What happens to old liveaboards ?

[catmandoo]

Do they just fade away like old soldiers ?

Is there a rotting hulk somewhere in a tranquil deserted bay with a couple of skeletons in tattered shorts in it sitting in the cockpit with G and T glasses empty except for the dried up remains of lemon peel ?

Or perhaps a boat with 2 demented geriatrics trying to work out where they are ?

Lets face it like land based people there is rheumatism , brittle bone disease , loss of sight , altzheimers etc just over the horizon . The problem is getting to a safe haven before it becomes too late

 

[alb40]

They normally get sold to dreamers for much more than they are worth, only for them to find out it sinks if you switch the bilge pump off!

Someone in my yard converted an old lighter into a nice home. Unfortunately, they and neglegted to survey the hull prior to conversion, and when he went to clean up and re-paint the steel hull, he put a multitude of holes in it. The steel was almost paper thin.

Moral of the story, always get a survey and don't pay over the odds for a wreck lol

 

[jimbaerselman]

The people? the Boats? or both?

The people you can easily identify. Do you remember the old adverts showing an ostrich with a Guiness glass going down its throat? Well, when you swallow the anchor . . .

The boats? you can identify those because they develop an odd shape, drooping at the bow and stern due to all the davits, dinghies, solar panels, wind generators, aerials, anchor selection, bicycles, spare fuel cans . . .

 

[catmandoo]

You missed out the air conditioning unit and the deck plants but I really meant the people although I accept that the people also develop drooping bow and stern and adorn themselves with zimmers , two pairs of spectacles etc

 

[Oliveoyl]

Well, your bio says your boat's in Preveza, so you may better qualified than many on the subject.
We were at Preveza town quay this spring, and were very impressed by a sprightly senior gentleman who came over from liveaboard corner, did a singlehanded med moor, no fuss, filled his water tanks, did his laundry, washed the boat, did his shopping and returned from whence he came. Not a zimmer frame in sight. Hard to guess his age, but maybe 70+, and looked like he had many more sea miles in him

 

[Poignard]

They end up like this

 

[JonJon]

I thought they retired to little cottages on the cliff overlooking the sea with extremely high powered binoculars (so that they can admire tanned buttocks from afar into perpetuity). /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[catmandoo]

Don't need binoculars. Can see buttocks of guy standing in transom of next boat lathering himself while we have breakfast

 

[catmandoo]

Love it . Is it for sale ?

 

[catmandoo]

Well I will be 70 next year so looking forward to remaining sprightly 70 +

Do you know what pills he was on ?

 

[lille_bee]

Where is "Liveaboard corner" in Preveza?

 

[Oliveoyl]

The unfinished marina, north of the town quay, "Rod the God" described it as a "marina" (his quotes) ie unfinished. "A charge will be made", ie when water, lecky + sanitaries installed. In May, no sign of any facilties, just lots of boats rafted alongside blocks of concrete.

 

[lille_bee]

I see. No thanks, give me the town quay anytime, just off taverna "To Steki": not too noisy, convenient for shopping, nice views of turtles in the morning... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[roly_voya]

If most of the 'oldies' around Milford and anything to go by they don't get old (unless they sell the boat) The guy next to me this winter was muttering about this being his 'last season' because he had no crew and was finding soloing a 35footer was getting a bit to much. Turns out he is aproaching 90 and the lack of crew is because the grandchildren are getting too buisy with there kids to come along!!

 

[BurnitBlue]

I imagine that they die of utter unmitigated BOREDOM

 

[catmandoo]

nos 5 and 6 pontoons in the marina next to the fairground plus the anchorage round the corner

 

[mandlmaunder]

...we thought a lot of them were here with us in Coral bay, St John, USVI.......same place as a multitude of old hippies. The place really IS in a time-warp....
When old liveaboards here die, young ones buy their boats (or sometimes wrecks) and continue the tradition.