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If you are seriously thinking of living on a boat you really need to find out as much information as you can about the Lifestyle and what sort of vessel will best suit your needs.
Far to many people have jumped in at the deep end only to find that it is not all that they thought it would be. Many others are still dreaming of doing it but can not quite find the courage to take that final step.
The underlining reason for both these situations is the lack of information available to people about the live aboard lifestyle. We are going to change this by providing all the information you could ever want through this web site and our Forum.
Here are a few point that might help you.
1. The most common question that live aboards are asked is "What's it like living on a boat?". If you want to know the answer then the only thing to do is ask the people who know, and that is anyone that is living aboard.
This is where your research should begin, ask as many questions as you can and listen to what they have to say. Most of us live aboards will be happy to tell you about the lifestyle, the good points and the bad. Ask how they got involved and what they enjoy and dislike. What was it like when they finally made the move from a house to a boat.
Ask about why they bought that type of vessel and what other vessels do they think would be suitable. The key here is to speak to not just one live aboard but as many as you can possibly find.
Everyone has different reasons for choosing this lifestyle and yours will be different too. Gather as many views from as many people as you can as this information will help you put into perspective your own reasons for a live aboard life.
2. What is it you want out of living on a boat?.
Do you want a Houseboat that is static on a permanent mooring that will not be moved? Maybe you want a boat you can use occasionally or perhaps you aspire to the cruising lifestyle and wish to travel extensively with your floating home.
You need to decide what you want before you even think about types of boats that you can buy. Some people love boating and that is why they live aboard, others enjoy the peace and quite of the river or canal and the community spirit that is so often present at many residential moorings. Many find it an escape from the high prices of houses and all the bills that go with them so choose what can be a very cheap way to live giving a more relaxed and less stressful lifestyle.
You need to decide what you want out of the Live aboard life.
3. When we are young we buy our first house and spend years buying things to put in it, when we fill all the space we buy a bigger house and then the filling process starts all over again. The larger the house the more expensive it is to maintain and fill. Stop the madness !!
If you are going to live on a boat you will need to do the equivalent of corporate down sizing. Boats are limited for space and if you continue this filling process she will be sitting very low in the water !!
You will need to be very inventive with space and keep things stowed away and tidy. If you really need some space then you should look for a large vessel, some have more space than a two bedroom flat, but with the size comes more expensive maintenance costs and mooring fee's and limited place's to moor the vessel.
Smaller vessels tended to be cheaper to moor with more moorings available but you pay a price with limited space. You will need to decide on a size and type of vessel that suits your needs and the only way to do this is to look at many different types and sizes of boats. There are so many different types and sizes of boats out there, so do your research well and find something that you can live with.
So, if you are still thinking of living on a boat then now is the time to start doing your research. We will be producing further articles aimed at the new comer to the live aboard life so visit us again soon. If you have any questions that you would like answered why not post a question in the Forum where I am sure the many live aboards in the UK will be only to willing to help you with advice.
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