How easy or difficult was the first year aboard?

[poter]

I agree that there seems to be some who do not wholeheartedly get stuck in & those who have no problems in adapting.

In my experience of many years in overseas postings the same attitudes appeared, in that some became true ex-pats & some did not embrace the concept of being away from home/their mum/brother/football club etc.

Living aboard is another life experience & should not be treated as just a change of venue with a party lifestyle.

I’m off on Monday to the med. to join the permanent ranks after many years of two & three week cruising, so I will let you know in a year’s time what happened.

[jonic]

I agree that there seems to be some who do not wholeheartedly get stuck in & those who have no problems in adapting.

In my experience of many years in overseas postings the same attitudes appeared, in that some became true ex-pats & some did not embrace the concept of being away from home/their mum/brother/football club etc.

Living aboard is another life experience & should not be treated as just a change of venue with a party lifestyle.

I’m off on Monday to the med. to join the permanent ranks after many years of two & three week cruising, so I will let you know in a year’s time what happened.

Fair winds and enjoy

[wklein]

Year One: Bought boat, got used to it, did huge adventure. Loved it.

Year Two: Bought another boat for bigger adventure. Ran out of money, sold boat, moved back on to original boat. Disappointed.

Year Three: Did major refit on original boat in effort to make it's 21ft vaguely comfortable. Disappointed.

Year Four: Bought a 31 footer in an effort to actually be more comfortable. Major refit needed. Too much time in London for work. Disappointed.

I'm hoping that at some point, I'll realise that year one was the reason for all this, and go back to it.

That all sounds very negative. Why so glum?

Year One: Rented a 45' boat, lived on it with elec and water. Quite enjoyed it, leaked a bit and owner was an arse.

Year Two: rented boat sold from under me (two days notice to get off) moved back with parents, looked at dream boat, couldn't afford it. Bought cheap 28 footer. Loved life aboard.

Year Three: Boat coming along nicely, some good trips aboard with friends. Never consider moving ashore.

Year Four: Bought original dream boat with girlfriend. Very happy. Just wish first boat would finish itself and then sell itself.

[KellysEye]

We found the first year the hardest because so many things break. By the end of that year we knew how to fix everything so all was well.

[jonic]

Hardest year for me was coming home

[nathanlee]

That all sounds very negative. Why so glum?

Not glum, just the truth of the matter. The first year was the best, because I just went with it. The subsequent years have been me trying to make a home out of it, when in reality, you just can't do that with a 21ft boat.

I'll get there in the end, and until I do, I'll continue living on the boat/in the office.

All fine by me.

[wklein]

Not glum, just the truth of the matter. The first year was the best, because I just went with it. The subsequent years have been me trying to make a home out of it, when in reality, you just can't do that with a 21ft boat.

I'll get there in the end, and until I do, I'll continue living on the boat/in the office.

All fine by me.

Have you considered a bigger boat? I found on smaller boat the day to day costs were not much lower as I spent more time in the pub and eating out than in larger boat.

[Zagato]

wklein

Year Four: Bought a 31 footer in an effort to actually be more comfortable. Major refit needed. Too much time in London for work. Disappointed.

You'll get their Nathanlee...

Who said it's better to want than have! Not when you want to live in it!

[Tradewinds]

Back to the original post.

I found the 1st year both easy & difficult.

We left in August from Liverpool & by October were in Porto Santo (Madeira). Cruising companions we'd met on the way were moving on down to the Canaries.

I had a fit of homesickness (my father had died in April & my brother had been seriously ill the year before) & we (wife + 2 young children) flew back home to my mother's for Xmas returning to PS in March.

In many ways I'm so glad I did. I never felt 'homesick' again. The original departure from Liverpool was full of high anxiety & rush. Now all was laid to rest and we left UK again happy with our decision to follow our chosen path. We were still in Madeira in June/July (we were in no hurry now) when I heard that my brother was dying. I flew home to be with him. Further away it would have been more difficult to organise. Serendipity maybe (for me).

The lesson. Live for now, you never know what is round the corner. He was 4 years older than me and was 49. I'm 63 now & there are not many days when I don't think of him.