My search for a narrow boat took about 15 years. Well, not really. But a family narrow boat holiday with my brother and our young children became one of the most fun memories of my life and, although it never really seemed likely as I lived in Australia, after that trip I rather fancied myself as a liveaboard.
For years afterwards, I’d amuse myself downloading brochures of boats I considered suitable though, at that time, ‘suitable’ really only meant a nice paint job and a witty name.
When it came time to downsize the Perth family home after 30 years, constant cruising became less an idle fantasy and more a potential reality. With our only daughter finishing university, the timing was perfect. If not now, when? All we had to do to make this a reality was declare it. Once said out loud, events more or less overtook us. We sold our home, cars, furniture and everything else we owned and booked a one-way flight to England.
We drove a rental car to the brokerage whose brochures I’d amassed. It was October, the end of the cruising season with many boats for sale. Brochure photos reveal little about a boat. Some had musty odours, others irreconcilable layouts and many felt like claustrophobic caves. Were we to live comfortably on board, we’d need spend considerably more than anticipated.
Although we looked at many boats that week, we actually found La Suvera on the second day. We’d initially discounted her as being over-priced and beyond our budget. Not to mention having a wimpy name absent in humour. We reconsidered, made an offer, and five days later, we were moving on board with everything we owned in the world. Just like that!
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Esta historia es de la edición June 2020 de Canal Boat.
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HIGH AND MIGHTY
Acorns make the perfect store food for jays’ larders
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Why Chris and Sarah Atkin will never forget tying the knot
LABELLED WITH LOVE
Helen Tidy enjoyed one weekend moored next to The Beer Boat ... simply the perfect solution to collecting bottle tops for her next project
MIDDLE THAMES
In the second part of our guide, we follow the Thames upstream from Reading through the steep sided Goring Gap and quieter countryide to reach Oxford
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Robert Davies recalls childhood memories of a popular holiday destination and uncovers a reminder of the golden age of canals
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Terry Hibbard from Harworth Heating offers his expert opinion following our feature on onboard stove safety
BUCKING UP...
We join Waterway Recovery Group’s first canal restoration working party in six months - as WRG’s volunteers help the Buckingham Canal Society get the project back on track after lockdown
ART ON THE WATER
Graphic artist Katie Ruby lives and works on 32ft narrowboat Poppy
GO WITH THE FLOW
What makes a boat truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes you just need a little finesse and a taste for adventure
A GLASS HALF-FULL AT BUCKBY WHARF
Tim Coghlan raised a glass on the Grand Union Canal as The New Inn reopened to the relief of regulars