The Beginning

On Monday 19th March 2012 we became the proud owners of Digitalis, a 57ft semi-trad narrow boat; this marked the realisation of a long awaited dream.  We spent 24 hours aboard our boat trying to come to terms with an environment that whilst it is not totally new to us is very different to any canal holiday we have ever experienced.

Having done battle with the oil fired Bubble stove and won, next time it will be easier.  Other on board tasks we'll have to accept as read until proved otherwise.  Coming from an electrical engineering background is never going to suffice.  We understand there's a steep learning curve and we're clearly at the bottom of this at present.  It has to be said that we are getting a tremendous amount of help from the previous owners, the people at the marina and friends who are boat owners.

At this stage it is worth remarking how quickly Lizzie has slipped into her role as Officer in charge of 'Leisure, Recreational activities and Security'.  This is the dog that will happily chase wildlife yet ignores ducks even on the same jetty.  I'm sure there's an explanation for this that will reveal itself in time.  There are any number of places she's happy to relax, without getting in anybody's way, for instance, next to the Bubble stove and we've no idea how she stands the heat. She loves the cratch, where she can survey the surroundings whilst enjoying the fresh air and sunshine or on the jetty where she catches a few rays.  At  present security issues are minimal.

We look forward to our new lifestyle on board Digitalis, no alarm clocks or mail to distract us,  the ability to enjoy everyone elses gardens without any effort on our part and just generally chill out!