My post on January 6th was entitled "We'll be back!" Since then, we've visited Kantara a few times, mainly to have the Webasto heater on for an hour or so. We did that because the guy who fitted it for us last year said that "To ensure its continuing health, the system has to be run for at least an hour every month", so we've been doing that every month since. He's now told us that there's no need to be that strict about it! Now he tells us!
We're back again now for three nights. Not to run the heating - though we have, to keep us warm in the chilly mornings and evenings - but to wash the filth off the roof; algae, and dirt brought in by the rain. I was very concerned that it would damage the paint but, after doing the job yesterday and this afternoon, I can happily say that it hasn't.
Not much had changed in the marina since we last visited. The costs of gas and electricity have gone up, and the empty berths on our pontoon now have boats for sale by ABNB, the broker through which we bought Kantara all those years ago - twelve of them!
I've not had my eye on my book sales for ages, so I was very pleased the other day to see that they've been doing well. Reviews are very good. These are for Life with our feet under water - my first book.
"Informative, funny and a very enjoyable read"
"Life with our feet under water is surely a book for boaters and non boaters alike. If you're a boater then you'll find a good deal here to laugh at, sympathise with, to identify with. You may find places you've been to yourself and places you've not. There may also be new things for you to learn, there certainly were for me. If you're not a boater, perhaps you'd like to be or perhaps your interest only goes as far as canal holidays. Either way there is a detailed picture of what it's like to buy a narrow boat to live in it and to cruise in it. Roger and Grace have their good and bad moments as there are in any way of life, but this writer faces both with a good sense of humour and laughs at himself as much as he laughs at others. The photo gallery added a lot for me. Imagining places is good but actually seeing them as they are enriched the story a great deal. There may be too many pictures for some but it's easy to move through them quickly. I enjoyed the quotes too, not essential but a quirky difference from other books of its kind. Give it a try!"
"Excellent book on the trials and tribulations of life on the canals."
"After reading Roger Distill's account of his (and his wife's) first three years on their narrowboat, Kantara, I felt that I could go cruising myself on the English canals. I loved it all, even the rainy bits. Being a barge owner myself, I know only too well how much the weather can intrude on our lives, so I was able to empathise very easily with how it influenced their day to day activities. At first, I wasn't sure about all the quotes, but I grew to like them and really enjoyed them in the end. This book had a delightful whimsy in the gentle humour and self deprecating quips. Added to all the really useful information about boating in England, it's a book that I wish I could have as a paperback!"
"Loved this account of life on a narrowboat"
"A warm, funny and informative insight into boating. A charming read that is greatly enhanced by links to photo albums pertaining to the various chapters. The inclusion of the photos really brought the book to life and makes the reader part of the boating world. A definite feel-good read!"
"An enjoyable read of life on the canals whether or not you have a narrowboat. You are taken away to a more enjoyable way of life, still with it's ups and downs, they just happen slower. There is the added bonus at the end of each chapter where you can click a link to see the photographs taken by the author of what you have just read about. I am sure that many people will want to follow this way of life after reading this and purchase their own narrowboat."
Click on the cover pictures to the side of this text to take a look - and have a taster of - all of my boaty books.
On the subject of books, I'm delighted to say that an old school friend of mine is about to publish their first novel. Nothing to do with canals, but superbly written and very well worth a read. I'll give more details when the book's launched.
