Life Aboard – Part 2
Clare Harrison continues her narrowboat story…
We keep our narrowboat, Lady Clare, in a marina on the Llangollen Canal and visit about once every ten days or so. I often have concert work in the North Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire areas so it’s a perfect base for when I’m away singing.
The best thing about being on board is the relaxed way of life… drinking coffee, watching the sun rise with the mist on the water, the peace and quiet of the countryside or the joy of coming in on a cold winter’s day to a cosy boat with a fire in the stove and a casserole bubbling away in the slow cooker. They are the best bits.
The seasons seem so much more pronounced somehow, probably because you’re immersed in the countryside. Autumn is probably my favourite time on the cut (canal); the colours are stunning, the canal is quieter and the darker nights and lit stove make the boat feel extra cosy. It’s quite romantic.
The worst bit?
Definitely the mud. We do our best to keep mud on the outside of the boat but I find mud deeply unpleasant wherever it is. The muddy towpath, the squelch under your boots, the feel of it, the sound of it, even the smell of it… I do anything to avoid walking in mud. After a wet winter it’s a joy when spring arrives and (hopefully) the towpath begins to dry out, the winter boots can be stored away and trainers become perfectly practical footwear on the towpath again.
There is also the cost when things go wrong. Aside from the annual licence, mooring fees, insurance and routine maintenance, when something unexpected breaks or goes wrong, it’s expensive. It’s not called a BOAT for nothing. BOAT… an acronym for Bring Out Another Thousand.
Of course it’s lots of fun being on board but there is a certain amount of work involved too and some daily chores have to be done come rain or shine. The water tank needs to be filled daily from water points along the towpath, usually about five hours’ cruising time apart. In the winter, coal needs to be brought inside to keep the stove fed and things cosy and warm. Diesel refills and waste tank emptying must happen at least once a month – which can be a problem in winter when the canal freezes over. Engine checks plus the usual maintenance of touching up paintwork, resealing things… it’s not all stopping at country pubs along the way.
I’ve become a dab hand at doing my own engine checks which is amusing since I wouldn’t have the first idea how to do them on my car. The boat usually gets a wash and a polish once a month if the weather allows, and the ropes get put through the washing machine about five times a year. I’ve been told by a boaty friend that I have the cleanest ropes on the canal system.
I get out of the marina as often as work commitments allow and regularly single-hand if my husband can’t be on board. It’s tricky sometimes: you have to take extra care and make sure you have all you need to hand because once you’re underway, it’s awkward to stop or go inside for something.
Everything takes longer when you’re on your own, lift bridges, locks, even mooring up, but quite often there’ll be someone along the towpath willing to help. When I got pinned to the bank on a particularly windy day earlier in the year, a burly chap came to my rescue. It wasn’t one my finest boating moments but the community is generally very friendly and will readily help out if you have a problem.
Look out for Part 3 of Clare’s Life Aboard.
Clare Harrison Music
07967 558102
clareharrisonmusic@gmail.com
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