A wildly funny memoir of reinvention, narrowboats and second chances.

Life didn’t fall apart gently—it capsized.

Emma Culshaw Bell thought she had everything: a successful career, a beautiful home, financial security and a life that looked exactly as she’d planned.

Then everything changed.

Divorce. The death of her closest friend. Financial turmoil. And a childhood secret she could no longer keep buried.

So she did what any sensible woman would do.

She bought a narrowboat.

What followed was a spectacularly chaotic reinvention of life: navigating the highs and lows of living afloat, endless renovations, questionable decisions, terrible Tinder dates, becoming an unexpected Channel 4 television personality, falling in love, and discovering that starting over is rarely graceful—but it can be hilarious.

Warm, honest and laugh-out-loud funny, Barely Afloat, Mostly Adrift, Always Laughing is an uplifting memoir about losing everything you thought defined you, finding freedom where you least expect it, and discovering that sometimes life’s greatest adventures begin when you’re completely off course.

This new and expanded edition includes brand-new stories, previously untold adventures and fresh reflections, making it the definitive edition of Emma’s remarkable journey. 

Emma Culshaw Bell is a designer, writer and adventurer best known for her appearances on Channel 4’s critically acclaimed series Narrow Escapes.