Winter cruising

Today is one of those days that makes winter cruising pure pleasure. We’re in the Pennines and all around us the high hill tops are coated in a generous dusting of white, under a clear blue sky and bright sun, and with not enough of a breeze even to waft a flag. There’s a light crusting of ice on the canal, hardly enough to worry the bitumen but that didn’t matter anyway because, having not seen another moving boat for weeks, one came towards us as we set off, leaving a furrow for us all the way.

The brew cupboard

We’ve finished the last of the sloe wine that we had saved for the year-end celebrations;  the Bloke picked them in November, 2010, when we were on the Bridgewater.  It’s hard to believe that we managed to keep some wine for that long.  I’ll need to remind myself in a few months’ time how worthwhile it was.  And now it’s back to the summer’s elderflower wine, which was disappointing this year.

This year altogether was a lean one for hedgerow pickings, so we’re looking out for cheap deals on swedes or parsnips.  When the elderflower has been consumed, there’s a gallon of tea wine almost ready in the brew cupboard over the calorifier, and another of sage.  Sage we can grow in the greenhouse and on the boats’ roofs and tea wine we make from all the left-over herbal- and flower teas that were bought on a whim and now take up space going stale at the back of the cupboard.  They make an acceptable stand-by wine, but generally we don’t like to have to buy the main ingredient;  the finished product always seems to taste better when you’ve picked it yourself.

Bright Nights

The little conifer tree that we keep from year to year on Christina and bring into Freyja around the 21^st December to provide a waft of freshness and to mark the lengthening days, is now back in the greenhouse;  the seasonal decorations of holly and ivy have served their last function by providing some energy in the range for a mid-morning cup of coffee;  and all the shiny things have been packed away.  Their glitter is welcome on the dark evenings, so two years ago we didn’t pack away two strings of battery powered led lights, instead the Bloke arranged them in the display cabinets, where they make the crystal sparkle.  I know, that sounds hugely naff, but the brightness makes me smile.

Stuff of Dreams

The Bloke was up-top enjoying a late afternoon drink – dusk comes early at this time of year.  A cyclist stopped – he’d seen the For Sale sign in the greenhouse.

“Is that fifty-five thousand for both boats ?” he asked.

“Yes” said the Bloke.

“Why two then ?”

So the Bloke explained the layout, benefits of the butty, not restricted by single width locks as wide-beams are, half the licence fee, blah blah.

“Cor” said the man.  “… But I’ve got a house.”

“Sell the house” said the Bloke, “and invest the left-over capital to give you an income, to live off.”

“COR.  The ex-wife wouldn’t know where I was. … And I wouldn’t have to pay her alimony … an’ I’ve got other debts too …”  Then, “these are expensive to rent aren’t they ?”

“Fairly.”

“I could live on that one”, indicating the butty, “and rent that one out in the summer.  Cor.”

He won’t be back, but I bet he has some happy dreams, about the possibilities.

Day One + the Boats' Details

At this most – how should I put it – interesting time in the affairs of the world, the Bloke and I have decided to plot a leap into the unknown and are putting our homes up for sale.  We join the many millions, though few homes are as unusual as ours:  Freyja and Christina are a pair of narrowboats on which we continuously cruise the canals and inland waterways of England and Wales.  Now into my fourteenth year afloat (longer than some, not as long as others), this is by far the longest episode of my sixty-three years on this earth, and that can only have happened because this lifestyle has been immensely satisfying.

We’re not holding our breath for a quick sale, most people are hunkering down, waiting to see what happens next, besides, we have no real plans for our own next, yet.  All I know is that all the-road[s]-less-travelled that I’ve taken over the years have been intriguing, and I have no reason to expect a cul-de-sac at the end of the next one.  I accept that we are probably leaving the canals at the wrong time:  licence fee, insurance and maintenance notwithstanding, life afloat is less costly than life ashore, and the sense of freedom is incalculable, here you can be a contradiction, a respectable drop-out.

So these are they:

FREYJA

57’ all steel narrowboat, semi-trad stern with full cover hatch, and tug foredeck

Built Stoke on Trent Boatbuilders 1986

AMC marinised BMC 1.8 engine, PRM gearbox

BSS certificate to October 2014

LAY-OUT

From the stern:

Semi-trad cockpit, with full covering sliding hatch

with shoreline socket, alternator battery manager, in-line Sterling battery charger, battery locker for one starter- and three domestic batteries, gas locker, storage, and engine access.

Steps down to living accommodation

To starboard, alcove and shelves for television etc., 600w inverter, 12v radio and c.d. player, 6’ settle (or side bed) with storage under.

To port, coat cupboard, under-gunnel shelving, space for dining table or free-standing furniture.

To starboard, 8’2” pine work surface, with inset four-ring gas hob, built-in gas oven and grill below, plus cupboards, shelves and fridge space.  Dresser-style shelving above.

To port, Jotul solid fuel kitchen range with strap-on back boiler and wood store under, full-size stainless steel 1½ sinks unit with single drainer, cupboard and washing machine below.  Full height cupboard with calorifier, airing (or home-brew) shelves above.


Bathroom and dressing area

Narrowboat bath with shower, inset hand-basin with cupboard under, portapotti, additional small hand-basin, two wardrobes 2’3” & 2’6” wide.

Bed-sitting room

To starboard, Morso Squirrel solid fuel stove with back boiler.

To port, built-in bulkhead book shelves, and desk unit.

Space for free-standing furniture.  4’ double bed (accessible from both sides and with storage under) can be slid under front deck, the foot of the bed doubling as a sofa.  Built-in unit each side of the sofa, and display cabinets above.  Further storage in bed-hole.

Outside, the tug deck is cratched and tarped and makes a suitable motorcycle stowage under canvas.  Storage locker under.

These details do not form part of the sale agreement.

And:

CHRISTINA

53’ steel hull, butty conversion with new wooden superstructure

Registered with BW 1971

BSS certificate to April 2014

LAY-OUT

From the stern deck-well:

Step and coal-box down to

Backcabin:  traditional lay-out and decoration, boatman’s stove, 4’ bed-hole, wardrobe.

Bathroom with narrowboat bath, washstand and portapotti space.

10’ Workshop, benched and shelved.

9’ Storage space under tarps.  Has been used as a shop.

7’ Greenhouse, benched.

The 6’4” space forward of the greenhouse to the cratch is tarped and currently houses an arc-style chicken coop, with storage under.

Gas locker in the bow.

These details do not form part of the sale agreement.

To view please telephone +44 (0)77 8023 9781

or email catcrept@gmail.com

And the price for this whole new lifestyle ?:   Well, I've removed a figure from here because it keeps changing, so, if you're even just hesitating about the boats, as a pair or separately, please do contact us and I'm sure we can agree a favourable price.