The Early Days
The early days on the water hold many, many fond memories for me. A new babe, a new boat, a new lifestyle.
Everything felt pretty amazing. Being a mama for the first time was just absolutely joyous. Little Etta was the sweetest babe; always full of smiles. We totally lucked out! The perfect boat baby.
After being on the water for a few months it became apparent to us that most families-to-be move back to land but we did the opposite and it always felt so right.
Our First Winter
Some would say ‘I don’t know how you do it with a baby on a boat’ but it never felt difficult with Etta, just so dreamy & romantic.
Our first winter onboard was actually during the Beast from the East which I’m sure all of you remember! At one point we were moored around Ladbroke Grove completely & utterly frozen to the spot, so much so that swans were casually walking past our windows!
Ice formed on the INSIDE of our windows on Katoomba, but honestly, truly, I wouldn’t swap that time for anything. I absolutely loved it.
Labour of Love
We spent our first year on the water in London floating around the west, with Paddington especially feeling a little like home.
This is where I walked down the canal at 7.45am, peak rush hour, in labour with Etta and many a curious face catching a glimpse of something we don’t often see; imminent new life! It still makes J & I chuckle.
Marmie was born in St Mary’s in Paddington too, and delivered by the same midwife unbelievably! Our boats were moored just a stones throw from the hospital which made getting there super easy!
A Boater’s Address
A lesser known fact, all of our babies are actually registered to canal bridges as their address on their birth certificates which we feel is a pretty fun thing!
Etta & Marmie both began their journeys on paper at bridge no. 1, Little Venice & Ilda in Bath at bridge no. 183. Just another sweet opportunity that boating offered up to us.
Priceless Experience
There’s certainly certain obstacles to overcome when having kiddos onboard like water usage & always knowing where the next water point is, especially when continuously cruising, but the feeling of freedom, movement and transience are almost (almost ?) priceless.
The abundance of nature, the sound of chirping birds instead of the grind of cars and daily life felt so, so peaceful and very worth the topsy turvey moments we sometimes had.
I’ll let you know some of those topsy turvey moments we had in due course…
Have a sweet week guys,
Mollie x
You could WIN a brand new widebeam boat!
Here’s a quick reminder about our exciting “Win a Boat” competition! We’re offering the chance for you to win a brand new, custom-designed stunning widebeam boat of your very own, worth £180,000!
The prize comes with 1 year’s continuous cruising licence, insurance and certificates to get you all started. We’ll be giving the winner tailored advice about boating, and will be on hand to offer realtime support & guidance.
If you’re up for a new adventure, check out the competition to see the amazing life-changing prize!
