See inside a writer's historic houseboat that travels England's canals. The nights are cold, she's always covered in coal oil, and the lifestyle can be dangerous, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
The author and illustrator from Warwickshire, England,Earle purchased the narrowboat from a friend for £35,000, or about $43,620, and is still funneling money into renovating the century-old vessel she nicknamed Maggie.
Earle sold her previous 32-foot boat and used the proceeds to buy Maggie. With more space, she's able to travel with relative comfort through England."I mainly cruise the Midlands," she said."The waterway system is pretty much all around England. It was established several centuries ago. It was a transport system, so I could go anywhere within reason, really."
Earle decided that a more traditional home-owning experience was not for her. Because of her career, it would be hard for her to pay — or even qualify for — a mortgage."The prices of a house in England are a bit ridiculous at the moment," she said.The Office for National StatisticsHowever, living on a boat is not without cost.
While Maggie is the most spacious boat Earle has lived on solo, there are still renovations that need to be done. But she's back-burnering those for now as she recoups from the purchase."For now I'm living very much old school live-in," she said."It's the compromise I made. It's the agreed hardship that I took on to have a roof over my head and my own place."
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