Storm Helga blew in yesterday. Of course, it was not as bad here as in western Sweden, but it was always noticeable, the storm. Not least for those of us who live in houseboats. So what is it like to live in a houseboat during a storm?
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ShareWhat's it like in the boat during a storm?
It makes a big difference from which direction the wind comes, and where in the marina the houseboat is located. Yesterday afternoon the storm came towards the outermost aqua villas. We got some protection from the side so it didn't rock too hard. But still it was enough for us to wobble around in the houseboat all afternoon and evening and when we had to go up and down the stairs we had to hold on.
Every time we opened the door the winds hit us surprisingly hard in the face and all the time we heard the sound of flags flying and the wind whistling. Peter tied the barbecue and outdoor furniture down tightly and we went inside ...
Delivery of clothing
In the middle of the storm, the dry cleaners called to deliver my washed clothes - the ones that were water damaged in our storage room. Now? In the middle of the storm? The water washed over the piers and the delivery guy stood confused with his van in the marina. "What? You live in a houseboat?"
We couldn't very well ask him for delivery at the door, so we just had to walk in over the wet rocking docks, pick up all the bags of clothes, put them in a trolley and try to hold them in the wind as we walked back ... Today the weather has been relatively calm, but now the wind has started blowing again ...
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Ninni, Henrik and the Knasen motorhome says:
Hi, oh yes, it must have been a bit "different". I'm glad everything went well.
05 December 2015 - 17:21
Anja says:
Hahaaaa! What a day! Wow!
05 December 2015 - 18:00
BP says:
I did not know that geese behave like Jesus - that they can walk on water or waves;-)
If you live on a houseboat, it's probably good if you don't suffer from seasickness;-)
Would like to see the look on the delivery boy's face - priceless I would guess:-)
05 December 2015 - 18:06
Frankie & Co says:
Never a dull moment ?
05 December 2015 - 18:17
Lots of other stuff and some concrete says:
Yes, it has been windy! Did it swing so much at your place! Not so fun to have to walk on wet piers with freshly washed clothes in the wind....
We had a power cut. So we fetched water from the lake for the toilet, crawled under the house after the boat gas cooker, and lit lots of candles. But then the power came back on...
Hope you have a quiet evening now!
Hugs Agneta
05 December 2015 - 20:20
Krisztina says:
I had probably vomited like crazy, can get seasick easily. Remember when we were going over to Zanzibar with dhaw, oh oh oh how it rocked and there were a lot of people with me on that boat who were white in the face and hung outside with their heads?
05 December 2015 - 20:30
Matts Torebring says:
Living in a boat is probably not so nice, in this storm, even if you are close to land. I myself have travelled in a storm between Varberg - Grenå and Kalskrona - Gdansk in a full storm. On the latter journey, I could not speak for a whole week, so ruined was my throat by vomiting. Between Varberg - Grenå, I thought the interior would fall on us.
In such weather you shouldn't be out at sea, it's simply madness. It is safer to do as you do, anchored in a harbour. But surely there will be some rocking even there.
05 December 2015 - 21:19
Ditte says:
It's good that you don't have one of the high villa boats....there it was probably even worse. But I can imagine that it rocked a lot with you too and yet you are protected by the quay.
As for the clothing delivery, maybe it was lucky that the guy didn't make it to your houseboat. Maybe he had dropped in and the clothes with him. Not good!
Hopefully it will be a calmer night.
05 December 2015 - 23:19
Mr Lars Permelin says:
Bridge sailing is probably best when there are strong winds. You have to expect a little rocking when you live in a houseboat. I think you get used to it. At least I did when I was at sea for several years on slightly larger ships.
06 December 2015 - 0:14
Mr Steve says:
Of course, living in a houseboat is a different kind of living. But good nonetheless. So to speak.
05 December 2015 - 23:30
Casa Annika says:
This is probably the wrong comment ... but I think it seems to be cosy to be in a rocking houseboat when there is a storm outside. Never tried it though.
06 December 2015 - 4:24
Deciree says:
I couldn't live in a houseboat when it's so windy and rocking. I get seasick. What terrible storms there have been lately. Hope you avoid any more now so it will be calm on the boat:)
06 December 2015 - 7:35
Marie says:
Wow, how dramatic your situation is! You may simply have seasick pills at home? 🙂
06 December 2015 - 10:01
admin says:
Ninni, it is of course different from living in a house, but that includes rocking on a boat 😉.
Anja, that's what living on a boat can be like 😉.
BP, many people who drive down here (couriers, taxis etc) are surprised and don't really realise that people live here 😉.
Frankie & Co, so you can see it 😉.
Agneta, power cuts are also a bit dramatic and they happen so rarely nowadays, so you are not so well prepared for it (not us anyway).
Krisztina, not fun when it rocks so much that you get seasick! It does not swing that much here, but it may still feel different when it is your whole house with all the stuff 😉.
Matts, being out in a storm at sea is not fun! Fortunately, we do not get such storms or such high waves here, but sometimes it rocks anyway 😉.
Ditte, when it comes to the aqua villas, it probably depends on where in the marina they are located. The ones that are far in are calm, but the ones that are furthest out and take the worst winds get pretty rocky ...
Steve, we think it's a great way to live, even when it's windy! 😉
Lars, of course you have to expect that it will rock a bit sometimes and yes, you get used to it!
Casa Annika, it IS quite cosy! If it gets too bad, it may be difficult, but yesterday there was no danger really.
Deciree, it is not rocking so much that we get seasick and it is this time of year. Less storms in other seasons...
Marie, so far we haven't got seasick 😉.
06 December 2015 - 10:29
Ama de casa says:
I'm quite happy with the fact that our apartment is fairly still... Except on some occasions when we've felt small quakes 🙂 ).
06 December 2015 - 11:08
admin says:
Ama de casa, feels a bit worse when an apartment moves... it should preferably be still! 😉
06 December 2015 - 11:15
Lena says:
Practicalities such as lev. of laundry learnt to ask for at the next lev. He could not "dream about" as I said? Must have been cool to see his face ha-ha!
06 December 2015 - 19:44
Helga says:
Ugh yes storms can't be fun in a houseboat. It was not so fun to fly to Gothenburg that day either, but we came down, albeit a little shaken. Some passengers thought it was really hard.
07 December 2015 - 11:16
admin says:
Lena, many people who come with deliveries or drive a taxi or similar look confused and surprised... 😉.
Helga, I think the plane sounds worse! In any case, we are stuck at the bridge 😉.
07 December 2015 - 16:08
Annika says:
WOW!!! Interesting that you are writing about this...
Sounds a bit scary actually. Seasickness warning?
What about the stuff on your boat? Was there much that fell into the drain?
HAHA, the guy who came with the dry cleaning was surely surprised, and lucky that he didn't have to go out to the boat in that storm 🙂.
08 December 2015 - 15:12
admin says:
Annika, it felt quite ok actually. It rocked a lot, but not so that things fall out of the cabinets (we are prepared to tape the cabinet doors if necessary, but it has never really been necessary). The only thing that collapses easily is the grill and the outdoor furniture on the deck, but we have lashed them quite well now 😉.
08 December 2015 - 17:29