Joelsanders

i can think of absolutely no reason whatsoever why I would pay you to take your boat to France either.... unless you put yours on a truck, I can put mine alongside yours and this scenario works out cheaper for me than any option. I can't wait a million years though. You are taking 'canal time' to an unrealistic extreme. Closed? Like I said, I have a good imagination.

We'd like to move around and see as much as possible. 2 narrowboats side by side on a truck is definitely something I'll look into. Seems obvious but, as a cost cutting possibility that hadn't occurred to me.

Thanks. Maybe I'll have to settle for Berkhamsted. They have a Cafe Rouge and I have a good imagination.

Ok. Thanks all. That's plenty of great info to get us started.

I have one (Brompton) but don't use it so often. It's uncomfortable compared with my previous (and vastly cheaper) mountain bike. In my case, I put this down to my own size. I'm a bit bulky and better suited to a regular bike. Take from that what you will.

Hats off to Cariad but I don't think we would have the courage to take that risk, even tied abreast.

Thank you for placing your thoughts in my bagging area

Thanks for the link

A friend and I have talked for years about taking our boats to France and living abroad for a year. Has anyone here done this with a narrowboat or have knowledge of how to turn this dream into a viable, safe reality? Tug? Lorry? And costs? 'Narrow Dog To Carcassonne' was published in 2006 so really hoping for the most recent , practical information & options available. Merci beaucoup

Our priorities change throughout life - very true. The things we love can turn to objects of loathing .... and so we move on. We hate what is forcing us to change at the time because we're creatures of habit & comfort but, without that cycle , where's the motivation to explore, change and grow ? For myself, there's a point when I get far enough outside of my comfort zone, something snaps and I reinvent myself. That's how I got a boat in the first place. For the honeymoon period, the sense of belonging is at its strongest . After a while, the infatuation period fades and it becomes normal, and, a few years later, i'm too focussed on the downsides and pining for the gold old days. Then the choice is to put up with it and stagnate or start anew. Perhaps the sense of belonging is strongest when we are happy and excited. It's that energy that draws us to other people and draws other people to us.

When I started boating, I stayed in a marina and, in my first year, only made one (weekend) trip away from there. The idea of being unplugged and on the loose was frightening . It took me around 2 years to find the courage to feed my nomadic spirit and leave the security of the marina community. I still get back there once a year (Apsley) and feel a connection to it. I like going back.... but I also like most of the places i go. Apsley sort of feels like my boating home although I wouldn't say I feel that I belong there - not anymore. When my mooring fees stopped, so did my sense of belonging. As with most things, belonging needs to be paid for. That sense of belonging to a fixed place isn't so important to me but - especially as a single boater - avoiding loneliness is. Yet, I also value my own space. I often find myself juggling to balance those two needs. I took a winter mooring last year, enjoyed the part time community thing and, as the mooring period drew to an end, realised I'd again become institutionalised. Staying in one place for a while had been comforting and I didn't want it to end. I'd forgotten about that feeling.

Unless I get a much longer hose, my 60 ft narrowboat will not be pumping out at sea

That's still a big tank, 10 back & forth fills of a 25 litre container. I'd be more reluctant if my tank was that size. What bacteria do you use? Yeast? How much / how often and does it make a big difference ?