and his team have been amazing, lifting boats and carrying out welding on them. This would have been a major expense but Paul’s generosity has made out limited funds go an awful lot further! If you’re in the area and need work – please check them out – at Long Eaton Marina, Wyvern Marian and Sheet Shed Basin
Bond End Canal Company, Shobnal.
When you have 2 big narrowboats to black, to get the paint donated is a god-send. Thanks to the amazing people at Bond End Canal Company – we were donated enough blacking to cover both boat hulls, with more than 1 coat. Thank you – Bond End!
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