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LadyG

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OK, so I THINK it would suit me to move on to narrowboat, as a liveaboard. I have several worries.

I am OAP, and obviously health is not going to inprove as the years tick on.

My flat would have to be sold, and I would not be able to buy a replacement ,, as am unable to save at the moment, and I don't think liveaboard would be significantly cheaper.

My  cat is a former stray, and I would worry I would lose him as he is a bit nervy. He would probably manage to escape fairly easily.

It would not be easy to sell flat and buy boat in one day.

 

 

 

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16 minutes ago, ladygardener said:

OK, so I THINK it would suit me to move on to narrowboat, as a liveaboard. I have several worries.

I am OAP, and obviously health is not going to inprove as the years tick on.

My flat would have to be sold, and I would not be able to buy a replacement ,, as am unable to save at the moment, and I don't think liveaboard would be significantly cheaper.

My  cat is a former stray, and I would worry I would lose him as he is a bit nervy. He would probably manage to escape fairly easily.

It would not be easy to sell flat and buy boat in one day.

 

 

 

All Valid worries, i think i would have the same. 

You could hire first if funds allow. 

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Move in with your children while sorting out the transition.  Or pay a deposit on a boat while you sell the flat.  Do you expect the flat to sell for more than the boat's purchase price?

Edited by mross
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15 minutes ago, ladygardener said:

OK, so I THINK it would suit me to move on to narrowboat, as a liveaboard. I have several worries.

I am OAP, and obviously health is not going to inprove as the years tick on.

My flat would have to be sold, and I would not be able to buy a replacement ,, as am unable to save at the moment, and I don't think liveaboard would be significantly cheaper.

My  cat is a former stray, and I would worry I would lose him as he is a bit nervy. He would probably manage to escape fairly easily.

It would not be easy to sell flat and buy boat in one day.

 

 

 

Hi Ladygardener

 

Several things spring to mind the main one is do you REALY want to live on a boat? if you do then worry not. There will be many who read this and draw a sharp intake of breath through their teeth but they are the kind who worry about all such matters. I have no house and do I regret selling it? not on your nellie there is more than one way to live and a house with all its drawbacks and benefits is only one way. If you become too ill to live on a boat then you would be too ill to live in a house. You are already showing promise as a boater as you are right in assuming its not cheaper as it isnt. The cat will bloomin love it as did ours and all our dogs. It is quite feasable to move out the flat with your stuff in storage ( bin most of it ) and buy and move onto a boat within the next week. I moved from my last boat on a monday and into this one after having bought it and moving fully on on the friday three days after first seeing it. You will now get plenty of worriers giving you advice but you will have to sift through it yourself. We moved onto our first boat in 89 and its been a ball.

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I suspect that initially your mobility may well improve because that is what I find after a summer on the boat BUT I am sure that eventually you will find not only moving the boat but also routine maintenance of the boat and its equipment will get beyond you. Then the boat will become more and more difficult to live on and have a decent quality of life. I am sure many of us on here have seen boats where for one reason or another the owner has lost the ability to care for it and in many cases themselves adequately. How many years that will take is of course unknowable but what I will say is that I will be selling the boat in the next few years because I recognise boating will become dangerous with an increasing lack of mobility and strength AND that suggest I will not longer be able to look after it. I am 73. Then there are the increasing appointments for doctors & hospitals etc.

Please give this lots of thought. At least with a flat you have a Local Authority who more or less are obliged to take some care of you. I bet if you are living on a boat in a way that means that you do not pay council tax it would be very difficult to access the small amount of help a Local Authority will give.

Still if you think that you will remain active and with good health and strength until almost the last  then go for it but please give it lost of thought.

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Ty for replies.  I agree it seems it might be a good idea to give it a try by hiring, but, in fact I kind of think that it may or may not be "like" living aboard as a cc. Certainly I think I should gather a "feel" for boating by going to look at boats. This is not too easy, as I live in Scotland.

I have lived on a boat for a few months, which was fine, the marine part of it is not a concern.

I love the thought of waking up on a summers morning to the sound of the dawn chorus, and the adventure of travel to visit historic places.

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21 minutes ago, ladygardener said:

I love the thought of waking up on a summers morning to the sound of the dawn chorus

But the sounds of Winter mornings are just as nice - just 'different'

Canal Frozen and you cannot move so just watch the ducks skidding along the ice,

The toilet tank is full, listen to your 'partner' cry out as they get a 'blow-back'.

The water tank is empty, howls of misery, no cup of tea

The gas is 'frozen', no cup of tea

You need to get some food in before you starve - breakout the lifeboat emergency rations, don't forget to knock-out the weevils.

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Now think about waking up on a dark cold drizzly winters morning knowing that to stay within CaRT's CC guide lines you must move that day. Likewise think about waking up with the boat frozen in and a toilet of any type than needs emptying and no water in the tank and you have run out of solid fuel for the stove.

Living on a narrowboat in winter is even bleaker "out on the cut" than in a marina where you do not have to move. Both are pretty dreary.

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1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Now think about waking up on a dark cold drizzly winters morning knowing that to stay within CaRT's CC guide lines you must move that day. Likewise think about waking up with the boat frozen in and a toilet of any type than needs emptying and no water in the tank and you have run out of solid fuel for the stove.

Living on a narrowboat in winter is even bleaker "out on the cut" than in a marina where you do not have to move. Both are pretty dreary.

Oh dear. I said you would get the negatives didnt I. Living on a boat in the winter is not at all dreary, it can be considerably harder if you dont plan than it can in a flat but properly looked into and making sure you are somewhere with basics like water and toilet disposal facilities and its lovely. I have never been to the ops flat but I know it will be much colder than my boat which sits at about 30 degrees in the front cabin whatever the weather. Like living in a flat I have my slippers on walking on my wilton carpets and its just lovely. I do agree with Tony that it CAN be dreary if you do not set your stall out and get caught out in the middle of nowhere but in this day and age plonking in a marine for 3/4 months such as nov to march is easily done as you already realise that its not a cheap option. May I suggest ( op ) you contact some of us that have LIVED aboard over many many winters and summers to get the jist of it so to speak the trouble with forums is some of the advice re living aboard will probably be given by hobby boaters who have never done it. Just remember you cant do it when your dead and your dead for a hell of a long time. So to sum up you do need a boat well sorted for living aboard and you have to WANT to live aboard and yes you need to be able to climb on and off it so mobility has to be factored in. I had a knee problem a couple of years ago and could not get onto my boat so had to move into a b and b for a fortnight but after that the confines of the boat made it easier to hobble around in than if I had been in a house. If you do hire just remember that hire boats are kitted out for short term use and hire in January not august.

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3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Much better to just have the positives and ignore the rest eh! 

Yes op needs both sides of the coin but the negatives usualy I have found over the years come from hobby boaters who do not even live aboard, thats a bit like getting advice re flying an aeroplane from someone without a pilots licence. Hobby boating and living aboard are so disimilar that are uncomparable surely as a liveaboard you understand that?

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Are you planning to live on a boat in England or Scotland?  In Scotland they don't have ccs and every boat must have a mooring 

Doesn't mean you have to stay on it though but visitor moorings are not exactly plentiful 

Because Scottish Canal's have a monopoly on moorings  they are expensive 

Check priced if you plan to be based up here 

I have heard of over £6000 for a residential mooring near Edinburgh 

Haggis 

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14 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes op needs both sides of the coin but the negatives usualy I have found over the years come from hobby boaters who do not even live aboard, thats a bit like getting advice re flying an aeroplane from someone without a pilots licence. Hobby boating and living aboard are so disimilar that are uncomparable surely as a liveaboard you understand that?

I think all of Tonys points are valid except for the last bit. 

My main concern for the OP would be getting off the housing ladder and finding out they possibly couldn't  get back on again should the need arise. 

 

Still, I am probably one of the  worriers you mentioned earlier. 

 

Edited by rusty69
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I will be leaving Bonnie Scotland, the midges for one thing, plus I want to be closer to my relations, and also visit places of interest.

I watch youtube a lot, and am definately not going fot the more basic boat,  it will have alternative methods of heating/cooking, I was thinking of stocking up with coal briquettes so I  can bank the fire ovenight. Its a long time since I "emptied the ashes", but I can live with that. And I can make a haybox so my morning porridge is still warm at 8.00 am.

I think there are "winter moorings" which mean you live there for five months, and I won't always be staying in a popular site where the crt police would watch my every move .

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1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

I think all of Tonys points are valid except for the last bit. 

My main concern for the OP would be getting off the housing ladder and finding out they possibly couldn't  get back on again should the need arise. 

 

Yes it was just the dreary bit I cannot agree with. Getting off the housing market is a valid point but thats why I have put in capital letters WANT to live on a boat. Living in a building is what we are all used to and programmed to do but if people realy want to live on a boat moving back into a property would be awful, I know it would for swmbo and myself who are hoping to stay aboard till we are dust, we do however think we will end up marina bound some day as the physical boat moving will come to an end but plugged in to ameneties a boat can and is a fab place to be but NOT for everyone, you have to be weird and understand you are weird :wacko:

4 minutes ago, ladygardener said:

I will be leaving Bonnie Scotland, the midges for one thing, plus I want to be closer to my relations, and also visit places of interest.

I watch youtube a lot, and am definately not going fot the more basic boat,  it will have alternative methods of heating/cooking, I was thinking of stocking up with coal briquettes so I  can bank the fire ovenight. Its a long time since I "emptied the ashes", but I can live with that. And I can make a haybox so my morning porridge is still warm at 8.00 am.

I think there are "winter moorings" which mean you live there for five months, and I won't always be staying in a popular site where the crt police would watch my every move .

You are halfway there already with this post. Go for it or you could end up one of the many GUNNADOS I have met over the years and then it becomes too late.

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1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes it was just the dreary bit I cannot agree with. Getting off the housing market is a valid point but thats why I have put in capital letters WANT to live on a boat. Living in a building is what we are all used to and programmed to do but if people realy want to live on a boat moving back into a property would be awful, I know it would for swmbo and myself who are hoping to stay aboard till we are dust, we do however think we will end up marina bound some day as the physical boat moving will come to an end but plugged in to ameneties a boat can and is a fab place to be but NOT for everyone, you have to be weird and understand you are weird :wacko:

I agree to a certain extent, and myself and Mrs Rusty now find it very strange staying in houses. We have no intentions of moving inland, but have the ability should the need arise. 

Even living in a marina with a landline, you still need to be fit enough to lug coal and gas bottles around as well as the dreaded bog. 

Its a great dream to have, and as you say, you are a longtime dead. Just think about it carefully, as there may be no going back,which is an option I have, and suspect you do too. 

 

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Yes, no problem there, I am "one of a kind", rather than weird, its everyone else who is "out of step" lol.

I just don't think I can be 100 % sure its the right thing to do, early days.  I have seen a boat I really like, at a fair price, has been renovated and lived on over four years, this is after a good month or more of searching, so they do exist, scattered in amongst many monstrosities / tired ex hire boats.

I just could not afford to buy a nice flat, however small in a town where I would want to live [Newmarket], I can't buy one now. Currently rents are really high, its only going to get worse. 

Supposing I had to get a residential mooring, I would just have to pay for deliveries if I could not manage, and buy a sack trolley. There are ways of making the phyisical tasks less arduous, it just takes longer, and one needs to feel the effort is worthwhile, but even in town, one has to make some sort of effort to get out and about.

PS I suspect that I will not run out of water , gas, diesel and cassettes all  on one day, and I can cope with one problem a day, ty

Edited by ladygardener
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I'm a bit puzzled about the lugging gas bottles around. Mr Halsall is happy to drop them straight into my gas locker. I've lately pursuaded my Excel supplier to supply in ~ 8Kg sacks which are much more manageable than the standard 25Kg jobbies. I have got a pumpout so I don't have to carry cassettes even a short distance. The less I have to lift the longer I will be able to use my goat.

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7 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

I'm a bit puzzled about the lugging gas bottles around. Mr Halsall is happy to drop them straight into my gas locker. I've lately pursuaded my Excel supplier to supply in ~ 8Kg sacks which are much more manageable than the standard 25Kg jobbies. I have got a pumpout so I don't have to carry cassettes even a short distance. The less I have to lift the longer I will be able to use my goat.

I am sure there are people about that will deliver gas, coal, firewood, diesel and even empty your bog for you given the right circumstances. Whilst I am still able, I will do these things myself, so haven't investigated other methods. 

 

Have fun with your goat! :o

Edited by rusty69
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5 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

I'm a bit puzzled about the lugging gas bottles around. Mr Halsall is happy to drop them straight into my gas locker. I've lately pursuaded my Excel supplier to supply in ~ 8Kg sacks which are much more manageable than the standard 25Kg jobbies. I have got a pumpout so I don't have to carry cassettes even a short distance. The less I have to lift the longer I will be able to use my goat.

Yes my gas is changed for me by our fabulous coal boat. I am thinking on the lines of lighter coal bags, good idea. What has your poor GOAT done to you? :lol:

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20 minutes ago, ladygardener said:

Supposing I had to get a residential mooring, I would just have to pay for deliveries if I could not manage, and buy a sack trolley. There are ways of making the phyisical tasks less arduous, it just takes longer, and one needs to feel the effort is worthwhile, but even in town, one has to make some sort of effort to get out and about.

It sounds like you are fairly clued up. 

Hope it works out for you, good luck! 

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I'm glad I posted, it has given me encouragement.  I will keep researching, and working towards a new lifestyle. Bite the bullet [might be a good name for my boat] :)

Edited by ladygardener
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3 minutes ago, ladygardener said:

I'm glad I posted, it has given me encouragement.  I will keep researching, and working towards a new lifestyle. Bite the bullet [might be a good name for my boat :)]

My money's on you!  You don't appear to be wearing the rose coloured spectacles of many a would-be, you're not doing it to save loads of money and have an easy life, and you don't appear to be trying to buck the system.  I wish you the best of luck with it all. :)

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