What do you like about living onboard?

[Sarah and Ian]

Hi

 

Try a holiday on one first - Summer and Winter

 

Alex

 

We were the same. We got seduced by the lifestyle looked at a few boats with a view to buy then we went hang on had we better not have a holiday first. We had a holiday in the March of 2009, loved it booked again for the summer then decided to seize the day and we bought Dignity a 45 footer that we used for weekends and Holidays. Me made ourselves go down every weekend friday nights with -8 tempretures etc. And we still loved it wrapped in a duvet waiting for the boat to warm up!! Put the house on the market this January sold Dignity and bought a sixty footerr which we have been on since the end of April and still love it. Squirrel Stove gets the boat toasty warm and we have the diesel central heating as a back up. Gas bottle lasts 4 months.

 

I can see its not for everyone but we can't imagine living on land for a long long time.

[trishnsmidgen]

I bought a boat after having problems renting with pets so I like living with my dog and cat with no hassles - also like moving about, being close to nature, the people on the canals, generating my own power, the peaceful surroundings, no household bills, and just living a different lifestyle and pace to bricks and mortar dwelling

[Flocal]

 

Mostly the feeling of being on holiday as soon as I get home - seven days a week and 52 weeks a year

 

That put a smile on my face, best so far! Tonite i will go home from work and have that mind set from this day on.

 

Edited October 24, 2011 by Flocal

[sebrof]

That put a smile on my face, best so far! Tonite i will go home from work and have that mind set from this day on.

 

 

I have to say it's exactly how I feel too. When people look at me strangely, and ask "Be honest, wouldn't you, really, rather live in a house?", I say "no, this is like being on holiday every day".

 

And it is.

[Travis]

This will be our eight winter living on Travis, and it will be probably be our last.

 

Dont get me wrong, we love the life, always have, but we are thinking about early retirement and having the freedom to travel more. Theres only so many canals and we feel we need to stretch out a bit more, we've seen/sailed most of the English canal system over the last thirty years.

 

Shortly we should be able to put a bid in on a cottage 'int village, 'cant leave here....

 

Have any regrets about living on a boat? No!

Did we enjoy our time on Travis? Yes!

Would we do it again? Err, I suppose so.

 

Andy.

[sueb]

It does, Chris. I was attempting to be funny - although I must say a longer flue will improve things this winter!

We found plenty of fuel overnight was the answer.

Sue

[cereal tiller]

I have to say it's exactly how I feel too. When people look at me strangely, and ask "Be honest, wouldn't you, really, rather live in a house?", I say "no, this is like being on holiday every day".

 

And it is.

i get asked that question often,i can stand 2-3 nights ashore,then i get anxious about returning to my floating home.

 

the first time i slept aboard my own boat was the 4th of may 1973!we had our honeymoon on that boat 3 days later.

 

i have owned several houses since,but have only lived ashore for about 2 years of the last 38.

 

i found that females can no longer drag me by the hair to a house,simply because there is not much hair left!

Edited October 24, 2011 by cereal tiller

[luctor et emergo]

Don't believe the hype.....

 

Dragging bags of coal down the somme towpath.

 

Take shopping down same.

 

When it's pissing down,, lile tonight.

 

Dragging toilet cassettes down the.... Yeah, you know.

 

Watching the level of the pump-out tank rise, with no pump-put near

 

the drone of next door's engine/generator, deep into the evening

 

the drone of your own engne, trying to put some charge into your battery nbank, which shoud really be replaced...

 

I could go on...

[Pykebird]

I also love the freedom and independance living on a boat gives me. When i needed to move areas, I looked for jobs in various place within a sensible distance of canal/river so expanded my chance of finding work.

I love the fact that wherever you go on the system you will always meet old friends, and the other people are just friends you have yet to meet.

The dogs get to meet and greet a wide range of dogs and scare a whole new lot of locals!

Exploring new areas and finding the best shops, pubs etc. Being able to shut the back doors and isolating yourself from the world , or opening the side hatch to chat to people passing, the choice is mine. I could go on and on.....Makes me feel so grateful

[cereal tiller]

Don't believe the hype.....

 

Dragging bags of coal down the somme towpath.

 

Take shopping down same.

 

When it's pissing down,, lile tonight.

 

Dragging toilet cassettes down the.... Yeah, you know.

 

Watching the level of the pump-out tank rise, with no pump-put near

 

the drone of next door's engine/generator, deep into the evening

 

the drone of your own engne, trying to put some charge into your battery nbank, which shoud really be replaced...

 

I could go on...

you forgot to mention the deep anxiety you suffered over your gearbox adjustment,even fellatio nelson would havr been daunted by such a maritime mechanical conundrum?

[luctor et emergo]

you forgot to mention the deep anxiety you suffered over your gearbox adjustment,even fellatio nelson would havr been daunted by such a maritime mechanical conundrum?

 

No, that's the same for boat or motor cycle related mechanicals. Not just boat related...

 

Did I mention diesel bug?

 

Receiving post?

 

A nagging gurgling sound, below the waterline?

 

Mooring where there is no tv or wifi signal?

 

Or a pub.........

 

I could go on

[system 4-50]

Addendum

 

My unfavourite things about living on board:-

 

6. The obsession of all other boaters with owning dogs. It is possible to have a full and rich life without owning even a single dog, honest.

Edited October 24, 2011 by system 4-50

[Lady Muck]

The absolute worst thing of all about boating? when you get a 24 hour vomiting virus in the winter (meaning that you are really too ill to keep the fire in properly), especially when you have a cassette loo

 

Good thing: No annoying doorbell, so no door to door salesmen/witnesses etc.

[DeanS]

I havent got a spam phone call in months!

I had to empty 2 elsan casettes today.

I had to carry a heavy gas bottle back to the boat.

I had to fix a shower pump this week.

I have to make a coal fire every day.

I have to shift things to keep the boat from listing to one side.

The tv often blurs when the wind blows. (boat moves=aerial moves)

 

Would I want to live on land. You must be kidding. There is an unexplained peace I get from living on water. I dont know why. We're in a marina at the moment. I saw a boat moving recently, and got withdrawl symtoms immediately.

[rgreg]

There's just something very therapeutic about water.

[FrigateCaptain]

THE BEST BITS

 

Owning our home

Great for our son growing up

Bumping into boaters you haven't seen for months

Getting iced in beside a waterpoint

If one of the very few people I don't like moor next to me, I can sod off waving 2 fingers.

And the very best bit?

Being so close to my shoots

 

The shit bits:

Stupid persons on the towpath

More stupid persons on boats

Engine problems

Iced in not near a waterpoint

Inconsiderate and degenerate persons who run engines/gen sets all night( like last night)

People looking in your Windows

People taking pictures of you and your house and putting in a calendar

People thinking they have a right to touch your cat/child. Now these are really nasty!

 

I could go on

Edited November 16, 2011 by Theo
Sorry but we had a complaint about the language.

[Ssscrudddy]

People thinking they have a right to touch your child

 

You can have them arrested for that you know

[FrigateCaptain]

It's always old dears doing the whole cheek squeezing thing, threats of violence make it stop though

[sebrof]

It's always old dears doing the whole cheek squeezing thing, threats of violence make it stop though

 

Let 'em touch. Where's the harm?

 

I always stroke other people's dogs.

[FrigateCaptain]

Married? If so, I'll stroke your wife. Fun?

 

Just winds me up, leave my kid/cat alone. Simple

 

 

Oh, and do you ask the owner first?

[Flocal]

So far its got to be the 'coming home to the boat and feeling as if you are on holiday every day' reason that is winning for me.

 

Ive tried to adopt that this week and its worked, altho that feeling soon slips away when the alarm goes off at 7am

[Travis]

FG....Did you ask me if its OK for your dog to sniff my crutch?

 

Y'need to move on Mate.

[sebrof]

Married? If so, I'll stroke your wife. Fun?

 

Just winds me up, leave my kid/cat alone. Simple

 

 

Oh, and do you ask the owner first?

 

Relax, old chap. You'll live longer.

 

But for your information, I make sure that both owner and hound look friendly before I make any contact. So you will have nothing to fear.

[FrigateCaptain]

FG....Did you ask me if its OK for your dog to sniff my crutch?

 

Y'need to move on Mate.

 

If that's directed at me, I don't see where I mentioned that I owned a dog

[Martin Megson]

Hi Folks,

I'm new to the forum and am just in the process of buying my first boat ready for my retirement next spring. Planning to spend a few weeks on it in winter to help me decide if I want to be live aboard full time or just use it for months at a time in the sumer. Great to hear so menu views on life aboard.

 

Martin