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Single Females - Do you feel safe?


Clarity

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Hi All

Well I am thinking of a major lifestyle change meaning that I would live full time on a narrow boat. Haven't fully made the decision yet. Was wonder if there were any single women out there (or men too) who could comment on how safe they feel living onboard. I think I'm looking a residential mooring to begin with - if I can find somewhere nice and cheap in yorkshire. Another factor is that I use a laptop and video camera for my work so these will be left on the boat sometimes. Anyone ever been burgled on a boat? Many thanks for your advice

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Hi Clarity. I feel perfectly safe on my boat. I moor in sensible places away from graffiti for example, I have a mooring chain and padlock for my boat in case I moor somewhere unfamiliar and am worried about leaving my boat during the day.

As for personal safety, I feel more safe on my boat than I ever have in houses or flats. The boating community in my experience really look out for each other. If you moor somewhere a bit rough you can move somewhere else the next day!

Things that are nickable on the outside (bike, solar panels) are padlocked down. And I keep the blinds on the towpath side closed to hide anything that people might think is worth breaking in for, such as my laptop in one room, and the tv/DVD player/CDs and DVD discs in another room.

Touch wood I've not had any serious trouble in four and a half years. Kids trying to set the boat adrift when moored near towns have been thwarted by my macrame knots or the mooring chain. Once someone tried nicking the bike off the roof in the middle of the night in Chester city centre but scarpered when he realised it was chained down. That's the nearest I've got to any trouble or burglary in all this time. And it's only ever been when I'm moored in town centres or suburbs. I prefer to moor in the middle of nowhere, where (as I remind my concerned Mum on the phone) walking home at night is perfectly safe because I'm the scariest thing round here!

My advice is don't let any concerns over safety dissuade you from moving onto a boat. You may end up feeling more safe rather than less safe.

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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Though I'm not on the boat yet, damn right I will/ do.

The worst thing to be found at the bottom of any dark ally is probably me! :P

I spent a lot of years working in the private security sector and am very confident in myself.

I am sensible about security of my possessions and person and alert without being paranoid.

I also like the idea that if there's shit going on on land (like, the recent London riots for example) I could just cast off and get clear, which you don't get in a house.

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Hi Clarity,.

I am considering living on Barge as a full time Home...but my reasons are Econmics (..Just can't not afford get near Property! I am a Single guy, I have thought about this issue amongst many issuses that I have found out about living on canals so far. Safety, I think could be same anywhere ..whether you live in Bricks&Motor or a boat.

The research I have done so far on living on a Barge I admit this topic is at very bottom,. my issues whether to take leap over to water are mainly what I can see are around Other Costs on the Canals. To me it seems the boats themselves are not that expensive,. but I have found out that lot other costs I didn't really expect!?

I would love keep in contact you Clarity as I say I am considering the Barges/Narrowboat as a Perm live on home for reasons just stated at start..

 

Regards

Daz

 

Well I am thinking of a major lifestyle change meaning that I would live full time on a narrow boat. Haven't fully made the decision yet. Was wonder if there were any single women out there (or men too) who could comment on how safe they feel living onboard. I think I'm looking a residential mooring to begin with - if I can find somewhere nice and cheap in yorkshire. Another factor is that I use a laptop and video camera for my work so these will be left on the boat sometimes. Anyone ever been burgled on a boat? Many thanks for your advice[/font][/size][/size]

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Hi All

Well I am thinking of a major lifestyle change meaning that I would live full time on a narrow boat. Haven't fully made the decision yet. Was wonder if there were any single women out there (or men too) who could comment on how safe they feel living onboard. I think I'm looking a residential mooring to begin with - if I can find somewhere nice and cheap in yorkshire. Another factor is that I use a laptop and video camera for my work so these will be left on the boat sometimes. Anyone ever been burgled on a boat? Many thanks for your advice

 

Plenty of reasonable priced places to moor in the frozen north !! There are far more people attacked/burgled in their boring house box thinys than ever get attacked on our fabulous waterways system........

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Not single - but I am often on the boat alone if Martin is out walking Dennis and/or exploring the various bits of the system on foot :rolleyes: Never felt vulnerable or unsafe at any places we have moored though of course this means I have never been on the boat overnight alone or have had to return to the boat in the dark. I don;t have any evidence but I don't believe females are any more vulnerable on the canal system than they would be walking to their land based house on their way home from the pub.

 

I wouldn;t let this worry you into not living aboard.

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Guess as a single male I am not really qualified to answer your question. All I can say is that when I first moved onto my boat I was very concerned about my security and for my first week cruising spent every night moored on the non towpath side!! Eventually I decided that being so stupid and concerned was no way to lead my life.

I have now spent nearly 5 years on my boat and yes I was broken into earlier this year but nothing of value was stolen, my TV and Laptop were left and just some clothes stolen. I now have no fear of mooring and I spend a lot of time moored in the middle of nowhere (back of beyond) but I also moor in city centres, actually I just moor where I want at the time.

If you move onto the boat concerned about security you will not enjoy yourself, if you accept that you are no more at danger on a boat than in a house you will really enjoy your life on a boat.

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I am also a single female living on a boat, although technically I have 3 LARGE dogs and a mental cat, so not really alone!

I must admit that I do not feel vunerable at any time but also think if you are confident you leasen your chances of being a victim.

My guys are good guard dogs and people do tend to give us a wide berth, both on and off the boat. I try not to leave anything that might be considered of value in sight.

I like to moor in rural areas as the walks for the dogs tend to be better, but I also need to leave the boat to go to work.

I have ways found that other boaters are always more than happy to help out and tend to keep on eye on me!But I will also return the favour and have been known to scare the life out of someone who was having trouble getting into their own boat late at night! opps.

You only get one chance a living so my advice is to go for it and enjoy it, I am!!

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As a single female (not liveaboard) I have plenty of single blokes moored up around me. I maybe give them the wrong impression, as I talk to everyone or anyone (part of my job and personality im afraid), prolly just me, but they always seem to go out there way to help me/talk to me....which is nice but I always get the impression after the offer of coming on there boat and a drink they expect something else, due to past boyfriends I guess this has made me insecure...so I do one...but the genuine ones have always been there the next day......

Should I be harder and tell them to foook off? or be nice and them think they in with a chance? or is there there an inbetween?....I'd like to think so.....

Do me a favour and someday I might return it...nothing to do sex0r, making friends is whats its all about in life...

I appreciate there help dont get me wrong but when they expect something rude in return, then Im sorry Im not interested........

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Do you feel safe now? Are you afraid of being burgled? It's no different on a boat. Mostly down to where you are.

 

I think it can be a bit different on a boat - as you say, it depends where you are.

 

I think that in terms of being alone on the boat, when I've moored somewhere in the middle of nowhere it's a bit like camping. I know that some houses are isolated, but it's not a situation I've ever been in while living in a house. Of course you don't have to moor up in the middle of nowhere on your own!

 

The second difference is that some people have less respect for boats and the people inside them that they do for land based dwellings. Most people wouldn't dream of walking past a house, going up to a window and trying to look inside, and most people would dream of getting onto the roof of a stranger's house and jumping up and down (it happened to me on a boat). Likewise, I've never been set adrift in a house. :P

 

As a single female (not liveaboard) I have plenty of single blokes moored up around me. I maybe give them the wrong impression, as I talk to everyone or anyone (part of my job and personality im afraid), prolly just me, but they always seem to go out there way to help me/talk to me....which is nice but I always get the impression after the offer of coming on there boat and a drink they expect something else, due to past boyfriends I guess this has made me insecure...so I do one...but the genuine ones have always been there the next day......

Should I be harder and tell them to foook off? or be nice and them think they in with a chance? or is there there an inbetween?....I'd like to think so.....

Do me a favour and someday I might return it...nothing to do sex0r, making friends is whats its all about in life...

I appreciate there help dont get me wrong but when they expect something rude in return, then Im sorry Im not interested........

 

I appreciate where you're coming from, but from a male perspective, I helped a single female to install a battery charger on her boat - not because I fancied her (I didn't), but just because I'm a helpful person and didn't want to see her wreck a new set of batteries and I'd have done exactly the same if it was a guy. However, I got the distinct impression that she was on the defensive, so I think sometimes women can become hyper-sensitive about these things (probably for good reason, just a shame that some women fail to spot the difference).

Edited by blackrose
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My husband works odd hours at different times of the year. Whenevery possible he books us into a marina overnight or few days if he is away, really to stop him worrying, but I have been left 'all over the towpath' so to speak , and as yet not had a problem, except for rope cutting on the odd occasion and the car broken into once . Saying that I have been burgled whilst running a nightclub , had a loaded sawn off shotgun pointed at me and monies demanded ( and I was in my own bed asleep at the time), so I'm bit wary of bumps in the night, my advice , good locks, external lights that can been turned on from inside, a powerful torch and a loud whistle, and unless there is a problem inside the boat stay inside with doors locked if at all worried. No I'm not afraid of the dark , still walk the towpath and talk to all, just a little aware of possible problems.Bunny.

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As a single female (not liveaboard) I have plenty of single blokes moored up around me. I maybe give them the wrong impression, as I talk to everyone or anyone (part of my job and personality im afraid), prolly just me, but they always seem to go out there way to help me/talk to me....which is nice but I always get the impression after the offer of coming on there boat and a drink they expect something else, due to past boyfriends I guess this has made me insecure...so I do one...but the genuine ones have always been there the next day......

Should I be harder and tell them to foook off? or be nice and them think they in with a chance? or is there there an inbetween?....I'd like to think so.....

Do me a favour and someday I might return it...nothing to do sex0r, making friends is whats its all about in life...

I appreciate there help dont get me wrong but when they expect something rude in return, then Im sorry Im not interested........

 

I think there are men that need to be told to 'fook off' and some who you can tread a line in between with - but knowing which is which is the hard part - if previous boyfriends have treated you badly maybe you find it understandably harder to spot the good guys - but IMHO you are better off erring on the side of caution - and as you say the genuine ones won't be put off - good luck

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I've never had any problems living on my own in a boat. I just take the usual care over walking in the dark, tend to carry a torch but not use it unless I really need to, as it kills my night vision, and have never been worried or frightened either.

 

In fact, my biggest worry is falling in the cut in the dark because I've misjudged my step.

 

I don't know whether I've been lucky but on the whole the men I've met have been friendly, helpful and protective rather than threatening which was a refreshing and delightful change after years of problems living with someone who claimed to love me.

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I don't live onboard alone, but if you live aboard and cruise, there are times when you just cannot avoid coming home in the dark.

 

There are bits of towpath I don't walk at night - I often cycle instead if the towpath is in good condition. TBH I've felt more vulnerable when cycling on country roads at night to get back to the boat - despite being head to foot high viz and bright bike lights, I don't think motorists out in the sticks expect to see commuter cyclists.

 

It has been a relief to arrive at the pitch dark towpath!

Edited by Lady Muck
awful writing
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I sometimes wondered if I was safe as a male when surrounded by female party-goers when I worked at a night club years ago. Some would actually pinch your ass. I even worked in a kitchen once where female chefs pinched your ass.

Having got that off my chest, maybe learning a martial art is a way to get more confidence. Apparently quite a few American women are taking up kickboxing these days.

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As a lone woman about to move onboard soon , i think that you have to be extreemly aware of dangerous situations whether you live alone on a boat or in a house, good security is essential on both.But i also agree that having confidence can be a powerful tool to have as people who look confident and seem unafraid ( even if you are quakign in yer boots lol ) are a very visual deterent to possible weird folk. But I also have a dog who is also another visual deterent.The majority of boaters are decent folk but sadly in life you will find a few that are not genuine, you just have to be alert to this and hopefully you will have a wonderful life onboard. :)

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