Liveaboards by an ex liveaboard

I've just read Suzanne McLeod's contribution (Glad for the holiday season to end) and found myself nodding whilst reading the points she relayed, writes Steve Matthews.

I was nodding because I thought the attitude displayed by the original writer was very similar to that of many 'liveaboards' I encountered during my narrowboat holiday on the Shropshire Union & Llangollen canals in early August this year—that of complete disdain for the hirers of holiday boats.

Bigoted

Having lived aboard myself at Worsley some 30 years ago, I had almost forgotten how bigoted some people who live on boats can be toward newcomers and holiday hirers.

I had almost forgotten how these people love to wax lyrical about living on a boat, but bleat every time it actually moves. I had almost forgotten about how some liveaboards are society's drop-outs who live the boating life on benefits whilst deriding the holiday hirers taking a break from earning the money that funds the benefit system.

Never go anywhere

But most of all, I had almost forgotten how many liveaboards never actually go anywhere on the canal network they (mistakenly) think they own, many simply lean out of their hatches barking their commands to passing hire boats, the very hire boats whose licences cost nearly three times that of a private boat licence and keep the canal network alive, thereby allowing the liveaboards to live aboard....

All of what I'd almost forgotten was brought back to me by reading Suzanne McLeod's article and by this year's summer holiday experience.