Notes from the Canal

There are two types of people in the (boating) world: those who have the foresight to bring their hosepipe inside the boat before sub-zero temperatures arrive, and those who don’t. Unsurprisingly, I am the latter (the former are great neighbours, but don’t make good anecdotes). Thus I found myself at 3pm on a Sunday with an empty water tank, contemplating the minus 5 degree weather, a frozen standpipe and a frozen hosepipe.
Living on a boat requires consistent attention to basic needs: water, heat, fuel. It requires foresight and vigilance (is there a cold snap on the way? Is the canal closed for maintenance, thereby preventing the fuel boat from reaching me? Do I have enough diesel to get the boat to the toilet pump-out point? Do I have enough wood and smokeless fuel to keep me warm until the canal defrosts? Will the gas run out while I am midway through a hot shower, with a head full of shampoo?).
Shared vulnerability, particularly around basic needs such as heating and water, strengthens connections in a community. We pool our resources, sharing and lending as needed. I regularly thank my lucky stars that at least some of my neighbours keep a closer eye on
their hosepipes than I do.