Canal Boat — February 2018

22 February 2018 Canal Boat canalboat.co.uk

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ME & MY BOATS

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£100

the canal network. Not only did she have
a lovely name (part Country and
Western singer – part mariner’s muse),
but she was a beautiful boat: 55ft long
with a trad stern, an immaculate
Armstrong-Sidley engine, wood
panelling throughout and glorious red
external paintwork. We fell in love
immediately.
We were very lucky that the previous
owner, Sharon, had looked after The
Liberty Rose like she was her own child
and she was kind enough to show us the
ropes. I remember on our first trip out
together being seriously impressed by
Sharon’s nimble movements as she
steered the boat and her deft navigation
as she swung the boat around a winding
hole. It was exciting but I was incredibly
daunted by just how much there was
to learn.
And it was a steep learning curve
indeed. Although, it must be said that
many of the things I worried about
beforehand proved either to be
inconsequential or were easily
overcome. It is a myth, for example, that
boats are cold in winter. We have never
been so warm. And our boat was
heated only by a small woodburner in
the saloon.
There were points, even in the depths
of a February freeze when, having
underestimated the impact of a log, we’d
have to open the doors to cool down our
living area.
I had also felt anxious prior to our
move on to the boat about how I would
manage with steering such a long boat

and navigating the locks. I need not have

worried. Not because I am by any

stretch a “natural” but because all along

the canals we met people who were very

happy to help us, to guide us through

some new and tricky part of the network

and to share their wisdom.

And we met people from all walks of

life, of varying ages and experience and

so we found that this collective

knowledge is immense. We shared our

first lock, for example, with a couple of

octogenarians who, by that time in

September, had been through well over

400 locks that year – and so, we were in

expert hands.

The beauty of the canals is that you

will often find yourself partnered up

with another boat for a day, squeezing

into locks together or taking it in turns

to open swing bridges for one another.

In that sense, you are never really alone

on the canals and, if you’re open to

learning, can pick up a huge amount of

knowledge along the way.

It is the boating community that really

makes the canals what they are. In the

shared experience of living on water,

friends are made easily. There are

barbeques in the summer and beers in

the sun, while hot soup is shared in the

colder months with advice about water

levels, flood warnings and the best place

to get fuel. These are friendships that

will never be forgotten.

Our neighbours were the first people

we celebrated with when we found out

we were expecting our first child, who

helped me store heavy bags of coal

when I was too pregnant to pick them up

and invited us over to give us hand-me-

downs from their children.

We have decided to be landlubbers for

a while just until we get the hang of this

parenting lark but I don’t think it will be

long until we find ourselves on the cut

again. There is nothing quite like waking

up to the noise of ducks pattering about

on the roof or a misty morning cuppa

watching swans paddle by.

I’m looking forward to teaching my

daughter how to use a windlass and the

best way to turn the boat around when

it’s windy; how to change a 12 volt fuse

and how to deal with the dreaded Elsan.

Mostly I’m looking forward to

introducing her to a love of water and of

boats and of creaky, timeless Victorian

engineering. CB

IT’S YOUR TURN: TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOAT

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£100

TELL US ABOUT the boats – or just the boat –

in your life. Your story should be about 1,000

words and must have suitable photographs.

They can be prints, transparencies or high

quality digital (that means at least a 5

megapixel camera set on its highest

resolution). Write in or

email to editor@

canalboat.co.uk. All

photos will be returned.

What’s more, we pay

£100 for every story used.

The Liberty Rose, complete with wheelbarrow

Georgie and John