Whats the worst thing about living aboard?

Re: Stowage

There's millions of positives. Although the weather is a pain, it also makes your life feel more worthwhile when nature effects it every day. You get to see things most people never would.
The hardest thing for me is that I can't liveaboard full time and still have to do the 9-5 and live in a big city, I spend most of my time on sailblogs and planning my weekends!
 
But there were a couple of good ideas for the bath problem - night in a hotel after a month our so of anchorages and money saving - why not? And the dinghy with warm water - daft not to have thought of it before - often done it while camping with kids / grandkids. Our toy dinghy also served as cot for naps, paddling pool, sand pit...
 
Dare I ask??? Why the eff are you doing it then? Get off and get an apartment or summat, if you cant afford land house life, get a bloody caravan, as for living there in Cyprus, may I respectfully suggest you move! Jeeze, whinging git! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Only thing I can think of is i had an urge to listen to jonathon ross the other saturday, not really much of a hardship and i got over it. SHouldn't be a problem in cornwall, though. Afer a while further south don't think I could handle a winter in uk without easy access ashore, wouild need to be on a pontoon or similar, dingy ashore every day would be a bit much, especially if you are working. Apart from that a warm, dry boat and some friends nearby to share a glass of red with would suffice. Lots of little hardships but they aren't really hardships, it's just the way it is and you get over it or adapt your boat a little to make life easier. Most people i know who have moved onboard aren't on a hurry to move back on land.
 
Not being a livaboard, but knowing Cornwall quite well. I would thing you needed uddles of money for a marina. Of which there are not many. Or a very good constitution. Dont doubt there are loads of dryng moorings. But they dont look much fun. Is it the life stile your after, or just cant afford a house. Not getting at you. But need to know. Presuming none marina, water will be a pain. Dont have a dog or that will be another thing to take back and forth.
I can only presume you have no need to work, as that will be fairly imposible, or at least difficult.

Most livaboards seem to congregate at Falmouth town marina in the winter. I think they get a good rate. But some how seems to be cheating a bit.

So, in short, being a live aboard is easy. Live aboard in Corwall, with little money, rather more difficult.
 
yes. I get what you're saying! To find a mooring that s suitable for a liveaboard and not in falmouth ( to far and EXTORTIONATE) is proving impossible. Mad really when you concider how popular this area is for all things water based!
Yes part of it is the horrific house prices but ever since i was knee high to a grasshopper i have been close to and fascinated by the sea. I know that it would be lots of hard work and i have learnt a lot of downsides through this forum!! However, sitting on deck with a drink on a wet day ( no sun here for months!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ) would make up for all the hassle in my view.
Unfortunately i dont have oodles of cash and i run my own business. On the plus side i haven't got a dog and my partner is really keen and that is a BIG plus /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
My thoughts are, why work like crazy and stress constantly about house prices and mortgages. Obviously living aboard will be an horrendous thought for many people but if you love boats and the sea calms you down as much as it does me after a stressfull day.............
 
I thought about living aboard when I was working in Jersey last year, but decided against it because I wanted to keep the boat as a toy for the weekend and holidays. I felt that if I lived aboard, when I had time off, I wouldn't want to use the boat for what she is intended, preferring to get away on land.

This kind of defeats the whole point of owning a boat in the first place, in my view.

I have also seen liveaboards who have got to the stage of so much clutter on the boat, even overflowing onto the shore or pontoons, that they couldn't go out for a sail even if they wanted to.
 
lol very true!
We now have two boats and lots of stuff!
In the process of selling both and getting one larger boat and getting rid of most of the stuff so we can sail more. Slightly worried about the logistics of a fin keeler without using marinas but will just have to have a good rib and anchor out further (assuming there is not a force 11 forecast!)
 
The only down sides I see are access to the boat in all weathers and tides, stowage space, fresh water supply etc. I think if you are having problems locating a mooring in the depths of Cornwall, and there are plenty of places up towards Penryn (close to shore) or have a look at St Germans, Boating World (Landrake I think) all have shore access at hand and or even pontoons. Plenty of place in and around Plymouth. In the first instance dont tell people you are living aboard when looking for a berth, just say its a second home
lots of harbour authorities dont encourage liveaboards.

Visit the ports and rivers first and then locate other liveaboards to research the pros and cons of that location etc.
 
when it comes to the bubble bath/ wine and candles thing there is no need for us girls to miss out on that ....when I lived aboard and water was easy to get hold of then I would shut off the cockpit drains, would then put a reasonable amount of water in the cockpit ( could never get it really hot but always warm) out with the wine and candles and you've got the most romantic bath with your loved one under a squillion billion stars that you could never have in a house ..... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Ahh but you did ask about the negatives /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

Why am I doing it? Because it sounded like a good idea at the time and the way things are going I won't be doing it much longer.

And for the person who called me a whingeing git /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif you ought to hear me moan about England then!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Caravan? don't get them over here /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Are we the only people who have a bath on board then? If I could do the photo thing, I'd post a piccie. (obviously unoccupied!) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

It's not quite a 'full length lay down with just your head out' thing but its certainly deep enough and big enough for me (and I'm a fat B!) /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

You could get two in it as well but what with the weight of the water etc.......

Anyway, think of all the water you'd need to fill a bath. We carry 1600l of the fresh stuff and it scares me.
 
I dont think there is any really bad points to living on board, it all depends on what you want from your life ....I personaly am craving for the simplicity of it all again, and to be able to take control of my life and not be so dependent on the 9 til 5 routine.... so my nice little 32 footer will be finished and all ready to go in about 2 years ..... then I'm off...
It's interesting tho this thread is about what the worsts thing about living on board, and most people want more space, more gadgets and even a "garden" (I had one on my last boat, depends what you want to grow but you can do it )

But why?...I'm down sizing going from 45 foot to 32 foot.. and I know that it will be adaquate for all my needs... if you want all the trappings of modern day life, then may I suggest a 2 or 3 story house boat on an estuary some where..... but you'll miss out on a beautifull big blue planet that is so rich and diverse and just waiting to be explored by an inquiring and open mind. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Looking forward to being free from the tyranny of "stuff" and gardens. We have a biggish house (6 bedrooms) which is full from the cellar to the attic with "stuff". Every time a grown child has moved out, they leave "stuff" behind, altho' of course, it can't be thrown out because it has sentimental value / may be useful one day..... And Popeye is the worst hoarder in the universe. I'm trying to downsize our lifestyle and posessions to 37 ft in 2 years time, but it's an uphill slog.
How to convince one's spouse that his 12 (!) pairs of skis won't fit on a 37 ft boat?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Anibal
New to the Thames
Replies
2
Views
1K
Anibal
Anibal
Frogmogman
My next boat.
2 3
Replies
40
Views
1K
fredrussell
F

Share this page

Top