Canadian Yachting — February 2018

1 0 2 C a n a d i a n Y a c h t i n g F E B r u A r y 2 0 18

C R O S S IN G T H E L IN E B y J o h n M o r r is

T h e V illa g e B u t t y

O u t fo r a stro ll la st a u tu m n a lo n g th e R iv e r L e a , n e a r m y frie n d s’
h o m e in L o n d o n , w e c a m e u p o n th e V illa g e B u tty. T h e b a n k s o f
th e n e a rb y R iv e r L e a , lik e th e m a n y c a n a ls in L o n d o n a n d
th ro u g h o u t th e E n g lish m id la n d s, a re lin e d w ith n a rro w b o a ts
a n d b a rg e s. M a n y p e o p le liv e a b o a rd th e se tra v e llin g sk in n y v e s-
se ls, d e sig n e d o rig in a lly to tra n sp o rt c o a l a n d g o o d s u p a n d
d o w n c a n a ls.
C a n a d ia n s jo in th e m a n y o th e rs w h o c h a rte r n a rro w b o a ts to
slo w ly m e a n d e r th ro u g h th e w a te rw a y s, n o lo n g e r u se d fo r th e ir
o rig in a l c o m m e rc ia l p u rp o se s, m u c h a s
w e u se th e R id e a u o r T re n t S e v e rn C a n a l
S y ste m s. A s th e y w e re u se d fo r c o m -
m e rc e , th e y flo w rig h t th ro u g h th e h e a rt
o f B rita in ’s m a jo r c itie s, in c lu d in g c e n tra l
L o n d o n! A n d n a rro w th e c a n a ls c a n b e :
sh rin k in g to se v e n fe e t in so m e p a rts o f
E n g la n d. H e re in th e m id d le o f n o rth
L o n d o n , th e R iv e r L e a is c o n sid e ra b ly
w id e r, w ith b o a ts m o o re d e n d -to -e n d
a lo n g b o th b a n k s.
T h e V illa g e B u tty is a flo a tin g c o m m u -
n ity h a ll. It re se m b le s th e o th e r n a rro w -
b o a ts o n th e c a n a ls b u t w ith c a n v a s sid e s
th a t o p e n u p fo r m u sic a n d fu n. A b u tty is
a n a rro w b o a t w ith o u t p o w e r, s o th e
V illa g e B u tty g e ts to w e d to v a rio u s lo c a -
tio n s b y a se rv ic e b o a t re lo c a tin g h e re a n d
th e re o n th e c a n a ls, w ith w h e re a b o u ts
u p d a te s o n th e B u tty ’s F a c e b o o k p a g e.
O n c e lo c a te d , th e B u tty is a c o m b in a -
tio n c o m m u n ity h a ll, p u b a n d re sto , c lu b -
h o u se fo r c h e ss a n d b o a rd g a m e s,
W e d n e sd a y m o v ie n ig h ts, a n d v e ry o fte n a
m u sic v e n u e w ith C a p e B re to n -lik e k itc h e n p a rtie s lo a d e d w ith
fid d le m u sic a n d jig g in g.
T h e c a n a ls re a lly a re a c o m m u n ity w ith a flo c k o f liv e a b o a rd s
a n d c ru ise rs. T h e re a re sp e c ia l b o a ts: lik e th e 6 0 -fo o t B o o k
B a rg e p re se n tin g re a d in g s, p o e try sla m s, a n d liv e a c o u stic m u sic
o n its ro o f sta g e ; o r S to rm v o g e l, th e H e rb a l B a rg e , a n a lte rn a tiv e
a n d h o listic h e a lth se rv ic e. C h e c k T h e O n io n B a rg e fo r o rg a n ic
v e g b o x d e liv e ry se rv ic e a n d c a te rin g fo r p e o p le o n b o a ts. A ll th is
c o lle c tio n fo rm s a lo n g , th in fa m ily o f b o a te rs w h o sh a re th e
ta ste fo r a lte rn a te liv in g in a 6 ’ x 3 5 ’ sp a c e a n d v e ry o fte n fo r
q u a y sid e m e rrim e n t. It’s a m o v e a b le fe a st a s th e w h o le fle e t

c o n tin u o u sly p lie s th e riv e rs a n d c a n a ls o f th e B ritish Isle s a t

tre a c le -lik e sp e e d s.

N o le ss h ip p ie -e sq u e th a n th e ir c o m m u n ity m a te s a re Ja m e s,

Ia n , a n d A lic e , w h o ru n th e V illa g e B u tty a n d c ro w d so u rc e fu n d -

in g to k e e p it (lite ra lly ) a flo a t. T h e y ru n F o x le y, th e se rv ic e b o a t;

fu e l th e V illa g e B u tty ’s N o rw e g ia n fire b o x th a t k e e p s it c o zy o n

d a m p e v e n in g s; a n d se rv e th e fa jita s a n d re a l a le to v isito rs.

T h e d a y I e n c o u n te re d th e B u tty it w a s lo a d e d to th e g u n -

w a le s w ith b u sh e ls o f fru it fo r R iv e r L e a A p p le D a y a t

S to n e b rid g e L o c k , T o tte n h a m. T h e fre e fe stiv a l w a s, o f c o u rse ,

a p p le -b a se d w ith a b u n d a n t c id e r p re ssin g a n d ju ic in g ; p lu s fu n ,

g a m e s, a n d a g ia n t c e ilid h a ll-d a y m u sic ja m. T h e B u tty ru n s fe s-

tiv a ls o f th is so rt h e re a n d th e re , b u t a lso su sta in a b le liv in g

w o rk sh o p s lik e P o w e r a n d P o litic s w ith T h e E m b e rs C o lle c tiv e

th a t e x p lo re d th e th e m e o f p o w e r a n d p o litic s a n d th e ir re p re -

se n ta tio n s in m y th o lo g y.

I c a m e b a c k h o m e th in k in g w e n e e d m o re b o a ts o n m o re

w a te rw a y s, le ss re stric tiv e p u b la w s, m o re fid d lin g o n b o a rd , a n d

p e rh a p s a fe w m o re h ip p ie s. •

A lic e lo o k s s k e p tic a lly a t a C y jo u rn a lis t a s s h e lo a d s a k e g o f re a l a le o n b o a rd.