The other side of boat ownership

We are back at the Great Escape for the delivery of a sofa bed tomorrow and later in the week to head of  for a while to enjoy the canals before the school holidays begin and they become busy with hire boats. Nothing wrong with hire boats, that's how we started on our road to boat ownership nearly twenty years ago. In fact there's a lot to be said for being a hirer. You pick up the boat, all nicely cleaned, fueled and ready to go. You head off for a week or two and then you bring it back reasonably cleaned and tidied but someone else makes sure it's all ship shape and Bristol fashion! You get in your car and drive away (providing your battery has gone flat!) and there your responsibility ends.


With your own boat it's different. You do all the cleaning, empty the toilet tank, fill up the water tank, re-fuel, check the oil and make sure everything is ok. Which also includes keeping on top of rust and painting bits that get clunked, and painting the floor in the engine compartment and gas locker and re-blacking the wood burner and chimney.! So those are our jobs to be completed before we head off as our reward! 
But taking care of the boat and each other is what it's all about. And on a beautiful sunny evening we just watched an air balloon float past on a sunset flight from Shugborough Hall. A fitting end to a good day!