Homeopathy student's £20,000 London houseboat sank while she was away at music festival - because it RAINED too much 

  • Genevieve Dunne's barge was moored off Regent's Canal in London
  • 30-year-old lost all her possessions apart from a small handful of clothes 
  • GoFundMe page set up by a close friend already raised more than £6,000

By Lydia Willgress for MailOnline

Published: 08:56 EST, 5 September 2015 | Updated: 11:56 EST, 5 September 2015

A homeopathy student's £20,000 houseboat sank because it rained too much while she was away at a music festival.

Genevieve Dunne's barge was moored off Regent's Canal in London when a heavy downpour flooded it last month. 

The 30-year-old, who has lived on the boat for two years, lost all of her possessions apart from a small handful of clothes. 

Genevieve Dunne's £20,000 barge was moored off Regent's Canal in London when a heavy downpour sank it last month

Genevieve Dunne's £20,000 barge was moored off Regent's Canal in London when a heavy downpour sank it last month

The houseboat has since been pumped and refloated but Ms Dunne now faces a crippling repair bill.

Eve Squires, 34, set up a GoFundMe page for the student, which has so far raised more than £6,000.

The mother-of-four, who is a close friend of Ms Dunne, said: 'The boat was beautiful and so elegant.

'People think that when it gets wet, everything will just dry out, but every cupboard is warped, all her clothes got mangled and her laptop and phone are ruined.

The 30-year-old (pictured), who has lived on the boat for two years, lost all of her possessions apart from a small handful of clothes

The 30-year-old (pictured), who has lived on the boat for two years, lost all of her possessions apart from a small handful of clothes

The houseboat has since been pumped and refloated but Ms Dunne now faces a crippling repair bill

The houseboat has since been pumped and refloated but Ms Dunne now faces a crippling repair bill

 Many of her possessions were ruined, with a lot of the wood warping and coming out of place

 Many of her possessions were ruined, with a lot of the wood warping and coming out of place

'Lots of people were asking what they can do to help so I thought to myself that although it's nice to have well wishes, the only real way to help is practically.'  

Ms Dunne, who lived on her own in the boat, said she was 'completely overwhelmed' by the campaign.

She said: 'People I went to school with, I'd met travelling, people I've never even met have been donating to it - it's just remarkable how people can come together.

'I would have been happy with cups of tea and helping fix it.'

Ms Dunne assess the damage on her house boat. More than £6,000 has already been raised on a GoFundMe page

Ms Dunne assess the damage on her house boat. More than £6,000 has already been raised on a GoFundMe page

Inside shots of the barge show the devastating effect the water had on Ms Dunne's possessions 

Inside shots of the barge show the devastating effect the water had on Ms Dunne's possessions 

Ms Dunne, pictured with her nephew Byron, said she is now excited to re-do the inside of the boat

Ms Dunne, pictured with her nephew Byron, said she is now excited to re-do the inside of the boat

She added that she is excited to re-do the inside of the boat.

The student said: 'I'm going to buy nice things for the boat and turn it into a healing space.'

Mrs Squires, who runs an online business helping parents teach their children to sleep, said Miss Dunne deserved the help because she is 'extraordinarily kind'.

She said: 'Gen is not just a normal person who lost her home, she is somebody that is an extraordinarily kind person. 

'I absolutely cannot believe we are at ten times what we aimed for.'