(Not) Living afloat.....why?

[NealSmith100]

Hi

 

Some of you may be familiar with thread in which i explained why I wanted to live afloat and the issues that Mrs Neal had expressed interest in.

 

In the interests of balance, I was wondering the reasons that people who used to live aboard (but still hang around canal boat forums!) had ceased to do it, what they regretted at the end and how long they did it for before moving back on land and any adjustments that they had going back.

 

In other words, what can possibly go wrong both to end the dream and re-establishing "normal" life.

 

Over to you.......

[Phil Ambrose]

Sorry, nothing to say but still living aboard at 70 still cruising and still loving it. I'm sure there will be a few along soon.

Phil

[MissMax]

This sound like it's going to be a useful thread for me, i'll know what 'not' to do

[AndyV]

I lived on a boat for 11 years before moving "on the bank". That was nearly 20 years ago but a good part of my thinking now is devoted to how I can get back to living on a boat as soon as possible.

I have tried to think of issues or problems that might put you off the idea but, sorry, I can't help.

Just do it!

 

Andy

[NealSmith100]

This sound like it's going to be a useful thread for me, i'll know what 'not' to do

 

 

Or not. Apparently there is zero downside and nothing can go wrong!

[Ray T]

 

 

Or not. Apparently there is zero downside and nothing can go wrong!

 

Plenty can go wrong but it is considered bad form, by some, to voice such examples on CWDF. I have been called defeatist in the past for doing so.

 

Met a lady, who lived on her boat, at All Oaks Wood on the North Oxford a few years ago for whom it had gone considerably wrong. She had no house to fall back on.

 

Mrs T and myself are fortunate enough to be able to have a boat and a house on the land. By profession we were both Project Managers, for different companies, and part of managing projects is the "What if scenario". If something can go wrong it will, you just need a plan to deal with it.

 

Also in life we will hopefully grow old and to me, a house is more convenient, safer place to live when I am old and doddery.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Ray T

[Arthur Brown]

Just remember that a boat is a depreciating asset rather than a house being an appreciating asset.

[AndyV]

While I was on a boat I saw many people move onto a boat excited about the future. Most (like me) then had a sharp learning curve and most then stayed on their boats for a number of years. Some, it is true, became disillusioned after a few months.

My learning curve mostly consisted of getting into the routines for keeping things topped up. The boat was built for living on but neither the builder or myself knew enough about liveaboards so some things were wrong.

The boat had gas for cooking, heating and hot water, a large generator and solid fuel stoves. The engine also heated hot water.

Gas heating was too expensive to run and, with the solid fuel burner, totally unnecessary anyway. I doubt it was used more than a dozen times while I owned the boat.

The Wood burner was brilliant and heated the 70ft boat perfectly. I got used to controlling it so it "stayed in" for weeks sometimes.

Diesel capacity was OK but would have needed (much) more if, as many boats now, we had diesel heating.

Fresh water capacity was as for a holiday boat, and nowhere near enough. I had a "round tuit" plan to add a second tank but never got a......

Battery capacity was far too small when the boat was new, in the second year I quadrupled it and added about 100amps of Charles Sterlings battery chargers (I bought one of his first). After that there was about 2 days of 12V. We only had a very small inverter.

Pump out (the only way in my view but that's for another thread) capacity was enough for 11 weeks.

The trick with power was to get into a routine to run the genny for a minimum of 2 hours every other day. During this two hours we could cope with the washing, the dishwashing (no rough dry hands for me) and at the same time charge batteries.

There were other things to learn, like coping with being frozen in, but this was all fun rather than a chore.

Perhaps the most important thing to learn is that other boaters love to help you if they can. As a newby I received a great deal of help and advice early on and later I was only too happy to help others. It seemed to me the ones who struggled were the ones who were reluctant to take help when on hand.

 

Your learning curve will be different from mine, but I am sure you will enjoy it just as much. Especially if you see learning as a challenge and a bit of fun rather than a problem. Most boaters seem to.

[NealSmith100]

While I was on a boat I saw many people move onto a boat excited about the future. Most (like me) then had a sharp learning curve and most then stayed on their boats for a number of years. Some, it is true, became disillusioned after a few months.

My learning curve mostly consisted of getting into the routines for keeping things topped up. The boat was built for living on but neither the builder or myself knew enough about liveaboards so some things were wrong.

The boat had gas for cooking, heating and hot water, a large generator and solid fuel stoves. The engine also heated hot water.

Gas heating was too expensive to run and, with the solid fuel burner, totally unnecessary anyway. I doubt it was used more than a dozen times while I owned the boat.

The Wood burner was brilliant and heated the 70ft boat perfectly. I got used to controlling it so it "stayed in" for weeks sometimes.

Diesel capacity was OK but would have needed (much) more if, as many boats now, we had diesel heating.

Fresh water capacity was as for a holiday boat, and nowhere near enough. I had a "round tuit" plan to add a second tank but never got a......

Battery capacity was far too small when the boat was new, in the second year I quadrupled it and added about 100amps of Charles Sterlings battery chargers (I bought one of his first). After that there was about 2 days of 12V. We only had a very small inverter.

Pump out (the only way in my view but that's for another thread) capacity was enough for 11 weeks.

The trick with power was to get into a routine to run the genny for a minimum of 2 hours every other day. During this two hours we could cope with the washing, the dishwashing (no rough dry hands for me) and at the same time charge batteries.

There were other things to learn, like coping with being frozen in, but this was all fun rather than a chore.

Perhaps the most important thing to learn is that other boaters love to help you if they can. As a newby I received a great deal of help and advice early on and later I was only too happy to help others. It seemed to me the ones who struggled were the ones who were reluctant to take help when on hand.

 

Your learning curve will be different from mine, but I am sure you will enjoy it just as much. Especially if you see learning as a challenge and a bit of fun rather than a problem. Most boaters seem to.

 

 

Thanks for this Andy

Just remember that a boat is a depreciating asset rather than a house being an appreciating asset.

 

 

Mrs Neal has reminded me It's something I need to plan for somehow.....

[Retardedrocker]

 

At the end of September I will be starting my third year living aboard. There's just me and I can't imagine myself ever moving back onto the bank: I have never been happier.

 

The only reason I can come up with for (couples) leaving the cut is that there isn't enough room for shoes and not enough electric for hair dryers.

 

T.

[Arthur Brown]

I often use the term "electrofrugal" with respect to boat life. Usually there is very little electricity available compared with a normal "mains" home.

 

Washing machines, dish washers, coffee roasters and lots of other useful appliances will give you special concerns, the lack of hairdrier and curlers/straighteners could be a serious problem for the woman in your life.

 

Hire a boat for a week and see how it feels.

[Edders]

Me and my wife have recently moved back onto dry land after 14 years of living on board. This wasn't the original plan but my wife's arthritis deteriorated over the past couple of years and she no longer had the ability and confidence to get on and off the boat as easily as she used to. Also we bought a caravan in the Scottish Highlands near the coast a few years ago and loved it there so much that when I recently retired we decided to sell the boat and live in the caravan. That was 10 weeks ago and so far no regrets. It might have been a different decision however, had we not had the caravan to go to. As people have said, it is not always financially possible to go back into bricks and mortar.

 

I can honestly say that living where we do now, it more than makes up for not living on the boat. Although, it is possible that we may look for boat in the future for holidays. Of course, I could always take up 'lumpy water boating' as there is a sailing club not too far from us

[NealSmith100]

I often use the term "electrofrugal" with respect to boat life. Usually there is very little electricity available compared with a normal "mains" home.

 

Washing machines, dish washers, coffee roasters and lots of other useful appliances will give you special concerns, the lack of hairdrier and curlers/straighteners could be a serious problem for the woman in your life.

 

Hire a boat for a week and see how it feels.

 

We've hired before and are doing so again in a few weeks.

 

And we'd need to spend most of our time in a Marina as we both working Birmingham......I expected a biased view of people who has lived afloat and were still doing so, but it still makes me feel better.

[Catnip King]

I moved back to land from my last boat. We got sick of being cramped in... only 45ft cruiser stern with 3 pets... so that was that. I setup a business and we lived in a house but absolutely hated it. I kept browsing boats even though we never said we'd go back but I saw one and showed my partner and we both loved it and its the boat we have now.. not such a bad story lol

 

So main reason I ended up leaving was I bought the wrong boat. rushed into it. But take your time find right boat it will call to you.

Edited August 28, 2016 by Catnip King

[Rickent]

Why worry about what might happen. Live for the moment, grasp life with both hands and live it.

[tillergirl]

We were given one piece of advice....." if you don't try you will end up regretting not trying". Almost 4 years now.....visits to land living feel really strange now....

Edited August 28, 2016 by tillergirl

[Dave Payne]

I often use the term "electrofrugal" with respect to boat life. Usually there is very little electricity available compared with a normal "mains" home.

 

Washing machines, dish washers, coffee roasters and lots of other useful appliances will give you special concerns, the lack of hairdrier and curlers/straighteners could be a serious problem for the woman in your life.

 

Hire a boat for a week and see how it feels.

 

 

haha now that has to be about me, unless you know someon else with a coffee roaster?

[Rickent]

We were given one piece of advice....." if you don't try you will end up regretting not trying". Almost 4 years now.....visits to land living feel really strange now....

 

We jumped in with both feet 18 months ago and wouldn't change a thing, i do think that sometimes in life you can over analyse things and end up talking yourself out of doing it.

As has been said, the only regret you may have, is not doing it.

[Sea Dog]

We jumped in with both feet 18 months ago and wouldn't change a thing, i do think that sometimes in life you can over analyse things and end up talking yourself out of doing it.

As has been said, the only regret you may have, is not doing it.

Both feet can be OK - as long as you don't have both eyes shut too!

 

Many do.

[Bunny]

Funnily enough we are thinking about moving back onto land, not because we are disenchanted with living aboard but have been made an offer we really can't afford to turn down by one of my husbands bosses . We have a house in which our daughter and husband live, but we chose to live on our boat for 12 years . We had her built as a live aboard have cruised as much of the system we can fit into ( 62ft) . Most of it several times. Bits that most people wouldn't attempt . The mud can get you down , just like a crisp morning can lift you up , ducks tapping on the side of the boat , swans popping their head in the side hatch all great . Have enjoyed all of it , except for the expense of replacing things that go wrong, fishing the cat or my husband out of the cut and not getting a TV signal for the end of a series. We wouldn't have thought of going back onto land but for a few factors . My husbands legs are really hurting working the locks and long distance walking , he's not the type to only do half a job , it's his feet and even with his ankles in braces it wouldn't help the pain much . I cant work the locks since the locks messed me up so badly I had to have a hysterectomy. We have been offered a beautiful house with a large garden on a country estate all expenses paid along with paid visits to a villa in South of France ( to check that all is ok) . All contracted for our protection . We really can't say no . So after 12 great years were are thinking about putting Grey fisher up for sale this winter . Would we do it all again ...... to right . Bunny

[Carrie]

Don't blame you Bunny, that house sounds like a lovely alternative to boat life and you've certainly made the most of your years afloat.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Carrie

[Alan de Enfield]

............ one of my husbands bosses .............

 

Do you have many husbands ?

[Peter X]

Bunny, you're one of several people I've met or heard of who find their ability to go boating restricted by declining health, often due to lacking the strength to operate the more difficult locks (or that ridiculously stiff swing bridge on the K&A), or to knee problems. In your case it sounds as if the offer you've had to move back to land is too good to refuse, but I would encourage someone else in that position to carry on by talking friends and relatives into coming along as crew for a trip and do the locks, or using Crew Swap to find someone. Or there's always the approach of keeping a boat in a marina in an area with few locks, such as parts of the Coventry and North Oxford.

[David Schweizer]

I know quite a few people who lived on their boats, and cruised extensively for a number of years and enjoyed it, but they have all now moved back onto the bank. Reasons have varied, including failing physical health as they got older, but the most consistent reason was simply that they got fed up with living in such a confined space.

Edited August 30, 2016 by David Schweizer

[Bunny]

Our boat has winter moorings off the Kennet and Avon this year . Trying to get off the Thames can be such a pain in the Spring. There is nothing to say that Greyfisher will sell quickly and we may yet have another summer on her . Our heart is with the canals , our boat and travelling ,but it's not going to get easier . My husband is 74 full of energy , fit as a flea , except his legs (outside chopping wood at the moment ) . He will quite happily carry on working ( chauffeur and car collection) until he or I say enough or he or I arn't happy with his driving. He has, this morning collected insoles for his boots and shoes in an attempt to keep his ankles from turning over any further , if this doesn't work his ankles will have to be braced. None of this is nhs . They wouldn't fund it ,just wait till his ankles fuse and then give him sticks .We never thought we would live anywhere else, even though we have a house of our own , a bolt hole . Still not quite decided about what we should do . We have this opportunity to travel, have a garden the size of a smallholding ( with gardener if needed) . If we do this we will buy a motor home so we can still travel . Yep with solar panels !! . For the pet conscious of us you may be interested. ... The rabbit loves the space , still house trained and enjoys herself running up and down stairs , under the sofas and we had to buy a fire guard to keep her out of the fire ashes . Will let you know what we have decided when we know . Back on board soon , so if your around Birmingham give us a wave. Would I recommend having a back up plan .... The answers yes . We have and had (little house on Bournemouth ) now we are 18 miles from Buckingham palace in rural Surrey..... ain't life strange . Bunny

Edited August 30, 2016 by Bunny