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Full time boaters - any regrets?


Martin Megson

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I'm retired and have had my boat for a little over 2 years. I realise I am spending more and more time onboard and consequently less and less time in my house. I've just realised that last year i spent 40 weeks on the boat. The house is now becoming an inconvenience as I have to frequently pop home to check all is well and to comply with the insurance requirements. I've therefore come to the conclusion that it's time to move onto the boat full time, become a CCer and rent the house out to bring in some extra income.

 

I'm fairly confident that I'm doing the right thing and just wondered if anyone who has done the same has any regrets or tips for the newbie live aboard.

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We did this 25yrs ago and don't regret it. You are making the right decision to keep the house. Think about letting rooms and keeping one for yourself. You can then go back at anytime to check up.

This is what we did, don't regret it one bit, 3 years now.

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Only regret (ish) was selling the house to buy the boat just before a property boom! It made sense at the time but it would be nice to have the security of a small bricks and mortar for the future. So keep your house rented out and you'll be fine!

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Many thanks for all the positive encouraging comments. I'm quite content with life afloat its just finding my way around all those little obstacles. My furniture has no sentimental value so I'm thinking it may work out better value to sell it rather than pay storage which could end up costing more than the furniture is worth. I need to understand how to live without a permanent address. I'm ok with mail as I can have it she to one of children but what I do about things like the bank etc.

 

I'm perusing the forum for tips and if anyone can recommend a web site or book it would be appreciated.

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I'm perusing the forum for tips and if anyone can recommend a web site or book it would be appreciated.

 

When we were thinking about Martin (but didn't in the end) we bought this book on the strength of it's reviews.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Liveaboard-Guide-Living-Waterways/dp/1408145553/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1391501798&sr=8-1

 

Obviously I can't testify as to whether the info. in it is actually useful from a personal experience perspective but as I say the reviews on Amazon were good.

Edited by The Dog House
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Hi gang,

Absolutely no regrets at all, 26yrs living / traveling afloat,& counting.

Not all been smiles & dreamlike,& still learning but doubt i would ever go back into bricks n morter again.

In fact,I'm thinking of selling my current boat,& buying another,so I can explore just that bit further afield,with a bit more freedom,& live just that bit more self sufficiently & cheaper during the next phase of my life.

No,no regrets,and feel very privileged experiencing the life,places & people I've been & met.

I think,that weather you live/travel afloat for a year,5years or more,isn't the point,it's actually living & doing what your happy & comfortable with that enriches your life.

I think,there's more people that regret not doing it,than people that did,for however long they 'lived there dream'

Edited by Paul's Nulife4-2
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I'm retired and have had my boat for a little over 2 years. I realise I am spending more and more time onboard and consequently less and less time in my house. I've just realised that last year i spent 40 weeks on the boat. The house is now becoming an inconvenience as I have to frequently pop home to check all is well and to comply with the insurance requirements. I've therefore come to the conclusion that it's time to move onto the boat full time, become a CCer and rent the house out to bring in some extra income.

 

I'm fairly confident that I'm doing the right thing and just wondered if anyone who has done the same has any regrets or tips for the newbie live aboard.

 

You are talking to the converted here though. If 40 of those weeks weren't during the winter months then I would head down to the boat now and live full time, and if we get a winter you'll then know if you can cope. As you know it's not that it's cold on the boat but, it's more emptying of cassettes toilets or getting to a pump out and of filling with water due to frozen water taps that's harder during these months.

 

6 year liveaboard (to the day) and no regrets...

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I have one regret, its too short another eight feet would have been nice and the paint is the wr..........

I have two regrets its too short and the paint is the wrong colour and the shower is the wr...........

I have three regrets its too short and the paint is the wrong colour and the shower is the wrong way round and............

I have four regrets................................biggrin.png

  • Greenie 1
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I have one regret, its too short another eight feet would have been nice and the paint is the wr..........

I have two regrets its too short and the paint is the wrong colour and the shower is the wr...........

I have three regrets its too short and the paint is the wrong colour and the shower is the wrong way round and............

I have four regrets................................:D

Ahh,there not regrets,that just boating !.

But another 8ft would have been nice,that's an office / Storage / sulking cabin !.

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Thanks again for all the helpful advice. I have no concerns about actually living aboard, I spent last winter moored on the flooded Thames above Oxford and had to wade through a foot of water to the village until I could get her back down to the lock. I'm currently onboard on the Gt Ouse near Ely - must remember to keep off the rivers in winter.

 

I perhaps didn't make it clear in my OP but I was more concerned about the practicalities of running your life without a bricks and mortar address which the authorities seem to require you to have. Again thanks for the helpful advice and links. Any lingering doubts are gone and I have made an appointment with a letting agent so will see how it goes from here.

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You are talking to the converted here though. If 40 of those weeks weren't during the winter months then I would head down to the boat now and live full time, and if we get a winter you'll then know if you can cope. As you know it's not that it's cold on the boat but, it's more emptying of cassettes toilets or getting to a pump out and of filling with water due to frozen water taps that's harder during these months.

 

6 year liveaboard (to the day) and no regrets...

Happy Anniversary Robbo !.

 

Frozen Taps,Falling in,Cold icey footpaths. Happy days.

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If you have the time and inclination to manage the let of your house yourself, then skip the letting agent. I have been a tennant in two properties where the landlord has wanted to sort things out for us, but has been unable to because of slow incompetent agents, and meanwhile we, the tennants are sitting there with no hot water/front door key etc... In the first instance the landlord then tried to leave the agency, but found himself locked in to a contract with them. In the second instance, with my current (but soon to be ex) landlady, she also wanted to leave the agency, and we ended up having to fake 'moving out', to terminate the tenancy in the eyes of the agency, just so that we could set up a private contract. Been there 5 years since that, really appreciate dealing with landlady directly.

 

Obviously this does depend on how reachable you want to remain while on board, but in this age of mobile phones it shouldn't be difficult.

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If you are not an experienced landlord,much safer to let through a well established agent.In order to comply with the law,paper work is critical. Make sure that the tenants key deposit is in an account that is not available to the agents trading business .By all means,retain management yourself, This might be tricky if you are cruising away from base and dont have access to a car. You will need an annual inspection of any gas instalation and a landlords test certificate.Make sure you have LANDLORDS insurance on the property.Rules are changing relating to the thermal efficiency of let property.From next year,tenants will be able to require landlords to improve insulation.From memory,certain properies will not be letable from 2017 if they are less than an E rating.Take care to choose your tenants.Your letting agent will do credit checks and require a reference from previous landlords.Personaly,I also like to interview tenants myself.A good relationship between landlord and tenant is a most desireable thing.Unfortunately,when things go wrong it can produce a lot of grief.

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I regret no longer being a full-time boater.

Couldn't agree more - we had 7 years living on board and wish we still did.

 

If you have the time and inclination to manage the let of your house yourself, then skip the letting agent. I have been a tennant in two properties where the landlord has wanted to sort things out for us, but has been unable to because of slow incompetent agents, and meanwhile we, the tennants are sitting there with no hot water/front door key etc... In the first instance the landlord then tried to leave the agency, but found himself locked in to a contract with them. In the second instance, with my current (but soon to be ex) landlady, she also wanted to leave the agency, and we ended up having to fake 'moving out', to terminate the tenancy in the eyes of the agency, just so that we could set up a private contract. Been there 5 years since that, really appreciate dealing with landlady directly.

 

Obviously this does depend on how reachable you want to remain while on board, but in this age of mobile phones it shouldn't be difficult.

Lets hope the agent is not into boat forums.

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If you are not an experienced landlord,much safer to let through a well established agent.In order to comply with the law,paper work is critical. Make sure that the tenants key deposit is in an account that is not available to the agents trading business .By all means,retain management yourself, This might be tricky if you are cruising away from base and dont have access to a car. You will need an annual inspection of any gas instalation and a landlords test certificate.Make sure you have LANDLORDS insurance on the property.Rules are changing relating to the thermal efficiency of let property.From next year,tenants will be able to require landlords to improve insulation.From memory,certain properies will not be letable from 2017 if they are less than an E rating.Take care to choose your tenants.Your letting agent will do credit checks and require a reference from previous landlords.Personaly,I also like to interview tenants myself.A good relationship between landlord and tenant is a most desireable thing.Unfortunately,when things go wrong it can produce a lot of grief.

 

I have never let or rented a property so I'm quite happy to pay a good agent to deal with everything for me, well worth a small cut to deal with everything and let me enjoy my boating :-)

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