LIFE AQUATIC
‘dangerously close to (the Royal Navy Guardship) Sir Galahad’….. Living on a boat gives you a great sense of space in some ways yet it can also feel very cramped. Relaxing in Karanette’s window-
surrounded dog house or its roomy aft deck with its 120-degree stunning river views on a sunny day is bliss. But being stuck on a mid-river trot
mooring in driving rain and howling gales, unwilling to take the risk of getting ashore in a tiny rubber dinghy when even the harbour taxi has called it a day is not so much fun. Cabin fever sets in and you start
to crave solid ground in warm dry surroundings. It’s enough to drive you to drown your woes in a bottle or two of heady Rioja at the local pub. Yet when the weather and condi- tions are good, life afloat is idyllic. There is always something going on in the Dart, especially in the summer when the river is busy with marine traffic. We regularly see seals, swans visit daily and love to feed off the weeds on Leonie’s hull. Ancient- looking cormorants dry out their wings on nearby buoys and birds of prey hover over the woods above the Kingswear railway line. The river is a sanctuary when we want to escape the hustle and bustle of Dartmouth during the summer months but the Dart is at its most peaceful further up the river. One
of my favourite spots is a small anchorage near the mouth of Bow Creek. One magical night last year the river was like a millpond reflecting hundreds of twinkling night stars. Lack of storage space means you
have to downsize your belongings, and then downsize them again. As I’m not a hoarder I had no problems ditching stuff that accumulates over the years but rationing the amount of clothes I own is a different matter. A major fear I had about moving onto the smaller Leonie, a 35-foot long wooden 1952 Arthur Robb Lion Class yacht, was where to put my
we have everything we need in each other, our lovely boat, our health and our freedom.
clothes, shoes and bags. Luckily, Carl agreed I could turn the wet-locker into my own, personal wardrobe.
It
has hanging space on the back of the slatted door, room inside to hook up bags and coats, and two short shelves on which to cram everything else. Oh, and floor space for a beach-bag full of shoes. My summer clothes are stored under the bed….. Despite thinning my clothes out twice or thrice since moving onto Leonie 20 months ago my locker is fuller than it’s ever been. I now need to be ruthless. As we are heading off
to the Mediterranean, via the French canals, in early May (weather permit- ting) I will be able to abandon my heavy winter-wear for smaller, lighter summer gear. Now Carl’s children have grown up
and flown the nest and we are a little more solvent we can put our dream into action.
Changing our lives eight years ago hasn’t all been plain sailing but it was the best thing we ever did. Not for a minute did we miss our flat and although we don’t have much in material terms we have everything we need in each other, our lovely boat, our health and our freedom. We plan to sail to France via
Guernsey and then coast hop north- wards to the pretty port of Honfleur, opposite Le Havre, before heading off to Paris via the Seine. From there we will follow the French canal system to the Med, where we will turn left and go wherever the wind and our fancy takes us.
There is much to be done before
we are ready for the off. I am busy with three jobs and Carl has lists and lists of boat repairs, tweaks and kit we need to buy before we can leave. I’m not sure we feel fully ready
for our grand adventure. It is both exciting and scary but I take heart in what a seasoned sailor recently told me – anyone who isn’t nervous when they set out on a voyage shouldn’t be going.•
Timber Decking
Glass Balustrading Stainless Steel
Redefine your outlook 91
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