The Water Gypsy Cafe Boat Experience
The weather over the past few days has been hit or miss, so I woke up this morning not too sure if I'd take a stroll across the marina to an open invite on a cafe boat.
Buffoonery!
I wasn't sure if there would have been any familiar faces, but I'd not let that deter me from going on a Wide Beam — canal boat that is twice the width of narrowboats and has limited access to the locks on the canal network.
I made sure my camera was fully charged as I was eager to take photos, and I was happy when I got permission as it's like taking photographs at any other cafe.
Polly, the owner, is the warmest and most inviting host, and she's also the cook who lives on the boat. So it's having people eat in her dining room, where she has a set Tapas menu and charges a flat fee per head.
For narrowboat owners and people in the boating community, we take this experience for granted; however, it's a novelty for people who live in conventional homes, who are amazed to learn that people live on boats.
I think this cafe business is a fantastic idea; it caters to groups of 6 to 8 comfortably, and bookings are done in advance.
I had a cup of sweet potato vegan soup that was herby and delicious, and a few glasses of prosecco with an assortment of cakes. All were complimentary to guests and there were other beverages available to purchase.
It was nice to chat with other boat owners, who we cross paths with frequently on the marina.
Live music on a Sunday afternoon by the canals is not a bad way to spend the weekend.
The owner's daughter and her partner serenaded us with some jazz and blues and great acoustic sounds.
Polly has been boating since 2021, and she was a resident of the marina up until recently. However, now she cruises along the Kent and Avon Canal between Devizes and Bath, UK.
The previous owner was an antique dealer, which explains a lot about the decor and furnishings, especially the bathroom.
The bedroom is private, of course, and it's like their storage area. However, the rest of the boat cafe is cosy, with some funky craft throughout, which enhances the overall experience.
The obvious advantage of a wide beam over a narrowboat is the space, and the duality of this being a roving pop-up licensed cafe and a home is a win-win.
The owners also have their water filter system, which is needed to meet health and safety requirements, and also for the convenience of not needing to source drinking water for customers.
I admired the minimalist, rustic-chic decor.
The light, airy vibe on the boat cafe is great and full of personality. It's ideal for private parties and small celebrations.
The owners decide when they want to cater to the public and be open for business, or if they want to have private time cruising or being moored at a marina.
Do you like this concept of dining on a wide beam boat for a private party, in nature along the canals, and would you book it if you wanted to have a memorable occasion?
All the images were captured on Sunday 17 March 2024, at Devizes Marina, UK.
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That is a pretty interesting concept, so you could have a different experience with your group.
Is the boat still in use? or it is only for cafe only?
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Yeah, it's pretty cool!
The boat is functional in tip-top shape, and yes, the couple lives on the boat and uses their dining area as the cafe, and customers have access to the toilet facilities:)
Thanks for stopping by and for the luv!
I'll love this place.. cafe on a boat, such a unique one..
It's like a luxurious experience, and you could pay the same amount of money to go to a regular pub filled with other patrons. This would have been my first choice.
The fact that it's on a wide beam over a big narrowboat made it all more comfortable:)
This place is so interesting… and it has some magical charm in its atmosphere. It looks like the owners did a lot of work(and previous owner too) to give such a character to this boat.
Thanks for bringing us inside it, even though visiting in person would be a lot better!
Yes, the previous owners had great taste and Polly and her husband did a recent renovation of knocking out a wall to extend the kitchen and make the boat more open. It's brilliant.
Yes, I think the magic is felt when you can enter the boat yourself.
She has no regrets about leaving her conventional home behind:)))
There is a lot more that is happening on a boat than I imagined, and what I have just read is beautiful.
I was imagining the boat cruising off while having a good meal and also listening to the music from the owner's daughter. The boat interior is fantastic for me, and I love it.
I can tell that you had a great time, and I noticed a wheelbarrow on the boat, guessing it's used for what you mentioned about waste disposal the other day.
The possibilities are endless with narrowboats, and also the widebeams, and it was great to see this as it was my first time on one of the wider boats.
If there was someone to steer and drive the boat, it wouldn't matter much if it was in motion or not. However, it's better to pick an idyllic location and move there. Otherwise, with how the canals were built, there are many locks that boats have to go through to get to different levels (just like climbing up and down hills).
Yeah, the wheelbarrow is for that purpose indeed,😁 and they are useful for boaters in general.
It's a brilliant concept, and there's space on the boat to accommodate the band on the steer deck if ever they were moored somewhere without a towpath:)))
Milly! 😍 This read gave me an ear-to-ear grin on my face- it is so amazing to witness this next step of adventure in your life! Boat life suits you 😎
What an awesome gathering in such a fresh space... It's cool think how freeing it must have been to share some coffee and many Proseccos with a group of gals in this setting hehe 🤗. (btw that is absolutely my fave white wine) Any event with this sort of vibe? YES. count me in! 💕
Yeah, and to know that the owner sold her house and started a new life on the canals 3 years ago is amazing. She still recalls the fear, horror and lessons she has learned from steering that massive boat on the canals. She feels proud and rightly so.
Her husband is highly involved in the construction and logistics for smooth running.
It would be amazing wining and dining like that, indeed. Of course, you know that I would have made it a coffee boat, but I believe there might be a few of those on narrowboats on the network.
I'm not a white wine lover, and red works better for my head, but it would have been rude not to drink 😉
You would have loved the vibe!:)))
Their sign also promised bluegrass. How much authentic Americana do you tend to hear across the pond?
Yeah, you're right! This was just the two of them, and from what I know it's normally a band of about 5 members.
I don't attend much live music or festivals in general (atm, that could change 😁), so I can't give an accurate response on how authentic it is or would be:)
Oh I love Bluegrass ❤️ rarely see someone else here talking about
I absolutely love the concept. Wow! If we had something similar over here, I'd definitely be visiting them at least once a week. I love the rustic decor and the view would probably be one of the best too.
Yeah, I don't see any reason why anyone would not dine in such a setting.
The arrangement is not intrusive at all, so it feels like a cafe and a home equally.
The views while dining would be amazing because she sometimes moors close to a flight of locks, and in general at some stunning locations along the canal, where customers have access to:)
Sadly, over here people aren't as creative with such businesses. We just have the usual concrete jungle cafes and restaurants. 😂
Yet, I won't deny that some new businesses are actually coming up with intuitive ideas.
I know what you mean. You find that in many developing countries, where everyone does the same thing as their neighbour, and no one thinks outside of the box.😏
Yup, that's the case sadly. I guess I'll have to travel a bit more to experience such unique places and restaurants. But, now is not the time. 😬
Yeah, the right time will come;)
I wish and hope I would get to ride on a boat too someday🤣
So nice 👍👍
I hope you get the chance too 🤞
What a wonderful boat and people ❤️ awakens the old "tiny house dream" in me. And I love the poncho you wear (at least its Poncho we call those clothes here)
💯%
Just the thought makes me smile. I do hope one day that will become a reality for you.
Thank you!😊 I got the poncho from a vintage store last December. I grabbed it when I saw it 😍
Yes hm, its not that easy here in Austria to build a tiny house yourself 🙄 as it still needs all requests and law follows as every other house too.
Sometimes dreams are also okay to simply stay dreams I guess 😉
I can imagine the rules surrounding it, and it's a shame because I can also imagine the quality of materials, workmanship, and facilities that could be easily installed in the design of a tiny house in Austria.
Sometimes we have to archive dreams until ...🤞🙏
Wow! What a great cafe-boat!!! I would totally spend my weekends on that boat... As my father has a small fishing boat, I'm in love with water, rivers, and canals... After watching documentaries about many Dutch people living on boats, I began "visualizing" myself living on a boat... It's the first step to turn it into reality... 😃
Thanks a lot for sharing!
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More than you realise it.
My inspiration for living on a narrowboat came from when I lived in the Netherlands. It was my dream to live on one of their Dutch barges, and years later, here I am on a narrowboat (a similar version) in the UK.
I hope one day your dream will come true. I get the feeling that you would do well living on a boat.
I'm pleased and really thankful that you've selected my post.
Have a great day further 🙏🤗
How great to know that there is a cafeteria and restaurant service on board.
I love your choice, sweet potato soup, in addition to being exquisite, it provides many vitamins for our body.
What a beautiful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, listening to good music and sharing the experience with other boat owners.
Thank you very much dear friend @millycf1976 for sharing this experience
Have a happy and prosperous week
The aroma of the soup cooking filled the boat and it was too tempting for anyone to resist.
It was a great way to end the weekend, indeed, and we were happy that the rain held up.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week ahead:)))
That is superb. The bathroom particularly. And you are simply beaming, my dear, which I'm happy for :) I love the concept of a boat cafe. I'd definitely prefer it to a traditional restaurant experience.
Thank you 😊
I could see you enjoying the place, and the boating community in general:)))
I would love to check out and eat at a place such as this. What a great way to build up relationships with other fellows boaters. A lot can be learned from others that have similar interests. Reminds me a bit of being a former member of a fish and game club that had a club house located right of a lake nearby me. Thinking of singing up again 😊
Indeed! It makes you realise how similar we all are, and it's a great way to get inspiration from places you never expected it.
Joining clubs can be great too, as it helps to tick the boxes for achieving the social element needed in our lives, and again, we gain and give ideas to each other.
I saw your nice fishing post, but I'll pop over to it and comment there:)))
That's what's great about similarity it can make for some good conversation and broaden our knowledge. Oh yeah Saturday was fun and much needed , I'll see you over on my side, thanks 😁
That is probably one of the coolest cafes I've seen. Such a cool idea. The bathroom is awesome the way they decorated it. Love the old tub and the wallpaper
Yeah, it's a different kind of experience and a cool place.
It reminds me of my favourite restaurant in Montego Bay, JA. It's called The Houseboat, which was featured by Tim Moxon in Dr. No. It's a pretty cool double-deck restaurant, with a little ferry that takes you across (slowly) from the walkway onto the boat—a distance of something that you could jump 😆 but it's all part of the experience.
I had my wedding reception there, and I used to take tourists there.
If you ever spend time in Montego Bay, you should check it out. It would make a great Hive post.
Sounds cool. I'll keep it in mind 👍
I see you've fully immersed yourself in the boat life community!
The venue is definitely a great idea, especially for us who don't live on a boat, or never set foot on one at all. Does Polly cruise along the river, or is she always moored when she's open for business?
btw, her website doesn't work...
That's exactly what the group discussed yesterday and one of the reasons why she was encouraged to up her prices from £30 p/p to £45 per person.
She has a lot of planning ahead to determine where she might be along the network. I think this area is great because she can moor the boat close to a flight of locks, where she gets foot traffic.
Otherwise, I think she has to play it by ear.
Ex. Yesterday she got a booking for the end of March, and she had to record where she agreed for the boat to be moored.
Hey Milly. Hoping you’re having a good day. The bathroom decor had me at the first sight. I bet you enjoyed the live performance 🎭 I’ve dined in a boat here in India, but it wasn’t so cool as yours. 😁✨
This is really a beautiful place I really enjoyed it in the field café boat
Thanks for stopping by, I'm happy that you like it:)
Thank you very much back mommy, hopefully always healthy 😍
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STOPI definitely love that idea! Fact! I have never been on a boat and I know there’s a lot I’m missing out on. The concept of living on one is actually very appealing to me. If I ever find myself somewhere that offers these delightful features, I’m definitely hopping on.
Hehe! Why wouldn't it? 😁
I hope you'll get to have even a tour of one someday:)))
Hopefully!!!
Oh. Yeah! I so much fancy the idea about dining here. It is an experience I would love to have. I'm ticking it out of my bucket list if I had one 😂.
The owner is amazing, and so are you because meeting up with them means you were ready to communicate and learn what it meant to stay on the water.
And this, I find it so interesting. So, thank you for making this move. It's awesome 👌.
Thank you 😊
The boating community is friendly and welcoming in general. Vry different from living in a regular house where neighbours do not know each other.
I'm so happy that I took up the invite:)))
That's very interesting. It is like a small town ŵhere everyone knows themselves 😁.
Have a good day
Exactly.
Have a good day too:)
🫠🫠🫠
Oh woah! This is lovely and interesting. I can see smiles showing how happy you all are.
Sharing a space like this is awesome 😎 and getting to know others an opportunity life gives to us just so freely.
Boat cafe must be very unique and cozy. Wishing you all the good stay 🥰❤️.
Thanks for stopping by.
Yes, the cafe is unique and quite an experience:)
🥰❤️