Thursday, July 28, 2011

The adventure starts here

From Roger
OK, this isn't the Sail the Seven Seas adventure, the Cross Africa on a Camel adventure, or even the Pub Crawl Across Europe adventure, but it is the fulfilment of a dream Grace and I have had for many years, and, since we're not going to embark upon any of the previously-mentioned ones, this is our adventure.  I'm leaving behind me 37 very enjoyable years as a teacher, while Grace has spent most of that time being home-maker, mum and carer, alongside an assortment of diverse jobs, both full and part time, mostly involving designing things.  We both need a break, and to live a dream. Kantara is that break, that dream.

Having just put down a deposit on Kantara, a 59' 1" (was that 1" accident or design, one has to ask) semi-trad narrowboat, we have to wait until the beginning of September before we can sail her away to a nearby marina, where we will work to make her ours, before embarking upon a life on the cut.  We intend to be on Kantara for eight to nine months of the year, returning home over the winter months.  For how many years?  We have no idea!


According to ABNB through whom we are buying Kantara...
"Kantara was designed and has been used & updated as a liveaboard from new, with many back-ups and extra features some might see as a luxury. Firstly, central heating is from two sources - economical diesel stove and convenient gas boiler, with the stove fed from a dedicated ‘low-duty’ fuel tank. The heating system also provides hot water, along with the engine and an immersion heater. Then there’s the 230V supply, which is from three sources - landline, 2500W pure sine wave inverter or 5000W generator. Battery charging is also by three sources - landline charger, alternator or four swivel-mounted solar panels. There’s only one type of window, mind you, but that’s doubleglazing to help keep the warmth in! If you can’t decide between semi-trad or trad, then Kantara has the answer as there’s both - a large aft hatch with a smaller one within. With a gutsy Barrus engine assisted by a bow thruster, cruising should be a breeze, and when locking or popping to the shops there’s a carrier for a bike or two. The washing machine and an extending permanent double berth just add to the list for a liveaboard boat that has been well maintained."
We love her already.  There are a few little things that need to be done to lose the stamp of previous owners and make ours there instead, but they really are minor.  We already have a list of friends and family who want to spend time with us on the boat, and we're looking forward to introducing them to this way of life.
We hope that you enjoy following us on our adventure, and that this blog will be both interesting and entertaining.  If it is
not that, then at least it will be a record for us for future years.