At last, afloat

I’ve wanted to live on a boat ever since I was 18. And 18 years later I finally realised that dream. Has the reality matched up to the dream? Read on…

Back in 1987 I moved to Leeds to study. I used to walk a lot and often ended up on the towpaths of the Leeds and Liverpool and Aire and Calder canals. There I saw all the boats moored up, driving slowly past, going through locks and I thought to myself: that’s the life I want.

In the years that followed I dealt with my wanderlust in other ways: several trips to India, to Eastern Europe and hitchhiking round Western Europe. I moved house as often as possible and could never feel settled anywhere for long.

In 2000 I moved from Leeds to London, where I stayed in one job for six years – a record for me – and bought a flat as an investment. But my itchy feet kept telling me to move on so I sold the flat and with the equity bought a boat.

Now I can’t imagine living back on land. It’s not always been easy but, all things considered, I love this life afloat.