i need your help

[charliemr04]

My dad is determend to sell our house and to move on a boat next year.

im will be 16 then and as a 16 year old girl am totally freaked out about this idea

the fact we will be living on a small boat

having to go with out normal thing like a big bedroom

having to move every 14 days

never having a proper boyfriend, or friends because we will always be moving

 

please help me by tell me im over reacting and teenage girls can have a great life living on a boat

because at the moment im dreading it

[owen]

my dad is determend to sell our house and to move on a boat next year.

im will be 16 then and as a 16 year old girl am totally freaked out about this idea

the fact we will be living on a small boat

having to go with out normal thing like a big bedroom

having to move every 14 days

never having a proper boyfriend, or friends because we will always be moving

 

please help me by tell me im over reacting and teenage girls can have a great life living on a boat

because at the moment im dreading it

hii dont know where abouts in the country you are but in skipton in yorkshire ther are several boats with quite a few teenagers on nip up and have a chat with them if you are near

[charliemr04]

im in birmingham sorry i forgot to add =p

i Know that the boating comuinty is really nice

but at the age i am now i dont no how i could deal with moving every two weeks

i know my dads going to go ahead with it

im just worried and would like to get advise from people that live on boats or have

as you lot are prob the people that know best

[debbifiggy]

im in birmingham sorry i forgot to add =p

i Know that the boating comuinty is really nice

but at the age i am now i dont no how i could deal with moving every two weeks

i know my dads going to go ahead with it

im just worried and would like to get advise from people that live on boats or have

as you lot are prob the people that know best

Really sorry to hear you are so stressed out. Lots of us like living on boats and I know quite a few people that were either born on boats, bought up on boats or stuff like that and are still living on boats and loving it. Some of us find boats later in life, sometime by accident and love it.

 

However, if you are a normal teenager, love your TV, computer, telephone, hair straighteners, endless showers, loads of clothes etc. its not going to be straightforward. Our step granddaughter (who is a little bit younger than you) likes coming out for the day and isn't really too fazed by our bucket and chuck it loo and will even stay overnight but can't really get her head around our lack of TV etc. Each to their own! You might absolutely love it but I think a very calm reasoned sit down talk with your dad and maybe another neutral adult as mediator might be a good idea to talk about your fears, his hopes, both of your ideals and maybe try and work out some common ground so you can work out how things might be and keep things good for both of you.

 

Thinking of you and wishing you all the best. Hope it all works out whatever happens. D

[Chris Pink]

Hi Charlie

 

My daughter didn't like the boat at your age, my son loved it so I guess you will or you won't but won't find out until you do it.

 

It comes down to whether you're urban or rural in your tastes and you do sound a bit urban. But hey, if you get into the idea you can influence your dad and make sure you get a techno bathroom and internet and the stuff that you want.

 

Chris

[charliemr04]

thanks for your advice

i will talk to my dad but i dont think its going to chance his mind he has had his heart set on this for a long time even before i was born

im looking foward to it i suppose, but it dosnt seem like me

not atlot of tv, friends,bf no phone i sound like a spoilt brat but when you grow up with it you learn to love it.

do any of you have the 14 day thing?

and if so do you find it hard meeting new people or making friends the having to leave?

Edited January 3, 2008 by charliemr04

[Alastair]

The 14 day thing only applies if you are going to cruise around the network. If your dad isn't going to do this, then he really needs to sort out where and how he will moor - otherwise he'll p off the local patrol officer (and others). There are ways round this - as billibob recently found out.

 

Maybe you'll need to go for a compromise - insist on him providing a mobile with so much credit, etc, so you can keep in touch with friends.

[Liam]

It's a bit like Marmite. You either love it or you hate it.

 

I started boating properly, when I was 11 on my uncles boat, and a couple of years later joined a cruising club, and I'm shocked at the amount of kids around my age to joined with their parents, decided they loved the boat and boating but then a few months later they got bored and although their parents are still about they don't come down any more. But, you could always look at it from the other end of the scale. I'm still actively boating and Dan (dhutch) has been boating for longer than loads of adults and he's 21 I think, so there are some of us younger bunch about.

 

I did think of the Young Boaters Club (http://www.ybc.org.uk) but there website has dissapeared unfortunately, as has the UK Waterways website who I think have something to do with YBC but maybe somebody else has more info. It may be worth getting in touch as there'll most likely be others in the same position as you or have been through it that can offer advice.

 

Anyway good luck and let us know how you get on

[sarahavfc]

My Dad is a boatbuilder, so I have been around boats all my life, when I was younger I loved boating, but when I was your age I couldn't think of anything worse than boats and boating. Over the last couple of years I started taking interest in boats again, I'm now 22 and really into boats - I can't get enough.

 

My advice would be to stop fighting it and be open minded, read books, look on the net. Canals and boats are really interesting. I used to think I was way too cool for the canals, don't care any more though - it's great!

Edited January 3, 2008 by sarahavfc

[Yoda]

My dad is determend to sell our house and to move on a boat next year.

im will be 16 then and as a 16 year old girl am totally freaked out about this idea

the fact we will be living on a small boat

having to go with out normal thing like a big bedroom

having to move every 14 days

never having a proper boyfriend, or friends because we will always be moving

 

please help me by tell me im over reacting and teenage girls can have a great life living on a boat

because at the moment im dreading it

 

I can see that this is a scary situation for you. It is unfair that your father insists on taking you on a boat against your will and any thoughts of staying on at school. If you have any relatives you can stay with then contact them and ensure you have a permenant land base. Boating can be great for holidays but not everyone wants to be on the water all of the time.

 

People find that they change very quickly in the mid to late teens so what you think now and the friends that you have now, might not be the same in a year. It is your choice and people will help you make a choice as to your future.

[DHutch]

Hi.

- Sorry ive been on the phone home trying to sort stack load of mess out hiting f5 every ten minutes watching this thread!

 

As liam says ive been tied up with narrowboat for a while, and am now 20 but ive got a sister whos 16 as well.

- Ours boats been in the family since my grandad built it, i was about 5 when i was launched, which i just about remember.

- However although i went on it with my family every now and then i didnt really become part of my life till i was your age.

- After GCSEs i decided i wanted out for a bit and spent a month on the boat with my grandad moving it about and that.

 

I then went on to 6thform, did my alevals, and have gone on to uni from there.

 

 

Saddly there isnt as many younger people on the canals as there might be, and you can find that half the people on the canal have retired there.

- However there other teenagers/20yo's on the canal too. 'Wrigglefingers' on this forum moved onto a boat with her 17 yo daughter a year or so ago, and you might be able to talk to her, or aleast maybe read some of jills posts. You could also maybe talk to rebekah fuller ('rainbowdragonfly') shes 17 and her dad (roger fuller) builds narrowboats, im good friends with her and her family and there obviously heavy into boats and boating and that, although they dont live on board as such. Also Paul clevett (again a member) lives on his boat with his family, two children, and a friend's son whos about my age on a 70ft boat.

 

 

But yeah, i dont really know how much you know about narrowboats as such, have you stayed on one every before as a holiday or something?

- If theres just you and your dad there wont be no space on boat. If you have a decently laid out 58ft long boat (which is a common size, because its the longest that can go on any canal) between just the two of you, then theres a fiar bit of room really. Obviously it might not be as big as a house, but its not as bad as caravaning!

- As sarah and the others have said, if your dads not going to budge on the idea ( i assume your 'talked' about it a bit?) then obviously it might not help to go there again. However you mention moving every 14days. This is called 'continuously crusing' and is where you dont have a mooring for the boat and then you have to keep moving about all the time (max stay is 14days). But as another tack you could always suggest that you atleast start in a marina. Where you will have a fixed base, can get proper mains electricity fiarly cheaply and settle. Especially if there are other people living aboard boats in the marina. And then you can still move around the canal when you like, in holidays and the like. (are you planning to stay in education and got to collage/6thform?).

 

We dont have TV on board at all, or actaully really any mains electric when the boats not plugged into the mains, we do have a generator but basically dont use it.

- However theres no reason not to have a tv/computer. Flatscreen tellys use a lot less space and electricity than the old ones, making them much more usable. And laptops are also very suited to living on a boat. And with pritty dence mobile signal basicaly all over the canals you can still use the phone all the time on the right contract without paying silly money. And use your phone or a datacard to get on the internet via the laptop or your phone itself from the boat too. Pauls got a sony psp as well, which he says is excllent for watching films on on the boat as well as playing games etc. And ofcause you can use the laptop for dvds too, or even TV if you want to.

 

But yeah as the other have said, its a big step in a way, and certainly quite understandable that your a bit freaked out!

- I've actaully though about possably living on the boat in the future, possably after uni, depending on how life works out with everything else.

- But if my parents had said four years ago, just as i had finshed school that we where uping sticks to move onto the boat, i would have been the same as you.

- Tbh, if i was told today that i had to leave home and live on a boat i would be shitting it too. Even tho for the last two years ive affectivly lived in one room of a smallish house as a student, spending every other weekend on the boat anyway. Where would all my junk thats at home go! Etc.

 

But yeah, dont really know what else to say. haha! Do you use msn, add me if you want to, danielhutch@hotmail.co.uk could introduce you to becca as well.

 

- Welcome to the forum btw!

 

 

 

Daniel

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi Charliemr04

 

Sounds to me as though you ought to get Dad to join this forum and have a chat to other liveaboards with teenagers on board, for help and advice.

 

You mentioned a small boat, but all boats can seem small after a house. My own boat is a 57ft wide beam boat, but I wanted all the comforts of a normal home, so I have 2 bedrooms, 1 of which is used as an office, full internet access, TV with freeview, bath and shower etc. My wife and I are also musicians, so she has a large wardrobe for her stage clothes etc. and needs to dry and style hair. In addition we have instruments that we rehearse with on the boat and a media centre for music, DVDs etc. So its not all doom and gloom. We also have a residential mooring at a marina as we don't want to keep moving all the time. We can also maintain friends and family contacts in a normal way.

 

There are some pics of our boat in our profile if you are interested. Keep in contact with the forum as there is nothing better than talking to those who are already doing it.

 

Roger Gunkel

[cotswoldsman]

Wow I really feel for you. Moving onto a boat is a very very major life change and when I did it at 56 it scared the hell out of me but I kept my house and rented out. My son and daughter thought that I had completly lost my marbels!!! It is something I certainly would never have done before my children had flown the nest. I think it is different when children have been bought up on boats and not had the lifestyle of living in a house. I think you are right to be worried about this major change in your life. I wish you all the best and hope that you and your dad find a solution that suits both of you.

[Gary Peacock]

Welcome,

 

I personally wouldn't find the average 57' or so narrow ditch crawler suited to family life other than for a couple maybe with a small child, but that's just me people do. To me it smacks too much of the alternative life style rather than alternative accommodation.

 

We have however built quite a few broad beam boats for families including one for a Father and his 17 year old daughter where she was provided with her own bedroom and bathroom in the rear section of the boat, it even had it's own separate door so she could come and go as she pleased without waking him up! (Her request )

 

Broad boats can be a bit more normal and room based rather than corridor like, unfortunately narrow ditch crawlers are only about 6' wide internally and no much matter how much spin and hype various builders claim (Including us!) you have to adapt to live in a long skinny wobbly box!

 

It might not be what your dad had in mind and I don't have any pics of this particular boat but you can look at a similar single bedroom one HERE the back bedroom would go behind the wheelhouse.

 

If he does go down the narrow route you know it might be worth giving it a try after all it would be a bit of an adventure with someone else paying for it and you might actually like it.

 

Anyway there is always the "own" flat alternative at some point if you don't like.

[StoneHenge]

Hi charlie,

 

I totally hear what you are saying. It's such a big step into such a different life. I took a long and painful time considering what the effects of moving my children to a boat would be. Mine are 2 now and 9, not quite your age, but the oldest one is getting to the age where friends, phones and all things modern start to become more important.

 

Living on a boat can seem a scary prospect, especially if you've not had any experience before. Is there anyone you know that could maybe take you out on a trip and an overnight stay to give you a taste of the sort of thing you can expect.

 

If your dad gets a mooring, and you have an electricity hook up to the boat, then having your phone, computer etc will not be a problem. Not really a problem if you move about as long as you can generate the power.

 

However, I understand having a stable base is really important to you. It's where your friends will be and you want to be accessible to them and a social life as it is so important at your age to build firm bases and social activities. I would have a good long chat with your dad about him having the boat, but ensuring your needs are met too. He has to compromise to an extent even though you may well fly the nest in a few years, you are still his responsibility right now.

 

Maybe he can join here as others suggested so he can chat with others who have children and boats to see how they cope with everyday things.

 

My oldest now has firm st cred with her friends who think her alternative life is cool, but I always keep a stable base where I know she will have access to her friends as she grows up and that becomes an issue, especially as she is at school as well.

 

Do ask questions though, hundreds of them, that's what we did. If you think you might like it, then try and get involved with the boat buying bit, go round and see them with your dad, have a look at what they are like.

 

I hope it works out for you.

[stuart]

Are you planning on going to college/uni? If so explain this with your dad, you'll need to have a regular base to attend college from.

 

Perhaps try and get him to look at living from a residential mooring in a marina or similar, you can stay there as long as you need (no 14day rule). But when holidays come along (or long weekends) no reason not to go cruising. I'm sure you will enjoy that part - get a couple of your existing friends to stop over with you!

[Hairy-Neil]

- insist on him providing a mobile with so much credit, etc, so you can keep in touch with friends.

 

Whilst I feel for your predicament, at 16 years old can you even insist that he gives you a roof over your head?

[BlueStringPudding]

Hi Charlie. This is a difficult situation for you to be in, but you've done the right thing by asking people like us about it.

 

Your concerns about moving around all the time are completely understandable but it might not be as lonely or as much of a hassle as you think: My partner and I bought our boat in the summer and we continuously cruise (meaning we move every fourteen days just as your Dad's planning to do) but because we live in the West Midlands (like you!) there are lots of waterways we can cruise on and still be within easy commuting distance of work and friends. We're still able to go out with mates from Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Stratford, and Warwick whether we've cruised to big towns like Birmingham or Banbury or villages like Wilmcote, because so many of the canals in this area follow good public transport links (we don't have a car). We can get to work easily enough - so if you choose to go to college, or to work you may well be able to commute from all sorts of places.

 

What sort of boat is your dad thinking of getting and with what facilities? Not all boats have to have a bucket-and-chuck-it kind of loo facilities. Our boat is only a cheap ex-hire narrowboat, but we have what's known as a pump out toilet which looks like and works just like a real loo (hooray! ) We also have a really good hot shower over a bath. I have a hairdryer, travel hair tongs (Boots and Superdrug sell them), flat screen tv, DVD player, a portable stereo (as well as a built-in car stero) for all our CD's, mobile phone, central heating, and we're getting a laptop soon... so you'd be surprised how many perks of modern life you don't have to lose. We have all this despite being on a very tight budget and we don't even have 240v electrics on board, we run everything off 12v just like in a car. Boats that do have 240v on board can have even more, like a washing machine etc.

 

Of course there will be big changes to your lifestyle but there are so many positives that you might find they outweigh the negatives (we've certainly found that) - for example, it's all very well having a flat screen tv but if you watch DVD's for eight hours, your boat batteries will go flat! But if you can't resist watching the entire boxed set of Buffy, you can switch the boat's engine on which will keep the batteries nicely topped up while you watch! Negative things might include having to run the engine for half an hour before having a shower (to heat the water up) or having less reliable internet access . But positive things include: all your friends will want to come and visit (because it's cool to go cruising on a boat with your mate Charlie!), and you'll meet loads of additional friends as you travel around as there are lots of other families who live on boats, and you get to go exploring, and when you're bored of the country you can moor in a town and enjoys the clubs and bars (not that you'd want to till you're 18 of course... ) and when the town gets too noisy or boring, you can holiday in the country the next day while being able to take all your own stuff with you.

 

We love it. You might too. It'd be good for you to talk to your Dad a bit more about the sort of boats he's looking at, whether he intends on ever renting a mooring, even just in winter times, or whether you'll be travelling every few weeks. There's nothing wrong with any of these choices but the more you know, the more you can plan how you can make the most of it for yourself too. Whether it's right or wrong for him to make this lifestyle change and to affect your life with it too, is not for me to say. But I've loved exploring the countryside on the boat one week, mooring in Leamington and going clubbing the next (and not having to worry about getting a taxi home because the boat is right near the town centre!), vegging out in villages like Radford and meeting mates in the pub, mooring in Stratford and going to the theatre...

 

Sorry this has turned into a rather long-winded answer! Feel free to ask any more questions - hope it works out well for you.

[Bones]

I had a 15 year old living with me on my boat - a 63fter,and she got on ok with the boating lark, and is a girly girl. The only trouble I had was getting her to school, but we developed a good sense of humour about the whole thing.

 

She loved the boating community, loved being on the boat, (except when we first went on the rivers when she got a bit sea sick at first).

 

She particularly enjoyed watching me completely forget where I had left the boat!

 

 

P.S. I forgot to say she never had any trouble with friends, nor boyfriends, and I was always there to 'protect her' which generally wasn't necessary as I run a tight ship. (Gawd - I sound gallant!)

Edited January 4, 2008 by Bones

[Bullfrog]

I have a 15 year old

 

 

? Sister ?

[Bones]

? Sister ?

 

no. Sorry, meant 'had' She's 19 now.

[Bullfrog]

Just thought I would say how impressed I have been by the help being offered this young lady.

 

Well done everybody!

 

And welcome Charlie.

 

David

[charliemr04]

Thank you so much for your help!

i feel so much better about moving, mostly because i realised even if i do hate it i will be leaving in two years for uni

im hoping it will be a great opportune to explore the UK in full beauty

And I hope to bump into you all next year; I will keep you informed on how things are going and how nice my new room is going to be

I have a year to get I right

Thanks again

Take care

charlie

[DHutch]

Yeah, well hopfully it wont be that bad for you! And uni's always a good laugh anyway.

- I think you will find more people on the canals to be fairly freindly social people in general too. Some have gone the canal because there misrable or would rather be alone. But as you can see, theres is a stack load of nice people.

- Feel free to stick around as well and ask any general questions or whatever.

 

Also as bluestring said, it worth mentioning the puplic transport to canals is actaully supprisingly good.

- Due to them needing simular ground (ie, flat) the bulk of the railways follow the same route as the canals, so a lot of even the minor towns and villages along the canal have stations and espcailly round birmingham you ill be well set up for that.

- All the summer i was working thoughout the week staying in student accomdation, and then each weekend i was down at the boat, with 2-3 mates coming driving or training it down to the boat for a weekends cruise, moving the boat around the cheshire canals, down to stoke for a bit round though macclesfield and up back though manchester. Just weekend at a time like. Think of it as a slow pub craw. (theres also lots of decent pubs on the canalside )

 

Only regrete really was that due to having to go back each week and not wanting to leave the boat alone in the middle of a town for five days, i couldnt stop in manchester for a few days and meet up with some freinds i hae a uni there, make use of the nightlife, etc.

 

 

Daniel

[honey ryder]

My dad is determend to sell our house and to move on a boat next year.

im will be 16 then and as a 16 year old girl am totally freaked out about this idea

the fact we will be living on a small boat

having to go with out normal thing like a big bedroom

having to move every 14 days

never having a proper boyfriend, or friends because we will always be moving

 

please help me by tell me im over reacting and teenage girls can have a great life living on a boat

because at the moment im dreading it

 

If I was 16 again and forced to live on a narrowboat I think my first course of action would be to seek alternative accommodation.

Narrowboats are a bit rubbish ( apparently its generally only me that thinks this way - the rest of the people on this site seem to think theyre the mutts nuts)

 

try it, you might like it. if you dont like it, then you are old enough to go your own way and live on land.

 

my alternative accommodation is the office i work in, I have a nice dog bed set up under my desk for those days when I cant face the 2.5 hour journey home because ive moved the boat to the back of the arseol' of beyond. ( i move every week to two weeks)

in my office i have a nice shower, a kitchen and other basics like that. Colleges have similar facilities. Ok, so some of the people in the office think Im a pikey but thats not important.

 

moving around wont spoil your chances of getting a man, ( or woman) the canals seem to be joined up to the real world and are accessible to endless supplies of hooded and un-hooded yoofs, dog walkers, cyclists, fit runners, unfit runners, other boaters etc etc. Ive personally met more friendly folk by the canals/rivers in the past year than I have after 9 years living in the south in various houses and flats. youve probably got more chance of having a great social life being by the river/canal than living in some pokey house/flat.