This week we started our fourth year living and working from our 50ft narrowboat on the inland waterways of Britain, and in that time we’ve taken her the equivalent distance of the UK to New York.
To date we’ve worked 1969 locks, travelled 2917 miles (43.5 of them underground in tunnels) and moved 193 bridges (many of which I reckon require far more effort than the locks!).
This year alone up to our cruising anniversary we moved 40 bridges, cruised 985 miles, worked 499 locks and spent 9 miles 81 yards underground.
Anniversaries are a time of indulgent reflection and this year is no exception. The milestones of this year have been (in no particular order)
- Getting our Boat Safety Certificate for another 4 years
- Getting the boat hull blacked, water tank cleaned and resealed internally – the external seal is still somehow a work in progess
- Having the big main hatch and front bulkhead sorted so they do the jobs they were intended to
- The loss of our beloved spaniel Cola after 15 great years
- Deena completing the London Marathon virtually from the boat along Northamptonshire’s towpaths
- Navigating the tidal River Trent and emerging in one piece
- Experiencing the astonishing Anderton Boat Lift
- The arrival of a new Boatdog who seems happy with her new life
- Getting a trading licence to set up our floating craft business
- Enjoying the company of family and friends afloat and ashore
People keep asking us – would we head back to bricks and mortar?
We’d struggle to be honest because we would miss so much the delights this wonderful floating life gives us, things that are good for body and soul and which just wouldn’t all be possible in a fixed house and office.
- Awakening every morning with the possibility of taking our home off on an adventure
- Having new scenery and new walks on our doorstep every day
- Duck alarm clocks and owl lullabies
- Discovering fascinating stories of places and people along the routes we take
- Enjoying being part of the community afloat
- Working and living within nature and the seasons
- Having a home that demands we’re active – which we think must be keeping us fit
- Being able to watch wildlife close up – from our own floating hide
- Challenging ourselves to do new things, go to new places and always taking our home along for the ride
- Being able to move on if we get bored, fancy a change, or (never yet) don’t like the neighbours
This is the lifestyle that still very much floats our boat. Living and working afloat has given us freedom from materialism and the rat race; courage and confidence to undertake challenges and do what’s right for us; and peace – what more can we ask? We would love being nearer family all the time and still being able to cruise to our hearts’ content (whether they’d like that is another matter!).
Pickingupducks 