Alternative Housing

In 2021 I decided to spend more time in the Netherlands and took a part time teaching position at Tilburg University. Immediately the question of housing came up. Tilburg in itself is a small university town and it is fair to say it has a housing crisis, which I did not want to add to. So when thinking through options, I started to look for boats. And this is how a three year semi-holiday in the Netherlands started. I have published frequently posts on this website about it.

A good friend introduced me to the Dutch waterways before and I always enjoyed seeing the world from the water side. Considering different boat types, and given I needed it mostly for staying and not for travelling, I opted for a motorized Houseboat, a Campi 320 Long Roof, and bought it from Golliath in Sneek. As a second home, it turned out to be perfect, being able to change the scenery from urban to rural and back, cruising the canals and having all the comforts of a little swimming house. The motorization proved sufficient for that with a Yamaha 9,9 High Thrust, which allows travelling at around 6 km/h with a fuel consumption of about 2,5 l / hour. And even winter was cozy, with a gas central heating.

Sure, there are some adjustments. For example, if you don’t attach the boat to land water, you have 250 l fresh water before you need a refill. That’s about a week for one person. You can get water easily in any marina though. The same for “black water” (sewage). In the Netherlands “grey water” (shower, kitchen, sink) can go into the river. That also meant, I took it strict on how much and what kind of detergent I used. Then during stormy nights, even in sheltered waters, it can get a little bumpy. The body shapes of these type boats, are catering to comfort, but it does make them hard to maneuver in strong winds. I never took it to one of the house boat settlements, which I heard is great to be. I had plans to bring it to the French Canals later, but then moving to Canada came around the corner. So, I made investigations on whether it would be feasible to move the boat to Ontario, or take it up the Mississippi River. But going into technical details, I finally decided, not to follow that plan. While in Europe the infrastructure, services and spare parts are available and easy to obtain, this is different in North America. Especially, as my boat has been built to European standards and I would not even find a 250 Volt electric fuse in Canada or the USA. Also the distances are so much larger, that it is probably not feasible to take the boat for a ride in summer, which is short anyways. Plus, there is the Canadian winter, which has a reputation.

So, a little heart broken, I put my boat on the market for sale. It’s like always when you sell something you like, you want to find somebody who appreciated it the same way. Let’s see how I can manage that. Now it’s online for a start here.

B&B (Boat and Bicycle)

It is always a nice and special perspective to approach a countryside or city by boat. It is a detached world from the buzz. Living on a boat, is even a step beyond, specially in the Netherlands. And then there is the second Dutch mode of transport: the bicycle. As my Marina is close to Arnhem, I explored the ride on my folding bike to the city. One objective is also to take the bike to the train station and then fold it up and take the train to Tilburg University. This sounds like a nice commute. The best mode of commuting, I ever had was taking ice skates in winter from my home to the office in Beijing. But also, now boat-bike and train sound like a good option.

Amsterdam Canals

Seeing a city has a lot to do with perspective. For example, one winter, I commuted with ice skates to my office in Beijing on the frozen canals in Chaoyang District. It was like being in a different city altogether. Then, also in Beijing, I took 30 times different commuting routes, and like this came to places I would have never seen otherwise. Most people only consider the shortest way, because they only think of its utility getting to work and back hassle-free and fast. In the long run, and expanded to all areas of life, efficiency makes stupid. Also, the first impression of a city defines a lot how you feel about it: the road you take, the station you arrive, people, you meet first. So, when I come to a city the first time, I take good care of how I enter it and who I see first.

I was reminded of this impact of your perspective when last weekend, a friend took us out on his boat through the canals (gracht) of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a lovely city - traditional and progressive and innovative at the same time. Seeing it from the waterside, made it even more clear to me. What I mean, is the perfect blend in traditional and modern architecture and city planning, the cultural richness, liveliness, and for example that Amsterdam will be a fully electric car city by 2030. I like coming to Amsterdam, no matter from which angle. But the boat’s view was again an exceptional one.