Narrowboat Audrey Too’s interior

What’s it like inside a sixty foot narrowboat? Narrow, obviously. But also cosy.

This is our living room, which has a sofa bed, cupboards for books, and the door leading onto the front deck. The curtain, made by Alisha, was made from fabric I’d bought in India a decade ago.

The living room leads into the galley (or kitchen as landlubbers might call it) which is big enough for our needs. We can’t use an electric kettle because they draw too much power, so we have an old-fashioned whistling kettle on the gas stove: shame someone lost the whistle on the day we bought it.

Beyond the galley’s door is the main bedroom, with a double bed and shelves for books. All the lighting is 12 volt, powered by batteries at the back of the boat. Alisha’s applied her love of butterflies to the decor, they’re everywhere.

The bathroom’s beyond the bedroom door, with a shower cubicle and cassette toilet.

When we bought the boat we decided not to have a fixed dining table and seats, in order to have additional beds for guests to stay. So at the back of the boat is a room with bunkbeds and extra cupboards and wardrobe. There’s also an electrical panel, inverter to produce 240 volt electricity, and plenty of storage cupboards.

Finally, at the rear of the boat, underneath the deck, is the engine room which also houses the propshaft, diesel heater and calorifier (for hot water).