retired last year and want to follow my dream of living on the water and to have a focus and purpose that I wasn’t able to when working. I love the water and intended to sail long term. Unfortunately, I quickly realised that this wasn’t feasible with my two dogs. I looked at alternatives and a Narrowboat ticked most boxes. Really the only negative is being constrained by the inland waterways but considering the extent of navigable waters, this isn’t a major downside. I intend to buy a Narrowboat next year and begin my journey with two miniature schnauzers in tow.

The series of emails you sent prior to the day were fantastic. They gave a very solid grounding and were also very entertaining. The joining instructions were comprehensive and your B&B recommendation at Bens was great. I can highly recommend the B&B which was very clean and comfortable and convenient to the start point of the day. I can’t think of any information that was missing, your directions were spot on.

I enjoyed the day immensely and it has really reinforced my desire to make this a way of life. The depth and breadth of your knowledge was fantastic and I learnt so much during the day. Your willingness to answer endless questions and to go into detail was brilliant, I really couldn’t have asked for more. Having someone to quiz who has lived this life for many years was invaluable and I learnt a huge amount. I was able to refine what I want from my floating home. Discussing the pros and cons of the various designs and layouts of Narrowboats has really helped me drill down to what I now feel would be the best option for me and the dogs.

would highly recommend your discovery day to anyone who is considering this as a way of life, or even those who plan to hire a boat for a holiday. It has certainly given me the confidence I sought and I now feel I would be able to safely navigate my own, or a hired boat through the canals and locks.

Thanks again for a fantastic day Paul, I hope to see you on the cut next year.

Having decided that living on a narrowboat was a serious option for me, it was important that I get enough concise and accurate information and also spend time on a narrowboat with my plans in mind.

My discovery day with you Paul has massively helped to fulfill much of this.

My next step is to take a boating break as soon as possible.

I am much clearer on the type of vessel I am looking for and will begin my search in earnest now.

My cruise with you was a great day, quiet and peaceful, with lots of experience driving, and navigating through locks. During that time the information provided about the lifestyle, the waterways, the benefits and the pitfalls was considerable and delivered with candour and good humour.

What could be better than taking a day out of your life and exchanging it for a taster day of the life you desire? To be guided by someone passionate about their lifestyle who has put so much time and effort into providing the information you need to know.

The thought of living full-time on a narrow boat has always appealed to me, especially in this fast-paced, polluted, noisy crazy world we all live in. As the years roll by, you tend to realise that possessions are meaningless and that the simple things in life give you pleasure. The idea of being at one with nature and generally slowing down must be good for you… right?

he weather started out pretty horrendous. Paul gave me the option of sitting it out until it improved, but I decided to make the most of the day and just go for it! I got to steer right from the first minute and it wasn’t too difficult. He was ready to take over the control at a seconds notice. The general information he gave me about the practicalities of owning a narrow boat was useful and interesting.

I think the only thing that would have enhanced the day for me, would have been to look at some diagrams/ pictures of the technicalities of how the locks work. There was a lot of information to take in for a complete novice.

he weather started out pretty horrendous. Paul gave me the option of sitting it out until it improved, but I decided to make the most of the day and just go for it! I got to steer right from the first minute and it wasn’t too difficult. He was ready to take over the control at a seconds notice. The general information he gave me about the practicalities of owning a narrow boat was useful and interesting.

I think the only thing that would have enhanced the day for me, would have been to look at some diagrams/ pictures of the technicalities of how the locks work. There was a lot of information to take in for a complete novice.

I would definitely recommend a discovery day for anyone interested in finding out about life afloat. Even if you didn’t end up getting a narrow boat, it was still a fun thing to do and a challenge to conquer.

To set the scene, my wife and I are still heavily involved in our social care business and have responsibilities around both of our elderly and increasingly frail mothers. This means not only do we have the usual stresses of a workplace that involves providing care to vulnerable, elderly adults, but we also have the same stresses in our personal lives. Due to these commitments, we have been unable to take any time away from home, as a couple, for more than ten years. Needless to say, we are both approaching burn-out rapidly – we have both had serious health problems during the last two years which we are convinced have a connection with long-term stress.

Hence our determination to find a less stressful existence. We are seeking to sell our assets, which should provide us with enough capital to kickstart a new lifestyle and cover us for at least two years as we adapt. This means that we are not yet in a position to take action, but certainly need to plan our next moves as far as is possible. We expect to be asset-free in the next 18 months, but there are many influencing factors we can’t predict.

We have, tentatively, three plans on the table at present: living full-time on a narrowboat; living full-time in a motorhome; buying a house in a remote location. The last of these is becoming increasingly unlikely as we have daughters who would struggle to visit (both live in cities and so don’t drive). A motorhome has disadvantages in that the UK is not particularly welcoming to full-time travellers and, whilst we can spend time abroad, Brexit has certainly impacted upon our freedom to do so. A narrowboat also has disadvantages in that we are limited to a network, rather than having the ability to roam where we please. All are factors to be considered as, once we make a final decision, we would have invested in a major change that would be difficult to undo (not impossible, just difficult).

I wanted to book the discovery day as my wife has spent holidays previously on the canals and thoroughly enjoyed it. She follows several narrowboat YouTube channels and has maintained an interest in narrowboats for several years now and, as previously mentioned, is unable to accompany me away. I, however, know nothing about narrowboats and wanted to understand the daily lived-experience of life on the cut. I didn’t want the ‘glossy’ holiday package which would allow me to understand the mechanics of travelling by narrowboat, whilst leaving me completely in the dark about the realities of living for an extended period of time on a narrowboat. I wanted to be able to ask questions from someone with a depth of experience about both the negatives and the positives of daily life afloat.

I really enjoyed my day! Not a naturally expressive person, I can say that the day was probably the highlight of my year so far. Paul was an excellent host and took the time and trouble to find out from me what I was looking for from the day, what I hoped to achieve and what my expectations were.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of tiller-time I was able to take (i.e. pretty much all of it, from the time we left the mooring), and felt by the end of the day that I had, at the very least, the ability to anticipate *some* of the problems I could encounter. Hopefully, I didn’t cause too many moments of sheer horror for Paul but, on those occasions where I had made a mistake or where I couldn’t be expected to know what issues might arise, Paul calmly and quietly took control of the tiller and sorted it. His guidance on controlling the steering, what to watch out for and the etiquette of navigating the cut, was superb, well-timed and clearly came from experience.

Throughout the day, Paul’s timings were superb – drinks, lunch and returning to the mooring were very well spaced. We arrived back to the mooring in the evening within five minutes of our expected time, having spent all day out on the water. The way in which he imparted instruction was natural and informative: he is comfortable enough in his own abilities and knowledge to pass this on in a way that was timely, made sense and was interesting.

I would recommend a Discovery Day without hesitation! I have already recommended it to my wife and daughters and will happily recommend to others going forward. I could have asked all manner of technical information during the day and, for those few questions that arose, Paul answered fully and completely with the caveat of his own experiences. My focus for the day was in seeking a more non-technical appreciation of the lifestyle as a whole – is this something my wife and I could do for the next 5, 10, 15 years? I came away with the certainty that yes, this is certainly something we could do and have a reasonable idea of how we would do it. All thanks to Paul.

Carol and I bought a 55-foot narrowboat on the Lancaster canal in Spring 2021 and began to live and work aboard full-time at the beginning of May. There were three main reasons we booked onto Paul's Narrowboat Discovery Day: Firstly, we had never driven a narrowboat before (and still hadn't until we were under Paul's instruction on the Discovery Day, in spite of living aboard our own boat) - we wanted to make sure we both knew how to drive our floating home safely, both for us and for other canal users. Naturally, we want to take the best care possible of our home - we reasoned that we wouldn't go out on the road without expert driving instruction, so why would we operate a far more valuable vehicle based on 'trial and error' (especially one that is our everyday home)? Secondly, being on the Lancaster, we need to cross tidal water (the Ribble Link) to access the main canal network. As new boaters, our insurance company insisted we be competent to operate the boat on tidal waters. Uninsured loss of everything we owned was not an option for us, so our insurers reviewed Paul's Discovery Day as a helmsmanship course and were satisfied that if we completed the course successfully they would extend our insurance to include UK tidal waters as well as the canal network. Thirdly, there are no locks on the Lancaster canal but hundreds on the main canal network. We would have no way of gaining experience operating locks ahead of crossing the Ribble - we knew that Paul's course would give us training in safe operation and use of locks. In fact, that was a particularly enjoyable feature of our Discovery Day!

We really enjoyed the day with Paul. He's a friendly, welcoming and, of course, extremely experienced live-aboard boater. Orient is a classic 62-foot traditional stern narrowboat with a 1920's Lister engine that is a joy to experience. Setting out we were immediately in control of Orient, under the close and attentive guidance of Paul, who was always ready to step in to prevent any disasters! There are bends, shallows, bridges, locks and towpath moorings to negotiate, with my wife and I taking turns at the helm to ensure we both gained the knowledge and confidence we were seeking. We learned essential mooring knots, how to choose and use bow, stern and centre lines and how to position the boat for greatest safety of ourselves and others. Paul's training style is very relaxed and the day is very much 'hands-on', which is exactly what we were looking for. Two days later we needed to move our own narrowboat for the first time, taking her to a neighbouring marina for new paint - without the Discovery Day this would have been a very anxious event, but we were so much more confident and the move went without a hitch. On the Discovery Day, we watched brand new, never-before-boaters take out local hire boats and get into all kinds of trouble (and not know how to get out of it). Thanks to Paul, we were not among them!

We heartily recommend Paul's Narrowboat Discovery Day to anyone looking to own and even live aboard a narrowboat. It's a day of valuable practical experience in a busy, winding stretch of canal, with many of the obstacles you're likely to encounter on the cut, so it demands concentration and care but is hugely enjoyable. We believe this is the very best way to gain confidence at the helm of your own boat and it will set you up for a lifetime of contented cruising.

I am planning to become a liveaboard cc’er in the next 12-18 months, running a primarily online coaching business from my narrowboat. I wanted to determine whether my desire to become a liveaboard cc’er is a realistic lifestyle choice for me and whether it is one which I would be happy beginning on my own at the age of 50. (Yes and Yes!)

I got exactly what I needed; a real understanding of what is needed to be a solo liveaboard, as well as practical experience of helming a narrowboat and negotiating locks. I also now have a good feeling for how many personal possessions I will be able to take with me onto my eventual narrowboat home. I have not accumulated much stuff over the years, but this knowledge will help me decide what items are truly necessary, and which are “luxury” items.

All in all, I think the day was well a balanced, unique and informative experience which I would recommend to anyone who is seriously considering liveaboard life.

Anyone considering living afloat will no doubt do their homework: Read all the books, purchase magazine subscriptions, lurk in online forums, join all the FB narrowboat groups and start avidly perusing narrowboat sales websites. However there is a vast gulf between theory and practice, and a narrowboat experience day with Paul will build a bridge across that gap. A Discovery Day will help people decide whether life afloat is just a pipe dream, or actually a lifestyle that they can happily embrace for a few years, or indeed for the rest of their life.

As a recent member of the widower club, I thought I'd indulge my curiosity about a life afloat, something for which my late wife had no affinity.

I've been following a number of Narrowboat Blogs and Vlogs over the past couple of years, and I came across Paul's 'Living on a Narrowboat' website.

His Discovery Day package seemed an ideal opportunity to begin my hands-on research. It's fine watching others on Youtube, but I felt it had to be experienced to be appreciated.

I had the best day! Paul is easy company, forthright, friendly, amusing yet professional, and always has his eye on the situation.

He reminded me of my motor-cycle test instructor, in the way that your powers of observation and anticipation of hazards should be foremost when driving the boat: not like a car, like a motorbike. Drive for everyone around and you won't go wrong!

I had wondered about stopping for fuel and water to see how it is done, and using the CRT keys at the relevant points, etc., but Paul is always prepared (as is his home, Orient) and these issues would have sucked time out of the day.

Would you recommend a Discovery Day cruise to anyone else considering living afloat?

Good God, yes! (Sorry to sound so enthusiastic!)

This has to be the quickest way to understand how to use a section of the British canal system in a single day. It's only 12 miles there and back, but a great opportunity to negotiate locks, bridges, other boaters, a marina entrance as a winding hole, to experience the changing British weather and to enjoy nature at first hand. It is easy to overlook how beautiful our countryside is. Ridiculous though this sounds, I'm likely to do another before I make my decision to get a boat, although I might pack a better lunch next time!

Our current boating plans are to continue living even closer to nature moving from a van and into a boat and living in the cut. I have read so much about the lifestyle and spoken with alicè about it. So I wanted to book the day not only to actually be at the helm for the first time, but for me and alicè really to get our minds working in the direction of planning the lifestyle. We havnt stopped speaking about it since we left you!

We were really happy with the day, such a great experience, it got us really looking forward to want we want to do, being closer to nature and living the lifestyle. Great instruction all day and really made us feel confident at manoeuvring the boat, I feel the day was great and well put together, just what we needed.

I would recommend this day to anyone considering living afloat, in fact, I'd recommend this day to anyone even considering hiring a boat for a holiday, after hearing the horror stories of what can happen!

After a series of unexpected life changes, I found myself starting again- open to new ideas, but wary of the default option of house/office job/ city life. I considered camper vans for a while, but then when sitting in a pub garden by the canal, a narrowboat cruised past and I realised that the life I was looking for was more likely to be on the water than the road.

Buying a boat to live on is a major step, and I was hesitant to take the step without talking to someone who had lived it and knew what they were talking about. Paul has lived it, and knows what he is talking about!

At this stage, I am looking into boat finance, armed with the wealth of knowledge with which Paul provided me. I’m hoping to be fully afloat and off-grid early next year.

The day was fantastic. Tiring, yes- but that’s mainly due to the amount of information I was processing. I got a real flavour for life on the water and Paul was happy to answer all my questions- his passion for the lifestyle is infectious.

Absolutely, yes. In fact, I cannot really understand why anyone who is considering such a life would not do a day like this, especially if they had no previous experience. When you consider the outlay for a narrowboat, the cost of the day is tiny, and will almost certainly pay for itself in terms of the numerous purchasing decisions you have ahead of you. These can range from the enormous (narrowboat vs. wide beam) down to the every day (type of fridge, coal vs wood fire) and everything in between (engine type, insulation, painting). And that’s just the purchasing; on the practical side, the ability to confidently steer the thing, to navigate locks safely/ without making a fool of yourself….I could go on. Some people splash out a fortune on something totally unsuited, and can’t even steer the thing away from the mooring. Don’t be that guy- book a day with Paul.

We have been planning on buying a narrowboat for a few months, and booked the discovery day to give us the confidence to take the leap, and to confirm that it is something we want to do.

We enjoyed the day. We certainly learned a lot and had all of our questions answered, and we enjoyed the fact that the information was delivered through casual conversation whilst enjoying the scenery.

We would 100% recommend this discovery day to anyone who is thinking of buying a boat, in order to learn the ins and outs of living afloat, on top of learning how to cruise safely.

Having found the discovery day on eBay and having never even been on a narrowboat I thought it was the perfect way to see if I liked it before committing my self going any further and spending money on hiring or buying one. My day with you was very informative and I learned a lot and has given me the confidence to give it a go so my next step will be to hire one for a week and if I feel the same after that I would look at buying my own boat which is a big step and your discovery day has pointed me in the right direction. Thanks, Paul

We are looking to sell up and buy a wide beam boat to live on a marina. In time, we may change to a narrowboat and continuously cruise, particularly after how much we enjoyed the narrowboat experience today and listening to how Paul lives his life.

WE LOVED (OUR DISCOVERY DAY)! We were made to feel very welcome on Paul's floating home from the start of the day. He introduced us to his boat and all the different areas, which was brilliant as we are new to narrowboats. We then took the boat out, and he gave clear steering and canal etiquette instructions. At the end of the day, we had the chance to pass through 6 locks which he explained really well. Paul asked us beforehand to email him any questions we had and he made sure he had answered them all and plenty more besides. He was very friendly and patient, plus a good laugh.

Absolutely recommend this discovery day to anybody thinking of living on the waterways, whether cruising or on a marina mooring as you learn so much information you wouldn't even think of. Also if you wanted to feel more confident hiring a narrowboat for a holiday. Paul's experience and knowledge he passed onto us has given us lots to think about and made us even more excited about a life on the water. Just do it!

Having placed a deposit on a wide beam I felt I need to get some hands-on experience and talk to someone that lives the liveaboard lifestyle. This is when I found Paul's listing on eBay which led me to his informative website.

The day was truly amazing both epic and relaxing in equal measures, Paul is a great teacher, guiding you along the canal answering all your questions and the ones you wish you had thought of.

Even if you just like the idea of cruising down the canal I would urge you to book a discovery day with Paul, however, if you are considering purchasing or hiring a Narrowboat/Widebeam I would say it's a necessity!

It's hard to put into words just how much value you will receive on the day, only to say I will be booking another day before my boat is completed, Paul's knowledge will pay back the cost tenfold.

We’re just starting out with our new boat, with plans to continually cruise having taken early retirement. With little experience, we were quite apprehensive and wanted some expert guidance.

The communications, prior to our training day, were informative, easy to follow and comprehensive. As we requested the training to be on our own boat, Paul even gave us some advice re the equipment and preparation needed.

The day out with Paul has boosted our confidence and Paul made a point of including certain aspects that we’d raised beforehand and that we were unsure of. Paul’s approach was calm, precise and practical. We can’t think of anything that wasn’t covered.

We would recommend Paul's Discovery Day service to anyone considering living afloat, especially having seen some of the predicaments that people had got themselves into on the cut. Paul gave us some invaluable advice about how to react to other peoples behaviour and assess/predict what to do. Paul’s discovery day would suit boaters with varying experience and even people wanting a refresher. It was relaxed, informative and very enjoyable, not to mention tiring! We’re so glad that we managed to get booked in with Paul and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him, or to use him again ourselves if we felt the need.

At this stage I am strongly thinking of giving up the rat-race and living on a narrowboat. There are only two things in my way at the moment: (1) Wondering if I could deal with the physical aspect of paddles, lock gates and steering for hours on end. (2) How will I earn enough money to live on a boat when I give up my full-time job?

This Discovery Day answered the first question fully. I feel fit and healthy enough to deal with the physical side of it. The Discovering Day was tiring, and I slept well at the end of the day, but it was a good ‘tiring’ and a deep sleep, well earned.

Question 2 was answered mostly. I’ve learnt that you can live on much less than I thought. Mostly it’s about organisation, being prepared, and keeping on top of things. I’ve learnt that you can have loads of money and still make poor decisions. And I’ve learnt that there are a number of ways I can get into and remain in this lifestyle without bankrupting myself. My work function is not very transferable to narrowboat living, but I’m sure I can find alternative avenues where other skills I have may be useful.

The information received before the day was excellent. The directions to Orient were perfect, especially the last walking part. I arrived just 2 minutes late (I took a wrong road on the way to Southam), with a large bag because the weather looked like we’d get 4 seasons in one day. As it happens, I was lucky, and we only had howling winds and torrential rain, so I didn’t get frostbite or sunburn. Everything written about how the day would pan-out came to pass, with timings accurate almost to the minute: the most relaxed military precision I’ve ever experienced !

I was very happy with every aspect of the day. I was able to steer Orient for all but the very last part, and it really improved my confidence. I felt all day that as long as I maintained a safe distance from banks, boats and bridges, I would be allowed to just get on with it. That said, Paul was there immediately if needed.

The other thing that would be really useful (but not as part of this Discovery Day) would be a chance to walk around a marina and look at boats out of the water and being worked on. That would give a really good idea of what to look for when buying a boat.

I would absolutely recommend this day to anyone who wants to live on a narrowboat, but also for anybody who just wants a narrowboat experience. By learning about and understanding the other people and the other boats on the canals, you’d have more respect for their way of life. Anybody who just wants a narrowboat holiday would learn a lot about geography, history, mechanics and engineering on the cut, and surely that must make the whole experience more worthwhile?

We are doing a project boat and wanted some hands-on experience with a working boat which was very useful with you.

we found the day to be very helpful had a lot of information from you about moving around the canals and doing the locks and the best way to get the boat in without opening both gates and roping off.

We would recommend anyone who is thinking about buying a canal boat to get some hands-on experience as reading books and watching videos are not as good as the real thing.

We are looking to downsize and have been researching narrowboat living for the last year or so as one of our options. Having limited narrowboat experience between us, the sum total being Harriette's two narrowboat holidays more than thirty years ago, we decided that your discovery day would be an ideal opportunity to learn more about what's involved when living on the canals.

The information provided before the event was more than ample, with opportunities to highlight any areas of particular interest. We had a clear itinerary, guidance concerning clothing and eating arrangements were explained so that we arrived properly prepared. Before the day started, Paul contacted us to clarify directions to make sure that we knew exactly where we were supposed to go.

The day was fantastic. Paul made us feel at ease from the start, welcoming us onto his boat 'Orient' with its classic Lister diesel engine. Although the idea of ten hours for a discovery day seemed a bit daunting, the reality was that time flew by. There was a good mix of narrowboat chat where Paul told us about the way he does things and we asked questions, the obligatory boat tour and a good deal of practical experience where we got to manoeuvre the boat, operate locks and handle ropes. Like the best driving instructors, Paul gave us confidence while we were at the helm and only intervened when it became apparent that our skills were not quite sufficient to meet particular challenges. The day contained everything that we had hoped and Paul has clearly put a lot of work into providing the best experience that he can.

If you are considering living afloat then this discovery day would be a very sound investment. A good teacher is essential when trying to learn effectively and there is no substitute for hands-on experience when it comes to acquiring practical skills. Paul is a great teacher and we're sure that the information and skills acquired during the day will prove invaluable to us as well as to any aspiring boater.

I am currently considering buying a narrowboat however have never spent the day on one & know little about the day to day tasks.

We had a great day & it gave a real eye-opener of what a typical day out been on the canal. The knowledge with Paul has is extremely extensive which is explained & demonstrated in a calm safe environment where you can learn a lot.

For anyone considering buying a narrowboat, I would say booking a discovery day with Paul is an absolute must

Thanks for a first class day out on Friday, I loved every minute of it although I’m not sure where all the time went!

As we spoke about, we are considering living on a narrowboat probably no earlier than next year. Much depends on my work situation over the coming months. I booked a discovery day with you after searching the net for information on liveaboard narrowboating and finding what you offer to be pretty much unique.

Information provided before the event was comprehensive with excellent guidance and directions.

I enjoyed a very full day on your boat with first class tuition in many aspects of boat handling as well as the opportunity to pick your brains on all aspects of the liveaboard lifestyle.

I would certainly recommend a discovery day with you to anyone considering a narrowboat liveaboard as it is an opportunity to not only learn from someone who has lived the lifestyle for many years but has also put a great deal of thought and effort into passing on the skills and practicalities involved.

Thanks again for a great day, hope to see you again in the near future.

At present, I am looking for a boat and hope to set sail in the spring 2023.

My unrequited obsession with boats and the infrastructure of the canal network, has been with me for many years. It is only recently that I have been in the position to act on my obsession and indulge a need to test my practical capabilities and resolve.

Your preparations for the day were thorough and reassuring with comprehensive email preparations, explanations, clear directions directions and sensible suggestions, including options of where to stay overnight if coming from a distance, as I was.

[The day was) Phenomenal, I felt spoilt by the superb spring weather we enjoyed on the day and the glorious tranquillity of the particular stretch of the canal chosen for the day's instruction. I appreciate that harsher weather and more opposing canal traffic, would have given me more of a challenge to overcome and for my instructor, an opportunity to teach best practice and more advanced handling techniques but I was more than content with the breadth and specifics of the day and I felt satisfactorily tired and suitably tested by the end of the day.

How holiday hirers manage with half an hour of superficial instruction and feel confident to set forth on a major adventure, I simply cannot fathom, though I confess, I do like to feel properly prepared for any eventuality...

I would recommend this experience and in particular the expertise and conviviality of Mr. Paul Smith wholeheartedly, for anyone genuinely considering living on a narrowboat. Years of experience, hard lessons learned, thoughtful reflection and insightful opinion, delivered with good humour and humility.

Dangerously, on reflection after the experience, I feel that I have more aptitude for a life afloat than I gave myself credit for but thankfully I have had a very practical dose of reality that may prevent me from making a very presumptive, very expensive mistake before I am truly ready to take the plunge (which happily I also managed to avoid doing on the day)...

Thank you again for a very enjoyable, uniquely informative and life-affirming experience and good luck to you for the continuation of the invaluable service you provide.

At the moment I'm considering buying a narrowboat and living aboard as a continuous cruiser but had never previously set foot on a narrowboat but have always wanted to live a more remote and eco-friendly lifestyle.

The reason for booking the discovery day was to gain more information about the practicalities of buying and living aboard a narrowboat as well as gaining some basic boat handling knowledge.

I thoroughly enjoyed the discovery day and thought it was highly informative and practical throughout the day. All my questions were answered and the amount of information and instruction from start to finish was very good.

?I would thoroughly recommend a Discovery Day to anyone considering spending time on a narrowboat. In fact, I am planning to book another discovery day to include my partner as she was unable to attend this time around. I'm confident she will find the day equally as enjoyable and informative as I did.

My son and I had been looking to buy a boat for the past 12 months but were not sure of what we should be looking for, what questions we should be asking, or more importantly what we actually wanted. After 10 hours with Paul on his beautiful boat we now know exactly what to look for, and in fact, have just put an offer on our ideal boat. Without the discovery day, we would still be spending hours searching the Internet and listening to bad advice. Thanks, Paul.

We received numerous emails from Paul full of advice on what to expect, what to wear, how to get to his boat (easy) and general information about what we would be doing during the day. Paul also asked us to send him a list of questions beforehand which meant we could spend some time beforehand and send him a (long) list of questions we had been building up over the past few months. Paul even phoned us to make sure we were ok when we were late due to traffic. We couldn’t have asked for more.

It was a wonderful day and Paul was the ideal host. There was a lot to take in and his friendly manner and calm instruction (even when we nearly hit another boat) made it an enjoyable and stress-free day. We covered everything and more that we could think of during the day and we came away with all the information and answers we needed. We learned how to navigate, work locks, moor the boat, tie knots etc. as well as what to look for in a boat e.g. types of stern, toilets, engines, electrics and much more. Last, but not least, Paul made a great cup of tea!

We would highly recommend the Narrowboat discovery day; if you are considering buying a boat, or simply renting one for a holiday, then you really should get yourself onboard. The information and training are invaluable not only for the help and advice but will give you the confidence to ask the right questions when looking to buy (or rent) your own boat.

The day was exceptional, more information and advice would have been difficult to assimilate.

Without a doubt this introduction to living aboard is vital for anyone considering this way of life. In fact DO NOT consider it seriously without first spending a day with Paul.

My family was lucky enough to inherit a 45ft Springer narrowboat, which we are planning on renovating in the weeks ahead. I found you during one of my many online sessions researching renovating and living on a narrowboat. Thought your day looked very interesting and booked it immediately.

...there is plentiful information, very practical and obviosly from experience. Some very valuable deep & knowledgeable insights into 'living afloat'. It's a big day with a lot of information to absorb.... much of the little gems given at the helm as you guided us through steering the craft through the water. The day is relaxed and flows naturally, which was great for Lorna, Al and me as we are all pretty relaxed people.

[I would recommend your Discovery Day cruises] for many many reasons ..... some listed above.....the 'insider knowledge from experience' is really valuable. The practical hands-on approach 'not classroom based' is very refreshing. Just spending the day on the canal, using the facilities on the boat, toilet, kitchen, feet up on the front deck, sense of closeness to nature, etc etc, the pace of life.... ..... all of that gives a deep insight into how it 'feels' to be on the water.

I’m not in a position to buy anything at the moment but I have a weekend hire booked and am likely to carry on hiring until I could/want to buy. I booked simply for a taste of what it feels like and to gain some skills before hiring.

The day was everything I wanted and needed and more. To be steering the boat within a few minutes of setting off was quite an experience. I never felt out of my comfort zone knowing you were there to help if needed, you made me feel at ease which built my confidence as the day went on. The only thing I would have liked adding was the bacon buttie you had for lunch

Highly recommended. You don’t need to be into boats, considering getting a boat or wanting to hire a boat to enjoy this, it was a mini adventure regardless! It's amazing to feel the British built 1936 engine bring the whole boat to life and experience the feel of past generations. It was a bonus that I now know the basics of operating a canal boat and locks which was all presented just at the right level and intertwined with some very funny banter!

We booked the discovery to learn more about narrowboat life and how to handle the boat. Since booking, we have bought a 45ft Narrowboat the day before attending and the discovery day more than met our needs.

We had a day of proper fun. Paul put us at ease. He was flexible as we were late. we learned a huge amount. Paul has a kind and patient manner and made us laugh. We were totally happy with the whole package.

For those wanting to learn all things Narrowboat and Cut culture and have a lot of fun, Paul is your man!

We wanted to learn more about narrowboats so that we'd feel confident booking a narrowboat holiday. We considered that Paul offered a unique discovery day - learning about his beautiful boat, how it works, and how to take the boat onto the canal network, operate locks, and generally be confident handling a narrowboat.

We received lots of excellent, well-written and very useful info by way of brilliant emails to read and web links to follow in the run-up to our discovery day. We didn't need any more info before the day. Directions were crystal clear, and the tip for B&B at Ben and Elaine's was also top-notch. The walk along the towpath to get to Paul and Orient set us up just right for the most amazing day.

I try not to be too gushing in emails, but sometimes gushing is warranted. This is one such occasion.

Basically, and as I said before, it was a perfect day. It's clear that you are extremely talented in how you adapt your patter - both style and content - on the hoof to suit whoever you've got for that discovery day. We couldn't have wished for any more, or in any different style.

The experience day with Paul was an utterly awesome and enjoyable day out from start to finish. 10 hours in the company of a complete expert in his field would have been enough, but to spend be able to spend it in his home was just simply another level - and as far as we're concerned, totally unique. Instruction and information was cleverly tailored to meet our needs, and delivered in such a well-controlled way that it didn't seem like instruction.

I would recommend a Discovery Day without hesitation. Why? Because Paul tells it how it is - he uses his vast experience of narrowboats (and his life experience of human nature - just as important) to run the day so that you relax, you learn progressively and comfortably, and always feel at home - in his home. Even if you aren't or weren't considering living afloat - and we aren't - this is one superb day to experience. However, if you're thinking living afloat, Paul's discovery day ought to be complusory.

We are currently looking to purchase a narrowboat for extended summer leisure cruising, probably within the next 18 months after the current spike in the market calms down. Given the minefield that seems to exist of options for propulsion, heating, length, draft, water storage, location, winterisation and the ever-popular toilet discussion we booked the day with Paul to discuss these points and also to boost our handling confidence.

We thought the day was excellent and we did get to both cover off all our questions and improve our handling confidence. We were particularly impressed with Paul’s freestyle backflip into the canal at our first stop !!! If we had to be really picky and I mean really picky I think as far as the handling skills side of things it would be more relevant in Orient had the more modern morse controls for those looking to boost their confidence of boat handling as the majority of narrowboats now have these type of controls.

Our Discovery Day definitely resolved a lot of questions we had been mulling over as to boat type, length, layout and facilities, and even identified some that we hadn’t previously thought of. The discovery day does give you the opportunity to really understand the benefits and disadvantages of many facets of the narrowboat and not only learn which type of water tank for example is preferable but also why and what to consider when making your choice. Paul is a great sounding board so that you can formalise your thinking of what type of boat, layout, stern, etc., you would prefer and also freely points out the compromises/disadvantages of his home. Orient is a lovely boat and Paul should be justly proud of the quality of his home.

It was all in all a great day out. I’m sure it would be more fun in the summer but then the rose-tinted glasses appear. Plenty of info to take in although I probably didn’t ask about enough things. Instructions on operating the boat were great.

I would definitely recommend a discovery to anyone thinking about life on a narrowboat. You’ll get to see the good, the bad & the ugly. For anyone thinking about buying a boat, it should help them decide whether it’s probably the life for them or stop them from making a potentially expensive mistake.

After my day I think it made me realise that permanently living on the canals was not for me. This being the main reason for booking the day I would say that it served its purpose. Neil is now interested in the boat share idea so it looks like the 2 of us will be looking around for any opportunities for this in the new year.

Thanks, Paul.

I've already bought my boat....out of necessity but in haste! I booked the day to gain some confidence to be able to cruise solo. So, helmsmanship, negotiating locks and mooring from a solo perspective. Also to gain some general advice about living on a boat outside of the comfort of permanent marina mains electricity! I plan to move my boat later this year from its current mooring in Harefield, via the River Thames to a new marina in south Warwickshire.

The day was hugely enjoyable. You shared a lot of information and expertise that I will find invaluable when moving my boat and spending some time cruising solo out on the cut. It's a long day but the pace of the day was just about right and you broke it up with breaks at the right time. No, it's marketed as a discovery day and for people who haven't taken the plunge and bought a boat. It's perfect for that market. I think they could be an opportunity to also market different 'days; for people like me who already have a boat but need help/confidence in more specific areas.

Buying a boat is a huge commitment and there is a lot of 'romance' attached to the lifestyle. It's not going to suit everyone and getting a flavour of boat life will help people make more informed decisions. So, I would thoroughly recommend spending a day with you!

We have been considering purchasing a narrowboat for some time, given we both live near canals and have an interest in them. Our intention would be to purchase a boat that we could use individually or for family and friends, but also hire out to the public. We saw an advert for Paul's Discovery Days and booked one as a way for us to find out more information on boat ownership and operation.

The information provided by Paul was very thorough, particularly the directions taking you to what seems like the middle of nowhere. His website gives thorough information about what we had to expect from our day and (importantly) about the man himself!

We both left the boat to travel home and as we got in the car we agreed that we had got everything we expected (and more) from the day. Paul is a very interesting guy and great company, which is important given you are to spend 10 hours with him in close confinement! He is very patient - though direct - with his instructions and imparting of knowledge, which makes for a no-nonsense and quick way of learning. The best way!

Paul can answer almost any question you have on boat ownership and life on the cut. The experience of spending a day on his boat and listening to his advice/knowledge/opinions is an excellent way of determining whether to make the next move and purchase a boat.

At the moment I'm still making a decision on living a life afloat on a narrowboat. First, I needed to experience a day in control of a vessel and to have a closer inspection of the workings and life aboard. After looking at boats on eBay to get an idea of prices I found Paul's discovery day which I knew I knew I needed to do before making any decisions.

On the day I received adequate information on the walkthrough of the boat and during the helmsmanship tuition. All questions were answered clearly and concisely.

I would definitely recommend a day with Paul who has had years of experience living aboard and can tell you the pros and cons and would save you from making uninformed decisions when buying a boat.

All in all my experience was a very informative hands-on day set in beautifully scenic and tranquil Warwickshire, all done with a great sense of humour from Paul to boot!

Philippa (my daughter) has been thinking of living on a narrowboat for a year
or so, ever since returning from working abroad and finding life in a rented flat
in London less than appealing. She likes the idea of life afloat and has done a
fair bit of research. She has established that she needs to be based on a
marina. Her flat tenancy will run out in June next year so she will be all set to
start making her canal boat plans a reality in Spring 2023. I booked the
Discovery Day in order to give her a realistic experience of life aboard, and the
chance to ask a lot of questions and learn about the nitty gritty of boat life.
Also of course, for her to experience moving a narrowboat from A to B and
back again, which felt like a pretty daunting prospect. The reason I chose your
Discovery Day was that it seemed to include all of the above and would be
tailored to our needs.

We both thought the day was brilliant and met all our needs. We can’t believe
we learned and experienced so much in one day. We thoroughly enjoyed our
cruising time and gradually increased in confidence at boat handling. Not a
moment was wasted and we were very grateful to be able to tap into your
wealth of knowledge. We felt we were able to ask even the daftest
of questions and that the instruction was spot on for our level of mechanical
incompetence!

Anyone thinking of purchasing a narrowboat or contemplating life afloat should
seriously consider booking one of these Discovery Days. In fact it really should
be top of the list. My daughter had been plotting a life afloat for some time
and so Paul found himself greeting a nervous mother/daughter combo on a
damp autumn morning. We had the most brilliant day, learning a huge amount
about the realities of life aboard, how to care for a boat and of course hours of
practical boat handling skills. The day was carefully tailored to meet our needs
thanks to the pre-event communications. Everything covered was extremely
useful so it is hard to pick out a single topic to expand upon, but if anything
perhaps the tips and hints on buying a boat will prove to be time, angst and
money saving. Paul is a very patient and competent teacher. Having started
the day peering anxiously over rather a lot of boat from the tiller, by the end of
it we both felt confident enough to take on the canal junctions, narrow bridges,
locks and even turning around!

It was a privilege to spend a lovely day on the canals on board such a beautiful
boat. Even we appreciated how nice an engine could look, and we now know
the function and importance of a stern gland greaser (and many other
previously unknown things)!

Don’t miss it.

When we booked the experience day, it was with the intention of one day (hopefully soon) becoming a liveaboard although we aspired to this and knew, in theory, everything we needed to, we had no practical experience. So rather than booking a hire boat for a holiday with no tuition, we wanted to actually learn something and be guided and leave feeling more confident in ourselves and our plans.

Honestly, the day was bloody fantastic, me and Isaac really enjoyed ourselves and left feeling invigorated to find our liveaboard with a newfound confidence for our life choice.

We learnt everything we needed too, had good conversation and laughs along the way.

Anyone who wants the lifestyle, it's amazing for learning everything you need too and gives a head start in handling a narrowboat.

For anyone wanting an amazing day out, you are surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery and travelling down some idyllic canal routes, even if just for fun, what a different and great way to spend your day!

We will be keeping in touch with Paul and will keep him updated on our journey and hopefully will be down south again one day, in our own boat seeing him in person again!

Brilliant, recommend 10/10

I am a complete beginner, spending time actually on a boat on the waterways was a great way to begin to firm up exactly what i want to do. As I’m very interested in exploring, I really appreciated all of the advice you gave me on the best options for boats etc. I think I’m about a year and a bit away from buying a boat. I’m getting my plans together for restructuring my life to make it work, this will not be that difficult really as most of what I do is Internet based anyway. I booked the discovery day as I am interested in making some major changes to my life and it was the perfect way to see if a life afloat would be workable.

The directions and information received before the day were perfect. The information made it very easy for me to find you and get the most out of the day.

The amount of information and instruction was pitched exactly right for what I needed. It made it very easy for me to get both some experience with a boat and to ask questions.

I would definitely recommend a discovery day to anyone thinking of giving narrowboat life a try. This is a great way to see if living afloat could work for you.

Thanks again for all your advice, it will be really useful moving forward. I’ll keep you informed of my progress :-) First thing I need to remember is to not steer into bridges :-)

I've been planning to buy a live aboard for some time now, and am close to making the jump. I chose the Discovery Day for the chance to judge my thoughts on the idea, the process and types of boat. Also for the opportunity to pick a brain.

The day was tiring but fantastic, there was a lot to learn, absorb and do - but necessarily so. Patient actions and corrections of mistakes and potential mishaps was very much appreciated. A lot of valuable information on the life aboard was freely given in an interesting manner, warts and all, from a charming and entertaining host.

I would highly recommend it as a valuable resource and experience, or even for a great day out.

We wanted to see if living on a narrowboat was for us in the future and saw Paul had lots of good reviews. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have realised that this was something that really could be an option for us. We are now thinking about where we'd want to be based - whether to be cruising or try for a residential mooring, to be in Wales or England and the logistics of downsizing radically to a boat.

We left on a high and haven't stopped talking about the day! So much was covered - it felt like an in-depth immersive experience and an essential if you want to test whether living on a narrowboat is a good idea. Even if we decide it's not possible for us we left feeling we'd learnt a lot about another way of living in a very enjoyable way and started to acquire a new skill. Whatever we do with this experience it was a fantastic and memorable way to spend a summer's day.

We would definitely recommend this day. It's a great way to begin or continue your research if you are considering living on a narrowboat for any length of time. Being able to question Paul on every aspect of canal living and learn about the negative as well as the positive side to this life has given us the confidence to think we really could do this if we want to.

We anticipate including a narrowboat in our lifestyle; not as liveaboards, but more as a comfortable way to combine "glamping", boating, and exploring in one big adventure.

We didn't get two vital bits of information - how much the narrowboating lifestyle exceeded our expectations, even as seasoned sailors - and how effectively Paul's infectious enthusiasm has converted Kim and I to full-blooded narrowboat enthusiasts! Everything about our "Discovery Day" was handled very professionally and the amount of detail and planning was impressive. Right from the driving directions through to the end-of-day "wash-up" conducted over a convivial dinner, everything was top-flight.

As a former sailing instructor, I feel that Paul has a winning recipe whereby an encyclopaedic volume of information is delivered extremely effectively. Aboard Paul's lovely home "Orient", critical tasks were taught, rehearsed, performed and evaluated in a wholly non-judgemental way, and the depth of experience we gained has left us eagerly planning our next adventure on the cut. Paul "teaches" very unobtrusively and at no time did either Kim or I feel we were out of our depth. The amount of information which Paul managed to cram into a single day has left us with weeks of conversation and discussion, unpacking and reviewing what we learned.

Paul's "Discovery Days" are a unique introduction to a hidden way of life. All the information you ever wanted to know, and more, is at his fingertips, and his broad experience with narrowboat living enables him to advise and gently steer aspirant boaters in the right direction. He never "tells"; instead he quietly "recommends", or sometimes gently coaxes the conversation away from ideas which won't prove their worth. It's like getting the Oxford Notes Study-Guide for every issue of every narrowboating magazine delivered by a personal tutor in an unimaginably lovely classroom, and the Grand Union Canal certainly delivers in spades when it comes to beauty!

At reaching the point in our lives where we are able to downsize, we decided to have real lifestyle shake-up. The slower pace of life of canal boat dwelling would be a very welcome change from the ‘live to work’ feeling that we currently have. ‘Discordance’ is a term that rings true for us - living a life that doesn’t align with our core values. We are hoping that boating allows us to reach a far more suitable equilibrium.

Booking a ‘Discovery Day’ with Paul seemed the perfect solution for understanding the true ins and outs of pretty much everything to do with canal boat living. A real feet-first, deep immersion into a topic that we had no knowledge of (other than the usual internet interrogation and chatting to a few boat dwellers briefly).

By the time our day had come round we had put a deposit on a boat (as the house sale was progressing well), so the timing could not have been better.

The information supplied before the day was spot-on. It was great to be given the opportunity to say what we’d like to get out of the day, so it could be tailored to our needs.

The ‘Discovery Day’ far, far exceeded my expectations. Paul clearly knows exactly what he is doing, both with the canal lifestyle and the training given. It’s clear that your custom is valued, and that he’s doing something that he really loves to share his knowledge about. He doesn’t sugar-coat the reality of many aspects of living on the canal - he gives a very honest and balanced opinion on things, and we really appreciated that. As total novices, we were like sponges being slowly dipped into a bucket of experience, slowly soaking up the learnings over the course of the day. I know over the coming months we’ll be slowly allowing that information to drip out of our minds and into our daily practices.

Without doubt I would recommend a ‘Discovery Day’ to anyone considering living afloat. Paul is great company, informative and very entertaining. Knowledge like that is only gained by experience - there’s no way to fast-track the understanding and small details involved in the mechanics and the ethos of an alternative lifestyle such as this. The day allows an stress-free dipping of your toe into this subject, and if it’s for you, will really ramp up your eagerness to get out on the ‘cut’.

Thanks, Paul, for such a spellbinding day. Emma and I really loved it, and it stoked up our enthusiasm even further. We’ll let you know how we get on.

Firstly the day exceeded my expectations by a country mile. I needed a non-sales pitch view of life afloat and an understanding of the compromises that would be needed to make the move. The discovery-day has prevented me from buying a barge that would have been totally unsuitable. Thanks to Paul, I'm going to hold off jumping into a regret purchase and will look to spend more time on the water before deciding on a complete life change.

The day totally suited my needs; I saw enough to come away and decide if a life on the water was for me. I appreciated the honesty and had loads of fun. Paul is great company.

The day is fun, but also informative. it's a very wise investment.

The discovery day was just what we needed before we blindly jumped into buying a narrowboat.

A thoroughly enjoyable day that made us realise we were too old and knackered to physically be able to do justice to owning our own boat. Can’t wait for a holiday in one though with our newfound knowledge.

Most definitely (recommend a Discovery Day cruise). It’s the sensible thing to do because you will get to know the pitfalls as well as the attractions. Good to do this sort of thing even if you’re thinking of a holiday afloat.

I have recently separated from my wife of 20+ years and was looking for relatively cheap rural accommodation, so I started looking into live-aboard Narrowboats. After weeks of trawling through various forums for advice, it became apparent I really needed some practical expertise… and I stumbled across your site (Google). After reading several of your articles and Discovery reviews, I halted my boat search and booked the day.

I cannot stress strongly enough how useful I found the day!

It demystified much of the subject matter and allayed many fears I had of crashing the boat into bridges, hitting others, mooring, operating locks etc.

I really think this type of experience is what you make of it. I booked it wanting to know how to drive/pilot a narrowboat as well as needing to understand the practicalities of living on one full-time.

Though I had read a lot of online content, there were a lot of conflicting comments, often with little rationale.

Paul answered every question I threw at him, with solid, experience-based responses that left me in little doubt as to how best to proceed.

Though my arms ached at the end of the day (and the day after!), I loved every minute of it, and will now go on to view boats for sale (and hopefully a purchase in the near future) with a lot more confidence.

I would definitely recommend the Discovery Day to anyone wanting to drive/pilot a narrowboat and/or looking to make a narrowboat their permanent home.

Its great fun, relaxing and educational… what more do you want?

At the moment I'm still making a decision on living a life afloat on a narrowboat. First, I needed to experience a day in control of a vessel and to have a closer inspection of the workings and life aboard. After looking at boats on eBay to get an idea of prices I found Paul's discovery day which I knew I knew I needed to do before making any decisions.

On the day I received adequate information on the walkthrough of the boat and during the helmsmanship tuition. All questions were answered clearly and concisely.

I would definitely recommend a day with Paul who has had years of experience living aboard and can tell you the pros and cons and would save you from making uninformed decisions when buying a boat.

All in all my experience was a very informative hands-on day set in beautifully scenic and tranquil Warwickshire, all done with a great sense of humour from Paul to boot!

I am hoping to buy my boat in the next 6 months or so but having no knowledge whatsoever about narrowboats and boating life,

I felt the discovery day would give me an insight into everything. Which it definitely did.

There was plenty of information before the discovery day so I knew what to expect and everything I would need to be aware of beforehand. The instructions were very reliable and we didn’t have any issues following them. No pre-event information was missing in our opinion.

Both myself & Charlotte thoroughly enjoyed the day and I have come away from it feeling a lot more confident about narrowboats and what I would like from mine. The day was very informative and you were able to answer all of my questions in detail which was great. I feel everything I wanted to learn was covered and it was all round a really great day.

I would absolutely recommend this day to other people and I already have done! Very informative, you were a great host and I learnt a lot.

Thank you again for the brilliant discovery day.

I am looking to buy a narrow boat. I booked the discovery day to gain invaluable knowledge and experience to give me confidence in being a solo boater.

I couldn’t have wished for more. Paul has a great way of conveying information and has an easygoing manner. Paul is clearly respected by other boaters.

I would highly recommend a discovery day for anyone considering living afloat. Paul understands how daunting the first steps for a novice boater can be. He answers all questions with wisdom, and his emphasis is ultimately that the day should be an enjoyable experience. The day was certainly memorable.

My partner and I are looking into buying our first narrowboat in a couple of years time when we both retire...
We booked Paul Smith, who runs "living on a Narrowboat" for the day and is an expert Helmsman based on the Calcutt top lock in Warwickshire.
Right from the start, the communication was second to none...Paul sent us Emails of what to expect, what we were going to do on the day, and all about his beautiful boat, Orient, plus excellent detailed instructions on how to find him, which included maps.
The day spent with Paul was fabulous, and we both learnt so much and loved sailing his boat the Orient up the Canal and through the locks...Excellent tuition, perfect company. We would highly recommend a discovery Day with Paul.

Six months in I was still at the very start of my research until the moment my journey from Sweden finally brought me to the cratch cover of your moored boat. I can't tell you how every step down that tow path from Wigrams that Wednesday morning felt. After months of anticipation, it was the most enjoyable short walk I've taken in a very long time...I'm actually here! I sensed that regardless of what the weather was to throw at us that it would be the most perfect day. I was in no way disappointed. It was a total watershed moment from internet clicking and browsing from Stockholm and staring at photos of boats over the winter to being welcomed on board one and being given your undivided attention. I did not want the hours to pass. I wanted time to slow right down. The weather got on with its business of throwing stuff at us. I was ready to embrace that.

'd identified the type and style of boat I wanted very quickly at the outset, so I was very happy that that was the first question you asked me. The fact that Orient is exactly what I'd like, I booked my day with you very early on, means that when I have trawled through boats for sale everyday since this winter I've largely ignored cruiser and semi trad designs.

You also asked me how I anticipated using a prospective boat and associated lifestyle. You had already pieced together a few threads of my motivation from our brief correspondence so that was very helpful and appreciated.

Boats for sale that I am interested in fall into a small concentrated category. Orient is everything that I think I like.. I wouldn't have to convert any of my thinking on the subject. In a sense I was seeking confirmation and a bit of a real life encounter with an 'ideal'.

Did I say fantastically brilliant at the time? Obviously very enjoyable from my point of view being starved of the English landscape and just the possibility of even walking along a tow path. I had enough questions written down and in the back of my mind to have occupied a few days and I felt that the information I gained was more cerebral than factual. Many of the questions I have can be googled and in fact you have written so extensively on just about every topic that any internet search reveals something you have already online. On the day I was more interested in how the experience of moving through the landscape on the stern of a narrowboat actually felt on that style of particular boat. What a 20 mile an hour headwind feels like and then swinging to the side and it switching to a 30 mph gust. You can't google that. It was interesting that you used the wind in certain situations. How a passing boat will want to pull you toward as it passes. The practical issues were what the day was about. I regret not filming you loop the rope but I can google that and now I know what I should be aiming to do. Mostly I just wanted to relax, I don't usually get more than about 30 minutes a day to myself in my usual day to day life...what a luxury this day was!

I was very keen to encounter the lock system at the end of the day. I picked up a lot of theory and understanding. When I head out for my five day trip in 8 weeks I will feel reasonably familiar with the procedure I think. It was fascinating how quickly the pound area between the locks had to be restocked and the speed that it happened.

I think that is was a very well balanced between instruction and being given the chance to be hands on from the very start. You provide helpful coaching. It is as you say 'your day'. After you had turned Orient in the direction we would head and we left the bank you gave me the tiller, I think I mentioned it was about all the activity I would need. Concentration but relaxing.

I'm not sure we could have practically squeezed more into the day. After the stress calamity you had endured the day before I felt fortunate that the day for me was on track. We were steadily occupied from 8 - 6.30. I ate sandwiches and asked you questions about heating somewhere halfway through. The day wasn't hurried but the time as ever passed very quickly. I really appreciated the positive input from you into my future plans when we were cruising, that was something of an affirmation and it has given me a boost, thank you. A couple of things you said created an impression in my mind, -in life the aim of moving steadily from pain to pleasure as we progress - and getting into the fine detail of your plans is how to actuate and achieve a reality. I won't forget those. By the way I think I have settled on 'Thomasina' as a name. It hadn't occurred to me previously that I have been tinkering with fine detail so now I acknowledge that, actually yes, I had given thought to that. Pay attention to where you pay attention!

If you are like me and you can't access the canals from where you live and therefor don't know anyone that has or does spend time on a narrow boat, then I think it's essential. Thirty plus years ago I had a college friend who lived on a narrow boat. That wasn't long after a terrific week spent on the Avon ring. It lead me to sometime after having an idea to live aboard and have a boat surveyed. The boat I'd found was ill considered and my plan foundered. Looking back I realise that my hire boat experience in the month of July coupled with occasional social visits to a tow path moored boat managed by a friend had given me no understanding of anything practically important. That became instantly apparent within minutes of meeting the surveyor. Less than 5 minutes in it was agreed I wouldn't be purchasing the boat. It was totally unsuitable for living on. I think anyone choosing to do this day with you would be best advised to read as many of the articles you have written beforehand. It's a combination. Your written articles really do offer a chance to be clued up in advance. Being on the boat with you is a sort of complimentary therapy.

It was a terrific day Paul and I won't forget it. I hope to see you again one day out there in the future. I am happy that I captured a few short videos and the one I have at the close of the day is sublime I think. A great memory.

I've been saving up towards getting my first boat for a while now, and had recently started viewing boats for sale, but I knew I needed to learn how to handle a boat properly, so that I wasn't afraid to take it out on adventures. I also will need to make the life-change to living aboard, so needed to gain real insight into that aspect, before deciding wholeheartedly whether a life afloat is possible, practical, and suitable for me. The whole day, from when I arrived, to when we set off, and all throughout the journey was exactly as I had hoped. A balance of calm, practical instruction and guidance, as well as solid information, all based around the things I'd listed that I wanted to do and know. A whole lot more came up in conversation throughout the day, and I felt completely at ease in your company. The whole day's experience was enjoyable, challenging (in a good way), and very hands-on and practical. You were always there to show and guide me when I got things a bit wrong, and you always said when I was doing things right as well.

Successfully getting into the first lock was a milestone for me, and a lightbulb moment - your instruction made it logical and easy. Stepping off and taking the centre line up the steps and over the last lock gate reinforced the confidence of knowing I will be able to do this completely on my own now.

I think I smiled the whole day, and that you and your wonderful boat have given me what I need to be able to take my next step, when the right boat happens.

My previous searches for my own boat did not tend towards mid-engined boats with vintage engines and that incredible engine sound, but I think, having spent a day with Orient, that I may have been entirely converted. Even if I had to stick to deeper waters...

I got everything I needed from the day, and because you live afloat, your knowledge and information is real and authentic. I would recommend your discovery day to anyone who needs to know whether boat life is for them, and anyone who needs practical boating skills and maybe feels they lack confidence.