Another year not living for weekends & still afloat

Another year afloat has passed and it’s fascinating to see the difference between this year and last. Last year we dashed to live aboard just after lockdown 1 lifted so we contended with two lockdowns afloat that meant we had two periods of not being able to move – 4 weeks of lockdown 2 on the Ashby Canal in a marina, and 14 weeks of lockdown 3 on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Willington in Derbyshire. This year we’ve been able to continuously cruise all year.

That’s made quite a difference – we’ve cruised 1,235 miles and 2 furlongs this year compared to 697 miles last year. It’s meant more workouts too operating 95 moveable bridges this year compared to 58 last year and 948 locks this year compared to 522 last year. Tardebigge is the longest flight of locks in the country – 30 and we completed that with the help of a friend (thanks Kat) this year. We’ve taken in broad canals (width in locks for 2 narrowboats together) narrow canals, large rivers and small rivers.

Our travels took us south to London to moor in Little Venice for Steve to successfully run the London Marathon from the boat, and off into Wales this year, encompassing 29 canals, sections and branches. We’ve taken in 31 tunnels travelling 15.5 miles underground in total – that’s more tunnels but less distance underground than last year (24 tunnels and 19 miles).

A major difference between this year and last has been the opportunity to share time with family and friends. That has been a delight I’m sure everyone is appreciating. It’s been a major plus for us when they come and take the tiller or help with all those locks, and at Easter two of the family (thanks Freya and Jonny) helped us revolutionise life aboard completely – with the addition of a washing machine! Getting it on board wasn’t easy but they did it, and Steve’s alterations to the electrical system, the wardrobe (where it lives), and the main bed (which had to be shortened by 1cm) worked brilliantly. We also have a new replacement cratch cover which keeps everything there dry (unlike the old one), and will really come into its own in winter.

With friends, we took in another of the amazing wonders of the waterways this year too, the river in the sky that is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a world heritage site. We steered the boat on the Llangollen canal, on water held in a cast iron trough suspended 126 feet above the River Dee, by 18 hollowed masonry pillars.

There are still two wonders for us to explore, the Anderton Boat Lift in Cheshire which we have seen on foot but won’t be able to travel until at least 2023 because it has mechanical issues, and at the other end of the network the Caen Hill flight of 16 locks in Wiltshire.

The cost of living is something which is occupying most of us right now, and we are no exception. Costs have risen – our boat licence which allows us to travel the waterways managed by Canal and River Trust has risen from £880 to £908 and is due to rise again shortly by another 4%. Our energy costs (diesel for electricity, hot water and propulsion, gas for cooking, and coal for warmth and cooking), Living afloat we get no Government cost of living support payment.

We’ve spent an additional £3 a week on diesel so far, and the gas costs have risen by 34% this year. We haven’t bought coal yet this year as we still had coal left from last year’s stock to burn but we know the cost has risen significantly. I predict much more foraging for wood, and we’re trying to see if we can both fund a large lump sum and find somewhere to store a tonne of coal for this year. A bulk buy of a tonne can save up to £400.

The solar Steve installed last year has more than paid for itself now. We’ve recouped 137.65% of the installation costs in the year, saving £417.71 in diesel and that’s given us 84 solar kilowatt hours of free energy – bliss! It’s also contributed to 180 less running hours of the engine.

Workwise we are earning enough beer money. We refurbished one rental house when it came vacant and relet it whilst still refurbishing which was great. Deena has work coming in and projects on the go which keeps her ticking over and with the help of a wonderful boaters group and YouTube has mastered crochet at last! She’s also won awards in two photographic competitions.

So another year afloat draws to a close having brought snow, hail, rain, ice, winds in the form of Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (fortunately our only loss was a doormat but it was weird to feel seasick as waves appeared on the canal!). We’ve encountered frozen canals and boiled in temperatures that have risen into the 40s.

Steve joined the Mermaid Club (apparently so named) in the early part of the year with a fall from the boat into the freezing waters at Whaley Bridge on the Peak Forest Canal. He damaged his ribs and a knee in the process and took a couple of months to recover. In June after avoiding Covid for so long, we were both struck down with it and it took us time to get over it but recover we have.

Cola too needed a dental operation (about the cost of a year’s coal) but even at 14+ years old in dog years he’s recovered well. The times of being unwell were the low points of the year but yet again the daily delights of wildlife encounters and living slowly have more than made up for them.

We’ve also had an abundance of highlights this year including:

• Steve completing the London Marathon
• Deena’s cancer scare being just a scare
• The WASHING MACHINE
• The new CRATCH COVER – measured, made and fitted in just 24 hrs by kinver Canopies
• Fabulous holidays staying with and seeing family in Cornwall and Settle
• Helping erect a Peace Pole in Leicester
• Helping Forces Afloat – an amazing charity
• Playing the Blisworth Tunnel Blues for its inaugural performance in the tunnel
• Spending irreplaceable time with family and friends

We have our Boat Safety Certificate test due again in November (nail biting – should be OK but it’s like an MOT for boats and who knows if we’ve interpreted the requirements as an inspector will).

Then where next? No ideas yet and we need to look at the winter stoppages list to work out where we can do. This coming year we’d like to discover the Caldon, Rochdale and the Lancaster Canals but there’s no rush at 4mph and we’ll carry on just taking life as it comes!