recluses on the waterways

[charles123]

Seeing another thread about sunken boats reminded me of the chap that appears to live on that small fibreglass cruiser just beyond the wide heading toward Middlewich from the north. The wide containing a number of sunken boats. Anyway his boat is on the non towpath side in the middle of no where with no road access. I have been past him a number of times and he sticks his head out to wave or say hello, which must be quite disconcerting to some not expecting this. I wonder how he lives, very small boat, miles from anywhere, no apparent power source, very basic living especially in the winter, I wonder how he fills his time and bet he does not have a TV set. I think his boat must get rocked a lot as many will not slow down thinking its derelict. Part of the character of the waterways I guess

 

Any others?

 

Charles

[tomsk]

Seeing another thread about sunken boats reminded me of the chap that appears to live on that small fibreglass cruiser just beyond the wide heading toward Middlewich from the north. The wide containing a number of sunken boats. Anyway his boat is on the non towpath side in the middle of no where with no road access. I have been past him a number of times and he sticks his head out to wave or say hello, which must be quite disconcerting to some not expecting this. I wonder how he lives, very small boat, miles from anywhere, no apparent power source, very basic living especially in the winter, I wonder how he fills his time and bet he does not have a TV set. I think his boat must get rocked a lot as many will not slow down thinking its derelict. Part of the character of the waterways I guess

 

Any others?

 

Charles

 

 

Mentioned on another thread quite recently, but the 'River Tramp' moored on a makeshift pontoon replete with integral duck pond on the Thames behind Marble Hill Park at Twickenham. Been there well over 10 years to the best of my knowlege and maybe nearer twenty.

[Liam]

Hi Charles,

 

I've seen the same guy loads of times. He used to be on the towpath side but due to trouble with the local yobs he moved over to the other side and has remained there. I've been going past that spot on and off for the past 8 years and every time I go past he's always on his boat and always waves and says hello. Even one night going past at 11pm he was there.

 

I think he passes his time by carving/whittling small animal shaped things out of wood which are all over the area underneath the windscreen. We have nicknamed him the Flying Horse Man, because the first time I ever saw him he was whittling away, and he must of seen me looking at the masterpeice he was creating, so held it up above his head, so I could see it, and it was a beautiful carving of a horse/unicorn like animal with wings which were stretched out.

 

I wouldn't mind stopping to have a chat with him but I wouldn't like to intrude.

[fender]

Mentioned on another thread quite recently, but the 'River Tramp' moored on a makeshift pontoon replete with integral duck pond on the Thames behind Marble Hill Park at Twickenham. Been there well over 10 years to the best of my knowlege and maybe nearer twenty.

 

That has to be the classic one I think its more like 20 years! I know he had been there quite a few years already when a friend of mine had a flat just along the towpath on the Beaulieu estate and this was in the early 1990's. I pass the boat every year, and last passed by him in November 2006 (the annual 'drain off' doesnt seem to chuff him one little bit unlike most boaters who scurry off up to the section above Teddington for a month!)

 

Its the best example of a recluse on the inland waterways no doubt - found a picture from november's trip!

 

Edited January 23, 2007 by fender

[Moley]

Its the best example of a recluse on the inland waterways no doubt - found a picture from november's trip!

 

Looks like he's got a nice new solar panel since Dan's pic

 

Previous topic, Shanty Boats

 

It does make you wonder when you pass some ‘craft’ and ponder how they float, and then realise that someone's living there, but this guy has previously been described as intelligent, amenable and ‘happy as Larry’, so it makes me question why we remain on the treadmill and strive for bigger and better and all the trappings of modern-day consumerism, and just who the hell is this Larry anyway?

[Yamanx]

From another site:

 

"Unfortunately, there is a conspicuous lack of verifiable information about "happy as Larry." The phrase seems to have originated in Australia around the end of the 19th century, and first appeared in print (as far as we know so far) in 1905. The leading theory is that "happy as Larry" originally referred to the Australian boxer Larry Foley (1847-1917), but no one seems to know if, when or why boxer Larry would have been happy enough to inspire a popular saying of such remarkable longevity."

[carlt]

Mmmm..I'm afraid I was the reclusive boat tramp type (licenced mind you, but never displaying) until I bumped into Helen and she made me socialise a bit. Don't let the exterior fool you, most of us have most mod cons on board. I could never have done without my shower, telly, laptop etc. One friend of mine lives in a very scruffy dawncraft dandy, step aboard and it looks like he's just had the cleaners in. My boat Usk has a fit out done by a professional boat fitter (me) so it is as nice inside as the next boat, no, nicer actually, as I have no ply in my boat.

[bottle]

Another way of looking at it 'scruffy boat' (meant with affection, I have read Granny Buttons), mind set for the yobs/thieves not worth having a look will not have anything of value.

[carlt]

Another way of looking at it 'scruffy boat' (meant with affection, I have read Granny Buttons), mind set for the yobs/thieves not worth having a look will not have anything of value.

Try telling that to the b*****d who nicked Lucy's tiller from outside the stophouse a few years ago. And noone saw anyone walking along with 6 foot of bent ash under their arm!

[Bones]

I'd like to be a recluse on the waterways. I rather like the idea of being moored up in the middle of no-where, but I doubt it is as idyllic as I think it is.

 

There was a rather scruffy boat just south of kidlington lock on the Oxford where a chap moored for ages. He ended up on his boat for a number of personal reasons and finally the engine died and he hadn't the money to fix it. So he didn't. Despite it looking unlived in and quite positively abandoned he still lived in it. A couple of years later his boat caught fire and is in a terrible state; it is buckled and rusting as you can imagine. He still lives aboard it though. I think people go past slower now than they used to as its something to look at.

[dor]

There's another one on the Shroppie in the Barbridge/Nantwich area. It's a cruiser, with the windows boarded up and a plastic cover over the back. Behind it is a small open boat full of scrap and rubbish. Despite it's appearance it is lived on by a chap. Rather sad really, but one up on being totally homeless I suppose.

[carlt]

There's another one on the Shroppie in the Barbridge/Nantwich area. It's a cruiser, with the windows boarded up and a plastic cover over the back. Behind it is a small open boat full of scrap and rubbish. Despite it's appearance it is lived on by a chap. Rather sad really, but one up on being totally homeless I suppose.

 

In was hiking in Snowdonia many years ago and came across a chap and his Rottweiller who'd been living for about two years in a bivouac, living off what he could catch or what grew wild. He said he had a small pension which went on clothes and beer. I spent the afternoon with him and I don't think I'd ever met anyone more at peace with themselves. Don't automatically attribute a basic lifestyle with unhappiness dor. I often wish I was back sleeping on the beach at Nice juggling for a living. Uncomplicated, cheap and fun.

[NB Alnwick]

In was hiking in Snowdonia many years ago and came across a chap and his Rottweiller who'd been living for about two years in a bivouac, living off what he could catch or what grew wild. He said he had a small pension which went on clothes and beer. I spent the afternoon with him and I don't think I'd ever met anyone more at peace with themselves. Don't automatically attribute a basic lifestyle with unhappiness dor. I often wish I was back sleeping on the beach at Nice juggling for a living. Uncomplicated, cheap and fun.

 

And a lot warmer than Braunston . . .

[purplehaze]

Hello

A few years ago on the Ashby we saw a really tatty boat occupied by a male/female, couldnt say for sure. Very reclusive/shy? Didn't look up when we passed, appeared to have a lot of crusifixes in the windows.

 

Anyone seen this boat?

 

Julie

[Moley]

There's another one on the Shroppie in the Barbridge/Nantwich area. It's a cruiser, with the windows boarded up and a plastic cover over the back. Behind it is a small open boat full of scrap and rubbish. Despite it's appearance it is lived on by a chap. Rather sad really, but one up on being totally homeless I suppose.

 

That'll be Bojangles.

 

 

I've only actually seen the bloke once, very briefly, as he pulled his craft past our moorings, but I understand he's fairly harmless if slightly unsavoury.

[GRPCruiserman]

Mmmm..I'm afraid I was the reclusive boat tramp type (licenced mind you, but never displaying) until I bumped into Helen and she made me socialise a bit. Don't let the exterior fool you, most of us have most mod cons on board. I could never have done without my shower, telly, laptop etc. One friend of mine lives in a very scruffy dawncraft dandy, step aboard and it looks like he's just had the cleaners in. My boat Usk has a fit out done by a professional boat fitter (me) so it is as nice inside as the next boat, no, nicer actually, as I have no ply in my boat.

 

My old Yeoman 16 never got round to be painted on the outside and looked pretty awful, but inside had the TV, Stereo, VHF, CB Radio, Amateur Radio, full cooker with oven, spare engine, GPS, depth sounder, etc etc, but you'd never have guessed from the outside. I always got 'hidden away' by the mooring officer on the major boat rally of the year, I don't think it really went with the image of The Boat Club.

 

Must admit, never fealt as threatened as some people seem to, as stated above, people don't envy you the same, and envy is a real catalyst for disaster and voilent/anti-social behaviour.

 

We always had more stones thrown at The Dawncraft, and that wasn't particularly mint outside.

 

I've always found the smaller the boat, the more 'fun' it gives back. I could have lived quite easily on the Dawncraft 25 on my own, and a Dandy has loads of space, they are very Tardis like. Narrow Boats don't ever seem to have as much storage per foot, and we used the Dawncraft all the year round with the solid fuel stove.

 

The Yeoman 16 was home to me, my wife, and our son for two to two and a half weeks at a time, so if you can live on it for that time, then why not full time?

 

Don't underestimate the power of a small GRP cruiser, better than any Playstation.