Land 2 River: Four and a half years into boat life

We have now been four and a half years on our river boat. I have truly never looked back or wished we had not done this move. But I do see us moving back to the land in the future. When that will be, I don't know. We also don't know how. In the meantime, what I can say about my life on the boat is that the winters are challenging, and it sometimes feels a burden to get heavy items and big shopping to the boat. The positives are

- affordable living
- the closeness to nature
- wild swimming in summer
- meeting lovely people all the time
- a sense of independence from the grid and the grind
- having learnt to manage resources responsibly
- million-dollar views
- being cool parents
- witnessing wildlife during all seasons
- the possibilities of moving our home wherever we want to
- that summers feel like holidays, even though we're working.

The cost of living crisis has reached us too, of course. Diesel has gone up considerably (from under a pound per litre to about 1.55); coal and wood, as well; and - like everyone - we're spending a lot more on groceries. During the first three years we bought a lot of local and organic produce. Now we cannot afford that anymore and have to go to Aldi or Lidl's.

Our little dog has arthritis and finds it hard to get up the steps these days. I keep wondering when we'll have to carry him up, and when he'll land in the water instead on the boat or mooring, because of his hip issues. I keep praying.

I find myself longing for a warm bathroom and a hot bath, and to be able to shower every morning without having to think about the water level in the tank. We are also struggling to find the right sofa for our lounge. Right now we have sofa number three, which is an easy to use sofa bed, but it is really uncomfortable to sit on. The last one was a recliner, really expensive, but it was too soft, and my back hurt too much, so we gave it away. We have yet to find the perfect one. Trouble is, that we can't just get any because it has to fit through the door.

Ewan is still working and has another two years to go until he'll be retired. My coaching practice is only just (finally) taking off. So, we might have different needs then. But that is in the future, and who knows what it brings.

Last year, our water pump gave up its ghost and flooded the inside of my wardrobe. In the bedroom water came through the floor boards. That wasn't fun. As we noticed it too late, the wardrobe was full of mould, and lots of clothes needed to be thrown away. The fixing and drying took weeks.

End of 2022 we had a cork floor layed, which has proven to be a brilliant. But some of the click boards were much brighter than the rest, which looks a bit odd. But hey. We have a warmer floor, and the rooms stay warm for much longer.

Our central (Diesel) heating packed up three weeks ago, which was another real downer. The part needs to be ordered from Germany, and thanks to Brexit it's taking ages. Heyho!

Last but not least, a few river and river bank impressions from 2022: