What motivates someone not only to swap life on land for a floating house, but to build their own waterside home – from wiring to furnishing and painting?’I’m not a tradesman in any of the things I’m doing,’ says former chef Graeme Stone. ‘But when I come walking down and spot my boat amongst others, I can look and say: “I’ve done that. That’s my baby.”‘Retired ice rink engineer Tony Boynton and his stepson Graeme live next door to each other in Scarborough. These days, though, Graeme – an ex-chef with limited mobility after an accident – is craving a slower, quieter life. He and his partner Emily want to step away from the daily grind and find somewhere peaceful to live, with the option to go off-grid if they want.The goal is simple – revamp a 50ft narrowboat ready for Graeme and Emily to move into. Their story features in the second episode of season five of My Floating Home on More4 – and viewers are given an inside look at their new project. Tony Boynton and his stepson Graeme Stone have taken on a DIY project In the second episode of My Floating Home season five on More4, the pair refurbish a boat The goal is to allow Graeme to enjoy an off-the-grid water lifestyle with his partnerBut there’s a catch. The boat is moored in Lancashire, 130 miles from home, which means long trips and tough conditions. Because the boat is so far from home, they have had to find alternative accommodation while completing the refurbishment. Graeme camps onboard, while Tony sleeps in his motorhome, and their very different working styles don’t always align.With time, distance, and budget all working against them, the big question is: can they pull it off?Graeme says in the episode: ‘I was always on the go, I was 24/7 at 100mph, and I’ve really struggled slowing down. I broke my leg in several places, a couple of ribs, a rotator cuff, fractured my neck. Some days I can barely walk, barely get out of bed.’But Tony recently helped him purchase a 40-year-old narrowboat for £20,000, called Nora after its original owner. In order to save money, they have created the design themselves, with Tony doing the heavy lifting. ‘From the very first walk-through, I had a vision of my own of what it could potentially be,’ Graeme says. They have a tight budget – Graeme wants to spend just £5,000. Tony, however, has a £10,000 budget in mind. And it’s a big job – not something that can be solved with a lick of paint. They started by buying 40-year-old narrowboat for £20,000, Nora The pair worked together in order to do the building themselvesThey reconfigure the entire layout. When you enter, they have built a galley kitchen, leading through to a lounge, with a sofa bed and log burner.Next is a bathroom, with a separate shower cubicle.The bedroom is at the bow, and there’s a canopy at the end with extra seating.Solar panels on the roof will allow the couple to have an off-grid lifestyle. Graeme said: ‘I’d rather regret something I’ve done than regret not having done it. ‘If it wasn’t for Tony, I wouldn’t be where I am. This is probably the last time in my life I am going to be physically able to do something like this, so the fact that it’s going to give me my future, my dream, my home, it’s really important to get it right.’With the boat safe and structurally sound, they spend the first month stripping it back before building the bathroom, fitting a vanity unit, water heater, basin and toilet.Rewiring is up next, followed by building the shower room and kitchen. Navigating the cramped quarters and trip hazards on the boat, it’s not all plain sailing, but the dynamic duo press on, tiling, installing solar panels and fitting the interior furniture. They manage to get some great deals on the way – free tiles and cupboards for the kitchen for £18 for the ‘whole lot’, Tony explains. The whole kitchen cost just £118, with the blinds found for £2. For former chef Graeme, the kitchen is exciting. He says: ‘It’s been a long process, and it’s one of the final pieces of the puzzle for this area of the boat.’I do enjoy cooking very much – and cook most of the meals. So the kitchen, open-plan living room is the focal centre of the boat. It’s where we’re going to entertain and where I’ll spend most of my time.’Then it’s about finishing the ceiling, final furnishings and decorations. The total cost? £4,712 – well within their budget. The boat is safe and structurally intact, so the focus is renovating the interior Close quarters and the trip hazards added to the difficulty of the project Graeme says: ‘If it wasn’t for Tony, I wouldn’t be where I am.’This is just one of several stories featured in the new series of My Floating Home.Across the series, presenter Mark Evans follows the exploits and journeys of people who aspire to live in the ultimate waterside dream home.Whether it’s individuals, couples or families, each episode follows the daunting and often very challenging trials and tribulations – not to mention dramas – of fulfilling this dream.Viewers will see exactly what it takes and how much it costs to live on water – from the initial design plan stages to the complex builds, to being furnished and ultimately being launched on water.Whether it’s a bespoke made-to-order traditional narrowboat, a state-of-the-art latest high-tech houseboat or even a DIY restoration, the show documents each stage of the build using dramatic aerial drone footage and complex CGI graphics to highlight precisely what goes into making these homes float on water.My Floating Home airs on More4 on Wednesdays, 9pm.