Decision Time to Live Aboard or Not

[tinacatling]

My husband and I are at a cross roads
we are living in a rented house which we have the opportunity to buy
if we buy we will take on more debt
if we don't we can use the deposit we have to pay down our debt and buy a boat instead
our kids are grown up and our businesses don't need us either! we have income from renting our property in London so
should we dive in and in June instead of buying our home in the village - we buy a yacht and live aboard - we have two dogs as well
This feels like a big decision

[JPA Cate]

Tina,

Buy well maintained, in the middle of the market, and you can try it out and see how it goes without risking too much.

People have dogs on boats, even some cruising boats, usually smaller than Golden Retrievers and Labradors. If you want to circumnavigate, some island nations insist upon lengthy quarantine periods.

If you're talking about a "narrow boat", you'd need to check on liveaboard regulations for the area you want to do it in.

You don't mention if you enjoy sailing, and if that would or could be part of the picture; and also, I'm wondering if you want to liveaboard a power boat or a sailboat?

Living aboard is an adjustment; that's all. If you're the kind of lady who likes to have 15 pairs of high heels, and separate outfits to go with each pair, you'll need a very large boat. If you like the idea of *downsizing*, you should be fine, and I'd expect that the liveaboard community in England is as friendly as anywhere else, so no worries there.

If this is your husband's idea and not yours, you'll have to decide how much you want to give up to join his dream; and that's a complex issue.

Good luck with it all,

Ann

[Sailing Kiwis]

Just do it! never gonna know if you don't try

[tinacatling]

Hello Ann
thank you
Yes we both love sailing and are thinking of a 45 ish yacht
we also both love the idea of a simpler life with much less 'stuff' we love dogs and people and the wind in our hair
we love not working in corporate world anymore and we LOVE adventure
particularly the feeling of casting off and leaving port
we do want to take the dogs with us

[JPA Cate]

Hello, again, Tina, re: your post #4:

Why, then, would you not go for it? .....long pause.........

There are details to be worked out (there's a European dog passport deal going around that folks over there have been discussing in another CF thread. [I'm in Tasmania, Australia right now.] But there are always details to be worked out when we make changes.

Personally, we went for it early on, partly drawn on by love of sailing, partly driven towards it by fear of dying young and wanting to have done it, exacerbated by friends' early deaths. We've never regretted it, either.

Just remember that by choosing something, you perforce un-choose something else. So, anticipate what you might be giving up that matters to you.

Ann

[FSMike]

When you're in your nineties and can't do much any more aside from sitting in the rocking chairs, what will you be saying -
"We could have bought a boat and gone cruising"
or
"We could have bought a house in the village"
?

[tinacatling]

hello thank you
that really helps we dont want to regret this
good advice

[atoll]

Originally Posted by tinacatling

My husband and I are at a cross roads
we are living in a rented house which we have the opportunity to buy
if we buy we will take on more debt
if we don't we can use the deposit we have to pay down our debt and buy a boat instead
our kids are grown up and our businesses don't need us either! we have income from renting our property in London so
should we dive in and in June instead of buying our home in the village - we buy a yacht and live aboard - we have two dogs as well
This feels like a big decision

it is a big decision if you have never done it before.

also i am assuming you are in the uk?
being a livaboard in the uk you will find very tough with 2 dogs on a small boat.
marina fees are high,probably nearly as much as you are paying to rent in a village.
you will need some form of heating onboard at least 4-5 months of the year,this causes issues with condensation.

i reccomend try living in a caravan for 2 weeks mid winter,and see how you get on before moving to a boat!

[tinacatling]

thank you atoll we are thinking of starting in Greece as we know our way around then heading to Grand Canaries before heading across the Atlantic
we read
Keep Heading South til the butter melts then turn right
and that has been in our minds!

[tinacatling]

The leaves are bursting from the boughs
Hail stones are bouncing off the cows
The sky is blue
Are toes are too
And we are wondering what to do

The ducks are bonking
The Geese are honking
And everything is shiny new

The roses suck up all their food
I’m sure the daffs are in a mood

The seeds of doubt grow in our minds
From hibernation to germination
And finally
anticipation

A message clear
As spring winds blow

"Pack your things,
Its time to GO"

[ElGatoGordo]

Sounds like a decision made! I didn't see a single reason NOT to in your posts, you're renting so heck...there's always another rental if you hate it! I still have to work for a living so living aboard for us is about saving money and enjoying the MUCH simplified lifestyle. Plus waking up with a view :-)

[tinacatling]

thank you for all your support every one

[Teknav]

Hi! I'm still one of the few folks on here who'd rather lease/charter a plane/boat, than own one. I'd rather fly to an exotic destination, then locally enjoy the water. Sailing the seven seas takes a lot of time from my allotted vacation time; hence the fly/sail choice. Have fun!

Mauritz

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, tinacatling & Sailing Kiwis.

[rw58ph]

The only way we could justify owning a big boat was to live on it. Sold the 5 bedroom house, got rid of most our stuff, and move aboard. Being yuppie metro sexual, we want a big comfortable boat. That was 17 years ago, and we never look back or regretted it. It is very liberating not being tied down by world procession and having the capable to move. Now that we are retiring if/when w sell the boat will be mobile and rent. Bing a live aboard in warmer climate would be easier than colder climate.