‘Oh, yes. I was expecting an email. I didn’t realise you’d actually call.’
‘We’re closed today, but I went into the office to collect something and could see we had missed a call. I thought I’d call you back. How can I help you?’
His Dutch accent makes me picture Amsterdam as he speaks.
I clear my throat and explain about the enquiry I sent.
‘Ah, let me see which houseboat you’re talking about. They sell very fast.’
As Gerrit does his search and remains silent down the phone, I am full of adrenaline. What if it’s no longer available? My heart sinks at the thought of that beautiful boat having been sold and I decide that if it’s still for sale then I am going to take a leap of faith and go for it. How bad a purchase can it be if they sell that fast? It already sounds more like an investment than one of my silly purchases. This could be like shares, or bonds. It is technically property, after all, and that is always a wise investment. It could double in price in no time…
‘Ah, I see your enquiry now. It is the Nordic thirty-six-foot one, right?’
‘Yes, yes, that’s the one. Please tell me it hasn’t been sold.’
‘Ah, I’m sorry. It’s gone. It was a beautiful barge.’
I sink back in my computer chair in disappointment. How could I be so downhearted about something I didn’t even know existed twenty-four hours ago?
‘Damn. It’s so gorgeous.’
‘Don’t be disappointed. If I can take the particulars of what you’re looking for then I can put you on a list and let you know if we get anything similar.’
‘Oh, well, I was looking for something like that and I wanted it now, really. I don’t know that I want to wait.’
‘Are you looking for a narrow boat in particular, or a wide beam?’
‘Sorry, I don’t really know the difference.’
‘Umm, okay. So, the wide-beam barges, as the name suggests, would be wider. It would give you more living space. They can be around twelve feet wide.’
I can’t decide if it matters at this stage since I am decluttering and downsizing so will only take my absolute essentials with me. The whole idea is that it is time for me to simplify my life. Do I want to go for the bigger size? Would it cost more to run? Who knows?
‘Goodness, I don’t know. How wide is a narrow boat? Perhaps I need to do a bit of homework about all of this, after all.’
‘For a narrow boat you’re looking at six foot ten inches. I suggest you also start by thinking about the mooring. Do you want a permanent mooring, or are you looking to sail the barge around the Netherlands?’
‘No, I definitely don’t want to sail it around. I want it as a houseboat to live in. I certainly won’t move it. I won’t even drive down the M4; I’m never going to drive a barge down a canal in Amsterdam.’
‘Right, um. Okay, because there are no more fixed houseboats allowed in Amsterdam. Did you know this?’
‘Well, um, no.’ I realise I sound such a novice as I speak to him. I know nothing and am literally out of my depth here. I hadn’t thought too much about the technicalities, only the allure of a houseboat.
‘So, you see, the canals are completely full now so you can’t find a space and just put a barge on there. You have to buy a houseboat like you would buy a flat. It comes with the mooring and you have to wait for one to come up for sale. It’s not as easy as people think.’
‘Oh.’
‘The houseboat you were looking at didn’t come with the mooring. You need the houseboat with the space to keep it if you are certain that you want to be in Amsterdam.’
‘Yes, I definitely want Amsterdam, and I want it to be like a home that I live in. I know that much.’
‘Okay. Well, that’s very hard to find, although I do have…’ I hear Gerrit rustle some papers. ‘Umm, no, maybe not.’
‘What do you mean, maybe not? Do you have something there?’
‘Something’s going on the market tomorrow. The mooring’s in Lijnbaansgracht, a very pleasant residential neighbourhood but…’
‘But what? Oh my gosh. How much is it?’
