It’s not all gravy living on a boat. In fact, there isn’t any gravy at all- as although I could cook a roast, I choose not to, especially when it’s hot.

There are still daily chores and some of these are more difficult than the chores for land-lubbers. For instance: when you use the loo in your house, you flush it and that’s that. Not so on our boat.

We reckon we can survive for three days. Every three days or so, we need to fill up on water,

empty the chemical toilet and make sure we don’t need fuel ( we have a handy gauge, rather than using the ‘dipstick in the tank’ method.)

Then there’s the laundry – about once a week. Most harbours have launderettes and each one works differently. In some, the laundry liquid is added by the machine, in others you add it yourself. Some take coins, others work on tokens you buy at the Harbour Office and in Zoutcamp you had to exchange euros for Ffenigs (pre Euro German currency). The instructions are always  in Dutch or German and we always forget to take our Woordenboek with us, so it’s two parts guesswork and one part certainty! But I often have a delightful journey back with the clean washing.

There’s still washing up after each meal and making the tea.

The bikes have to be carted on and off the boat.

But look what fun it is to polish the bell!