After meeting at university and bonding over a shared love of adventure, Adam Lind and Lauren Coley Lind spent years travelling the world. However, they soon began craving a bit more stability. Providing them with both freedom and a permanent place to call home, the couple's beautiful narrowboat allows them to explore the world from the comfort of their couch.
Click or scroll through and let's find out how they came to live on the water and what daily life is like for this inspiring, nomadic duo...
Adam and Lauren met when they were 19 and quickly connected, thanks to their passion for travel. The pair saved up and after university, spent six years on the road, hitchhiking from the UK to Iran. “We fell in love with the idea of surrendering to complete strangers,” Adam says. “Most people in this world are good.”
The plan was to make their way to India, but due to visa issues they had to finish the last part of their journey by plane. “We didn’t see it as a failure. We had learnt so much more than we ever imagined and the goal became somewhat insignificant.”
After their trip, the couple returned to the UK and were living with Lauren's mum when lockdown hit. “We had no idea where we wanted to live,” Adam explains. “We stopped travelling because we wanted a base, but still had these nomadic tendencies.” One day when Lauren's mum returned from a Covid walk with a friend, who lived on a narrowboat, the pair began contemplating life on the water.
“We became hooked on the idea,” Adam says. “We were lucky enough to borrow a friend's boat for a month to test the lifestyle. This was quite a gift, as renting a boat through a company is very expensive. Within a couple of days, we could really envision ourselves doing this long term.”
Adam and Lauren then spent weeks reading through forums, watching YouTube videos and reaching out in Facebook groups to learn all that they could about living on a narrowboat. "We found our boat on Facebook Marketplace," Adam says.
"Ironically, we had decided the kind of layout we wanted and the boat we bought was the opposite layout, but we had a gut feeling that she was the one for us!" The pair paid £38,000 ($48k) for the boat, known as The Raman Rose, moving in with their dog, Shanti, in September 2020.
Although the narrowboat was in great condition and perfectly liveable, Adam and Lauren wanted to carry out some cosmetic work. "We completely ripped out the bathroom and have renovated the bow deck into a conservatory space," Lauren says. "We upgraded parts of the kitchen and painted the bedroom, too. We love DIY and interior design, so it's always an enjoyable experience."
In fact, Adam described Lauren as a "DIY wizard" who can turn her hands to anything. "She takes the lead on most jobs and we don't tend to hire anyone to help us. The boating community is so kind in regards to lending advice or a helping hand."
Lauren and Adam also made a lot of their interior design details themselves, including macramé space dividers, plant hangers and wall hangings. The previous owner also left the couple some artwork and homemade lampshades, which add to the rustic and unique aesthetic of the floating home.
Here, Lauren can be seen making a macramé archway for the couple's wedding, which took place in April 2022.
The pair also upcycled items to create beautiful homewares that not only reflect their style but add unique touches to their boat. This mirror was once a basic rectangle with a slim frame.
"We had been struggling to find the right mirror for our bedroom and after visiting various shops, we decided to repurpose the one that came with the boat by adding driftwood to the frame," Adam told his Instagram followers.
The Raman Rose is 59 feet long and six-foot, four inches wide. Despite its compact size, it provides everything the couple could need for daily life. There's a dining area, a lounge with a wood-burning stove, a bathroom and a bedroom.
Plus, there are hidden storage solutions everywhere, with "drawers under the bed, storage in the sofa, storage under the bow deck," Lauren told us. "We have a lot of stuff, so we have certainly gone for a maximalist style!"
The couple have undertaken jobs as and when they could, including switching out their previously uncomfortable sofa. "Despite us making everything feel like a home I never had the feeling of relaxing in pure comfort," Adam says.
"We'd searched for many sofas but had the problem of not being able to fit them through our boat doors." Luckily, someone recommended Nabru to the couple. Their sofas are fully customisable and you can assemble them yourself inside your own space.
When the pair's fireplace broke down in November 2021, they took the opportunity to redecorate the corner of the boat with new tiles, a fresh coat of paint and, of course, a brand-new log-burning stove.
This small project shows how even the simplest renovation job can make a big difference to how a living space looks and feels.
The main living space is perfect for curling up with a book and has areas for yoga, eating, reading and even playing musical instruments. The dining table is also perfect for working and for crafting – something that Lauren loves. “Moving onto a narrowboat we knew we'd have to sacrifice some of our hobbies, but Lauren was very keen to keep hold of her beloved sewing machine,” Adam shares.
Lauren used to make clothes and now uses her skills to create items for the boat, including replacing the old, "difficult to open" wardrobe door with a handmade and far more convenient curtain.
The kitchen was one of the main spaces that Adam and Lauren wanted to change. Before, the space was practical, with plenty of storage space and worktop areas for prepping meals. However, it lacked personality so the couple wanted to give the room a lick of paint and modernise it a little.
This image shows how much the kitchen has changed since the couple moved onto the boat. "We had seen the method of cladding with tongue and groove on other boats to create doors and we absolutely loved the rustic feel," Adam says. "We replicated it for two of our cupboards and attached garden gate hinges. The kitchen has been a lengthy process and is still ongoing, as we are soon hoping to fit a new hob and sink."
This image of Lauren shows the couple's pretty, eclectic tiles, built-in spice rack and worktops, where they regularly bake and whip up vegan meals.
There’s a washing machine on board, too, for doing their own laundry. They also have a car, as well as bicycles, so they can make trips to get groceries whenever needed. “We try and plan ahead where we can,” Lauren says.
One of the biggest transformations is definitely the bathroom. This image shows how the space looked when Adam and Lauren bought the narrowboat. Plain and uninspiring, it was perfectly useable but certainly not stylish, with its timber walls, white tiles and simple sanitaryware.
Amazingly, the couple undertook their bathroom renovation single-handedly. "We love the bathroom," Adam says. "It was the first room we did and was the biggest project."
These images show how the bathroom looks now and the transformation is astonishing, especially given the couple had no previous renovation experience. "Neither of us had tiled, plumbed or refit a room before and we couldn't be happier with the result," Adam said.
The space is compact but stylish, with sage green metro tiles, a vanity with a stone sink, a toilet and a cool walk-in shower that doubles as a tub. Pretty plants and Lauren's handmade macramé decorate the space.
The couple utilises every inch of their narrowboat, including the roof! Here, Lauren grows her own herbs, fruits and vegetables, such as kale and strawberries, inside handmade planters. In fact, the pair try to be as sustainable as they can, which isn't always easy.
"It was an appeal of living on a boat," Adam says. "You definitely have to be more cautious of your consumption of water and waste, but at the same time we have to burn coal and wood for heat and the boat runs off diesel, so it still has an environmental impact."
Of course, The Raman Rose isn't just a home, it provides Adam and Lauren with the opportunity to travel whenever the mood strikes them. They tend to moor up for a week or two in one place, before moving on.
"We have a continuous cruiser licence, which means we have to move every two weeks," Lauren explains. "It's usually easy to find a nice spot to moor up and we never plan where we're going to go. We usually base it on when we find a spot that appeals to us. We tend to moor up out in nature so we can take Shanti on long walks.”
For the couple, being able to explore new places while being at home is the best thing about owning a narrowboat. "I can sit on the same sofa in the same boat, but every two weeks have a completely different view from my window, it's magic," Adam says.
One of their favourite trips was to Llangollen in Wales. "We spent an entire winter there and were surrounded by mountains. It was also amazing to actually be in a new country on our boat. You cross two of the highest aqueducts in the UK and the scenery is magical."
When they moved onto their boat, the couple started creating videos to show friends and family what they were up to and to document their renovations. "This accidentally gained a lot of traction and we are now full-time content creators, documenting our life on the waterways across our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels. We've built a wonderful community."
Adam is also a qualified Mindset Coach, helping others to take control of their thoughts and find the confidence to make real changes.
However, there are downsides to living on the water and the couple is keen to highlight that residing on a narrowboat isn't for everyone. "It's an active lifestyle," Adam says. "For those considering it, don't base your decision simply on those summer nights sitting on the roof drinking a nice G&T. While those times definitely exist, there's always maintenance to carry out and dealing with your own toilet waste to consider!"
It's also worth remembering that boats need constant upkeep. "You have to check on the engine regularly and keep an eye out for leaks," Adam says. "The biggest maintenance is probably every four to five years, when you have to get the boat lifted out of the water for blacking. This is one of the most expensive costs."
However, the positives more than outweigh the negatives. As well as having the chance to travel together from the comfort of their own home, living on a narrowboat is definitely a more affordable way of living. "Particularly with gas and energy prices rising so much," Adam says.
"We generate a lot of our energy from solar panels on the roof, which is incredible. We also try to be as off-grid as possible and don't have a TV, hairdryer etc., so our power usage is quite low."
It goes without saying that during their time on the boat, Adam and Lauren have learned a lot – mostly that patience and not taking things too seriously go a long way. "There are hiccups with all DIY projects," Lauren says. "Boats aren't level and nothing is built straight, so even if you measure everything out countless times there will always be adjustments needed. We've learned to laugh through the mistakes."
Of course, some days are harder than others, but for this couple, it's more about how you perceive, and deal with, the challenges.
As for advice for others, the couple says: "Do your research and consider the 'bad' parts as well as the good." It's also essential to spend time on boats first, if you can.
"We suggest you walk up the canals and speak to other boaters first, we are a friendly bunch!" And who better than actual boaters to give advice and share their experiences?
So, what's next for this adventurous, nomadic couple? "We are thinking of heading down to Bath in the spring," Lauren says. "That's where we borrowed a friend's boat and have such fond memories of the countryside down there. There's a really strong boating community, so it would be amazing to return in our own boat."
We can't wait to see where they visit next – and what further alternations they make to their dreamy floating home. Watch this space!
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