Coming to an end.

I know my posts have been sporadic for a long while now but it's time to start to wind this blog and boat down. We are moving on. And we're getting fatter.

It's been years in the planning - a home that's just a teeny-weeny bit wider than a corridor... And so...

...

We're building a new boat. A fat boat. I've heard rumours how unacceptable a wide beam narrowboat can be - our neighbours are often blanked by their narrower counterparts as they traverse the river - but why? A boat is a boat is a boat and the river is big enough for all of us. And we don't fit in our boat anymore - there's just too much of us and our lives crammed in and overflowing. I want floor space, I want to not have to store out-of-season clothes at my mum and dad's house, I want a room that I can study in in peace and Rob wants a room he can play music in without me telling him off for scaring the cat away...

So, wide beam it is. We were offered a choice of just how wide to go and suddenly we found ourselves greedy for space. There's wide and there's wide. 12ft then, it seems. I'm actually terrified of this thought, the fear of feeling lost in a space that I don't take up the majority of, but Rob promised me I'd be able to have all my books onboard (oh, to liberate them from garages and attics!) and how could I refuse?

But it means saying good bye to The Green Man and that will hurt. This was our first real home together, built by Rob and dad (some of us attempted to help and just caused more work...) but we're not ready to leave just yet. We'll be here until work is complete on our new boat and that's looking like it'll be the end of the summer. This blog will remain open until The Green Man is in the kind hands of new owners. But until then, there is a real danger that I'll spam the blog with photos of our eight years of life onboard. Just thought I'd warn you...

If you'd like to join us and see our new boat and life unfolding then pop over to here and join in the fun (and d.i.y. disasters). This will be the home of our new boat blog, The Gabble Ratchet (I'll explain the name in a future post over there) and when I've figured out the new Blogger style - what have they done to the layout widget? - I'll add you all to my new blogroll. You can do blogrolls on the new style, yes? I've not found it yet...

I hope to see you over there.

V.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi V,

Welcome to the wonderful widebeam club!

We've never come across other boaters ignoring us in real life out on the cut.

However in the past I've come across a couple of CCer's (bloaty bloggers) online who've made it quite clear what they think about "fat boats".

Usually they originate from the old school of thought & think they own the canal system. However, an internet signal still dictates where they moor up! Oh the irony! One stupid guy even called them "frogs" !!!! He lives on a "Dutch barge style" narrowboat so who is he to talk? They really do look daft!

People like that don't seem to realise they give away the fact that they're jealous of the luxury & space.

I invited "fake Dutch barge" guy to come round for the guided tour, he'd be in awe of her. Can't be helped, she's beautiful. Needless to say, I never heard back...

Time & time again we've had narrow boating friends on here for the first time & they're gobsmacked. Even CCer's are in awe, you can see what's going through their minds, & then you hear "oh if only." There's just so many advantages. Full size appliances / furniture. Not only that, stand alone furniture for better airflow = no damp. All condensation in winter goes on the windows which is exactly where we want it to go.

There's so many tips I could pass on if you like..

Heth

Widebeam Takey Tezey

Oh PS: the link you gave to your new blog says "Blog not found"

valonia said...

Hi Heth,

Thanks, we're very much looking forward to joining the club! I have loved living on a nb and I still love nbs but it's about time we tried living somewhere where you can't touch opposite walls when you're stood in the middle of the room.

I still don't understand the dislike of wide beam boats. People do seem to act as though there was never any history of them as working boats. Our neighbours were blanked again by nbs the other day - the thing is, we're on the Thames. It's a fat river! There's room for everyone.

We first looked around a widebeam nb 8 years ago and was amazed at just how much difference there is inside, space-wise. Since then it has always been on the horizon for us.

Frogs, eh? Some of us like frogs and have nothing against them at all. ;)

Lol, "fake Dutch barge" guy? That's going to have me in stitches for a while! I guess he couldn't afford the real thing!

And, yes, full-sized furniture - oh, how I long for full-sized furniture... And not having to say "excuse me" every time you need to move because the boat isn't wide enough for 2 people to walk past each other without doing the "narrowboat shuffle". The things our dreams are made of!

I'll take all the tips you can throw at me - we've a whole new way of life about to start! :)

In three weeks our "frog" will be ready to enter the water for the first time. We're very excited! All our boater friends have been very supportive. They generally shout "Space, you're going to have space" at us now instead of hurling friendly abuse! :)

x V

P.S. The link should work now! If not, it's http://thegabbleratchet.blogspot.co.uk/