There’s something quietly magical about waking up on the water. The gentle rocking beneath your feet, the soft creak of ropes against the pontoon, the light shifting across the cabin as the day begins. Life on a Dutch barge has its own rhythm; calm, connected, and full of small, grounding joys.
When I first stepped aboard Fat Panda, I saw more than an old boat, I saw potential. She had good bones and a certain charm beneath the layers of paint and dust. Renovating her has been a labour of love: part restoration, part reinvention. Each decision, from sanding floorboards to choosing new lighting, felt like a conversation between past and present.
Living afloat teaches you simplicity. There’s less space, so you think carefully about what you keep. You learn to respect energy, water, and warmth in a new way. Nothing is wasted, and every sound, from rain on the roof to ducks tapping at the hull, becomes part of daily life.
Marina life brings its own rhythm, too. It’s a small, friendly community of people who understand that living on the water is both freedom and responsibility. There’s always someone walking a dog along the pontoon, tending to a boat project, or sharing a chat in the afternoon sun.
And then there are the quiet moments. Mornings wrapped in mist, evenings with the stove glowing and music playing softly, reflections of the lights rippling across the water. It’s in those moments that I realise how much I’ve changed here. Life has slowed down, but it’s fuller somehow.
Fat Panda isn’t just a boat — she’s a reminder that peace doesn’t come from standing still, but from learning to move gently with the flow.
✨ Want to experience life on the water for yourself? Book a riverside stay aboard Fat Panda and wake up to the calm of the Thames.
