Living on a boat.
In my first blog post I mentioned living on a boat. I've been on a few holidays on Britain's canals and quickly fell in love with the whole getting up in the morning, pootling along for a few miles and then pulling in at some pub thing.
That's 'Dishy Di' a 45' SW Durham cruiser stern narrowboat I rented in 2014 on the Llangollen Canal, moored up outside the Poachers.
For some reason, people are always surprised to hear that even a 45 footer can have two full sized double beds, a shower and all the facilities you'd expect at home. The thing that surprises people most is that they're warm. That boat has central heating and most 'live-aboard' boats have a multi-fuel or wood burner as well.
'Rosie's Drum' a fifty footer out of Silsden Boats. The two seats convert to a very large double and there's another cabin at the stern.
The point is, boats are cosy and warm all year round and as far back as 2010, I started seriously considering the possibility of living on one and touring Britain's inland waterways for most of the year, then ice-dodging over Christmas and the early months of the year in a nice marina.
Mercia Marina, a few miles south of derby.
Another comment I get is that I'll be 'stuck' on the canals. I can live with being that stuck. As the map shows, canals join a large number of the UK's cities, but more importantly for me, cross through some of the most rural and inaccessible parts as well.
Anyway, the plot is to wander off up some quiet canal and write a lot. Find a quiet corner where I can set loose the demons in my mind to rage freely for a few days and see what I can come up with...
Now, one draw-back to being a writer is the time it can take to actually get paid. These days, unless you are a well known writer, it's unlikely you'll get an advance on a book, so I need to wait for the royalties which get paid in the first quarter after the first full year of sales, so for Night Time in Shanghai, that'll be January 2018 at the earliest.
The point is, I can raise a few thou, but even a fifteen year old ex-rental forty-five footer will cost upwards of twenty five thousand, so I'm looking at something smaller to start with - a 'yoghurt pot' as they are disdainfully referred to by 'shiny boaters'.
This is a 20' Norman Conquest
It has forward and aft cabins, sleeping up to four and a large canopied central cockpit. Converted to live aboard, it would be a bit basic, but it's possible. The point is, this should be within my reach financially, later in the year when I finally make the move.
Between that and a narrowboat that isn't going to sink - something with a sound engine and a good hull, lie several larger versions of the same thing.
Norman 27
Norman 32
When I start living on the boat, I'll start blogging about it more regularly and as the year progresses and I review my options, I'll keep you updated.
This would be the dream, by the way...
(follow the link for more pretty pics)
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