When the boat's a rockin'

Get your filthy, dirty and downright disgusting minds out of the gutter because I'm actually going to be talking about something us Brits froth at the mouth over. The weather. Yes, that's right I've curated a post about something as mundane as the weather and if you've still decided to carry on reading then more fool you!

I guess this post will be more of a 'if you're thinking about living on a boat here's something that you may not have thought about but you probably need to know' kind of post. Please don't take this post as me hating my living situation because I, in actual fact, wouldn't change it for the world. So let's cut to the chase, when we think about living on a boat we think about sunny days spent on the broads with a beer or two. So, what's it like when the weather is disgusting?

Now, I can cope with the cold weather and I even wrote about this a while back in a post that can be found here. I don't do well with the cold but I can deal with it. What I can't deal with is rain. I hate the rain with a passion and living on a boat has reignited that hatred. I can't speak for other boat owners but for myself the rain can be incredibly loud on the roof. Ever been in a greenhouse or conservatory when it's raining? Yeah, it's a bit like that especially when it's heavy rain. You may think this is me just having a moan about the weather and you're absolutely right! But, I think it's something that I didn't really think about when I purchased the boat and on some days it can be a real downer.

Let's have a moan about the wind now, shall we? No, not the wind your dad gets after a few too many baked beans, but the kind of blustery wind that rocks the boat about and not for a good reason! If you read my last post then you will know that last week the windy weather did a very good job at making me a grumpy arsehole from lack of sleep. The majority of the time, you can't feel the boat moving about and, like I said a few posts ago, I sometimes forget I live on a vessel floating in the water. However, when it gets really windy it can be a bit grueling. The boat will often knock against the key, and as the windows are on latches they tend to rattle about quite a bit. Again, this is something I didn't really think about before I purchased.

Photo from https://www.jacksonmarine.co.uk/

Would I have purchased the boat if I knew all of this beforehand? Absolutely, 100% yes. You see,

when the sun is shining or the weather is warm you cannot beat it. It's a dream, and that more than makes up for the crappy British weather. I cannot tell you how much joy I get out of sitting at the stern of the boat with a cup of coffee, in the sun whilst watching the water. My parents encouraged me to start living on the boat before winter hit and I'm so glad they did because having that experience of being on the boat in the tail end of summer has made me realise that dealing with the bad weather is totally worth it.

The point of this post, apart from to have a moan? I'm not really sure, I guess it's to say if you're thinking about living on a boat be prepared for the days where it's not all fun and sunshine. It's a bit like life in general where you'll have the shitty days but the great days more than make up for them. Anyway.....

My tips for those that are thinking of living on a boat?

• Start living on it in the spring or summer

• Pay attention to the tides, there's loads of good websites that can tell you when high and low tide is

• Become manically obsessed with the weather. I am that person, I look at the weather apps constantly. I guess it makes me prepared for what is to come

• Earplugs. I wear earplugs to bed when it's raining heavily or we have heavy winds. The majority of the time they will drown those noises out

• Get some sexy wellies. They definitely came in handy when we had the really high tides

I mean, that's not all of my tips but it is when it comes to dealing with the great British weather whilst living aboard. Please don't let this post put you off liveaboard life as the positives far outweigh the cons but I do think it's a good idea to be honest about these things.

Now it's time for my favourite segment! This week's music recommendation comes with a bit of a life lesson. When I was a wee one at university, I wanted to be 'cool', listen to 'cool' music and have 'cool' hobbies. This led me to not listening to certain types of music because it wasn't deemed 'cool' in the eyes of my peers. Some of that music came from an artist I really love, Taylor Swift. Which leads me to my chosen song, this is The 1 by Taylor Swift. I will say that as I've grown into a wise old woman, I've come to realise that I really don't care if I'm cool or not, I like the things I like and am passionate about them. I encourage you to do the same, whether it be fashion, music, or hobbies, own it, enjoy it and get passionate about it! What the fuck does cool look like anyway?!