In 2019, as the world went into lockdown, I had an epiphany. I was living in a house I couldn’t afford, drowning in debt, and increasingly obsessed with my friends’ canal boat lifestyle. The “now or never” alarm went off, loudly.

So naturally, I decided to combine my love of cooking with life on the water. Sensible people might have started with a weekend course. I sold the house and most of its contents instead. Terror and thrills in equal measure.

The Water Gypsy is a 60x12ft wide beam built by Collingwood in 2018, purchased by me in 2021. She arrived largely empty inside and desperately thirsty for paint inside and out. I’ve been renovating ever since, while simultaneously learning to pilot and maintain 29 tonnes of steel—which, can be, considerably tricky. Living and trading from a boat isn’t always easy. There have been tears. But it’s also delivered life-enriching experiences I’d never have found on solid ground.

Worth every terrifying, thrilling moment.

Practical info

We’ll send you a general location upon booking, with an accurate link a few days before your reservation. Mooring spaces aren’t guaranteed—we’re at the mercy of the canal gods.

Access is via a wide gangplank followed by 4 steps down into the boat. We kindly ask guests to board and disembark quietly and considerately.