I live aboard Hobo, a 47ft narrowboat, with Foxy the boatcat…
We are currently moored on the River Lark, a tributary of the Great Ouse… which crosses the border of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. It is a part of the Fens – a part of England I love.
It’s a wonderful lifestyle that I wouldn’t change for the world.
My life afloat began in the summer of 2006, when I bought Hobo at Welford Wharf in Northamptonshire, then cruised her to a marina near Huntingdon with the help of a competent helmswoman. She was introduced to me by my niece as someone who loved boating – and a glass or two of wine – so we hit it off right from the start. I learned an awful lot very quickly, we had a brilliant adventure and we remain firm friends.
In the four years I was at Hartford, I made many friends who taught me much about boat life. I loved being a part of this community but yearned to cruise the waterways. So I teamed up with John and, over the course of a few months, slowly made our way south to Hertfordshire where I moored for eight years on the River Stort.
In the summer of 2019, I felt the need to move again and secured a super riverside mooring on the island here. Once again, John helped me cruise Hobo here – another fabulous adventure, taking us about 12 days. During this time, Foxy quickly took to life on the move, exploring towpaths where we tied up overnight. He has become a constant source of amusement and a great companion.
At the time of writing, it is Spring 2020 – the year of the plague – and we are all locked down. John in South Africa and Hobo on her home mooring. As nice as that is, we look forward to exploring more of the Fen waterways sometime soon…
There’s nothing quite like it.
Thank God for the Gypsy kind of life!
Amen to that..!
Thanks for looking around – I shall do likewise.