It started with a ten-minute trip upriver to Mapledurham Weir to escape the heat. We took steak, salad and beer/wine just in case we decided to stay for the night.

Five days later, we finally came home.

Somewhere along the way there was Sonning, a 5am birdwatching walk, Baileys coffee at sunrise, an afternoon at anchor near Shiplake, an enormous umbrella on the foredeck, backgammon and snoozing, a wonderfully wild bankside mooring, Henley-on-Thames, dinner out and an unexpected reunion with a boating friend for the journey home.

Sometimes the best part of living aboard isn't travelling somewhere far away. It's simply being able to untie the ropes and see what happens.