When the current owners bought the ‘Alanya’ in 2000, they literally saved the ship from scrapping. But then there was a lot of overdue maintenance to be done. A job that took years, but was completed thanks to much perseverance.

The ‘Alanya’ is a so-called spits: a ship type built specifically for the French canals. It sailed with cargo – mostly vegetable oils – from 1951 to 2000. The Alanya is remarkably heavily built. What is also special is that the ship is both riveted and welded.

The owner of the “Alanya” thinks the biggest advantage of living on a ship is the freedom: you can leave whenever you want. But there is also a downside that you might not immediately consider: namely, it costs quite a lot of money to keep nice and warm on board.