Regreting living aboard

[sueb]

Does anyone regret selling the house and living aboard or do you regard this weather as a challenge?

Sue

[Artimis]

If you have regrets based on a few weeks challenging weather then maybe there is a greater underlying issue

 

If you have regrets based on a few weeks challenging weather then maybe there is a greater underlying issue

 

But, its better to regret something you have done, than to regret not having done it

[PiRSqwared]

Does anyone regret selling the house and living aboard or do you regard this weather as a challenge?

Sue

 

 

Clicky

[blackrose]

I never had a house to sell and for me the main problem of this weather is that I spend a lot of money on coal. Not so much of a challenge - just an increased expense.

[sociable_hermit]

I'm only a part-time liveaboard, but tbh I'm more bothered about the welfare of my boat when I'm away than anything else. Still love being on it, don't mind lugging the coal bags around etc. It is nice and snug indoors and the views in the morning are fantastic.

 

The only thing I'm not enjoying is the boat not moving - I keep compensating for movement that isn't there, thereby walking into things.

[mrsmelly]

Does anyone regret selling the house and living aboard or do you regard this weather as a challenge?

Sue

 

You must be joking, I owned my house outright and got so bored with it and renting it out that we eventualy got rid. What does this weather make any difference for ? My boat is superbly warm throughout and has every appliance a house has including the dishwasher etc.

When I get bored with a location I dont have any hassle I simply start the engine and off I go, we have lived all over the place in the last twenty odd years. Why is the weather a challenge, most seasoned liveaboards know only too well how to prepare for the winter thats why we obviously have some sort of cassette bog so it is NEVER an issue and I always make sure I am near enough to water to get filled up. The community we have here at Thrupp especialy with the winter moorers is far better than house dwelling communitys, we all know each others names, help each other out and eight of us have just met at the pub for the last couple of hours, how many people do you know in your house location ?

[DeanS]

As someone starting a liveaboard lifestyle in March next year, with family on board, I'm going into it with eyes wide open. I'm going to try and outwit next years bad winter....somehow. I'm installing extra water containers....£25 each from tesco, 100litre each...which stand upright. Might put them in the cratch somewhere. Making sure we have a mooring for winter with elec hookup, so we can dash to Tesco for more oil filled heaters if needed. Was going to go for a pumpout, but read on this forum about maintenance issues, so decided I would rather empty casettes every day, than a pumpout every week. I'm planning a 80Watt solar panel on the roof (just in case). I have a very old boat, with none of the modern accessories, but it does seem to have the exact same issues as new boats, but less to break. I had dirty water, but put in a £12 water filter inline. I think it helps to go into the boating lifestyle knowing that everything is out to trick you...and the challenge is to outwit it. I'm not speaking from experience though My boat is currently moored while I do renovations, and it has elec, and I had one small oil heater, and I froze... but I havent blocked all the holes yet )

 

I never had a house to sell and for me the main problem of this weather is that I spend a lot of money on coal. Not so much of a challenge - just an increased expense.

 

We aren't on our boat permanently yet...and we have the house radiators on permanently at the moment...so no difference

[canaldrifter]

As someone starting a liveaboard lifestyle in March next year, with family on board, I'm going into it with eyes wide open. I'm going to try and outwit next years bad winter....somehow. I'm installing extra water containers....£25 each from tesco, 100litre each...which stand upright. Might put them in the cratch somewhere. Making sure we have a mooring for winter with elec hookup, so we can dash to Tesco for more oil filled heaters if needed. Was going to go for a pumpout, but read on this forum about maintenance issues, so decided I would rather empty casettes every day, than a pumpout every week. I'm planning a 80Watt solar panel on the roof (just in case). I have a very old boat, with none of the modern accessories, but it does seem to have the exact same issues as new boats, but less to break. I had dirty water, but put in a £12 water filter inline. I think it helps to go into the boating lifestyle knowing that everything is out to trick you...and the challenge is to outwit it. I'm not speaking from experience though My boat is currently moored while I do renovations, and it has elec, and I had one small oil heater, and I froze... but I havent blocked all the holes yet )

 

 

 

We aren't on our boat permanently yet...and we have the house radiators on permanently at the moment...so no difference

 

 

Good stuff, Dean.

 

Tell you what though. I challenge Tim West to do a programme about live-aboards surviving a hard winter like this one. It might put off some of the hoorah henries that his programmes have attracted so far.

 

Tone

[mrsmelly]

As someone starting a liveaboard lifestyle in March next year, with family on board, I'm going into it with eyes wide open. I'm going to try and outwit next years bad winter....somehow. I'm installing extra water containers....£25 each from tesco, 100litre each...which stand upright. Might put them in the cratch somewhere. Making sure we have a mooring for winter with elec hookup, so we can dash to Tesco for more oil filled heaters if needed. Was going to go for a pumpout, but read on this forum about maintenance issues, so decided I would rather empty casettes every day, than a pumpout every week. I'm planning a 80Watt solar panel on the roof (just in case). I have a very old boat, with none of the modern accessories, but it does seem to have the exact same issues as new boats, but less to break. I had dirty water, but put in a £12 water filter inline. I think it helps to go into the boating lifestyle knowing that everything is out to trick you...and the challenge is to outwit it. I'm not speaking from experience though My boat is currently moored while I do renovations, and it has elec, and I had one small oil heater, and I froze... but I havent blocked all the holes yet )

 

 

 

We aren't on our boat permanently yet...and we have the house radiators on permanently at the moment...so no difference

You have the right idea by the sound of it, yes lecky hook up for winter is usefull, you already realise a pumpout bog is a stupid invention and of no use whatsoever to serious boaters and methinks you will love your move aboard............

[Lady Muck]

Does anyone regret selling the house and living aboard or do you regard this weather as a challenge?

Sue

 

The thought of having to go back to one of those brick things is what depresses me.

 

Tell you what though, I'm really pleased I've got a mooring (with electricity), even if we're only here in the winter and it costs us a fortune. It's nice to have the stove on, both laptops on and the heater on in the back without wondering when I'm next going to have to run the engine or how I'm going to fetch fuel.

 

The boat is always alot warmer than mums house as well (huge open plan modern place with enormous windows).

Edited December 21, 2010 by Lady Muck

[Cosmic]

It has certainly been a challenge living aboard through this weather, but then again I knew it would be, so I'm not put off in the slightest.

 

My only concern has been that, although she has taken to living aboard perfectly happily, Tigs is obviously really happy to be back in a nice warm, centrally heated flat at the moment. It really doesn't matter what I subject myself to but she is dependent on me to provide pretty much everything, and the only thing that could make me regret the decision to live aboard would be knowing that the moggy wasn't happy.

[DeanS]

I think the worst type of boating must be:

 

- stuck miles from no where

- no elec hookup

- diesel running low

- 12V lamps - bad lighting

- running out of wood/coal

- kids cold and bored

- water pipes frozen

- batteries dying

 

Compared to :

 

- Moored near a big city

- elec hookup

- no need for diesel

- 220V lamps plugged in

- oil heaters in every cabin

- TVs, DVDs, Computers for the kids

- battery charge on full

 

So...I would say it's what you make it?

[Bat & Frog]

You have the right idea by the sound of it, yes lecky hook up for winter is usefull, you already realise a pumpout bog is a stupid invention and of no use whatsoever to serious boaters and methinks you will love your move aboard............

Totally agree, our first winter and really snug. Multi fuel stove heats most of boat with oil filler lecky rad in bedroom just in case we forget to top up meter or stove goes out. I agree, why would anyone want a frozen pump out or have to carry cassettes to the car/ for miles when frozen when a compost loo needs changing every few months.......

Coat please

[Guest]

Does anyone regret selling the house and living aboard or do you regard this weather as a challenge?

Sue

 

If we are ever fortunate enough to be in a position to actually live aboard it might (probably will) involve selling our current house, but only to buy something smaller, our plans would never involve giving up a shore based 'bolt hole' to which one of us or both of us could retreat to if either of us were unable for whatever reason to continue to live on a boat.

 

The weather for me though would never be a valid reason to give up living aboard, it's crap at the moment for a lot of folks on the cut, totally agree, but it's only a couple of weeks and it's only been this year and last as far as I can remember, many years before that.

 

I would be happier walking/taxi-ing to the nearest Travelodge cheap hotel or B&B for a few nights than giving up all together..

 

So to answer your question a challenge, I bet it is, regrets, I'd have none.

[carlt]

Does anyone regret selling the house and living aboard or do you regard this weather as a challenge?

Sue

Dunno....Ask Bazza.

 

I've spent all today mopping out the outhouse as the washing machine inlet froze and split a pipe, inside the machine. I'm guessing an expensive strip down and repair, or a new machine, will be required.

 

We got the car off the street for the first time in over a week (how come every road in Rugby is clear, except ours?)...necessary because Swmbo slipped, on the ice, and damaged her knee. Of course if we were still on the boat, we'd still have the Land-Rover so the snow and ice wouldn't have been a problem.

 

Oh and the chimney needs sweeping, something I'd have done myself, on the boat, and I can't get a chimney sweep in before the New Year so the central heating is going to take a hammering (I hate central heating).

 

Life was so much easier, living on a 70 year old wooden boat, in the middle of the countryside.

 

I think the worst type of boating must be:

 

- stuck miles from no where

- no elec hookup

- diesel running low

- 12V lamps - bad lighting

- running out of wood/coal

- kids cold and bored

- water pipes frozen

- batteries dying

 

Compared to :

 

- Moored near a big city

- elec hookup

- no need for diesel

- 220V lamps plugged in

- oil heaters in every cabin

- TVs, DVDs, Computers for the kids

- battery charge on full

 

So...I would say it's what you make it?

 

It's also what you want out of it.

 

Option 2 sounds like the worst form of hell, to me.

[DeanS]

Dunno....Ask Bazza.

 

I've spent all today mopping out the outhouse as the washing machine inlet froze and split a pipe, inside the machine. I'm guessing an expensive strip down and repair, or a new machine, will be required.

 

We got the car off the street for the first time in over a week (how come every road in Rugby is clear, except ours?)...necessary because Swmbo slipped, on the ice, and damaged her knee. Of course if we were still on the boat, we'd still have the Land-Rover so the snow and ice wouldn't have been a problem.

 

Oh and the chimney needs sweeping, something I'd have done myself, on the boat, and I can't get a chimney sweep in before the New Year so the central heating is going to take a hammering (I hate central heating).

 

Life was so much easier, living on a 70 year old wooden boat, in the middle of the countryside.

 

 

 

It's also what you want out of it.

 

Option 2 sounds like the worst form of hell, to me.

 

I was talking about Nov till Feb only

[carlt]

I was talking about Nov till Feb only

In 10 years, living aboard, I never hooked up to shorepower once and the biggest place I stayed, more than one night, was Banbury.

[matty40s]

It's my third hard winter aboard, (although the first one was partially hook-up assisted)and I do not regret it.

It takes a lot of planning and weather watching, but is well worth it.

 

 

The days get longer from now.

[TheWilk]

I'm in a marina for the first time ever and not really getting much benefit out of it! I have to walk along quite treacherous pontoons (and the one I'm on isn't even as long as my boat, so getting to the bow involves walking along the gunnels) and down a big sloping gangplank. When I was on the Lancaster there were a few spots where I could get my car within a few feet of my boat, now I have an obstacle course and long walk to load up with fuel and gas bottles (though those electric gates do bring peace of mind).

 

And though I'm in about as urban a position you can get, its actually quite a hike to the nearest shop/post office/chippy. I miss being frozen in at Bolton-le-Sands with all of those on my doorstep AND stunning views of the snow-covered Lake District.

 

And the showers in this marina aren't even as good as the BW ones in Lancaster!

[carlt]

I have to walk along quite treacherous pontoons

One of the great things about a hard winter, on my mooring was that the mud and cow poo was solid.

[Chagall]

As a complete and utter novice and moving full time to a boat in the coldest winter for a long time....do I have regrets? Nope..none at all..granted Im on mains electric, water tap on a stanchion at the end of the boat (frozen at moment but my tanks full) diesel central heating, multi fuel stove with easy access to coal and wood so its not really roughing it but its still been enough of a culture shock and I LOVE IT! sorry, I felt like shouting that!

[Québec]

[snip].... The community we have here at Thrupp especialy with the winter moorers is far better than house dwelling communitys, we all know each others names, help each other out and eight of us have just met at the pub for the last couple of hours, how many people do you know in your house location ?

 

That depends on where and how you live. We live on a street of 34 houses near the centre of a large city - and we're on first name terms with everyone who lives on our street plus a few more in neighbouring streets. We all help each other out and look out for each other. I know that's rare, but it can't be unique.

 

Yes I'm sure there is a much more a sense of community amongst boaters, particularly live-aboards. That's to be expected: shared experiences, shared adversities, shared pleasures. But whilst we've met some wonderful people and made some great friends, it also has its fair share - and we've encountered some of them as well - of unsociable, miserable, curmudgeons.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Québec

[Guest]

One of the great things about a hard winter, on my mooring was that the mud and cow poo was solid.

 

I so remember that - moored in Braunston last Feb stepping off the (hire) boat to get siege rations from Londis with Dennis in tow thinking we would both get back covered in copious amounts of mud

 

- nope, clean as a whistle we were, struck me then, tow paths need a good hard frost in winter months..(but boaters need grippy boots!)

[bottle]

it also has its fair share - and we've encountered some of them as well - of unsociable, miserable, curmudgeons.

 

When did you meet me then?

[Guest]

so its not really roughing it - sorry, I felt like shouting that!

 

Shout away - that's a perfect point to make - living aboard is not about 'roughing it' unless someone particularly chooses to.

 

The choices liveaboards make as to the level of comfort and facilities their boat affords them is entirely a personal one - good luck to you.