live aboard questions.

[epervier]

We are in our fifties and want to try the gypsy life of living aboard but not burn our bridges,the game plan is to rent out our home and purchase a mobo and do the southern French canal network and northern med, We currently live in France and have done for some 17 years.

We've looked up the cost of using the canal network and found it to be very good value for money only being about 450 euros a year, and some marinas charge for moorings but as I understand it, the canal system is included in the 450 euros

My questions are mainly about the practicality,
how do you keep personal hygiene levels to the same level as ashore? (I have no problem with this as I am an ex-submariner, we just got used to the smell of socks and diesel. but 'er indoors will not put up with it. )

IE washing clothes and bed linen, and towels, do you call in to port and use launderettes?

I'm assuming there's no room for a washing machine in a 38ft mobo, also can't carry enough water to run one either.

modern day comms, how do you stay connected to the rest of the world via the web without it costing a fortune on satellite links or mobile phone network, I'm a INTERNET junkie. thats just for starters.
thanks for looking.
David.

 

[Richard10002]

personal hygeine.... I dont know about the canal network, but have always found that most places have launderettes and laundry services. Small items can be done in the sink and hung to dry.

On internet:

Wifi is the obvious one which is fairly straightforward if you can find an access point.

With an unlocked data card, you can use a sim card to connect, and it might be a good idea to get up to speed with the technology and the process whilst still in the UK.

I use an orange PAYG 2G Sim, (NOT 3G), to connect my laptop from home in Manchester unlimited for £1 per day.

I use a T-Mobile PAYG sim in a PDA for unlimited 3G connection in UK for £1 per day. I occassionally put it in the laptop for extra speed, hoping that T Mobile dont find out.

If I didnt have a wifi connection at the marina in lagos, there seem to be some contract unlimited data deals with Portuguese Sims, and ther might be some PAYG deals.

In Italy you can get 1Gb per month with WIND for 20 euros per month PAYG, TIM might be better.

I'm guessing that there will be similar deals in France.

This site is a good resource:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/index.php?s=0bb576ae39955535c8263082f02a363d&showforum=1

Note that the WIND roaming data deal has changed and, whilst it is not bad value, it no longer makes sense for me.

Hope this helps

Richard

 

[peteandthira]

We have been living on a 36' sailing yacht for the last 7 months having retired early. Hygiene has not been a problem since we have a superb shower on board, but in marinas we tend to use the facilities provided by them just to keep the "use" down to a minimum. Unless we're feeling lazy, which is most of the time.

Clothes and bedding, towels etc are the biggest bugbear so far. We carry a small manual washing "machine" but only used it a few times and mostly use marina launderettes. This has cost on average about £20 a month, but we could get away with less.

One tip we have discovered is that by showering at the end of the day rather than the beginning, you go to bed "cleaner" and we think our bedding lasts a bit longer between washes.

Internet is important to me, and Square Mile seems to provide a reasonable service, certainly here in Falmouth. Don't know about Europe but it should always be an improving situation.

If we can't get WiFi, my GPRS phone provides a modem capability for my laptop for getting weather charts etc, but not much good for general browsing - too expensive.

It has all been great fun so far, and we have nothing to fall back to in terms of property, although a decent pension counts for a great deal.

Best wishes

Pops

 

[saskia]

Hi there - Saskia is 11.5m, about 37 feet, and I have pressurized hot water shower and a small washing machine - the 3.5 kilo load size. I got fed up wasting time queuing in manky marina laudromats, or scouring the town for one on my bike. Likewise showers. Dispiriting trailing up the pontoons with sponge bag and towel plus change of clothes. Actually I think the washing machine was one of the best things I ever spent money on. Should add that it does require shore power - otherwise it gives the inverter a nasty turn.

Have fun.

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
a small washing machine - the 3.5 kilo load size.

[/ QUOTE ]

Make and Model??

 

[epervier]

Thanks for your replys, very helpful

 

[roly_voya]

A 38ft MOBO is pretty huge as they are a nice square shape (unlike sailing boats) so you can use all of it so fit what is important to you, washer, good shower etc. Fit a 'super silent' genny with water seperater discharging below the water line so you dont anoy you and the neigbours and VERY big water tanks. Having stayed on a MOBO with all mods for a while two of us got through about 20gal of water per day without a washing machine. Look at 'green' washers even if the machine is a bit bigger if it uses less water you may be saving space overall.

If the boat doesnt meet both your needs you won't fell comfortable and if you are constantly serching out facilities the boat dosn't have it wont feel like home.

Then have fun

 

[saskia]

Afraid I can't remember, and I'm a very long way from the boat. But I think there are several around - made for small apartments.

 

[Sea Devil]

You will find there is plenty of room for a washing machine and a dryer. A friend of mine in a Prout 37 sailing in the Caribbean had both installed and used them regularly. You will find that in the South of France the canal network is very much set up for hire boats - tourists. Nealy all the 'official' halts have electricity and water laid on to each berth although there maybe a small charge. Almost all the locks have a hose pipe so water is not a problem at all.. You will need 'holding tanks' for both WC and grey water waste but the boat will probably all ready have that if its been in the canals before. (The authorities turn a blind eye to yachts transiting but not regular canal boats) A lot of canal liveaboards end up in a 'port de plaisance' for the winter - all facilities on hand and not so lonely. That will incur a cost you may not have budgeted for.

WiFi is becoming pretty widespread in France.. My Port de Plaisance here in la Rochelle has it laid on €1 a day so actually not that cheap and the canals do not have wide coverage. Many canal 'Port de Plaisance' do have wifi. Otherwise it is off to the Internet cafe - or via the really very expensive mobile phone links - I think..

Hope you really enjoy the lifestyle

Michael

 

[trouville]

La Rochelle dosent have wi-fi internet connection!!It said indeed that i could have it but the capitain said they dident have it i used an open connection by a cafe about 200 meters away from the visitors pontoon and dident have any connection onboard.That would have been wonderful only Royan has almost wi-fi onboard but you must take a bearth very near the shops and then first instal spyware with free hotspot!

As for washing when i had a slightly larger sailboat i had a small kenwood 3kg washing machine and washed often just beware to wash while near water that is at the end of a period away from a port or before leaving one!On the canals there is water available everywhere!!Its cold though!!So only suitable for washing cloths!!
For washing me i had a gas water heater it used to be wonderful haveing long hot showers miles from anywhre!!Now i have a bath!Someone hear suggested one of those large blue bags used for removeing building wast i just fill it with walm water and the cockpit keeps the bag from colapsing ive made a gas water heater to heat the water with the cooker!!!

 

[Sea Devil]

[ QUOTE ]
La Rochelle dosent have wi-fi internet connection!!It said indeed that i could have it but the capitain said they dident have it

[/ QUOTE ]

It does in Les Minimes - the main marina for €1 per day but it does not stretch out to the Vieux Port area....

I think the open wifi connection you were using was mine! I had a load of router problems and forgot to close my connection for ages.. all payments of €1 for daily use should be sent directly to me!!!!!


Michael

 

[trouville]

When id posted i thought that the huge ports i saw accross the bay might have had the 1 euro a day wi-fi!

You realy are saveing??? A lot of your infos a bit out. i called some of your contacts to trail me past the Rhone and none were interested nor called back or emailed me!!Their only intersested in "Rich" milk cow type boats they can charge a fortune.
I dident note the wi-fi name but it was a cafe. If you come up the visitors ponton and look left 45 degress the open connection was about 200 yards away it was 40 degrees then crowded and busy!!I was on automatic but i did find the best place (then) to eat which was a small cafe last in the row behind the market in the market wall

I would like to have stayed for the winter but in that harbour.I had an interesting arrival(no one noticed but me!) my engin stopped as i put it in forward to take a place alonside i drifted to the base of the port and only touching mud stopped me hitting the stone bridge!!!!

 

[Sea Devil]

I sailed in there with no motor working as well... as you go between the towers there is no wind then a big shift.... not that much room either...

Sorry about the transport companies - normally they just want the trade - big or small but ... people vote with their feet,,

Bet that connection was mine - I am about 200 mtrs from the visitors pontoon as the crow flies - but it is direct across some buildings so maybe not..

Sorry you decided not to winter here... quite a nice community of liveaboards and land based folks like me these days..

fair winds

Michael

 

[trouville]

I pleaded with the capitain to let me stay for winter!Unfortunatly there simply wasent any place!Not even for winter. He said 3 weeks perhaps more but not winter!

I was sorry youve taken all you canal info off your web site before entering the canal again i looked for the details and images that you once had there will you be putting them back? Why did you remove all that info?? That was quite good!!
Now your just adverting a shop and transport that wont transport!!

I thought of wintering at rochfort or royan but i was told it was very wet and no one there rochfort might have been ok as i met a girl there that workes in the library half way between the port and market!! In Royan i was told when the tourists leave the town shuts for winter!!!!!

I was also told that La Rochell is far better in winter when all the tourists have left perhaps thats why its full and has 3600 on the waiting list for a place there?

 

[clrmarine]

Hi All
I have a question for those of you that are living aboard. My wife and I are planning on retirement soon, well 6 years from now. We are healthy and love our 1983 Catalina 36 which is paid for. We are planning for a few years in the Caribbean. My wife's concern is we don't have a walk through transom. Have those of you with full transoms run into any problems with this? Please be honest, I think this is one of her biggest concerns.

Thanks,
Chuck
http://www.clrmarine.com

 

[peteandthira]

CLR

We certainly regard a walk-through transom as being very important, but I wouldn't consider it essential. I am unsure how long I would be able to survive having to climb up the rigging to get on the boat! Oh, and for swimming etc.

Pops

 

[Sea Devil]

I think all the canal info is still up on the web site - not removed any of it but I did have a 'glitch' a while back - trying to be too clever and sort out the folders in the PC -- if it ain't broke don't fix it!!!!! I have just checked and all the info seems to be there - but that's via my own computers..... If its not there on yours or via a Internet cafe please tell me...

Royan does close for the winter but Rochefort has an excellent liveaboard community winter and summer -- another little known place is Marans... liveaboards, smashing little town -- just have to use the tide to get in there and go up the canal...

It is (I think) always possible to winter in Les Minimes - the big marina beside La Rochelle Vieux Port.. There are several liveaboards there as well. Trouble is its a long way from the town - bus ride - but there are small shops within walking distance... The Old Port Captain is a bit of a snob I think. If you have a big important looking boat he will always find a place for it - 40ft upwards.. but more smaller less 'expensive' boats are sometimes not all that welcome... The French can be very 'odd'...

fair winds


Michael

 

[KellysEye]

[ QUOTE ]
My wife's concern is we don't have a walk through transom.

[/ QUOTE ]

As an avid boat watcher I reckon over ninety per cent of long-distance cruising boats don't have a walk through. It tends to be the weekend 'caravans' that have them. If we can all live without one I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

[trouville]

Thanks! Ill take a look at your web site.I found all the file i had copied for my route but somehow lost the text when i transfered it to my hardisc drive to free up space on my laptop! I normaly only have my PDA but on the canals i take my laptop. Today the wi-fis very on and off!!

Getting back to washing including showers i put a pressure pump in a box so its portabel gives me running water!!Not bad on a "compact" boat now ive tried a 20 liter electric water heater!!Takes up to much room for crusing but isent very big at all just over 2 feet high and a little over 1 foot square theres lots of places to plug it in and it heats the water in perhaps quarter of an hour and mixed with cold water gives a long hot wonderful shower!!!

 

[clrmarine]

Thanks for the response. My wife has this thing about ease of getting in and out of the dingy. At times she says a newer boat is in order and I'm ready to jump. You don't hear that to often. So we look a little and still find nothing to match the warmth of our interior. The closest we have come to agreeing on is a Catalina 40. It has the walk thru transom plus a walk around rear berth, great plus no more acrobates getting in and out of the v-berth. Then we stop and look at storage and you see it is missing a lot that our 36 has.
The best part of our 36 is I repowered her last winter so I have a complete new drive system. That's hard to give up when there are no payments to make.
Have a great day,