One Year On

[Pykebird]

Coming up to 12 years for me. Perhaps I'm taking too much of it for granted but I don't see everything through quite the same rose tinted specs. Do people really live in this world where everything is wonderful and problems are just laughed away? Let's be honest, some bits of living on boats are great, while others can be a pain and I don't think there's anything wrong with getting pissed of with it sometimes. People deal with negative aspects of life in different ways. For me the positive aspects of living aboard vastly outweigh the negatives otherwise I wouldn't do it, but at the same time I prefer to recognise the negative aspects for what they are rather than deny them.

Couldn't agree more Blackrose, having spent 4 hours last night getting VERY close to my vacuflush loo!! I did look around at one point when the whole boat was in chaos and my friend and I had a large collection of bits and pieces instead of a complete unit. So I cleared some space, put the kettle on and made a cuppa. Good news is all mended and working again, plus I am now longer in the dark about the workings of the loo.

Before someone starts the cassettes v pump out saga, the point I am trying to make is on a boat , when things go wrong, you can't really just ignore them. But its how you deal with them that makes the difference. I am fully aware that each day something is likely to break, fall off or get lost (such as cushion cover I forgot to peg on line, opps), but I still wouldn't swop the life I have.

[comfortably numb]

Just over 14 months living aboard now. No regrets whatsoever. Having been hirers and boat sharers this was a natural progression, however it has been a bit painful paying the whole of the bills rather than a 12th of them. But that's far outweighed by having it all to ourselves.

 

Winter was fine, although it was a mild one which helped, and in the fine weather we are able to enjoy it far more than we ever did when we lived on the land. There've been a few problems along the way but as Black Rose says, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

 

Our plans for long cruising were shattered when after having retired last September I had to go back to working in February (family business problems and only temporary hopefully), but the lifestyle of living aboard is still there and we still get out and about on the boat. The nature/wildlife, the socialability, the relaxation etc is so wonderful.

 

For me it perfectly summed it all up the other day when I returned from work and had to stop the car and wait for the resident pair of swans and cignets to cross the track. I'd never have had to do that in suburbia..

[Miemie]

This time last year I was on my way to collect my boat from brokerage to begin my life as a liveaboard.

What a year it has been! Weather was almost identical but with added strong winds, which meant getting out of the marina was fun ......

Since then I've faced the biggest learning curve ever. As a hirer, I didn't have to think of lot more than where I was going and where the water points were!

As a liveaboard, I have to think of a hell of a lot more.

Ross

sounds like it was worth it we can't wait to do the same

And I will be living afloat by the end of September if all goes to plan

as u say if all goes to plan we are also planning to be a liveaboard on the 1st September and time is dragging