Continuous cruiser male seeks female boating companion

[smiler]

2 hours ago, Tonka said:

That would work if the boat was a good boat. But if the boat is tatty

Then alter the ad to say.....

"Painting and cleaning experience preferred"

[Hudds Lad]

Just be careful when placing pots of flowers on the roof, repurposing an old teapot as a planter may give the wrong impression 😬

[Stilllearning]

I was surprised how often my ads for company actually succeeded too.

[Tony1]

 

My advice to the OP would be basically don't hold your breath, unless you look like Brad Pitt, are as rich as Croesus, and have the wit of Oscar Wilde. 

And if you are all of those things, don't get picky.

Just restricting it to liveaboards- I don't know what the numbers are of single female boaters (of various age groups), as compared to single male boaters, but from what I've seen so far, I suspect the single males outnumber the single females by about 5 to 1, if not more. 

So it's no surprise to hear that single female boaters spend a lot of time basically fielding offers and approaches of all sorts, from all sorts of male boaters. 

I never make even very subtle overtures of a romantic sort to female boaters, because I don't want to add to the nuisance factor in their lives, and and they're probably fed up hearing all the lines. 

When I made the decision to try liveaboard boating, I accepted that it was probably unlikely I would find a compatible female partner, and I'm not expecting that to change unless/until I move back into a house. 

I saw the lack of potential female partners as an inevitable side-effect of moving aboard, and I bet there are not hundreds of true stories of couples who met whilst living aboard. 

It might be possible to even estimate the numbers, in a very very rough way.

I half-recall seeing a statement that there are only about 6,000 or 7,000 full time liveaboard boats, and I would think about half of those will be couples.  

At a wild guess, I'd say that of the 3,000 ish full time liveaboard boats owned by single people, at least 2,500 of them will be men.

So my very rough fag-packet estimate would be if you want to meet a liveaboard woman specifically, your target population might be as little as about 500 women, in the entire country.

If you extend the 'search' to include female boaters who live aboard on a part time basis, you multiply the 500 by 5 or 6 maybe? So its still not even a fraction of the number of single women you might hope to meet if you lived in a house. 

Whatever the exact population numbers are, they are certainly not that great.

I reckon you might have more luck advertising among civilian women, rather than the boating types. 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tony1

[doratheexplorer]

3 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

My advice to the OP would be basically don't hold your breath, unless you look like Brad Pitt, are as rich as Croesus, and have the wit of Oscar Wilde. 

And if you are all of those things, don't get picky.

Just restricting it to liveaboards- I don't know what the numbers are of single female boaters (of various age groups), as compared to single male boaters, but from what I've seen so far, I suspect the single males outnumber the single females by about 5 to 1, if not more. 

So it's no surprise to hear that single female boaters spend a lot of time basically fielding offers and approaches of all sorts, from all sorts of male boaters. 

I never make even very subtle overtures of a romantic sort to female boaters, because I don't want to add to the nuisance factor in their lives, and and they're probably fed up hearing all the lines. 

When I made the decision to try liveaboard boating, I accepted that it was probably unlikely I would find a compatible female partner, and I'm not expecting that to change unless/until I move back into a house. 

I saw the lack of potential female partners as an inevitable side-effect of moving aboard, and I bet there are not hundreds of true stories of couples who met whilst living aboard. 

It might be possible to even estimate the numbers, in a very very rough way.

I half-recall seeing a statement that there are only about 6,000 or 7,000 full time liveaboard boats, and I would think about half of those will be couples.  

At a wild guess, I'd say that of the 3,000 ish full time liveaboard boats owned by single people, at least 2,500 of them will be men.

So my very rough fag-packet estimate would be if you want to meet a liveaboard woman specifically, your target population might be as little as about 500 women, in the entire country.

If you extend the 'search' to include female boaters who live aboard on a part time basis, you multiply the 500 by 5 or 6 maybe? So its still not even a fraction of the number of single women you might hope to meet if you lived in a house. 

Whatever the exact population numbers are, they are certainly not that great.

I reckon you might have more luck advertising among civilian women, rather than the boating types. 

 

 

Nowhere does the OP suggest he's looking for a female liveaboard.  The contrary in fact, he's mainly looking for sometime who doesn't have a boat but likes boats.

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by doratheexplorer

[Tony1]

7 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Nowhere does the OP suggest he's looking for a female liveaboard.  The contrary in fact, he's looking for sometime who doesn't have a boat but likes boats.

 

 

Why you're right, and my apologies to the OP for reading one sentence and thinking I'd got the gist of it.

That said, I am a bit interested in what the actual figures are for the ratio of single male/single female boaters. I'm not looking for any kind of romantic relationship with a female boater, but it would be interesting to know how bad the odds were in purely numerical terms, in the event that I ever did actively look (and I'm not even sure what 'actively looking' would involve, to be fair). 

I'm rather out of practice. I imagine my chat up lines might involve lithium batteries. 

 

[tree monkey]

4 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

I'm rather out of practice. I imagine my chat up lines might involve lithium batteries. 

 

I suppose ECT might work.

 

 

I was in a similar position to yourself I imagine in that I realised the overwhelming number of single people with an interest in boats would likely be male, so basically I didn't entertain the possibility and tbh I was happy with that (recently divorced and all that), the fact I actually met one of the limited number of single females who lived on a boat and I managed to convince I was worth a punt is I think down to alcohol and the fact I went to the old "banters" this place used to organise.

 

[Tony1]

29 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

I suppose ECT might work.

 

 

I was in a similar position to yourself I imagine in that I realised the overwhelming number of single people with an interest in boats would likely be male, so basically I didn't entertain the possibility and tbh I was happy with that (recently divorced and all that), the fact I actually met one of the limited number of single females who lived on a boat and I managed to convince I was worth a punt is I think down to alcohol and the fact I went to the old "banters" this place used to organise.

 

 

Should my thoughts ever turn to matters romantic, I'm fairly sure alchohol alone will not make me sufficiently alluring.

I would be more likely to succeed if hallucinogenic drugs were involved. And kidnapping. 

And I know this is going to sound hopelessly old-fashioned and mawkish, but I'm not sure if kidnapping is a sound basis for a long term relationship. 

Besides, I don't look good in handcuffs 😄

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tony1

[tree monkey]

6 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 And kidnapping. 

And I know this is going to sound hopelessly old-fashioned and mawkish, but I'm not sure if kidnapping is a sound basis for a long term relationship. 

Besides, I don't look good in handcuffs 😄

 

Ever heard of Stockholm syndrome?

 

 

[Tony1]

Just now, tree monkey said:

Ever heard of Stockholm syndrome?

 

 

 

Absolutely. My ex tried it out 😂

 

[smiler]

13 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

.......I'm not sure if kidnapping is a sound basis for a long term relationship. 

Besides, I don't look good in handcuffs 😄

 

Now that's where you're not thinking this out properly.

The handcuffs go on the kidnappee, not the kidnapper. 😁

[Tony1]

15 minutes ago, smiler said:

Now that's where you're not thinking this out properly.

The handcuffs go on the kidnappee, not the kidnapper. 😁

 

My dear Mr Smiler, as we have never met, you will not be aware of my amazing good looks and charm. 

Should it become publicly known that I am once again 'on the market', so to speak, my hope would be that the ladies would form an orderly queue, and complete the necessary application forms and interviews.

But I fear they may become desperate, and it can only be a matter of time before one of them kidnaps me. 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tony1

[smiler]

6 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

My dear Mr Smiler, as we have never met, you will not be aware of my amazing good looks and charm. 

Should it become publicly known that I am once again 'on the market', so to speak, my hope would be that the ladies would form an orderly queue, and complete the necessary application forms and interviews.

But I fear they may become desperate, and it can only be a matter of time before one of them kidnaps me. 

 

Oh, ok sorry.

I read it to mean you would be the kidnapper.

 

When I'm "back on the market" I will just grab a sheep from the canal bank - I'm not really fussy. 😁

[Steve Buxton]

5 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

My advice to the OP would be basically don't hold your breath, unless you look like Brad Pitt, are as rich as Croesus, and have the wit of Oscar Wilde. 

And if you are all of those things, don't get picky.

Just restricting it to liveaboards- I don't know what the numbers are of single female boaters (of various age groups), as compared to single male boaters, but from what I've seen so far, I suspect the single males outnumber the single females by about 5 to 1, if not more. 

So it's no surprise to hear that single female boaters spend a lot of time basically fielding offers and approaches of all sorts, from all sorts of male boaters. 

I never make even very subtle overtures of a romantic sort to female boaters, because I don't want to add to the nuisance factor in their lives, and and they're probably fed up hearing all the lines. 

When I made the decision to try liveaboard boating, I accepted that it was probably unlikely I would find a compatible female partner, and I'm not expecting that to change unless/until I move back into a house. 

I saw the lack of potential female partners as an inevitable side-effect of moving aboard, and I bet there are not hundreds of true stories of couples who met whilst living aboard. 

It might be possible to even estimate the numbers, in a very very rough way.

I half-recall seeing a statement that there are only about 6,000 or 7,000 full time liveaboard boats, and I would think about half of those will be couples.  

At a wild guess, I'd say that of the 3,000 ish full time liveaboard boats owned by single people, at least 2,500 of them will be men.

So my very rough fag-packet estimate would be if you want to meet a liveaboard woman specifically, your target population might be as little as about 500 women, in the entire country.

If you extend the 'search' to include female boaters who live aboard on a part time basis, you multiply the 500 by 5 or 6 maybe? So its still not even a fraction of the number of single women you might hope to meet if you lived in a house. 

Whatever the exact population numbers are, they are certainly not that great.

I reckon you might have more luck advertising among civilian women, rather than the boating types. 

 

 

Perhaps you should watch The Bargee (1964) for some tips on how to have a series of ladies along the cut waiting for you to arrive and fulfil their dreams - although then again by the experience Harry H Corbett had, perhaps not 🙂

[Hudds Lad]

2 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

My dear Mr Smiler, as we have never met, you will not be aware of my amazing good looks and charm. 

Should it become publicly known that I am once again 'on the market', so to speak, my hope would be that the ladies would form an orderly queue, and complete the necessary application forms and interviews.

But I fear they may become desperate, and it can only be a matter of time before one of them kidnaps me. 

 

Make sure you have a Calder & Hebble handspike, they are dual purpose and can be used as the proverbial stick with which the more attractive boater can beat off the hordes who approach with amorous intent.  

[agg221]

4 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

Why you're right, and my apologies to the OP for reading one sentence and thinking I'd got the gist of it.

That said, I am a bit interested in what the actual figures are for the ratio of single male/single female boaters. I'm not looking for any kind of romantic relationship with a female boater, but it would be interesting to know how bad the odds were in purely numerical terms, in the event that I ever did actively look (and I'm not even sure what 'actively looking' would involve, to be fair). 

I'm rather out of practice. I imagine my chat up lines might involve lithium batteries. 

 

I was sat on a wall, cleaning up the bits of a Bolinder fuel pump the first time my wife and I met. We will have been married 20yrs next month. Do not underestimate the allure of subjects such as lithium batteries to the right woman...

 

Alec

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

On 19/07/2022 at 21:31, Lincoln Mansfield said:

Hello. 

Male narrowboat owner living onboard full-time seeks female boating companion for excursions of up to four weeks travel at a time. 

Excursion times of year and routes to be discussed. 

No experience necessary, although you must be someone who is content with living a simplistic lifestyle, away from all mod cons and social media.

 

Please message with any questions, and when you can start.

 

Lincoln 

Be careful what you wish for 😃

 

The peaceful and simple life you have acquired could easily be turned topsy turvey. 

😂

 

[Tony1]

5 hours ago, smiler said:

Oh, ok sorry.

I read it to mean you would be the kidnapper.

 

When I'm "back on the market" I will just grab a sheep from the canal bank - I'm not really fussy. 😁

 

 

I only hope you respect the sheep in the morning, Mr S....

But it strikes me that your average sheep may not be inclined to agree to a romantic liaison with any passing boater. 

This is rather a niche field- and one in which I should point out I have no experience- but I had always imagined sheep to be more discerning creatures. 

Best bib and tucker, etc, I should think. Perhaps even a splash of Old Spice, or Hai Karate if you have any left from the 70s. 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tony1

[Philip]

On a more general note, do people think owning a narrowboat or cruiser (but not your own home) is more likely to be a 'positive' or a 'negative' when it comes to trying to impress a crush who doesn't own a boat or go on canal trips? It is thought of as a tranquil way of life by many 'non-canal folk' but is arguably also a bit of a niche hobby and lifestyle.

[peterboat]

2 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

 

I only hope you respect the sheep in the morning, Mr S....

But it strikes me that your average sheep may not be inclined to agree to a romantic liaison with any passing boater. 

This is rather a niche field- and one in which I should point out I have no experience- but I had always imagined sheep to be more discerning creatures. 

Best bib and tucker, etc, I should think. Perhaps even a splash of Old Spice, or Hai Karate if you have any left from the 70s. 

 

 

I think you underestimate the allure of a boat Tony 

[Tony1]

10 hours ago, peterboat said:

I think you underestimate the allure of a boat Tony 

 

Joking aside, I think there are many civilian women who would be attracted to the idea of holidaying on a narrowboat, or even taking extended cruises- as long as they have a house to return to, with all of its comforts.

So yes, I would agree that a narrowboat has an big appeal, but not necessarily as a place to live full time and permanently. 

 

But a widebeam like yours is a different animal altogether. For a start, the living space is much closer to what the woman would be used to. Also, you can fit larger water tanks, more storage space for clothes and normal civilian things, a full size bed can be put in there with no adaptations needed, and so it goes on. 

I think it would be much easier for a woman to look at a widebeam and to be very positive about the idea of living aboard, where she would have some reservations about narrowboat living.

 

I'm not a woman of course, and I have no means to fathom the inner workings of the female brain, so I may well be wide of the mark. But in terms of attracting the interest of a non-boating woman, I think yes, a boat might be a great thing.

But if the proposition is to live aboard it, I think a much smaller number would find a narrowboat to be attractive.

 

 

[Paul C]

28 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

Joking aside, I think there are many civilian women who would be attracted to the idea of holidaying on a narrowboat, or even taking extended cruises- as long as they have a house to return to, with all of its comforts.

So yes, I would agree that a narrowboat has an big appeal, but not necessarily as a place to live full time and permanently. 

 

But a widebeam like yours is a different animal altogether. For a start, the living space is much closer to what the woman would be used to. Also, you can fit larger water tanks, more storage space for clothes and normal civilian things, a full size bed can be put in there with no adaptations needed, and so it goes on. 

I think it would be much easier for a woman to look at a widebeam and to be very positive about the idea of living aboard, where she would have some reservations about narrowboat living.

 

I'm not a woman of course, and I have no means to fathom the inner workings of the female brain, so I may well be wide of the mark. But in terms of attracting the interest of a non-boating woman, I think yes, a boat might be a great thing.

But if the proposition is to live aboard it, I think a much smaller number would find a narrowboat to be attractive.

 

 

 

There is one word that strikes fear into any experienced boater, liveaboard or not, who understands electrics:

 

HAIRDRYER

[MtB]

21 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

Joking aside, I think there are many civilian women who would be attracted to the idea of holidaying on a narrowboat, or even taking extended cruises- as long as they have a house to return to, with all of its comforts.

So yes, I would agree that a narrowboat has an big appeal, but not necessarily as a place to live full time and permanently. 

 

But a widebeam like yours is a different animal altogether. For a start, the living space is much closer to what the woman would be used to. Also, you can fit larger water tanks, more storage space for clothes and normal civilian things, a full size bed can be put in there with no adaptations needed, and so it goes on. 

I think it would be much easier for a woman to look at a widebeam and to be very positive about the idea of living aboard, where she would have some reservations about narrowboat living.

 

I'm not a woman of course, and I have no means to fathom the inner workings of the female brain, so I may well be wide of the mark. But in terms of attracting the interest of a non-boating woman, I think yes, a boat might be a great thing.

But if the proposition is to live aboard it, I think a much smaller number would find a narrowboat to be attractive.

 

 

 

 

Reminds me of the "Bridge to Hawaii" joke...

 

A man was walking along a California beach, deep in prayer. All of a sudden, he said out loud, "Lord, grant me one wish."

To his surprise the sunny California sky clouded above his head and a booming voice said "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

 

The man in his surprise, just blurted out "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want."

 

And God said, "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific, the thousands of tons of concrete and steel it would take. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of another wish, a wish you think would honour and glorify me."

 

The man thought about it for a long time, and finally said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside, what they are thinking when they give the silent treatment, why they cry, what they mean when they say " nothing!", and how I can make a woman truly happy."

 

After a long, long silence the man began to wonder if he had offended the Lord with his request. But eventually the voice boomed out: "That bridge. Were you thinking of two lanes, or four?"

[peterboat]

56 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

Joking aside, I think there are many civilian women who would be attracted to the idea of holidaying on a narrowboat, or even taking extended cruises- as long as they have a house to return to, with all of its comforts.

So yes, I would agree that a narrowboat has an big appeal, but not necessarily as a place to live full time and permanently. 

 

But a widebeam like yours is a different animal altogether. For a start, the living space is much closer to what the woman would be used to. Also, you can fit larger water tanks, more storage space for clothes and normal civilian things, a full size bed can be put in there with no adaptations needed, and so it goes on. 

I think it would be much easier for a woman to look at a widebeam and to be very positive about the idea of living aboard, where she would have some reservations about narrowboat living.

 

I'm not a woman of course, and I have no means to fathom the inner workings of the female brain, so I may well be wide of the mark. But in terms of attracting the interest of a non-boating woman, I think yes, a boat might be a great thing.

But if the proposition is to live aboard it, I think a much smaller number would find a narrowboat to be attractive.

 

 

Tony I had plenty of women rocking my narrowboat you just have to be positive. But you are right a widebeam is a better boat in every respect, especially at getting the ladies to come and visit 

[Tony1]

14 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Reminds me of the "Bridge to Hawaii" joke...

 

A man was walking along a California beach, deep in prayer. All of a sudden, he said out loud, "Lord, grant me one wish."

To his surprise the sunny California sky clouded above his head and a booming voice said "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

 

The man in his surprise, just blurted out "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want."

 

And God said, "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific, the thousands of tons of concrete and steel it would take. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of another wish, a wish you think would honour and glorify me."

 

The man thought about it for a long time, and finally said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside, what they are thinking when they give the silent treatment, why they cry, what they mean when they say " nothing!", and how I can make a woman truly happy."

 

After a long, long silence the man began to wonder if he had offended the Lord with his request. But eventually the voice boomed out: "That bridge. Were you thinking of two lanes, or four?"

 

In the late 80s I lived full time with a woman for the first time, and I suddenly grasped the critical importance of understanding a woman's thinking, because it quickly became clear that if the woman was not happy, then nobody on the premises was going to be happy. Not even the dog. 

I was alarmed to discover that there were a large number of domestic issues which could cause unhappiness, involving everything from the toilet seat to the colour of wallpaper. 

Initially I rather resented this reign of terror, but of course it was just her trying to make sure the place was run in a civilised way, and me being a stupid bloke-ish troglodyte. 

I'll probably never be subtle or smart enough to understand an intelligent woman's thinking, but as long as I pick up on what needs to be done, and the essential procedures relating to laundry etc, I feel I'm off to a start at least.