Deciding to buy a boat.

So how did we come to decide to buy a narrowboat? Well, Ken had always said he wanted to live on a boat. Initially this meant a cruiser on the Broads (near where we live).
We had been on several boating holidays on the broads, then by default we ended up going on our first narrowboat holiday with some friends in 1996. We had a boat from Foxton locks and went up to just past Leicester and back. Funnily enough we moored for one night just opposite MGM boats which (although we didn't know it at the time) were later to become our chosen boatbuilders for 'Waveney'.
We really enjoyed that trip but didn't go on another narrowboat holiday until 2005. This time we went from Bidford Boats, near Evesham, on a 65 footer called Dabchick. We took Ken's brother with us. We only had a week so we went up to Tewkesbury and back. We all had such a great time that we decided to go the following year for a fortnight and do the Avon Ring. After this fantastic holiday Ken and I really started to think seriously about having our own boat and living aboard when we retired.
We started researching. Ken was in charge of logistics and I was in charge of aesthetics! I bought Canal Boat and Waterways World magazines every month, scouring the reviews and articles for information. I e mailed nearly every boat builder in the country (it seemed!) for information and brochures. Having looked through these carefully, armed with our shortlist of about 6 possibles, in 2007 we went to the Crick boatshow. We visited all the boatbuilders stands we had picked from the research and lots more too! On the Sunday a nearby builder was having his open day so we went to that and viewed boats in progress and ones with people living aboard. On the Monday it was a real washout! We were freezing cold and soaked to the skin so we kept an appointment we had made with one of the builders to look over his boat again then we decided to go home. As we were leaving we stumbled upon MGM's stand. They had no boat on show just a sort of tent with testimonials and a rather cold looking Martin Parsons! I had seen a review of their NB Brandywine in one of my mags so we popped in to find out more. After our visit we put MGM on a shortlist of 2 with the other builder we had visited that day.
Back home we decided later in the year we would visit both builders at their yards. As they were both near Leicester and picked as the 2 easiest ones for us to get to from where we live we decided to have a weekend in Melton Mowbray and do our visits. We went to MGM first and had a very enjoyable visit with Martin, Mark and Rach (who makes lovely tea!). When we left we both decided we didn't need to go and see the other builder on our shortlist, we had found the right one already.
When we got home I e mailed MGM and told them we had decided to go ahead with our new boat. Our build slot is Jan 2009 for the hull and April 2009 for the fit out. Hopefully we will take possession in about June/July 2009.
More later!
Cheers B. xx

Introduction.

Hi everyone,
This is the first in a series of (many) posts from me, First Mate (Bridget), which will outline the journey of our (my, Ken and Captain's Dog (EBT) George's) move from the old 'terra firma' in Suffolk to a life on the waterways aboard our (still to be built at the moment) narrowboat 'Waveney'..
Over the coming months I will explain how we came to decide to give it all up for a watery life and all about how, where, when and of course by whom 'Waveney' will be built.
I hope to include photos of her build progress and the completed product (if I ever work out how this blog works!).
After all that is done I will continue to bore you all with tales and photos of our riparian adventures (and disasters too I shouldn't wonder!) as we travel the waterways of England.
So if you haven't fallen asleep yet and are agog to find out what we're up to read on!

Cheers B. xx