Longevity . . .

[TheWatchman]

I have lived aboard since 1993.

During this time, have seen many partners come and go. Most state the liveaboard lifestyle as the problem.

Is it location or tight quarters?

How do I find a partner that can handle it?

[boatman61]

Location, space, lack of social life, 'camping lifestyle' (to them), no room for 'nesting'..(those little buys that make it home) but most of all I think its a sense of insecurity that the lifestyle carries...
Few women can cope with it long term...
try the worst sailors Skipper and makes all decisions alongside..
and the others Skipper at sea...
They still go... just not as quickly....

[witchcraft]

Funny that, it just needs to be a woman who would like , truly like to do this. My other other half ( I assure you i am a woman) is talking about purchasing a house. I say, but we bought the larger boat to live aboard. he says it's been eight years. So start with a woman who sails, and one who has entertained the idea all on her own. They are out there.
Good luck.
Fair Winds

[Hudson Force]

Last year my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary while criusing back to Florida from the Bahamas. We've lived aboard since 1972. During this time we've seen many partners come and go. Most of them have houses on land, but I don't think that's related to anything!

[hummingway]

Welcome to the forum Watchman. I suspect there's no answer for your query, which is to say, witchcraft is on the mark. Some get it and some don't and getting the twain to meet is a quandry!

[zeehag]

rofl. i have lived aboard since 1990--had one partner--husband from hell-- he be gone--i be solo--always. sailed with a friend for a yr-- but still solo.. cant find a man who wan ts to remain on board all the time. the men i meet want to have a house and a car and a lot of material stuff to weigh them down. what to do??!!!! there just arent any men who want to live like this.. what to do !!??!!
welcome, watchman- may you have smooth sailing....

[witchcraft]

Ah the shoe on the other foot Zeehag. My friend and collegue thinks it's really very funny that my husband is thinking about the dirt and I am not. anyhow it wont be a serious problem for us Could be we will buy a house, rent to one of the kids and live aboard the boat. We shall see, life is an adventure and full of possibilities.
Fair Winds

[otherthan]

all this dont matter, living on a boat or a house a condo whatever!!!
being with someone is aboute sharing and compromises. we make the disision to share our lifes it is not forced on us. caring for someone and vise versa is what this world is all about...one can sail solo for whatever time but eventualy opening your hart to someone makes it all worth while...it dont matter if for one day or for ever.

enjoy

[osirissail]

boatman61 sets out the basic parameters for "normal" human females - which is to say that women who can and do like living on cruising boats are not normal - then again neither are the men. So you have to find a "not normal" woman to have a reasonable chance of long term happiness on a cruising boat.
- - One way to narrow the field is to only look at women from an living environment that is similar to the parameters of living on a boat. Like ones from as far away from centers of population as possible. Especially women who have and are living in "frontier" conditions. Then moving onto a cruising boat is a "step up" rather than a sacrifice of what she is used to or raised to be used to.

[jerrymc]

Reading this thread prompted me to pull out my copy of "One Hand For Yourself..One Hand For The Ship" by Tristan Jones. In the 3rd chapter, "Freud Was Not a Sailor", in which he discusses the pschology of sailors, in particular singlehand sailors, he writes:

"I have seen any number of marriages and alliances broken up simply because the husband or lover failed to see the innate female need for security above all things...She has an affinity for earth, not water. You only have to see her, after a long ocean passage, scrunching her bare toes in the sand, lingeringly touching stray flower blossoms, gazing at children, to know this.

If humans are descended from animals who left the sea, I'll bet that the first one to straggle ashore on it's flimsy fine, was a female"

"If a female takes to the sea, she is very good for as long as her emotions will allow her to be. In my experience this is for about eighteen months"

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

JerryMc: don't generalize. And, Tristan Jones wasn't reliable about anything, starting with where he went. Some women want to live aboard, some don't. Soem men want to liveaboard, some don't. Some blondes/blonds want to live aboard, some don't. Etc.

[Bergovoy]

are you available?


hehehe

Originally Posted by witchcraft

Funny that, it just needs to be a woman who would like , truly like to do this. My other other half ( I assure you i am a woman) is talking about purchasing a house. I say, but we bought the larger boat to live aboard. he says it's been eight years. So start with a woman who sails, and one who has entertained the idea all on her own. They are out there.
Good luck.
Fair Winds

[Bergovoy]

i was told that you (I) will find someone when we arent looking... and i haven't been looking for 12 years now... hmmmm

[witchcraft]

I must really be not *normal* ( which by the way I thought was a setting on a washing machine), since we have been living aboard for going on nine years...not eighteen months.
No not available. LOL
Fair Winds

[Cats Eye]

I have been living aboard for almost 10 years. 3 different boats over the 9 nine years.. First year was a winter living aboard in Maine. Now is the sunny Caribbean living aboard is much easier! I did not grow up boating at all, I grew up in NYC. It can be done. Living on the boat has it challenges but the freedom it offers me in life the challenges are worth it. Having a watermaker and a small washing machine are things that we have that help make it easier!