5 out of 5 stars
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How I discovered this book: The latest in a long line of memoirs by Val Poore that I have enjoyed very much!
In a Nutshell: Short articles about Val's life on the water, in the Netherlands
Val Poore's memoirs of her boaty life are always a delight to read, and I thought the format of this one lent itself so well to the subject matter. It's a series of articles that start with the purchase of her beloved old barge Vereeniging (DOB 1898!) at the beginning of this century, and dip in and out of the past twenty-five years. They were first published in a women's sailing magazine called SisterShip*, and feature edited highlights of Val's watery ways, from the purchase of Vereeniging to the trials of maintenance, living without electricity, the joys of living in Oude Haven in Rotterdam, learning how to be a DIY plumber, how to deal with water when it doesn't stay where it should... even when life was very, very difficult she says that she wouldn't have had it any other way.
Boatyard Views is entertaining, funny, and fascinating to read, whether you know anything about this lifestyle or not. I highly recommend this as a lovely book to dip in and out of, though I read it in a couple of sessions. The writing flows like a conversation with a friend, and I guarantee it'll make you think, I wish I'd done that when I was younger, too...
* I couldn't remember the name of the publication without looking it up, and was going to make up my own ... Sisters at the Stern, Birds on Barges, Queens of the Quarterdeck, Galley Girls ... perhaps not!)
