The Boat Freeze

Crisp underfoot crunch: winter. Except for me it’s not leaves underfoot, it’s the bubble wrap pop of my morning stretch. A titanic erruption of ice detaching from the bow as I warily claw for my coffee. A thundersome crack! As Adriene tells me to roll onto my left glute. And no I cannot do a full standing stretch inside this ice hutch.

It’s been an apprehensive start to the year here in the UK. Vaccines being distributed, lockdown fully loaded and jobs dwindling nearby. Don’t beat yourself up for being in a rut, for losing your job, for forgetting to learn a new skill, for making chocolate your number one food source. January the month of intense false change gets to us all psychologically, wether legally able to leave your home more than once a day or not! Afterall January is still midwinter here and February, isn’t even a full month.

I somehow managed to do 30 days of Yoga during January. This achievement will keep my lazy bones warm for another month or two. We also tackled some menial DIY tasks and I picked up some work (as well as lost some work, comme ci, comme ça). It’s been a busy time since my last post. I became redundant to one organisation and rejuvenated to myself. The boat very much looks the same apart from being partially painted and partially insulated and partially a building site.

What has been the worst part of being locked into a 25ft by 6.6ft space? Probably the walkers, not the living dead although it has been queried. I’m sorry if your canal walk is your highlight of your day, but it is often the dread of mine. Comments about the washing up have created a new patterned anxiety. By 9am I am subject to Mildred and her dog’s (in their superior matching jumpers) tutting and ridicule. She happily leaves a gift of Yorkshire terrier poop whilst expressing to her friend about “how messy boat people” ruin her walk. Not that Mildred seems to donate a single shilling to the River and Canal Trust. Often leans on my roof to stabilise herself (hot tip, boats are in water they move) and no Mildred your friend hates your dog Gregg, they cower every time they meet. It’s like watching a live episode of Friday Night Dinner. However it has also been highly amusing to hear the snippets of conspiracy, general drama and outright fantastical conversations flying past our window.

That being said it is a lovely frost dripped walk that can help you escape our current imprisonment! But we really can hear everything you say and you really shouldn’t walk on someone’s boat to take a selfie. If you are in the Nantwich area, The Pizza boat often stops on Saturdays, you can also get coffee a little down the way too! Let food be your motivation to carry on. There are always King Fishers waiting for a close-up and lots of jolly dog spotting to do also.

As boaters we pay a yearly license fee (add this to general expenses if thinking of buying). But as continuous cruisers we have been grounded to continuously not cruise since November. We are frozen, both in nature and in mobility. A little Disney Frozen too as I’m going to let Mildred’s comments go. This has both benefits and disadvantages. Mostly I am bored of the one view and itching to go on an adventure! Hopefully in a few months we can sail to some local museums and get crafty (glass blowing/ pottery throwing I am looking at you). As well as have a nice overnight stay with a tub! If you’ve stayed anywhere with superb baths in the UK please let me know. Good views, food, historical attractions and nature also greatly appreciated but the change to shower only has me longing for a luxurious soak! Clearly a disadvantage is I can’t go round my parent’s for a bubble bath, there are more pressing things than this I am just too cold to think right now. Don’t worry the fire is going (aptly named Roary Gilmore).

I will be posting some tips on mindful/ creative walking next week

If you do enjoy canal walking, you can donate to CRT here (this isn’t a sponsored or affiliated post, Mildred you will have to complain elsewhere).

Stay Safe x