Glorious weekend weather, a talented and hard-working carpenter (with serious muscles), and an accessible hard-standing towpath have made a massive difference to our life afloat this past week. We now have the bulk of a beautiful, bespoke kitchen plus dining area, crafted from oak, maple, black walnut, and beech. The sun (and there has been someContinue reading “Handcrafted beauty and making a stand against the U.S.A.”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Living Jenga = excitement & chaos
Older boats are like older houses. You start one job and another 6 make an appearance. They also demand because of their dimensions that doing work anywhere affects another area because everything has to move to produce working space. This week is a major milestone aboard Preaux, a week when we are making another massiveContinue reading “Living Jenga = excitement & chaos”
We’re done – it’s over.
That’s it then – all over. How did that happen so quickly? For the first time in our five years of working and living afloat on a narrowboat, we took a winter mooring. Somehow it’s been nearly four whole months that we have remained (most of the time) in one place. Some people go intoContinue reading “We’re done – it’s over.”
It’s time for clearing the decks – are you?
Spring’s sorting out is going on all around us. Many birds are busy nesting, female ducks are once more putting their lives at risk as the mating season begins (males can and often do drown the females if they mate in the water), buds are busily forming on shrubs and trees, and early bulbs areContinue reading “It’s time for clearing the decks – are you?”
A Lover-ly time to be afloat
This week has seen a flurry of red roses, cards with hearts, and lots of soppy messages on social media. For many, it brightened the gloom of this often dreary time of the year. For others, I recognise it’s depressing or underlines loneliness, and for some it’s all hype and unnecessary. It made me thinkContinue reading “A Lover-ly time to be afloat”
Giving back gives more than expected
One advantage of spending the winter in one place has been the chance to formally become volunteers with the charity that has responsibility for the waterways we live on – Canal and River Trust. On 2 July 2012, CRT, as a charity, took over from the previous government authority, British Waterways, who ran the networkContinue reading “Giving back gives more than expected”
Our new super power!
This week has seen the single biggest revolution in our off grid life. Our 50ft floating home/office/workshop, since we bought her 7 years ago, has been powered by 3 lead acid Albion leisure batteries. Initially, they were charged by running the engine, and they in turn powered the items we need – lights, laptop, mobileContinue reading “Our new super power!”
Eowyn and epitaphs this week
Another storm…another natural disaster for much of the UK. As Storm Eowyn raged we have been away worrying about our boat remotely from down on the South West coast, and once more we are so grateful for the support of the boating community. This time, as winds howled and waters rose, we were on theContinue reading “Eowyn and epitaphs this week”
Everything you ever wanted to know…and some you didn’t!
We seem to be a novelty after the floods have abated here in this part of Leicestershire. It is one of the lovely things we find about narrowboat living – people are curious about how we live because it’s a bit different. Additionally, we can often be found outside alongside or easily available sitting outContinue reading “Everything you ever wanted to know…and some you didn’t!”
Flood, evacuation & freeze
It’s been a dramatic week. From wet and muddy to a pollution incident. emergency evacuation, danger to life levels, and ice. Monday began with grandson’s school being closed on the first day back from the Christmas holidays because not enough staff could get in through flooded or snowy roads. This is a benefit of beingContinue reading “Flood, evacuation & freeze”
Pickingupducks 