Michael Stimpson has fifty years' interest in our canal system and owns a narrowboat 'Spirit' built in 1974. For the past forty years Michael has been involved in the waterways movement. He served for fourteen years as South East Region Secretary for the Inland Waterways Association followed by ten years as a member of the IWA's Council. His most important role in respect of this book is his occupation in the Marine Insurance Industry through which he has been reading surveys on narrow boats over the last forty years for both underwriting the risk and following a claim.