- Hire Boat And Live Aboard Narrowboat Heating Costs Compared
Continued from this post.I shed a tear and dropped on bended knees to plead with the CRT guys and gals to take me up the lift to the canal. The guy I spoke to was super helpful, which is more than I could say for the lady on duty.I assumed that she worked for CRT […]
- Cruising North In The Fridge
I found my temporary hire boat home moored beside a disused service point next to the Hureleston flight of four locks at the junction with the Llangollen and Shropshire Union canals.Although the January day was cold, it was warmer than the boat’s freezing cabin. I flicked the cabin’s Eberspacher switch and unpacked my bags while […]
- Comparing A Hire Boat With A Live Aboard Narrowboat
I’m back from the dead with my first blog post since May last year. Dear reader, I love writing to you, but I haven’t had the time. I had so many Discovery Day enquiries last year that I could only accommodate half of them. So I worked four days a week at the marina and then […]
- The Pros And Cons Of Narrowboat Marina Moorings
Two months have passed since I returned from my nine-week winter break, tethered to a tiny area of England’s canal and river network by coronavirus restrictions, winter stoppages and ice. Despite thoroughly enjoying time off doing nothing more meaningful than rearranging my sock drawer, I missed aspects of marina life. There’s been an avalanche of waterways […]
- Bullock Battles And Sainsbury Silliness
I’m back on my Calcutt Boats mooring now following my two months cruising break. Not that I managed to do any cruising. I moved less than a mile a day during my sixty-day holiday thanks to Lockdown 3.0. I couldn’t complain. I moored for weeks at a time, far from the stresses and strains of […]
- Unexpected Canal Dredging And Another Remote Icy Mooring
I mentioned towards the end of my last post the worrying list I developed on the South Oxford canal’s summit pound. My attempt to cruise this through route to Oxford and the River Thames didn’t end well.I moored for five days at Priors Hardwick. It’s the most tranquil place I’ve ever stopped. I had a […]
- Snow, Ice And A Worrying List On The South Oxford Canal
So much for my plans to cruise far and wide on the inland waterways winter wonderland. I moved further on the first day of the month last year than I have all month in 2021. Still, I shouldn’t complain. I returned to Calcutt Boats for a couple of days to buy coal and gas and do […]
- Curtailed Cruising And The Lunacy Of A Lonely Lad
I looked forward to my two-month break for so long. I worked long hours last year, often working seven days a week. I felt exhausted by the end of December, dizzy with fatigue, devoid of either energy or enthusiasm. The thought of recuperating while cruising gently along winter canals made my heart skip a beat. My […]
- The Life Of An Occasional Continuous Cruiser
I’m not a big fan of Christmas. I see people buying masses of presents they can’t afford to give to extended family members they often don’t like. I’m being cynical of course, and these comments aren’t directed at my distant family. I always remember Christmas during my early married life as a stressful affair. My lawyer […]
- A Positive View Of Life On A Narrowboat
My last post was written from the point of view of an unhappy lady boater. I imagined what this sourpuss – she’s based on a miserable liveaboard boater I met a few years ago – would have said if she lived on Orient. In this post, I’ll tell you what I think about my floating […]
- A negative View Of Life On A Narrowboat
I’ve met thousands of current and aspiring boat owners over the last ten years. The people, like the boats they own, come in all shapes and sizes. They have varying outlooks on life in general and living on the inland waterways in particular. Some are content with very little. Others have all the bells and […]
- Common Narrowboat Newbie Mistakes And How To Avoid Them Part 2
The seasons are changing. We’ve swapped comfortable chairs under shady canal-side willows to even more comfortable seats in front of glowing coals. Aspiring narrowboat owners often ask me to name my favourite season. I wish they wouldn’t. I don’t have a clue. I adore quiet winter canals with their stark landscapes and plentiful moorings. I enjoy […]
- Common Narrowboat Newbie Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
I wanted to send you an email weeks ago. My mind was willing, but my body weak. Life and the insidious ravages of time on my old bones thwarted my plans. I’ve been too busy, tired and obsessed with earning a crust to add any new posts to my website.I’m sorry.I consider myself lucky. I’ve […]
- Form Over Function: The Pros and Cons Of Pretty Narrowboat Ownership
Everyone tells me that I own a beautiful floating home. Orient is sixty-two feet and twenty-two tonnes of gorgeously crafted steel. If that isn’t enough, there’s a beguiling vintage Lister two-stroke engine to turn the head of every middle-aged man on the cut. Because of the deep draught, Orient sits pleasingly low in the water, […]
- Life After Lockdown And Why Social Distancing Can Be Fun
I wrote my last blog post at the beginning of March, shortly before the world closed down to slow the spread of Covid-19. The last three months have been a traumatic time for many as they lost freedom, livelihoods and lives. Please accept my sympathy and condolences if you have suffered financial hardship or the […]
- Fifteen Reasons Why Living On A Narrowboat Is A Bad Idea: Part 2
Warning! Living on a narrowboat may be harder than you think. Here are more reasons for NOT living afloatThis is the concluding part of the post I recently published highlighting the many aspects of living afloat which aspiring narrowboat owners may not fully appreciate. In part one I discussed the real cost of living on […]
- Fifteen Reasons Why Living On A Narrowboat Is A Bad Idea
Warning! Living on a narrowboat may be harder than you think. Here’s what you need to know before taking the plungeSummer is a dangerous time of the year for aspiring boat owners. Gaily painted narrowboat sirens lure novice liveaboard boaters onto the rocks of poorly researched decisions. Towpaths up and down the network are littered […]
- Buying A Narrowboat: Tools, Equipment and Security
Following the fun you had buying a narrowboat, you now need the right tools and equipment and learn how to stay safe on your maiden voyageThis post continues from last week’s Buying a Narrowboat: Pre Purchase Tips and Recommendations. The post covered pre-purchase considerations and the importance of discovering all you can about your boat before you […]
- Buying a Narrowboat: Pre Purchase Tips and Recommendations
If you are considering buying a narrowboat, don’t part with your hard earned cash before you read this postThere’s a steep learning curve to life on the cut, steepest when you are buying a narrowboat and over your first few days on board. Apart from emptying your bank account and the physical challenge of cramming […]
- Which Are The Best Narrowboat Stern Types For Living Afloat?
Life on a narrowboat is all about compromise. Different narrowboat stern types offer pros and cons depending on your preferred cruising and living style, so here’s what you need to know to make an informed decision.Your floating home’s stern design, its back end, can have a considerable impact on your day to day life. One […]
- A Christmas cruise from Market Harborough to Calcutt Boats
Filthy, stinking cold. I was a snot fountain, a drool reservoir, an old geezer with a red hooter and a hacking cough. On a cruising rest day moored at Union Wharf, Market Harborough, I had nothing to do but transfer bodily fluid to endless tissues and feel sorry for myself.Oh, woe is me.I didn’t have […]
- A Christmas Cruise to Market Harborough
Day one of my Christmas cruise, a day which felt like prison release. This year has been long and hard, filled with endless work and tragedy. Cynthia’s been gone now for eight months, two-thirds of a year which I’ve filled with seven-day working weeks. Everyone copes in different ways. My method, right or wrong, has […]
- All You Need to Know About Narrowboat Toilet Systems
And a few things you don’t want to read about narrowboat toilet systems if you have a delicate stomach If you own a narrowboat, sooner or later you will have a conversation with another boater about the relative merits of different types of toilets. You’ll discuss the logistics of emptying the end results of your […]
- Discover the Answer to the Often Asked Question, “Is A Narrowboat Cold In Winter?”
One of the most frequently asked questions during the colder months is, “Is a narrowboat cold in winter?” The standard response from boat owners is a laugh, a smile and the assurance that the craft is toasty warm. That’s not always the case, though. Here’s what you need to know to keep you warm in […]
- Why A Narrowboat Centre Line Is So Important For Solo Owners
A correctly deployed narrowboat centre line can make a massive difference to your cruising pleasure and safety. Here’s why it’s so important. The most essential piece of kit for you as a helmsman is this length of rope, fastened in the right place and always to hand. I currently moor, and work, at Calcutt Boats […]
