Sunday, August 07, 2022

The end of an era

Eleven years ago, Grace and I started a life with our feet under water on NB Kantara. Until late 2020, Covid restrictions, we spent most of each year cruising the canals and rivers of England, returning to our house for just two or three winter months. We loved every minute of it, and consider it a great privilege to have been to so many places, travelled through so much beautiful countryside, met so many other boaters, and to have Yelvertoft Marina as our home mooring.

As from yesterday, we've turned things around. We've moved back into our house, and we'll be returning to Kantara from time to time to enjoy watery breaks. This decision's nothing to do with our age or health. It's a lot to do with the need to do some major works on the house, and to be involved with our grand-daughter, Nina, as she grows up.


Needless to say, we'll miss Kantara. A lot. She's a lovely boat, and we've been very happy and comfortable in her, but we have to be pragmatic with regard to the house, and being involved with Nina is a must.

This is the end of an era, and my last blog post. I hope you've all enjoyed the blog. It will remain for Grace and me a fabulous body of reminders of the past eleven years. Here's an extract from one of my first posts.

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The adventure starts here

Okay, this isn't the Sail the Seven Seas adventure, the Cross Africa on a Camel adventure, or even the Pub Crawl Across Europe adventure, but it is the fulfilment of a dream Grace and I have had for many years, and, since we're not going to embark upon any of the previously-mentioned ones, this is our adventure. I'm leaving behind me 37 very enjoyable years as a teacher, while Grace has spent most of that time being home-maker, mum and carer, alongside an assortment of diverse jobs, both full and part time, mostly involving designing things. We both need a break, and to live a dream. Kantara is that break, that dream.

Having just put down a deposit on Kantara, a 59' 1" (was that 1" accident or design, one has to ask) semi-trad narrowboat, we have to wait until the beginning of September before we can sail her away to a nearby marina, where we will work to make her ours, before embarking upon a life on the cut. We intend to be on Kantara for nine or ten months of the year, returning home over the winter months. For how many years? We have no idea!

We love her already. There are a few little things that need to be done to lose the stamp of previous owners and make ours there instead, but they really are minor. We already have a list of friends and family who want to spend time with us on the boat, and we're looking forward to introducing them to this way of life.

We hope that you enjoy following us on our adventure, and that this blog will be both interesting and entertaining. If it is not that, then at least it will be a record for us for future years.
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And those future years start now. Thanks for following.




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2 comments:

  1. It is difficult not to feel some sense of sadness reading this. In reading it, it does indeed seem like the end of an era... and - sadder still - the end of your blog posts! But, equally, it is not at all difficult to understand the reasons and identify with them! Grandchildren are an even greater adventure! Enjoy. Reading that extract from the first post was good. A dream lived out. Go well. A new era and a new adventure. Blessings to you both!

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    1. Thanks a lot for that, David. We have mixed feelings, but we're sure this is the right thing to do. Who knows what the future holds? We're open to finding out! God bless.

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