In 2007 Rob and Wendy took up permanent residence on their narrowboat, at present moored on the Calder and Hebble Navigation. The idea of holidaying on a canal boat is sometimes featured in activity magazines and is something many of us fantasize about, but it isn’t easy finding people who have exchanged living in a house for boat living permanently.
What made them decide to live aboard? Rob, a retired engineer, takes up the tale, “ We were watching a TV programme which featured living and holidaying on canal boats and Wendy said ‘I could do that’. From that moment we knew that was what we were going to do.” He continues, “When I was young, during my apprenticeship, I did some work on Thames barges so boats aren’t new to me. Size is different but that’s all”. Moving from a house to a boat hasn’t been a quick or easy change but their enthusiasm has enabled them to overcome all the obstacles which have cropped up. “We finally received the boat in November 2007 and had to navigate it all the way back here”, says Rob. “It was a real baptism as there were problems caused by the winter conditions”, says Wendy, “With the short days we had to make use of every hour of daylight to reach the next mooring point each day. Even when we found the canal iced over Rob insisted on going on. It took about 8 days of travelling to get here from Middlewich [Shropshire]”.
Since then they have had a few short cruises and are considering a longer trip for the summer months of this year. “Going out for the weekend doesn’t need the same amount of preparation. You just go”, says Rob. “I remember the first time Rob said we would go for a short trip”, says Wendy, “He suggested it only the day before and I thought ‘well if you must’ and then started thinking what I would need to do to get ready. But of course everything goes with you! It’s even simpler than caravanning.”
The transition from house to narrowboat has meant a complete reshaping of their way of living. Every item of furniture has been replaced by an item either fitted into the boat or an alternative piece of equipment. “The boat was made to measure and is 57 feet long”, says Rob, “I asked about sizing and how different boats fitted into different waterways. We opted for a size that would enable to pass through every canal and lock in Britain”. “A broadboat would give more living space but limits the places you can go to, says Wendy, “The builders showed us what they could fit into the space and we went from there. They showed us all the different features that could be fitted and I kept wondering ‘how much is that going to add’ but it was all included in the price. Right down to the smallest items, even the eco-fan”. Storage space is ample but limited when compared to a house so only the most important and treasured possessions have stood the selection process which took place. They both love music and have a collection of CDs, but even this has been reorganised into one folder, all the cases and leaflets being discarded. Since making their home on the water they have become part of the waterways community, getting to know their neighbours and others who live at other moorings. “It has opened a door on a completely different world for us”, enthuses Wendy, “Here we are only a short distance from a small town but you might not guess that. We see the world from a completely different angle. We’ve absorbed a whole new vocabulary with new procedures to learn for everyday living and travelling”.
Have they any regrets? Is there one thing which either of them miss? An emphatic ‘no’ from both of them. “I don’t think I would have wanted to do this when I was younger and bringing up a family, but we don’t need a house now. Everything is just right for us”, says Wendy.
