Article re-printed from Canal Boat magazine, February 2010
“Me and My Boats”
by David Fitch
Could Lizzie-Jean earn her keep?
My experience of boating started as a teenager in the 1960s. My godmother’s family regularly rented a houseboat on Barton Broad and invited me to stay one summer holiday – and I was hooked! Apart from learning to sail, I really loved the gentle motion and the rural tranquillity of their floating home, and vowed to have my own liveaboard boat one day. While a student, I badgered my Mum to buy an 11 year old wooden Enterprise sailing dinghy No. 1141, which we kept in our garage and used at Blakeney in Norfolk. (photo)
Years later, my two sons grew up to also enjoy sailing, mainly on Coniston Water in the Lake District. We still had the ancient wooden Enterprise and in 1996 we added a speedy fibreglass Laser dinghy, but moving house necessitated selling both boats and I was stuck on dry land! In 2005, through a number of happy co-incidences I gained both the time and finance to set about getting my own houseboat at last – so what would it be? I’d long dreamed of a sea-going craft, but as we live right in the middle of the country my wife and I decided to try out the inland waterways. We hired a small narrowboat, called Tulip, on the Kennet and Avon Canal for a week and loved it (photo). So the decision was made, to buy a “sailaway” and fit it out myself!
Months of research followed, including many visits onto other people’s boats to take dozens of photos. Courses at the local college helped me develop my plumbing and woodworking skills. We planned the layout, chose the boatbuilder, and watched the welding stage with fascination. Then it was down to me! 18 months later Lizzie-Jean was ready to use. She is a 57ft traditional narrowboat, built by Calder Marine Craft of Barnsley, named after our mothers, and now moored just outside Skipton in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales (photo).
But, so-far the “liveaboard” dream remains unrealised. Lizzie-Jean has taken us as far east as York and as far west as Wigan, but longer trips are still in the future, including a dream of exploring French canals. So, until this year, she has been lying on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, on a lovely farm mooring, but little used, with, of course, rising costs.
The thought arose: “Could Lizzie-Jean “earn her keep” perhaps?” At least to help pay towards the on-going costs of licensing, mooring, insurance etc. Because she is so precious to me, I was not at all happy with the idea of hiring her out to total strangers, so I wondered if it might be possible to follow the pattern of the luxury yachts that are chartered by guests who get not only a lovely boat to enjoy, but the crew as well.
Staff at the local British Waterways office, and most other people I spoke to, were initially very cautious about this proposal – and stressed all the possible pitfalls and dangers, as well as the additional costs involved. I had to prepare a business plan complete with details of safety, finance and logistical matters relating to the particular stretches of canal that I was planning to use. Eventually BW approval was given – and, more importantly, I also had the blessing of my wife Kathryn, for an initial trial season of Skippered Chartering from April 2009.
Starting a new business in a recession was going to be difficult, but I reckoned that more people would be holidaying in Britain and might be interested in trying out a new experience. The local Business Link office was very positive about the venture – but horrified when I explained that I couldn’t pay myself any sort of wage at least during the first year of business. “What sort of business plan is that?” they asked. I told them that I was relying on both my small pension and the generosity of my working wife!
April 26th brought the first commercial outing for Lizzie-Jean. The sun shone and a party of eight turned up in the centre of Skipton for a lovely day’s cruising to celebrate a 78th birthday. The new business had started. (photo)
The most tiresome event of the year occurred after dropping passengers off at their canal-side hotel back in May. A worn-out tyre found its way onto the propeller and stopped Lizzie-Jean dead in her tracks. Due to time pressures, I had to desert the boat for a few days and then spent 2 and a half hours cutting the tyre off the prop with a “junior” hacksaw, underwater and almost in complete darkness! A re-design of access to the weed-hatch is called for over the winter!
Over the 2009 season I helped 29 groups to enjoy cruising part of the Leeds & Liverpool canal, eating, drinking and watching the passing scenery and wildlife. One of the conditions of chartering Lizzie-Jean is that at least one passenger has to be willing to help with opening swing bridges and working locks. Far from being a chore – this has become a great part of each voyage giving people real hands-on experience of boating. Anyone who fancies trying to steer is welcome to come aft and join me at the tiller. Interestingly, the children often get the hang of steering much more quickly than the adults, and we haven’t had any bumps or accidents at all (yet!).
A local newspaper reporter came for a trial cruise and wrote a very positive article about her experience which ended like this: “Life on the waterways is so appealing. It was fun cruising along the canal, and I’d feel much more confident handling a tiller – and the bridges – in future.”
The most enjoyable days have been surprise birthday celebrations when the recipients have really entered into the fun of their day out cruising on a decorated narrowboat. (Photo) The day I’m most proud of was when a cruise on Lizzie-Jean was auctioned to support the local Cancer Support Centre and raised £650.
Has the new business really taken off? Did Lizzie-Jean manage to pay her way in 2009? Now we’ve come to the end of the boating season it’s time to do the accounts. The business has succeeded enough to cover all the additional costs, for example BW’s Business Licence and advertising, and I’ve managed to pay myself £4 a day “pocket money”.
I’ve certainly had much more boating fun on most weekends this year, and I know that all my crews have enjoyed themselves – as well as paying me for the experience!
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