Burnout and resilience

Rebuilding your boat from scratch with no previous experience, using reclaimed material, on a limited budget, and using technology not many suppliers can install is tough. On top of that we've had to come to terms with the fact that we spent £184,000 on a boat from Thames Solar Electric, and it was probably worth half that. Since completing the strip out, refitting the drinking water tank, and installing a new floor, we've done loads, but didn't blog because the stress and anxiety of the rebuild left no energy for writing.

The good news is we're back in the boat now, and there's loads to update you on. Nat put up the stud walls, built the bathroom (which now has a bath), and found suppliers to install new electric (including inverters), and heating and plumbing (including a new pellet stove). She also re-fitted the solar panels, reinstalled all the cladding and refitted the kitchen in time for us to move back in in May 2024 (a self-imposed deadline because we'd made the mad decision to buy a puppy).

We're not done yet, we still need to finish Laurelin's room, do our bedroom, and most importantly have Lynch reinstall the electric motors and get our post-construction safety certificate. It's still stressful, but we wanted to make sure we kept our story alive, and eventually make this blog more about how we live sustainably on our fully refitted solar boat, minimising our carbon footprint, minimising our waste and consuming ethical, sustainable and organic as much as possible.

When the powerful seem intent on driving more and more consumption and making the rich richer, living more sustainably feels like rebellion, and sometimes that's what gives us the energy to keep on!