Coronavirus: Spending lockdown on board a narrowboat

[sueb]

Don't let us encourage younger people to move on to boats and tell others what it is like for them. Keep the waterways for the rapidly getting old  and miserable. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

The most recent cold winter was 2010 as I am sure you will recall. Anyone who is new enough to have only moved aboard as recently as 2011 will get a shock next time that happens. Perhaps one of us on the forum who actualy have some live aboard experience should do a vloggy bloggy poddy thingy and enlighten Joe Public to the realities of life aboard?

Long commute that winter and away from the boat for 12 hours or more a day during the week. Keeping the Squirrel ticking over for that length of time when it is minus stupid outside still meant coming back to a pretty cold boat. Still got it toasty a short while later. Had to get up at 3am to stoke the stove again!

Jen

[noone]

1 hour ago, sueb said:

Don't let us encourage younger people to move on to boats and tell others what it is like for them. Keep the waterways for the rapidly getting old  and miserable. 

I read a book years ago,about the days of the "real boaters"...The gypsies told their children not to associate with the boat children,as they were below them!..We all need someone to vilify!!..?

[enigmatic]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

The most recent cold winter was 2010 as I am sure you will recall. Anyone who is new enough to have only moved aboard as recently as 2011 will get a shock next time that happens. Perhaps one of us on the forum who actualy have some live aboard experience should do a vloggy bloggy poddy thingy and enlighten Joe Public to the realities of life aboard?

Honestly think there's room in the market for Old Phaart Tells It Like It Is narrowboating vlogs. 

 

(and in all seriousness, I spent a lot more time reading this forum's curmudgeons telling people about boats not to buy, assumptions not to make about power/heat/maintenance/costs/moorings etc to figure out whether I could cope with living aboard than looking at fluffy happy videos showing what a canal looks like in the summertime!)

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, sueb said:

Don't let us encourage younger people to move on to boats and tell others what it is like for them. Keep the waterways for the rapidly getting old  and miserable. 

Scuse me, I just offered sound advice. Keep the fire in all night.

[doratheexplorer]

I'll give them a break because they're all new and excited, makes a nice change from the miserable old grumps.  Also, they have a Calcutt Clipper, so I'll give them brownie points for that.

[ditchcrawler]

18 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I'll give them a break because they're all new and excited, makes a nice change from the miserable old grumps.  Also, they have a Calcutt Clipper, so I'll give them brownie points for that.

You always see the best in folk, well done.

 

[Chris John]

Not many judgemental people on this forum at all. Some of you need to learn to live and let live! 

[doratheexplorer]

12 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

You always see the best in folk, well done.

 

I try to, but fail frequently.

 

In this case, they're newbies, so it's hardly surprising they can't keep their stove in.  I'll tell you a secret - every autumn I have one or two failures at keeping it in overnight, while I relearn what I need to do.

 

I imagine that many on here are just generally bitter towards young idealogues who are having adventures.  I suppose that's hardly surprising either.