12 months on

I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain

I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end

I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend

But I always thought that I’d see you again.

{James Taylor}
But I prefer Willie Nelson singing it !

I have just realised it’s been a year since I set off on this voyage of discovery, so a double post today.

I have enjoyed it all, the good, the bad and the indifferent.

Meeting new people, sometimes very briefly, sometimes to become friends albeit only occasionally seeing each other again.

I have been impressed by the sense of belonging to a welcoming community and I no longer judge people by their appearance, people I would have walked past in the street without a word I now find the time to at least say hello to and often far more. I have been surprised at the willingness of most people to help others, whether just giving advice or more practical help.

Obviously theft occurs here on the canal in the same way it does anywhere else, I have been lucky so far, only losing a couple of bags of smokeless fuel, but just last week I heard about three boats broken into fairly close to where I am now, I think it happens more to the residential boats that are left unattended for long periods but not only them, earlier in the year I was told of a boat broken into when the owners went shopping, but it is no worse than elsewhere in general.

It’s been a steep learning curve and I’m still learning, I doubt I will ever consider myself a fully fledged ‘boater’ but I do think I am far more able now and far less nervous of what may lie ahead.

I have made some improvements to Quinquireme although there is still much to do, that will never change, living on a narrowboat is an ongoing project.

I have seen some beautiful countryside, visited some lovely towns and villages, passed through hundred of locks and bridges and seen some of the best of what nature offers with kingfishers and huge fish outside my windows.

At times I have been very cold and wet on deck, and very warm and cosy in the cabin, I have sat in the sunshine and watched the world pass by as I sip a cold beer, I have walked miles both for pleasure and sometimes out of necessity, I have yet to ask myself “what the hell are you doing living this way”.

It’s difficult to think of anything that I don’t like about the lifestyle, the major thing is missing my family, but when I can and do visit, it makes those moments more special, I have been blessed this year with the birth of my first grandchild Hazel and the wedding of my son Adam to Natalie which I was able to attend.

Here is a partial map of the network showing what I've covered this first year in yellow, starting on the Basingstoke canal at Odiham and finishing where I am today at Coven on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal.

So I move into year two with the same approach as I did for year one, go where it takes you, take your time, enjoy it, be careful, smile when it’s good, try to smile when it’s not so good.