What single thing has improved your liveaboard lifestyle?

[Guest]

Could be something you've bought, something you've built, a way of doing things. Anything really but is there a single thing you've done/bought/changed/updated that has made a noticeable improvement to your living?

 

[JamesFrance]

When we were liveaboards 20 years ago, the thing that improved life for us was spending the winter in a motorhome in Spain and Portugal.

[Tasemu]

Big external antenna, decent router and a 3 unlimited data sim card. (counting the setup as a single thing)

[Mike Tee]

20 years ago, satellite TV

[mrsmelly]

Swopping the midget 56 footer for 65 70 and presently 68 foot boats. Even better was the wide beam. 

[Guest]

Getting out of the marina and continuous cruising. 

[Naughty Cal]

Electric blanket for the winter months.

[DaveP]

1) solar panels - fitted 500w 7seven years ago.  Frees you from engine running when off-grid for at least 6months of the year.  Last year fitted another 600w - got away with 14hours of engine run between November and February instead of the usual 120hours

 

2) Three and their late lamented 'one plan'.  Still on an unlimited deal and it's slowly getting back to the price they used to charge.

 

3) eBay 'click and collect'.  Now so easy to pick stuff up from a newsagent/Argos/whatever, instead of liaising with friends with postboxes.

[tree monkey]

Solar, it's as simple as that

[tagulablue]

46 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Electric blanket for the winter months.

Heated throw for me.... saves putting the heating or fire on for the last hour of the day when the temperature just drops a little. ....or for the entire evening when partner argues that it is not cold...

 

[Arthur Marshall]

When I lived on, it was the bloke next door selling his boat.  He used to run his engine until about one in the morning...

[MoominPapa]

Lithium batteries.

 

MP.

[roland elsdon]

Led lights and solar. That’s 2.

[The Gravy Boater]

Cheap German pilsner.

[Murflynn]

5 hours ago, JamesFrance said:

When we were liveaboards 20 years ago, the thing that improved life for us was spending the winter in a motorhome in Spain and Portugal.

that's cheating !!

3 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

Electric blanket for the winter months.

yeah but ..................  you weren't really liveaboards were you? 

[Nightwatch]

Unlimited broadband via a dongle. No pressure to gauge what you’re watching. Solar has helped, we’ll it does when the sun shines.

[system 4-50]

[Not liveaboard] Getting the glass in the window holes made living a lot easier.  Getting the shower working was another great leap forward for this man kind.

[Alastair]

Hot running water and radiators.

 

(MrsC bought a barge with no heating apart from one reflecks-type heater and only a cold water supply.)

[Naughty Cal]

13 hours ago, Murflynn said:

 

yeah but ..................  you weren't really liveaboards were you? 

We may have as well have been at one point for what little time we spent at home 

 

Another thing that has made Liam's life onboard much easier is Copperstone pans.

 

No oil required for cooking, nothing sticks to them and they clean dead easy.

Edited June 17, 2020 by Naughty Cal

[blackrose]

It's got to be the washing machine. Boring but I can't think of anything else that's made life easier than that.

[Cloudinspector]

A guitar and a bottle of Jack Daniels

[BlueStringPudding]

A solid-fuel stove (boat just had radiators and an unreliable Eberspacher for heating when I first bought it)

And solar panels. 

[TheBiscuits]

3 minutes ago, BlueStringPudding said:

solar panels. 

 

Easier, not more entertaining (for us!)

 

Can't disagree though.  The solar panel was the first thing I bought for this boat after the insurance.

 

 

[BlueStringPudding]

18 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Easier, not more entertaining (for us!)

 

Can't disagree though.  The solar panel was the first thing I bought for this boat after the insurance.

 

 

Improved lifestyle certainly, and allowed me to charge batteries, phone, laptop, WiFi unit and so on effortlessly, so indirectly entertaining. ?

[Rickent]

Divorce.

Only kidding ?

Edited June 17, 2020 by Rickent