11 replies to this topic

[alika]

Well the house is about sold ! The boat is about ready ! but am I ? I am starting to panic slightly now its nearly happening, and we shall be live aboards . I have got to tell myself that my large dog will be happy and settle down. A lot of folk say ..what you doing with you're dog ? I say she is coming with us and they are shocked we are having a dog on a boat ! I have started to pack the house up and starting to get rid of things we shall not require. I suppose it normal to feel like this ..are we doing the right thing and all that ?
Some friends wish us well ..others say i think you're crackers....so its all swirling round me mind ! Time will tell I guess

[jelunga]

Well the house is about sold ! The boat is about ready ! but am I ? I am starting to panic slightly now its nearly happening, and we shall be live aboards . I have got to tell myself that my large dog will be happy and settle down. A lot of folk say ..what you doing with you're dog ? I say she is coming with us and they are shocked we are having a dog on a boat ! I have started to pack the house up and starting to get rid of things we shall not require. I suppose it normal to feel like this ..are we doing the right thing and all that ?
Some friends wish us well ..others say i think you're crackers....so its all swirling round me mind ! Time will tell I guess

A piece of advice. We down sized and got rid of stuff before and as we moved onto the boat. I regret some of the disposals now. So if you have 3 piles - need, dont need , and might need. Try and keep the might needs until you are sure.
But good luck and have fun. We are at the 1 year point

Edited by jelunga, 04 April 2012 - 07:13 PM.

[ditchcrawler]

Well the house is about sold ! The boat is about ready ! but am I ? I am starting to panic slightly now its nearly happening, and we shall be live aboards . I have got to tell myself that my large dog will be happy and settle down. A lot of folk say ..what you doing with you're dog ? I say she is coming with us and they are shocked we are having a dog on a boat ! I have started to pack the house up and starting to get rid of things we shall not require. I suppose it normal to feel like this ..are we doing the right thing and all that ?
Some friends wish us well ..others say i think you're crackers....so its all swirling round me mind ! Time will tell I guess

Its unlikely the dog will be a problem, our three have all loved it.

[AidanLincs]

I'm in the same situation as you, Alika. I'm hoping to be a boat owner within the next couple of months, and living aboard within six. Am starting to get a wee bit excited.

I have a couple of small dogs who will be moving with me. There are several people on the forums with dogs or other pets, and the general consensus seems to be that they will be fine on the boat. Just remember that you won't be able to open the back door at 4am if your dog decides he needs to go out immediately: you'll have to get dressed, put his lead on, and take him outside. Regardless of how miserable the weather is.

I think you're crackers too. But then so am I, and just about everyone else on these forums. And it's a good sort of crackers.

[DeanS]

We recently passed 1yr living aboard. I was looking at photos of our travels, and am so proud. There is NOTHING, like being able to wake up on a boat, start up the engine and move to a new place Our cat once jumped boat, and we realised an hour later he was nowhere to be found. We turned round and went back to the last place we had stopped, to find he had been hopping around everyones boats Now, at a marina, he goes out whenever he likes, and makes his own way back, normally by midnight, before we lock up for the night. In our marina, most people have small dogs, and they all seem very happy. When we were first considering the live aboard lifestyle, we were walking the towpath and spoke to a guy who had worked in London. He had a heart attack and his doctor said he had to destress. He moved onto a boat with his wife, and 2 alsations, and had lived aboard for 14yrs up to that date. I think boats and animals go together. The cat ignores swans and geese, but goes nuts when it sees ducks and pigeons. I think it's a size issue

[tree]

Well the house is about sold ! The boat is about ready ! but am I ? I am starting to panic slightly now its nearly happening, and we shall be live aboards . I have got to tell myself that my large dog will be happy and settle down. A lot of folk say ..what you doing with you're dog ? I say she is coming with us and they are shocked we are having a dog on a boat ! I have started to pack the house up and starting to get rid of things we shall not require. I suppose it normal to feel like this ..are we doing the right thing and all that ?
Some friends wish us well ..others say i think you're crackers....so its all swirling round me mind ! Time will tell I guess

Hello Like you I will soon be moving aboard full-time ( end of August) and cannot wait and I have Fred, a medium size mutley hound. My boat is only 38ft but when I brought Fred with me last summer he enjoyed the trip,even after falling in a couple of times. What I have done is invest in two baby gates one at each end of the boat,so that I know he will be safe while I sort out locks ectera as I am a singlehanded boater :)I have also trained him to sit and wait UNTIL I get off the boat first and likewise reverse action when I get back on the boat. Plenty of walks and huggles and I am sure that your dog will be fine. Good luck and Happy future baoting

[nigeljan]

hi and welcome to a wonderful life .baby gate good idea but my mutt eat straight through the wooden bars so i now got metal gate .doggies ok true sometimes need to get up late at night to walk her out.hope you enjoy the freedom of life without the clutter everything we need is on the boat.

[maizee26]

Just over 2years continuously cruising. 2 Jack Russels who love the life two adults who would never go back and one stack of 'maybe need' things in Aunts shed........untouched.

One bit of advice, never take any notice of the depressing stories, of people who say don't moor here or there or try to advise 'how to'. Just take everything as it comes and go with your gut feeling.

I know your going to love it, I remember the feelings your having and I remember when we first moved aboard. The first months felt we were on holiday and we were spending money like we were on holiday! Don't worry, that wears off but the fun and wonderful feeling of having the best life ever doesn't.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ditchcrawler]

Just remember that you won't be able to open the back door at 4am if your dog decides he needs to go out immediately: you'll have to get dressed, put his lead on, and take him outside. Regardless of how miserable the weather is.

Some people do, if you get one of those extending leads you can stand in the hatch while he goes for a pee. No need to get dressed.

[simon&jan]

Hi Aidanlincs , was that your boat we had a look round at lmbs last week ? If so i think you are gonna beat us to the foss ! And i bet youve got the last WB mooring at burton waters too!!!! Look forward to bumping into you out on the cut , we can compare boats !!

[AidanLincs]

Hi Aidanlincs , was that your boat we had a look round at lmbs last week ? If so i think you are gonna beat us to the foss ! And i bet youve got the last WB mooring at burton waters too!!!! Look forward to bumping into you out on the cut , we can compare boats !!

I haven't got mine yet - looking at one next week which I think is pretty much the one I want. And it's a narrow- rather than wideboat. I will probably be going to Lincoln quite frequently, so I'll wave when I pass you on the Fosse.

[simon&jan]

Ah i see , we too have been having a dilema NB V WB , today WB has won ! But the NB adv ,cheaper to buy, plentiful moorings,more cash behind us does seem appealing!! But we are suffering from widehearts and narrowheads !