As more people continue to test positive for the coronavirus disease around the world, most countries are doing all they can to manage the spread of this deadly disease. This includes halting all operations and encouraging citizens to stay at home.
According to WHO, the signs and symptoms of this infection include a cough, fever, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, organ failure and death. It takes around five days for the symptoms to start showing. Some infected people may not display any symptoms despite having this virus in their bodies.
Therefore, it is important to protect yourself by staying at home and following the directives issued by the local health authorities. If you’ve always wanted to live on a houseboat. And you’ve achieved your goal, you must be wondering how you are going to survive during lockdown.
Don’t worry. You are not alone. There are thousands of houseboat owners who are asking themselves the same question. Before deciding to own a houseboat, you must have done your research properly. You should not stop learning about your houseboat even after moving in.
Surviving on a houseboat during lockdown
Knowing and understanding the rules clearly will make your life easier especially during lockdown. Since you won’t be moving around, here are some tips that will help you survive on a houseboat.
1. Know and understand the rules
When living on a houseboat, one of the most critical things you must know is how to live in the area you are docking. The last thing you want to do is violate the rules and end up in a cell. According to dissertation help, knowing the rules set by the local jurisdictions and complying will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Don’t move to a new place without doing your research.
As the coronavirus disease continues spreading around the world, nations are implementing tighter rules to curb its spread. Therefore, if the local authorities have ordered all movement activities to cease, it’s best to follow the guidelines.
Other rules such as disposing waste properly and maintaining high standards of hygiene all the time should be followed. Now is the time to avoid pollution at all costs. Communicating with other houseboat owners in the region via calls, emails or text messages can save you a lot of time and resources in the long run especially during lockdown.
2. Learn to rely on yourself
As you live on your houseboat, you’ll have to be quite resourceful to manage your life around water. Things will malfunction and break down with continuous use. And they may require urgent repair or replacement. However, with the lockdown in place, you should not expect a plumber or electrician to come fix anything for you. This means that you’ll have to rely on yourself on almost everything.
You’ll have to arrange for water supply, electric supply, and garbage collection. If you use the internet regularly, you may have to contact the internet service as early as you can to avoid spending a lot of money or getting bored all day long in your houseboat.
Purchasing stuff online will also be a problem because most delivery services and shops will not be operating during lockdown. Plus, even if they did operate, delivering stuff to a houseboat can be a great challenge.
According to essay service, living on a houseboat means acknowledging and accepting the opportunities and occasional difficulties. Since you’ll be in your corner in the world, planning and purchasing everything you’ll need in your houseboat is critical.
The last thing you want to happen is to cook a meal halfway only to realize that you don’t have all the ingredients. During lockdown, it’s worse because you can’t run to the grocery store leave alone borrowing your neighbor.
3. Plan everything
As the popular saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. Knowing all the essential items you’ll need in your houseboat is important to avoid suffering in the long run. Since most countries allow their citizens to purchase essential items in stores during lockdown once in a while, it’s important to make the most out of this opportunity.
Before getting out of your houseboat, prepare a list of everything you’ll need starting from salt to tissues. Knowing what you need and writing them down will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. When heading to the grocery store, ensure that you follow the rules and regulations laid down by the local health authorities.
This includes wearing masks, using hand sanitizers and putting on gloves. It has not yet been proven if masks help when walking outside; however, appearing without one will draw the attention of the authorities. Stick to the rules and stay safe.
Apart from ingredients and essentials such as tissues and antibacterial soap, you should stock up decongestants and painkillers to reduce the effects of the virus in case it gets you. You should also reduce or quit smoking and drinking as they not only weaken the immune system but also worsen the chance of pneumonia developing.
Food shortages can affect you if you don’t stock as early as possible. Therefore, don’t wait until the last minute to start buying non-perishable food. Consume fruits and vegetables as much as you can. And consider using vitamin tablets whenever you don’t have fruits in your houseboat.
4. Expect the weather to change
During the first few days in your houseboat, you’ll probably enjoy the experience since it’s something you’ve been looking
forward to for several years. However, as the popular saying goes, the only constant thing is change. And there’s nothing that demonstrates this saying better than the weather.
Being locked inside your houseboat during bad weather will have some impact on your life. You’ll have to remain on board to manage your boat during extreme weather changes. Being prepared for the worst before it happens will save you a lot of time and resources. Ensuring that your boat is in top shape all the time will make your life comfortable especially when the weather is not friendly.
5. Be ready to isolate yourself
According to best paper writing services, living on a houseboat cannot be compared to living in a typical house. Living on a houseboat means you’ll be physically isolated. Since you won’t be meeting and hanging out with your fellow houseboat owners, it’s important to prepare yourself for some long, peaceful and quiet days ahead.
If you are an introvert, you’ll enjoy the solitude and experience. On the other hand, if you are an extrovert, it’s important to ensure that all your communication tools are working perfectly to avoid losing your mind. Communicating with friends via video chats, text messages and emails will keep you going until things return to normal.
Living on a houseboat alone for several days will force you to get to know yourself. And this is a good thing. Once you know who you are, you’ll have conquered the world.
6. Organize your space
Houseboats are not as spacious as most typical homes. Therefore, you have to keep your things organized to have peace of mind and wellbeing during this period. Since you won’t be getting out very much, you’ll have all the time in the world to arrange your things.
Once you organize your things, you’ll be amazed by the amount of space that you’ll end up creating. Disorganization consumes a lot of space and wastes a lot of time. Don’t allow yourself to live in a disorganized space.
Start with the places you spend most of your time. This could be the kitchen, bedroom or living area. Be willing to give up things that you don’t use. After all, you chose to live in a houseboat to simplify your life. Living on a houseboat means you’ll have to be resourceful especially during lockdown.
7. Keep your houseboat safe
During lockdown, keeping your houseboat safe should be your top priority. Living around water means that you can live as freely as you can. However, this does not mean that you should not worry at all. There are many hazards that houseboat owners face. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the safety measures to avoid movement and frustrations during lockdown:
1. Keep water away from the boat
There should be no water pressure in your water system. A little pressure is enough to sink your beautiful houseboat. Water hose leaks within your boat can lead to severe damage that will cost you a lot of money in the long run.
Research shows that water that comes from inside the boat is what causes it to sink. Therefore, don’t focus on the water that comes from outside so much. A frozen water supply is likely to expand and leak. When the water melts, it will start flowing into the boat. Therefore, checking your water system regularly will save you a lot of time and heartaches.
2. Invest in carbon monoxide detectors
If your boat has an engine, you have to ensure that the emissions are blowing out of the boat safely. Carbon monoxide emissions are dangerous. Some people have died due to lack of proper ventilation. To keep your houseboat safe, ensure you have good ventilation. Also, installing carbon monoxide detectors will help you know when there is a leak.
3. Have a pump
For your boat to float, water must exist outside it only. In the case of natural disasters and leaks, it will be impossible to keep water outside the boat. Investing in a sump pump will help you keep your home water-free. Keep it in a spot that’s easy to reach in case of emergencies.
Conclusion
During lockdown, you might be forced to stay inside your boat in one region for a long time. Maybe you were used to changing your environment regularly or taking a walk in new destinations. Since this won’t be the case for some time now, it’s important to be prepared for the future.
Organizing your boat, purchasing the essentials and keeping your boat in top shape should be your main priorities now. Most importantly, protecting yourself from this deadly virus is essential. Follow the directives issued by the local health authorities and enjoy the view as much as you can.
Author Bio
Tiffany Harper is a training guru who’s been working in the corporate sector for over a decade now. She is a management graduate and loves to share her experience through blogs and articles with Best Dissertation Service. For her love of writing, she also provides freelance college paper, and dissertation writing services while helping Buy Custom Essay and Dissertation Today.