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BOAT TRADER EDITORIAL<br />
LIVING ON AN<br />
INLAND WATERWAY<br />
IN JANUARY<br />
adamant that one of the best experiences<br />
was meeting like minded people, people who<br />
have a passion about inland waterways and<br />
boats. Quite often, once friendships were made<br />
they worked as teams making sure that they<br />
were all ok in all aspects of their day to day<br />
living. It was explained that there is a sense<br />
of belonging to a group of similar minded<br />
people, a couple said it made you feel you<br />
weren’t on your own.<br />
Whilst speaking to a young lady boat owner<br />
in her late thirties I asked her what her biggest<br />
challenges were? I was surprised at her answers<br />
as I hadn’t necessarily thought of them. Fiona<br />
Barker answered: “Insurance was a big issue<br />
as my boat was over 20 years old and needed<br />
regular hull inspections whilst the boat was<br />
out of water, this was a considerable added<br />
expense I hadn’t bargained <strong>for</strong>.<br />
“It also became apparent that it wasn’t the<br />
most practical of ideas as I soon realised<br />
I needed to fix the bilge and water pumps, it<br />
was an experience to say the least.<br />
“Without a doubt I learnt the value of water, as<br />
a lady wanting to shower daily minimising the<br />
waste of water became almost an obsession.<br />
“I got caught out a couple of times without<br />
electricity <strong>for</strong> longer than I’d hoped <strong>for</strong>, it only<br />
happened twice and it is something you take<br />
<strong>for</strong> granted living in a house.<br />
I asked her whether she considered that she<br />
had lived the dream and she replied: “No, I think<br />
all in all it is an experience that I am glad to<br />
have had, if I had to sum it up I’d say I loved the<br />
summers and struggled at times in the winter.”<br />
When the waterways freeze and you cannot<br />
move, problems can arise and it is normally<br />
now when the reality sets in on not having any<br />
coal or freshwater. However, without question<br />
these riverside dwellers survive and they cope<br />
adapting themselves to a life on the water.<br />
I think that the most important factor in living<br />
on a boat is there must be a passion to want<br />
do so. Yes, the cost of living is somewhat<br />
cheaper but you shouldn’t go down this route<br />
<strong>for</strong> just cost saving reasons. I believe that it<br />
takes a very special person with a passion of<br />
boats and waterways running through their<br />
blood and veins to enjoy the dark cold winters.<br />
Personally, as an angler I have often thought long<br />
and hard as to whether it would be as much fun<br />
in reality living on a boat as opposed to it being<br />
just a lovely dream. From my own perspective<br />
I would like to spend a year on the river preferably<br />
moving every two weeks and writing an angling<br />
journal. My work writing can be done literally<br />
anywhere as long as I have an internet connection<br />
but now I have bigger responsibilities to my<br />
children and wife. This is one dream that will<br />
sadly escape me and I certainly don’t agree<br />
river dwellers should be called river rats as they<br />
are in fact quite special people.<br />
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