Messy

I'm currently the owner of 2 classic campervans, a 1978 VW and a 1977 transit motorhome ... So definitely and adjustment to be made there too, although I only plan to keep one of them anyway. Thing is, I've asked this question because I've got in touch with how much of a big change this will be for me ... but I'm not gonna do it overnight, as much as I wanna throw caution to the wind, it just would not be the right thing to do until I'm more prepared. I mean, I can have a rehearsal in the form of a holiday, but actually doing it while managing the rest of my life certainly wouldn't be a thing to undertake lightly.

I've had a few acquaintances over the years living on boats, no close friends though ... I've just always been drawn to water. I live near the limehouse cut and often use the towpath for cycling or solitude depending on my mood. being close to water has always been kinda therapeutic, (I sailed dinghys when i was younger) and it just represents a healthier way of life ... My fears stem from my inexperience and addiction to 21st century consumerism ... Scared of giving so much up .... The dream was once that of an escape, but I know that is just an illusion and I won't be buying into an easier life, but it may be a more fulfilling one. I'm also not wealthy, just struggling like most other people. I'd probably have to move area, so the fear of not being able to afford it is also a consideration.

I've always been put off of canal holidays by the price; It's a lot to pay when you can have a week in a hot country for the same sort of money ... but for prospecting and learning purposes I guess it does make a lot of sense. I mean, I wouldn't have a clue how to even pilot a narrowboat at the moment.

Yup, I'd definitely have to change stuff, most isn't essential, just what I have gotten used to having around ... I think the plan would be to get all my music converted to high bitrate mp3 and stored on hard disk, then I could incorporate the lot in with a PC and decent speakers. I'm still to investigate running a desktop PC on a 12 volt supply rather than use a laptop .. I'm already using 500+ gigs of hard drive so most laptops wouldn't be enough for all my stuff. My telly is an LCD flat panel with built in freeview, so that probably wouldn't take up much more room than a CRT portable ... and it can double as a PC monitor. (32 inches for a PC monitor is a bit huge though )

Thanks for answering people. I've actually had campervans for a few years and camped in tents before that, I've got no problem with being closer to nature .. Things like washing, boiling water and toilets don't bother me ... but I've never done it for extended periods of time, with nowhere to return to. Looking around this flat, I have 6 plugs for the hifi (separates) and 32" telly & DVD. About the same for the computer, printer, monitor, scanner, 2 large external hard drives, router etc. (I kinda dislike laptops). I also have a digital SLR and mobile that both need recharging regularly. I too have a sewing machine, and also an electric guitar. That's just the main stuff, the list goes on ... So all in, that's quite a lot of plug sockets and quite a lot of room taken up. I would definitely have to compromise somewhere. Ah but how true is this? It seems that a great many boaters look out of their windows and just see other boats.

Having wandered around marinas and along the towpath I've often been surprised at how friendly people are ... but also how many people seem quite new to it all. Is there a huge turnover of boating people or is it something that is just getting more and more popular?

I'm pretty much new to this forum so would like to know what made people turn to the canals rather than stay on dry land and how they coped when they made that change? How did you feel giving up comforts like hifi, big telly, baths etc. and all the other mod cons of settled living ... or did you drag it all with you and shoehorn it in? Was it a struggle? Did you think about it for years before taking the plunge? Did you ever regret it? Thing with me is that I have it pretty easy here. I'm in a 1 bedroom flat in London, everything is convenient, the rent is reasonably low ... but for years and years I've been dreaming of living on a boat. I'm now in a position to do it, but I've now become very scared about what I might be giving up, and the problems I might be inviting.

Are you using hotmail? Microsoft have introduced a new spam busting thing called SENDER ID that's affecting all sorts of people who haven't got their mail servers configured to work with it. It's causing similar problems on the forum that I admin. have a read of this article for more info (It's rather old but gives a good idea what's going on)

Thanks for the welcome. I think it's a matter of wanting to, but being very cautious about the sacrifices I would need to make in terms of space, modern comforts and electronic gadgetry/internet etc ... along with how to make a living once I'm afloat. I'm hoping this forum will show me how other people have coped with such obstacles and what compromises they made.

I can't see how it can be classed as theft unless someone is deliberatly hammering the connection and refusing requests to stop. Surely if you have an unsecured wifi signal it means you are allowing people to use it? It seems more like running a radio station than simply leaving your front door open. I personally leave my broadband connection unsecured deliberately. Anyone parking up near me is free to use it, although I reserve the right to disable this if I notice a slump in my bandwidth. Just my way of putting something back into the community. How would any wardriver know if they've stumbled on an open connection like mine or whether it's just someone not knowing about security? Anyway, does anyone have any experience of using external wifi antennas on boats? If so do they really increase the range that significantly?

Hi, I'm Paul, I'm 39 years old, live in London and still dunno what I wanna do what I grow up. I'm also new to boating. So new that I don't even own a boat ... yet. It's an idea I've been toying with for a few years, I've talked myself out of it loads of times (for loads of reasons) and now I'm back and thinking about it again. Maybe I'm too sensible for my own good. Anyway, I'm now gonna read loads and take advantage of what looks like an invaluable resource.