Mature & Silver · 2 parts
The Book Barge
Hanneke retires and moves onto a canal boat in Amsterdam. Her neighbour Pieter runs a floating bookshop, and he has already sold her a book she did not ask for.
The Canal Barge
Mature & Silver · EN · 2 parts · Ongoing · updated 2026-11-07
A newly retired headteacher takes a week's barge holiday on the Burgundy canal and shares the lock work with the skipper, a widowed Frenchman. A gentle two-part mature romance of slow water and long lunches.
Start readingAbout this story
“The Canal Barge” is a Mature & Silver story for adults, told in 2 parts and about 4 minutes of reading in total. Every character is 18 or older and every encounter is consensual. Start with Part 1 and use the Next part button at the end of each part, or pick a part from the list below.
- Part 1: Lock Keeper. Helen, a retired headteacher, takes a barge holiday on the Burgundy canal. Raymond, the skipper, shows her how to work a lock and how to wait.
- Part 2: Slow Water. Another week on the canal means another set of locks and a lot more evenings. When the rain comes on the last night, the little cabin has just enough room for two.
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