‘We couldn’t afford to rent a flat in London so we rent a boat instead’

Challenge yourself with today’s puzzles.
Crossword
Polygon
Sudoku
My partner and I were looking for somewhere to rent, which is no easy task in London, when we got a call from our letting agent. He said he had somewhere to show us on the River Thames. We told him that anywhere by the Thames was likely to be out of our budget. “No,” he said. “It’s not by the river, it’s on the river” (says Maisy Dewey, 25).
We didn’t think a boat would be suitable but went on the tour out of curiosity and when we got there it was so much nicer than we had imagined. It was within budget at £1,750 a month and a unique opportunity, so we thought, why not take it?
The boat is spacious because it’s a wide-beam boat, not a narrowboat. We also have a cabin that we use as a wardrobe/home office. We wouldn’t have had that extra room if we were renting a one-bedroom flat in central London. We lived in Philadelphia before (I’m from New Jersey) and we moved to London last August.
Our family and friends were sceptical about us living on a boat but we were confident that it would work out and now that we’ve settled in, everyone thinks it’s pretty cool. My dad visited from the US and he loved having dinner on top of the boat.
Although it had been refurbished, we’ve done some small projects. My fiancé, Harry, 25, is a furniture designer and he built a kitchen counter so we have somewhere to sit and eat.
We’re both in creative careers — I’m a graphic designer in the fashion industry — so it makes sense to us that we live in a weird place. Lots of creatives live on the dock with us. We have quite a few neighbours. There are those who live there permanently and others have a second home there. It’s such a nice community and for Londoners everyone is shockingly friendly.
I’ve been posting events from our life on the boat on TikTok (@maisydewey) and have almost 30,000 followers. I love to read people’s opinions of our lifestyle. Many say it’s their dream life, while others say it looks horrible. I just have been careful not to share our exact location — we want to stay safe.
• The narrowboat nomads who love living on a barge in London
We’re right in the city but being on the boat allows us to feel as though we’re in the countryside. We have ducks and swans around us and I like to put a beach chair on top of the boat and read a book there whenever the sun comes out — it’s heaven.
Of course, there are some adjustments you have to make when living somewhere unconventional. We’re hooked up to the sewage system but we have a water tank that needs to be filled from the dock. In the winter, I have to keep an eye on the temperature because if it drops below zero we need to unplug our water pipes or they will freeze.
Our boat doesn’t rock much, though it does a bit in stormy or windy conditions. We’re exposed to the elements on a boat and in winter it can get cold, so we added some insulation. It can heat up quite fast too, because it’s essentially a floating tin can, so we use fans in the summer.
Our dog, Kipper, a dalmatian, was one of our main concerns. Would the boat be big enough for him? Would he be safe so close to water? Luckily, he has taken to dock life quickly and loves to sit by the window and watch the ducks.
Kipper, Harry and I are going to stay here for as long as we can. We feel at home — living on the river is the perfect life for us.