Does anyone have experience of living aboard a narrowboat, or a boat of any kind?

It¹s my dream to get back afloat, having sold my beautiful Shetland-built clinker sloop in 1977 in order to fund children, mortgage, sensible life-style and the full catastrophe (as Zorba the Greek put it).

In 18 months my youngest daughter (four of them in all and wonderful girls) will be off on her own (university perhaps). I no longer need a house. I need a boat.

But I also need info. Stuff like running costs, practicalities of energy sources, hazards of the terrible floods we¹ve had, temporary moorings, lifestyle, etc. Basically any advice to an enforced landlubber who¹s just aching to cut the tow rope and return to the nomadic life, playing lots of music and enjoying good companionship along the way.

Why don¹t I just do it? I have yet to persuade madame that we should do this. Tomorrow (my 55th birthday, gulp) I am taking her to Braunston Marina to see whether I can infect her with the same bug that¹s got such a grip on me. The signs so far are not good. In fact she gets cross whenever I mention boats.

Some encouraging words of advice?

Thanks if you can.