Are you a satisfied live-aboard?

[demonboy]

I seem to remember reading somewhere in these forums recently someone claiming that full-time live-aboards have a less satisfying time than those sailors who work some of the time in a year. Yeah, righto. Sour grapes anyone?

The following survey is for full-time liveaboards only (defined as anyone who spends nine months or more a year on their boat).

 

[highandry]

Soon be into my 10th year. Hand on heart, and given the choice I will not live ashore again. 100% content. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[capnsensible]

Yeah, we are 10 years on and still well happy! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rickp]

[ QUOTE ]
The following survey is for full-time liveaboards only (defined as anyone who spends nine months or more a year on their boat).

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you should include a minimum distance traveled in that year - otherwise its just living in a boat that never moves - not much different to living ashore.

Rick

 

[Madeo]

Again, 10 years aboard, for the last five of which I have also worked from the boat.

Love it!

Brian.

 

[highandry]

A good point Rickp. Me, I've made 2 Med voyages of 2years 4 months and 2 years and 2 months and a Portugal -Canaries-Caribbean Trans Atlantic of 23 months. Wintered on the Tamar, Fal and Blackwater, so don't I think I classify as a houseboat. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[mike_bryon]

We are nippers in comparison being only a few months into our fifth year of living aboard. In January we lived in a house for two weeks and could not wait to get back to the boat. Our boat is our home and we missed it but there were other reasons for how we felt. We disliked the shear inefficiency of the house – putting so many lights on to move from one part to another , the waste of space, the useless stuff, the amount of water wasted every time you turned a tap on. The younger kids when they went to bed disliked being so far away. We sail every summer but to provide some stability we return to the same winter location and settled down for school and work (first in the UK now Italy). In two years we plan to keep on the move first stop 6 months in Brazil then Cape Town and on to the Indian Ocean. Satisfied? Nope I’m hungry for more.

as for miles each year, around 4k but this year will be less as we will only do venice, croatia, the ionian and back

 

[LadyJessie]

Very satisfied, would not change it for anything. Although I just squeeze into your definition; I spend about 8-9 months living aboard my own boat, I spend a large part of the rest of the time doing deliveries and work as race crew for other people so I decided that I can answer your question. There might be a lesson here, at least for me: it is good to get off your boat for some time and do something else. That works for me. It can be something as simple as touring inland for some weeks in the country you happen to be in. Then you appreciate your boat again when you return.

 

[somerset]

When we were full time liveaboards SWHMBO and I were as happy and contented as could be.Roll on the next getaway! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[joha]

Been living aboard for the last 5 years or so and love it ! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Sixpence]

From the point of view of a prospective liveaboard, I would be very interested in the result so rather than messing it up by clicking just anything, could you post the results every now and then ?

 

[QuestGirl]

Hi Sixpence

If you just click on the "View the results of this poll" text, it will open the results in a new window without you having to vote.

Current results are:
Very satisfied 75% (12 votes)
Satisfied 6% (1 vote)
Neither 19% (3 votes)
Disatisfied 0%
Very disatisfied 0%

 

[Sixpence]

Whoops /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif maybe I should have gone to specsavers after all /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I'll go back to hiding now /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[KellysEye]

After four and a bit years very happy. At present don't ever want to return but ageing parents will probably come into to play soon.

 

[demonboy]

As a market researcher I should just point out the following caveats to this question:

- Loose definition of 'full-time live-aboard'. I know a lot of 'full-time' live-aboards who go home for three months in the winter to see family and friends, so they count. It was really to split the field between those who spend the majority of their time on their boat and those who do the odd bit of weekend/summer sailing.

- Definition of 'satisfied with your life'. In terms of what? Sex, sailing, drugs? Open to potential mis-interpretation, but it does offer us a general picture.

- The most interesting follow-up would be to find out some more about those who are disatisfied. I notice no one who voted 'very disatisfied' has actually commented on their reasons for choosing this option.

LJ - understand what you are saying. Just because we live on a boat doesn't mean to say we don't go off visiting stuff inland.

Let's see how this progresses and please, keep the comments coming in!

 

[absit_omen]

I don't think this is meant to be a scientific poll. Why not let liveaboards define themselves? We are all big boys and girls.

 

[trouville]

Ive been liveing aboard for years i moved aboard when i left university.The best and most comfortable boat and perfect liveaboard i found was a long keel hillyard(they all have long keels)

When i stay with a girlfriend on land its soon time to get back about two weeks is the limit.

Liveing aboard a water born home provides a new enviroment every day.The sea is rearly still for long and your neibours when there are change often

The med still provides wonderful anchorages keys with winters that by now are so comfortable are the perfect summer (though it can blow and nights can be chilly need a good heater)

Id say the med is getting better and life aboard as pleasent as ever,more so over time.Ive reduced my sailing area but in time who knows where my waterborn home might be blow to (wind is still slightly less expensive than Diesel or 2 stroke)

A sailboat will arrive wherever sometimes it can be slow therefor a good food locker a good wine bilge and a good book and SSB are helpful.There are to many new sailboats that race past miles offshore useing there iron jib,far better to just drift along (when its not blowing)and enjoy the sea its amazing the things that come along

At one point i threw tons of stuff overboard sold a large tender for £1 !! then sold my hillyard to move aboard a more compact boat that opened the possability to use many more shelters inexpensive or free fishing ports and bays.Move in keeping with the changeing situation

Since then im really happy i have nothing in the way.Books a good cooker heater very small ridgid tender,suitable solar panel,and a girlfriend.

Life aboard is almost perfect(jet skis can be more of a pest than mosquitoes but there not everywher!!)

My only question is how and to what or where dose a live abord retire??What is retierment??Ive been thinking about this as everyone in France is retired or trying to???This is something i havent got an answer to.

 

[Ariadne]

Can't see us living ashore again in the foreseeable future, inspite of the technical hitches we seem to have.

 

[ccscott49]

Still here after 14 years, love it! Only way I'll be off the boat is in a pine box. No body else would do all the varnishing etc anyway!
I do work away from the boat, but thats offshore anyway, so I'm only ever on land, very infrequently, for long periods.

 

[B175Chris]

Would you like to buy one of these?