In pursuing any quest there are times when you become really disheartened.
At times, we thought our pursuit of a life on the canals would never happen, but that is when the truly committed quester finds a way forward.
And so it was, in the depths of a snowy December winter, that we first glimpsed the shining light of our sought-after goal. In between our work commitments we’ve been gradually inching closer to the day we would stand at the tiller and steer her out of the marina and into our first lock.
This has been our ‘To Do’ list over the last few months:
- First viewing – done.
- Second viewing – yep, still like it.
- Consult with the Dad-Who-Knows-All – thumbs up.
- Approval from the Bank of Mum and Dad – obtained.
- Deposit made – £1,000 thank you very much.
- Survey completed – looking good!
- Transfer of funds from Australia – success.
- Become proud owners of narrowboat Andrea Rose – YES!!!
It’s true! It’s happened! We have our very own narrowboat! Excited happy dances all round! 😉 The above list makes it look fairly simple and straightforward – it was a bit more complicated and involved but I’m sure you get the gist.
Since taking the tiller, the ‘To Do’ list seems to have kept growing… firstly, and most importantly, we got insurance. Secondly, the Canal & River Trust license. Thirdly, we’re in the process of moving her closer to our rented apartment so we can move on board permanently (yes, in the middle of the coldest weather for 5 years).
We’ve also noted a multitude of other things we need to attend to, fixing a few bits and bobs, such as:
- Cleaning the solid fuel stove and chimney
- Putting some new carpets down (the old carpet squares smell like wet dog…)
- Giving the inside a lick of paint to brighten it up
- Figuring out how to light a coal fire in the solid fuel stove (burn, stupid coal, burn!)
- Coming up with a way to make sure Ryan doesn’t fall in the canal…
- Figuring out what all the switches and buttons do
- Removing the blasted pram hood (discovered very quickly that we DO NOT like it!)
- How does the cassette toilet work??? Oh… got it, never mind…
- Identifying all the strange new noises (is it supposed to make that sound?)
- Learning how to avoid running aground and dealing with wind
- Getting the hull blacked
- Replacing the anodes
- Somehow wrestle our king-size comfy mattress onboard…
I won’t bore you with the rest of the list, but it doesn’t stop there! It’s going to be another busy (and possibly expensive) few months while we get settled, but absolutely looking forward to it all!
So, the Quest is complete. We made it to the end and the treasure is ours. What next?
I will continue to write about our adventures on our narrowboat, but we will also be starting on a new, visual quest – Narrowboat Chef on YouTube!
With both of us being qualified chefs (even though I try to deny it at every opportunity – Ryan does most of the cooking) and both enjoying good food, we thought we would share our recipes and cooking techniques, adapted for small spaces, small quantities and small budgets. Perfect for narrowboats, RV’s and tiny homes.
Look out for our YouTube channel coming soon – erm… once I figure out how it all works. Another quest!
Update: Our YouTube channel is now live! We’d love it if you checked it out and let us know what you think. 🙂 Click here to see our vlogs.
Thank you for following our journey so far and please stay with us to see what new quests and adventures we will embark on from our narrowboat!
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