The Dormouse That's Roaring Now Winter's Over

Waiting out the winter in front of a glowing hearth has left liveaboard David Johns ready to get fired-up again and head off for the trip of a lifetime.

I must have been a dormouse or a cat in my past life as my only activities for the last four months have comprised curling up under the duvet and dozing in front of the fire.

Such is the luxury and laziness of the freelance live aboard albeit one with – according to one recent YouTube comment – a “lack of ambition”.

Fortunately, my sole ambition is to be happy and content so I’ve achieved 100 percent of my goal. I wonder how life’s working out for the bitter soul who posted that message.

It’s been a chilly winter, you may have noticed. Fun fact: I spent 50 percent more on coal in January compared with last year.

Indeed, apart from the aforementioned activities – do they even count as activities? – some weeks seem to have been spent doing little more than shovelling briquettes into the stove and opening up the bottom vent to encourage that wonderful orange glow from the coals.

Having the stove stoked up is no bad thing, mind you; it means there’s permanently a kettle on ready for another cuppa.

And warming up a tin of beans for a spot of lunch or quick supper just requires a pot on the stove instead of burning propane with all its irritating condensation issues.

Oh, hang on – the toast still needs grilling. Never mind, cooking was never really my expertise.

For the first time, the dirt of the stove is getting me down though. Much as I adore its warmth, that little cloud of dust which escapes every time I empty the ash pan, no matter how much I try to contain it, is beginning to grate (I do love an accidental pun).

I have even gone so far of late as to idly begin sketching what an ideal narrow boat might look like based on my experiences so far and, shock horror, it includes a diesel stove.