After raising three children in suburban Cardiff, Steve & Fiona bought and moved aboard their 58′ narrowboat, Lutra Lutra, for a 2-year pre-retirement adventure. They’ve now survived four winters and have explored much of the network, including Yorkshire, a flooded River Trent, that famous aqueduct in North Wales, the Thames tideway and Bristol Harbour. They love the freedom and proximity to nature of life aboard, especially in the summer evenings.
Steve works part-time from the dinette as a chartered accountant and business mentor, sometimes wearing a shirt and tie with a fake office background. He goes back to Cardiff every 6 weeks or so to visit clients and to spend time with his Dad. Fiona has an eco-crafts business making rag-rugs and upcycling various items with traditional Roses and Castles painting. They both volunteer for the Canal and River Trust and as Waterways Chaplains alongside their work with Canal Ministries.
Over the years, they’ve been happy to support their fellow boaters in a variety of practical ways – giving away everything from mooring pins to car bodywork filler and helping with minor mechanical issues. However, an increasing number of people on the waterways are interested in spiritual matters, or simply ‘looking for more from life’. With time to spare, they are usually happy to stop and chat, often offering a cuppa or a meal. Steve has been a Christian since he was a child and Fiona came to faith shortly before they met at University, so they have built their lives and their marriage with Jesus at the centre. Whilst they readily admit that they are still learning themselves, they consider it a privilege to share their understanding and experience of God, and help others begin or deepen their faith journey
