Some time ago I remember a lady contacted me on Facebook to ask,

"Is it unheard of for a 63 old female to go solo on the canals? It has always been my dream to live on a narrowboat but I wonder if it would be too hard on my own, especially as I'm only little!"

I had the same question from a lady in her 60's in the USA over a year ago and it got me thinking; what is the best age to go travelling on the canals? Is there a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’ time to go? Should you follow your boating dream before it’s too late?

My reply to both ladies was that if you are in good health you can do it. Many people travelling on canal boats are retired couples so age should not be a problem. As for being a single female, I lived and travelled alone on a narrowboat for several years from the age of 28, until I met and travelled with my husband. I admit it can be a little scary on the towpath at night in inner city areas, but with a little research you can find out the safer places to moor.

If you break down and are not handy with a spanner yourself you just need a budget to pay a mobile marine engineer. You will also find other boaters very friendly and helpful, particularly if you are travelling alone. I knew one older lady who travelled alone for years. Eventually she met another lone female and they travelled as friends together. I suspect if you began it you would find people to travel with and make friends.

So my short answer is: It's very unusual to find an older single lady travelling alone but not unheard of. More recently my friend told me he had heard a radio interview with an American lady who said she had contacted lots of UK narrowboat bloggers for advice before taking the plunge, moving to England, buying a narrowboat and travelling the canals. She was now really enjoying the lifestyle. I said, "Hey! That could have been that lady who contacted me last year!" So I hope that my encouragement helped her to take that brave decision.

Travelling alone you occasionally may have trouble moving heavy lock gates. In that instance you just have to wait for a passer-by to help push the balance beam. People walking their dogs are never far away.

If you’re still wondering if the time is right for you, or if you could have left it too late, check out this lovely story on the Living on a Narrowboat forum. Mary is an older lady who had recovered from ill health to travel on a boat late in life. She was 86, recently divorced and recovering from cancer when she decided to live on a narrowboat. Her advice to other readers on the forum was,

“I'm saying to anyone dithering – take the plunge while you can! Life on board is great. New way of life, great new friends and so peaceful!”

I thought it was the best and most inspiring 'deciding to move aboard' story I had ever heard. Mary’s story shows people that it is not always too late to have the courage to go and live your dream. The best age is really whatever feels right for you.

What do you think? Is it ever too late to follow your dreams? Are you hesitating about buying a boat or starting a business? Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Let us know if you have ever made a scary but life-changing decision.

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