Twighlight years & managing a boat

[Zayna]

I am more scared of owning property as I get older.

 

If I don't finish my days on a narrowboat, it will be in a static caravan on a friendly site somewhere, or a small flat in a sheltered block or something. I don't want to be on my todd in a pile of bricks and mortar which will be depreciating at a rate of knots because I'm too decrepit to maintain it.

 

The bricks and mortar are losing value as I type, because I'm too LAZY to maintain it. Or rather, I'm too busy playing narrowboats every spare moment I get.

 

I say go for it. I wish I'd had the opportunity years ago.

[ziggy]

 

I haven't read what everybody else has said yet, and perhaps I should, but 3 gins in, I'm writing to you anyway.

 

I did the same thing as you, thought a lot, got cold feet, warm and cold and warm again... etc

 

I am 46, I have familial osteo-arthritis starting, I have 'Catastrophic Hyperacusis' (you might need to look that one up!), I have periodic extreme clinical depression, I am awake every night with joint pain and am probably pre-menopausal if my mood swings are anything to go by..... BUT....

 

In the end, I boiled it down to this, and my mother said it to me in fact: Would I regret never having tried? Never tried living on a narrowboat, being more self sufficient after a divorce, living in a new community of folk who are largely as quirky as me (ace!), never trying to see whether I could get more proficient at fixing stuff instead of always getting help?

 

Would I REALLY be happy selling out that particular dream and living in a crappy bedsit in Oswestry, hating that solitary existence and wishing I had given the whole boat thing a go?

 

In the end, it was my mother's adventurous spirit that spurred me on to say: "Yes, I'm going to try this - if it doesn't work out, well, at least I tried".

 

I'll end my life with lots of regrets. I didn't want this to be one of them. I'm not preaching, I'm just saying. And I've had 3 gins - bear that in mind!

 

I've been rightfully chastised for over thinking stuff by folk here and they were right, but they didn't make me feel small. I knew they meant well. Most here do and I love them for it.

 

We are all just muddling on in life and making the best fist of it.

Just don't have too many regrets is all...

 

With my very best wishes to you,

 

K

Good to see your happy iv not been on for a bit ,but i believe if its ment to be it will happen , this is my second time round on the water , and its good

[Tom and Bex]

 

I believe many councils will now spend quite considerable money adapting existing homes to allow older people with health and social care needs to remain in their home, eg stairlifts, grab rails, bath hoist, etc. I don't know if they'd do the same at a marina or boat.

 

I work in stroke rehab and recently we had a patient who lived on a narrow boat and he refused offers of alternative accommodation offered by the local council. Eventually the council agreed to fund some big alterations to his boat including cutting out a section of the gunnel at the front to allow level access and modifications to the front steps possibly to include a ramp, can't remember exact details now. This was in addition to the usual additional handrails etc inside.

 

He also went home with a package of care although whether this included emptying loo cassettes and topping up the water tank I don't know! So it is possible to stay on your boat longer than most people think.

 

Tom