Living in a houseboat is not quite like living in an apartment or a villa ... We live in an ice-free marina, but sometimes ice floes from Lake Ulvsunda slip in and hit the boat hull. The other night, when we were going to sleep, there was a completely different sound that disturbed our sleep. The water was rippling, loud and intense. We had never heard that before.
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ShareWhat is an ice-free marina?
Firstly, we might as well explain in case anyone is wondering. Large propellers have been placed around the marina to keep the water constantly moving, so it can't freeze. This is because the boats feel better when they don't have to rub against the ice. It also has a number of other benefits. Among other things, it means that Stockholm's ducks love to hang out here. In addition, from time to time you can experience the phenomenon known as the sea smoke.
When ice (or water) makes it hard to sleep
When small ice floes break away from Lake Ulvsunda and slide into the marina, they tend to hit the hull of our boat, as we are right next to the inlet. It's not something we notice when we move around the boat during the day, but we sleep on the lower deck right next to the hull, and there the sound is heard as loud thumps ... Sometimes Peter has had to go up and try to push the ice floes away.
Well, it was not that sound that disturbed us the other night, but an intense bubbling and rippling. We had never heard that sound before, where did it come from? It is impossible to sleep when you start wondering if the boat is taking in water somewhere, so to speak ...
I just had to go up and lift all the hatches to look down into the hull. No, it was completely dry! Put on your clothes and look outside. It was simply that a gentle but intense wind from the north caused the water to flow towards the propeller at the inlet, which together created a vortex that went straight towards our ...
Quiet and busy weekend
We are at home and working a lot this weekend. I am translating a book for KI and Peter is preparing our lectures at the Caravan Stockholm fair this weekend. We have a lecture on Friday about travelling with a motorhome in Albania and Macedonia and a lecture on Sunday about travelling with a motorhome in Corsica and Sardinia. Last night we were also invited to friends' houses. How is your weekend?
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Lennart says:
It will be a culinary weekend with different dishes!
12 February 2017 - 8:19
Imelda says:
It has been a weekend on wheels in Skåne, absolutely wonderful!
12 February 2017 - 8:48
Deciree says:
It's not good to lie down and listen to sounds that you don't know where they come from...especially in a boat. Fortunately, nothing happened to the boat. Hope to see you when we get to Stockholm. 🙂 Hugs to you ... we can hug live when we meet in reality again 🙂.
12 February 2017 - 8:51
Husis blog says:
Exciting to live on a boat and find out about different sounds. Good that nothing happened to the boat, but there must have been a little worry before you realised what was causing the new sound.
The owners have had a "to do weekend". They have baked bread, fixed the new car, watched football, cooked "hotel breakfast" so in short, a very good weekend.
12 February 2017 - 9:02
Kate says:
Looks sooo cosy with a houseboat, and what luck that it did not take in water!!! We have had a very quiet weekend, and today is a day out in the sunshine with parts of the noisy family!!!
12 February 2017 - 9:26
Matts Torebring says:
When I drove a lorry in the early 70s, I always looked for a place to sleep at midnight. In those days, there were no nice rest areas, but you slept less than half a metre from the roadside marker, in a regular parking space. It was just a matter of pulling the trailer outside the white edge marking.
Every time a lorry drove by and rocked my car, I slept soundly. If I slept in a quieter place, I could sleep quite uneasily. Perhaps it is an analogy to sleeping in a houseboat. The slight rocking that is certainly there, creates peace of mind. On the other hand, you probably don't need much disturbing noise to sit up and listen, what is it that sounds?
One night I slept with you on Mariagatan in the city centre. Then I also woke up and listened. Then I saw in the rear-view mirror that people were up on the lorry bed to steal. But there was nothing to take with them. It's the only night in my life that I slept with a hammer under my pillow.
12 February 2017 - 9:47
Ama de casa says:
I can think that the ducks are a bonus. Cosy indeed 🙂 .
Luckily there was no leak in the boat anyway! Difficult when you hear new sounds that you can not determine what it is at first. I remember when my first car (a Fiat 126 that had strange noises most of the time) came with a completely new variant. Eventually - after other road users had honked and pointed - I realised what the sound was. "Rim against cobblestone"... Puncture! Haha!
A lot going on with you as always. Here it is Schlager times and today I am thinking of taking a bus trip with my newly filled bus card. Only the weather gets better... 🙂 🙂
12 February 2017 - 10:15
admin says:
Lennart, that sounds nice! 🙂
Imelda, oh how wonderful! Hope you have as sunny as us today!
Deciree, of course we will see you! We will be at the fair every day (but on Thursday it will be just Peter).
Husisblogg, "hotel breakfast" does not sound stupid! Here it was a vegetable omelette for breakfast today 🙂
Kate, it's nice to be outside in this beautiful weather! We had friends over yesterday and it got late, so we're having a quiet morning... but luckily we can enjoy the nice weather through the window!
Matts, I agree that a gentle rocking and homely sound can be soothing. But it's the strange sounds that you start to wonder about... The incident on the lorry sounds really unpleasant!!!! Uncomfortable feeling of knowing someone is there and not knowing what they might be doing...
Ama de casa, the ducks are quite a nice company actually! And haha, some sounds you just shouldn't ignore! 😉
12 February 2017 - 10:26
Ditte says:
It is good that there was no leakage in the boat. But in a boat you are always extra observant of sounds both from water and other things.
We have had a great weekend with "pot rounds" where we tried different pot dishes at retsuranger, long walks and cosy out in the sun. There will be some work at home for me today as well with travel preparations that are job-related and some documentation.
Wishing you a nice Sunday.
12 February 2017 - 10:44
Ruth in Virginia says:
Beautiful picture from the bow of your boat!
No fun end of the week here. Both the daughter and I
had a stomach bug, really bad, like that, so you're sitting there
on the toilet with a rubbish bin in my lap. Feeling OK
again, luckily, and will have a slice of toast.
12 February 2017 - 10:45
Goatfish says:
Exciting and different living on a boat and different sounds than the landlubbers have.
My horror has always been unfamiliar noises in the car. Such things have happened 😉 and it gives me chills to see the thousands of dollars fly away.
One afternoon someone was banging her key into my door, it felt awful, but had a natural explanation. The woman was in the wrong staircase, sigh.
Sunday hug ?
12 February 2017 - 10:46
JoY says:
Hearing a sound that shouldn't be, must be investigated immediately or I won't be able to row. Good thing the boat didn't take on water.
See you at the fair on Friday
Hugs
12 February 2017 - 11:56
Only British says:
I had no idea that marinas could have propellers!
Here we had brunch in Malmö's new beautiful market hall yesterday.
12 February 2017 - 12:02
Seija Viitamäki-Carlsson says:
Please. In the Caravan programme, your talk on Albania-Macedonia is on Friday 11-11.30. What about it? Important for us to know, we want to hear this particular talk for our trip in the autumn.
12 February 2017 - 12:08
Henny says:
What a difference between your view in Stockholm and mine in Norrbotten. Both are nice of course.
I agree that sounds you're not used to can be a bit scary. I think I will take up the habit again, that of sleeping with my grandfather's baton near the bed. Can feel safe when you are alone in the motorhome.
12 February 2017 - 12:16
Lanclin-Linnea says:
Wake up and realise that the hull is taking in water! No thanks to that one 🙂 .
Our weekend has the theme of peace and quiet, we are still not completely healthy from an extremely tough cold but now it has turned! 🙂
12 February 2017 - 13:00
Emma, sun like sun? says:
When you live in a house, you also lie down and listen to sounds, especially when the wind is blowing hard - some sounds you get used to, others you don't like, but you know that's how it usually sounds. It is when there is a new sound that you end up just lying down and listening to it. Was it the roof plate that lifted?!?!!
Today is a bit of a day-after feeling as we waved goodbye to mum and at Malaga airport. Now it will be a while before we see them again.
12 February 2017 - 13:13
Mr Steve says:
I understand that living in a houseboat is a different experience.
At Getingstorp it is a quiet weekend, as usual with good meals. Today we have a birthday party for Nelson who is 9 years old.
Great photo of your marina with the tower blocks in the background.
12 February 2017 - 13:16
admin says:
Ditte, potlucks sound nice! 🙂
Ruth in Virginia, oh no, stomach flu is really bad! Glad to hear you're getting better! Get well soon!
Geddfish, understand that it was unpleasant to hear someone at the door! Even if it had its natural explanation later ...
JoY, see you soon at the fair!
Only British, it may not be very common, but here it's good because many boats are in all year round.
Seija, sorry for the confusion. It's Friday! And thank you for noticing my mistake. I have corrected it now.
Henny, it's a shame if you have to feel unsafe in your campervan... It's important not to park overnight in places that feel unsafe!
Linnea, cheer up!!!
Emma, yes, that can certainly be the case with houses too! When you hear something you don't recognise, you want to know what it is ...
Steve, congratulations to Nelson! 🙂
12 February 2017 - 14:18
BP says:
In other words, free entertainment with the high excitement factor of living on a houseboat. But of course you get worried when you hear a noise that sounds like a leak. Luckily, the boat was dry and you got an explanation.
Here it is also a quiet weekend with 20 degrees as the highest temperature so far this year. At 13:00 when the sun warmed the balcony. Almost outdoor weather;-)
12 February 2017 - 15:25
gun says:
Sounds when you're going to sleep are very annoying and it's also uncomfortable when you don't know what it is.
Luckily there was no leak in the boat....
Nice pictures that you took and show here.
My weekend I have eaten After Work at Åbro in Vimmerby and had a good time.
gun
12 February 2017 - 17:41
Katarina Wohlfart says:
The part about ice floes hitting the hull sounds a bit scary. Not because you think it's going to break, but rather because you think someone is trying to break in or something. At home, my mum woke up one night to a thud in the wall and wondered what was happening. She was home alone. After a while she realised that it was the deer that were fighting and banging on the wall. She fed the deer over the winter in the garden. hehe.
12 February 2017 - 23:48
admin says:
BP, 20 degrees, you won't believe it! But the sun warms well sometimes it 😉
Gun, it's just that when you don't know where the sounds are coming from ... Sounds like you had a good weekend!
Katarina, maybe it's fish that are trying to break into our house? 😉 Unexpected with deer that ended up in each other's laps!!!
13 February 2017 - 7:12
Marina says:
So, I still think it's so cool that you actually live on the water!!!
13 February 2017 - 7:25
steel city anna says:
It's nice to be popular with other people 🙂 a strong spirit, to whore the ice.
13 February 2017 - 15:45
admin says:
Marina, it is cosy to live on water! 🙂
Steel city Anna, haha, you have to read twice sometimes when the dots are missing... 😉 Yes, the ducks are quite a nice company!
14 February 2017 - 6:58
Annika says:
Yes, I also think it is so incredibly delicious with your accommodation.
AND yes, it's good that they keep the ice out of the marina. However, I can understand that it may not be very fun when ice floes break in and wake you up with a thud.
Is the ice cold water around the boat very cool? It's a bit scary with the poring, I can see why you couldn't sleep until you knew what was going on.
I'm glad you got the explanation.
14 February 2017 - 15:20
Maria's Memoirs says:
Interesting, you don't even think about that when you've never lived in a bat 🙂 It's nice that all the water doesn't freeze in the winter!
18 February 2017 - 8:52
Biggeros says:
A bit scary to hear strange noises at night. Glad you solved the problem and the boat didn't take on water. Our weekend is spent at home in Jerez with a full schedule. We had time to go to the hairdresser and go to the lab to take samples. Then we visited a new Japanese restaurant in Jerez with very good sandwiches and much more. Good luck at the Caravan Fair!!!
18 February 2017 - 12:57
Anna, Travel on a Cloud says:
Exciting to hear about. It is not something you are used to: thoughts about whether the home takes in water. 🙂 Fortunately, there was no danger!
Last weekend we were in Malaysia and this weekend I'm catching up on blogs and trying to "cure" the jet lag. 🙂
18 February 2017 - 15:46