With the aim of passing on what they see as a dream lifestyle, the liveaboards have launched a raffle for their narrowboat with tickets going for £5.
“We have loved the sense of community we have found on the canal and hope that this idea will make it achievable to another individual or couple who might not otherwise be able to realise this dream lifestyle,” said Steve.
“We meet lots of people along the towpath when we take our boat out and in our day-to-day lives who tell us how much they would love this lifestyle, from young professionals to older retired people, dog walkers and families. They tell us how they too peek through people’s windows, how they wander along the canals and wonder what it would be like as a new way of life?
“We find in these conversations that it’s generally finances and a step into the unknown that keep people from pursuing this dream.”
The couple met as teenagers on the Isle of Man and grew up around the island’s beaches, so the call of the water was instilled at an early age. And despite work demands, they were drawn to the towpath wherever house moves took them.
“We often talked on these walks about how we felt by the water, more peaceful and calm and the quirky narrowboats became a daily topic of conversation,” said Steve.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 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