구명정 개조해서 사는 두아이의 아빠 Father-of-two lives in an old oil rig LIFEBOAT..(VIDEO)
Father-of-two lives in an old oil rig LIFEBOAT he has spent £16,000 converting into a floating home complete with two bedrooms, running water and a kitchen
- Simon White decided to buy the 1980s raft so he would no longer have to fork out for his 'overpriced' flat in Bath
- The 36-year-old spent six months renovating the boat, installing electricity, a plumbing system and a woodburner
- He pays £2,000 per year to moor the boat - which once hung on a North Sea oil rig - on the River Avon near Bristol
- Mr White was inspired to buy the boat following the death of his father and says he now has better work-life balance
by Ki Chul Hwang
Conpaper Editor Distributor
황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터
A father-of-two spent £16,000 converting a lifeboat into a floating two-bedroom home complete with running water, electricity and a wood-burning stove so he would no longer have to fork out for an 'overpriced' flat.
Simon White decided to buy the 1980s raft - which once hung on an oil rig in the North Sea - to secure what he says is a better work-life balance.
The 36-year-old craftsman then spent six months renovating the boat, working full-time to install electricity, a fully-functioning plumbing system and kitchen cabinets.
Scroll down for video
Father-of-two Simon White (pictured) spent £16,000 converting a lifeboat into a floating two-bedroom home complete with running water
Mr White decided to buy the 1980s raft to secure what he says is a better work-life balance. He installed his own kitchen cabinets (pictured)
The 36-year-old craftsman worked for six months to ensure there was running water, electricity and a wood-burning stove (pictured)
His two children stay on the boat on weekends, but he lives there alone the rest of the time. One of the two bedrooms is pictured above
Mr White's home started life on the side of an oil rig off the coast of Scotland, where it would be used to evacuate workers if the rig caught fire. A similar boat is pictured on the North Sea
He now keeps the boat on the River Avon near Bristol, where he pays £2,000 per year to moor - a fraction of the £9,500 he paid to rent a flat in Bath.
He said: 'I've found living on boats to be amazing. There's something about the water that makes me feel calmer.
'I feel like I'm living my dream, I'm very lucky to live the way I live and I would encourage other people to follow their dreams.'
Mr White's home started life on the side of an oil rig off the coast of Scotland, where it would be used to evacuate workers if the rig caught fire. The boat could seat up to 56 people.
After buying the boat in December last year, he brought it down to Bristol on the back of a lorry before beginning work on it the following month.
It is now a far cry from the antiquated vessel it once was, boasting a wet room, kitchen and wood-burning stove.
He keeps the boat on the River Avon near Bristol, where he pays £2,000 per year to moor - a fraction of the £9,500 he paid for a flat in Bath
The boat is now a far cry from the antiquated vessel it once was, boasting a wet room (pictured), kitchen and wood-burning stove
After buying the boat in December last year, he brought it down to Bristol on the back of a lorry before beginning work on it in January. The second bedroom is pictured above
Mr White says it is a really nice feeling to live on the boat and to have your own space. The fully fitted kitchen, which he installed himself, is pictured above
Mr White was inspired to buy the boat (pictured left) after his father died from cancer, just months after he retired. He realised he did not want to spend his whole life working to try and make ends meet while living in an 'overpriced' property
He said: 'The boat took me six months to complete and that was me working on it full time. I had to live pretty frugally whilst I was doing it because I knew if I was trying to do a job and a boat project it would take too long so I just decided to get it done.
'I had to learn new skills along the way like fibreglassing and electrics. I already knew basic plumbings and I'm a cabinet maker so that side of things was no problem for me.'
There were problems along the way - including the floor being full of water - but he insists the boat allows him to have a better quality of life.
He says: 'It was a really nice feeling to actually move onto the boat and live on it. It works exactly how I hoped it would and it's a really nice space to live in and the kids love it.
There were problems along the way - including the floor being full of water. The boat is pictured before Mr White started the renovation
Before beginning work on the boat, Mr White said he had to learn new skills to help with the renovation such as fibreglassing and electrics
He has turned the dreary looking-interior (pictured) into a comfortable, modern-looking home. Mr White said he had to live frugally while the renovation took place
'I can live a more nomadic life as I can move around from place to place. I feel like I'm not using up too many of the earth's recourses.
'There's a really nice sense of community on the canals. I really like the fact you've got your own space but you've got other people living similar lives.
'You can chat to people and have cups of tea with but equally if you don't like your neighbours then you can just move off, which is always a bonus.'
He was inspired to buy it after his father died from cancer, just months after he retired.
'For me it's about getting the life work balance right. I realised that I don't want to work full time until I retire to then die. I'd rather live more now and work a little bit less,' he said.
'And that's not through being lazy or not enjoying work because I love what I do and I love to graft but equally I realise the need for that life work balance.
'I like to eat good food, I like to go on holiday. I like to have a better quality of life without having to work all the hours under the sun just to pay for an overly priced flat and electricity.'
DAILYMAIL
케이콘텐츠
kcontents
"from past to future"
데일리건설뉴스 construction news
콘페이퍼 conpaper
