I've been researching some of the aspects of going it alone on a canal boat. There are lots of websites out there which are very informative, but there doesn't seem to be many for the solo cruiser.
However, the experiences of the NB Nuggler are amusing and well-described.
Sunday 31 October 2010
Good manners and estate agents
I had an appointment with Mann & Co yesterday, who were going to help me with determining what I need to do to make my house rentable, and give me an indication of what kind of rent I could charge.
No one turned up, and no courtesy call from them. I wonder if this is just me, just them, or estate/letting agents in general?
No one turned up, and no courtesy call from them. I wonder if this is just me, just them, or estate/letting agents in general?
Clearing out the attic
Like many people who are going to move, especially those who are down-sizing, there is the challenge of sorting through the collection of memories usually housed in the loft.
My loft is crammed with bags and boxes containing things that I haven't seen in years, and emotional reactions to my discoveries are varied. There is far too much that evokes the immediate thought 'what was I/he/she thinking?!'. But much, much more that makes me laugh or cry with the memory attached.
And I have to be ruthless. Although I'm sure I can always store stuff that I can't find it in me to be ruthless about.
I am currently receiving an education in eBay, for which the key seems to be picking and choosing the items most suitable. Once eBay fees and postage are taken into account, many low value items will never sell.
So it looks like I shall have to explore the world of boot fairs in the new year.
My loft is crammed with bags and boxes containing things that I haven't seen in years, and emotional reactions to my discoveries are varied. There is far too much that evokes the immediate thought 'what was I/he/she thinking?!'. But much, much more that makes me laugh or cry with the memory attached.
And I have to be ruthless. Although I'm sure I can always store stuff that I can't find it in me to be ruthless about.
I am currently receiving an education in eBay, for which the key seems to be picking and choosing the items most suitable. Once eBay fees and postage are taken into account, many low value items will never sell.
So it looks like I shall have to explore the world of boot fairs in the new year.
Sunday 10 October 2010
Thursday 7 October 2010
Today I was told that an ex-colleague had passed away. Not someone I was close to, or ever called friend, just a familiar face in a different department of a company I worked for over fifteen years ago.
But he was a year younger than me, reasonably fit, no long illness, no diagnosed congenital defects, yet dropped dead when his heart decided to stop.
It makes you think.
But he was a year younger than me, reasonably fit, no long illness, no diagnosed congenital defects, yet dropped dead when his heart decided to stop.
It makes you think.
Spreading the news
First things first, and that would be telling everyone.
My news on the whole has been met with just a little shock, but mostly with support. Apparently a lot of people totally see me in the boat-dwelling lifestyle.
I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to take that, but am choosing to take it as complimentary. Mid-life crisis has also been mentioned - by me as much as anyone else, and I can totally live with that. The catalyst was a fantastic week on the canals with my parents.
After the excitement of last week and making the decision, I am now in a cooling off period to reflect upon the wisdom of indulging in a 35 year old pipe dream that may be better off being just that.
My news on the whole has been met with just a little shock, but mostly with support. Apparently a lot of people totally see me in the boat-dwelling lifestyle.
I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to take that, but am choosing to take it as complimentary. Mid-life crisis has also been mentioned - by me as much as anyone else, and I can totally live with that. The catalyst was a fantastic week on the canals with my parents.
After the excitement of last week and making the decision, I am now in a cooling off period to reflect upon the wisdom of indulging in a 35 year old pipe dream that may be better off being just that.
Sunday 3 October 2010
A bit of background
I am not entirely new to canal boating, although admittedly very inexperienced.
With over thirty years of on/off canal boating, sailing, cruising, and scuba diving in the UK and abroad, I can operate locks, tie cleat hitches, clean, cook in a galley, perform basic maintenance on my car and steer boats in straight lines and around bends - don't ask about parking.
I am also a natural minimalist in terms of possessions, although what I call minimalist I suspect will be redefined as cluttered.
But I am aware that there is much, much more that I need to learn. So learning, both intended and unintended is on the cards.
There will also be decisions that may be tough to make, such as those involving my fish, my cats, my house, my car and my job. I want to have my cake and eat it, and know I won't be able to. But I'm going to try.
With over thirty years of on/off canal boating, sailing, cruising, and scuba diving in the UK and abroad, I can operate locks, tie cleat hitches, clean, cook in a galley, perform basic maintenance on my car and steer boats in straight lines and around bends - don't ask about parking.
I am also a natural minimalist in terms of possessions, although what I call minimalist I suspect will be redefined as cluttered.
But I am aware that there is much, much more that I need to learn. So learning, both intended and unintended is on the cards.
There will also be decisions that may be tough to make, such as those involving my fish, my cats, my house, my car and my job. I want to have my cake and eat it, and know I won't be able to. But I'm going to try.
An introduction to Firefly
I love canal boating, much as I love scuba diving and motor racing, and living in a boat on the canals has been a fantasy since I was seven.
But now I am at a point that I want to do it. There are many websites out there giving excellent advice after their own transition, but it seems worthwhile to document my own experiences as I go.
It may be that this project never sees fruition as there are a lot of things to consider and do.
There is no set timescale, and anyone in project management will say that's a mistake, and maybe it will turn out to be. I have in mind summer 2011 or 2012, but that's not set in stone.
Firefly is an arbitrary name and not necessarily to be the name of my boat. It was simply the product of too much beer and an over-active imagination that decided to paint the boat's bum yellow and call it Firefly. Hence the tag.
But now I am at a point that I want to do it. There are many websites out there giving excellent advice after their own transition, but it seems worthwhile to document my own experiences as I go.
It may be that this project never sees fruition as there are a lot of things to consider and do.
There is no set timescale, and anyone in project management will say that's a mistake, and maybe it will turn out to be. I have in mind summer 2011 or 2012, but that's not set in stone.
Firefly is an arbitrary name and not necessarily to be the name of my boat. It was simply the product of too much beer and an over-active imagination that decided to paint the boat's bum yellow and call it Firefly. Hence the tag.
Saturday 2 October 2010
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