'Living the dream' living on a narrowboat - the Co Armagh couple loving life on the water

Sophie Durand and Josh Boyd from Co Armagh, are living on Lough Erne mortgage-free. Credit: UTV

Its 60ft long and 6ft wide, and you can just about stand up in it. It may not sound like the average living space but Co Armagh couple Josh Boyd and Sophie Durand are living the dream living on a narrowboat and doing it mortgage free.

A view inside the narrowboat which Co Armagh couple Josh Boyd and Sophie Durand live in. Credit: UTV

“It’s a weight off our shoulders”, the couple told UTV.

“We are already in enough student debt. It’s nice not to have to get into more debt and we can take out boat wherever we want to go and waking up and seeing the view.”

The couple graduated from university in 2020 and came back to Northern Ireland because of the pandemic.

They downsized their whole lives and have been living on the barge since August even working from home.

Co Armagh couple Josh Boyd and Sophie Durand are living the dream living in a narrowboat on Lough Erne Credit: UTV

“Once you start maintaining the boat you realise how much you consume", the couple said. “We have a 100 gallon tank of water and we are conscious about what we use because we know we have to fill it up quicker if we use it more.

“We have diesel fired radiators, a wood stove and double glazed windows so if anything we will be warmer than you [people] at home.” The boat may has brought them closer together but the couple have plans if they happen to fall out.

“There are two sides of the boat, a front and a back”, Sophie jokes. “There is a bed in the back and a futon at the front, so if we ever fall out I’ll be up there by the fire,” says Josh.