London's so-called housing crisis is pushing some people onto the water.
The numbers of people living on the city's hundreds of miles of canal-ways has increased dramatically over recent years, with thousands of people now calling the waterways their home.
Technology such as mobile wifi and solar panels has made living on a boat easier, but the increasing number of boats has brought some tensions as Catherine Drew reports from London.
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TAKE SOUNDUP: "More of a challenge for you…..
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Finding a particular boat on a canal is easy with smart phone as a pin drop can tell you exactly where the boat you're going to visit is situation. However in busy areas canal boats are moored two, perhaps even three abreast, so you have to be prepared to climb aboard.
TAKE SOUNDUP:
"Welcome aboard, I'll give you a tour, come on it"
SCRIPT:
Photographer Alastair Hilton is one of the growing numbers of Londoners who have taken to the water.
He bought this one bedroom canalboat for $35 thousand dollars and began living in it at the beginning of the year.
After renting for years, Alastair decided it was time to fulfill his dream of living on water and save money doing so.
INSERT:
"To rent in any part of London you're talking a lot of money every year… and of course with rent, that's dead money, so rather than doing that you can buy a boat for what a few years rent would cost you, and then the cost of living is infinitely less, apart from the fact that the lifestyle is nicer as well."
SCRIPT:
With an average canal boat costing between 25 to 65 thousands dollars, many people with little hope of getting on the traditional housing ladder are taking a different view of home ownership.
This has led to a dramatic rise in the number of people now living on the waterways of the UK capital.
Since 2012 The number of canal boats moving up and down London's waterways has increased by over 75 per cent and the vast majority of theses are people's homes. However the increase in population has led to some problems.
Fran Read is the spokeswoman for the Canal and River Trust which oversees the waterways.
INSERT:
Boat numbers in London really have exploded. There's also a lot of pressure on facilities, so boats need to fill up with water, they also need to empty their toilets and as more and more boats are using the system, we're seeing things breaking down more often and filling up more quickly, which can cause problems.
SCRIPT:
Some canal-side land residents complain of increased noise, smoke from heating systems and an increase in rubbish.
TAKE SOUNDUP: "I write down everywhere we go"
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Retired couple Timothy and Dianne Morris leave their house in Leicester to spend half the year on their boat, traveling up and down the country. They haven't visited London since 2013 and have been shocked at the changes they've seen
INSERT:
"There's a lot more boats, you seem to go past a long line of boats, moored a lot more."
"There's also a lot more rubbish, from plastic bags, dog mess, bedding, clothing,
"Shopping trollies"
"Even a wardrobe"
(she laughs)
SCRIPT:
While modern technology like solar panels, smart phones and mobile wifi has made canal boat living easier, those overseeing the waterways are urging caution. Fran read from the Canal and River Trust again.
INSERT:
"Think about being in the middle of winter, stuck two miles up a tow path, possibly iced in, having to carry all your shopping, all your wood, all the way up the tow path, it's not for everyone. People should only live onboard if they love the lifestyle, not as a cheap housing option."
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Without a permanent mooring, which can costs hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, canal boats must move every two weeks.
However, for some that's part of the attraction. Photographer Alastair Hilton posts photos and videos when he explores new areas of London.
TAKE SOUND UP: VIDEO "Cruising along the Grand Union Canal.."
INSERT
"I absolutely love it, it is wonderful. I wake up and from my bed I can look at the lovely view of the canal, at the river, and it couldn't be nicer."
SCRIPT:
However Alastair admits he hasn't lived a complete winter on the water yet.
I'm Catherine Drew, sign off London