Meet the Boaters 1 - Jo & Family

This is a new series I'm starting on the blog - a chance to meet some of  the diverse bunch of people who live on boats on the canals and rivers. I've asked them all to answer a few questions about themselves and their life afloat!

To kick off, meet Jo, aka @muckyboatlady

Jo's daughter at the wheel

A bit about Jo:
I live on board an elderly Dutch barge with my 3 kids, who are 11, 9 and 6, and our border collie. We've been boaters for 4 years now, and it's finally starting to feel like we're getting the hang of it! I work part time, my oldest is at school and the two younger kids are home educated, so things are pretty full on. Our boat needs a lot more attention than it gets and is looking pretty sorry for itself, was a bad summer for painting.


How did you end up living afloat?
The boat was my dad's, so it's been in my life for over 20 years. My dad moved to France and offered us the boat. I spent the first 18 months constantly on the verge of selling because it seemed impossibly hard keeping everything running, but various fabulous people have helped get things more sorted.

What is your favourite things about life afloat?
I asked the kids what their favourite things were, they said they like the summer, and being in the countryside and moving to new places. I like the people on the canal and being apart from the mainstream. I love the views and the wildlife.

And your least favourite?
We all hate the cold in the winter and the dark mornings, we still haven't got our lighting sorted to run off the batteries in any dependable fashion. We also get very fed up with people staring in the windows and discussing us loudly!

Has living afloat changed you at all?
When I asked my oldest if she thought living on a boat had changed her she seemed to think she was more sensible than lots of other kids her age, she said she thought living on a boat was more dangerous if you didn't listen and obey the rules. I think I'd agree with her, I think all my kids are very trustworthy because there are more dangers, not just falling in but other things like hot stoves, gas, wasting electricity and water.. I think they're very open minded about people and they're part of a pretty mixed community, I feel like there's lots of people looking out for them. We also have a much more outdoorsy life than we used to, we're far more aware of the seasons and the weather. I also think we're much happier :)

If you'd like to be involved, do get in touch using one of these methods below. I'd love to feature you and your boat!

twitter // facebook // email // follow // any questions?