Living on a Sail Boat – Moving Aboard
The big day finally arrives for living on a sail boat when you give up that terrestrial home for a moving one afloat. I recall so well when I launched my first boat. There we all were. A gathering of the dreamers, suddenly no one was looking at as all as mad or afflicted. Suddenly we were getting envious eyes, comments, admiration even, and infuriating remarks such as “you’re so lucky!” My usual retort is flared nostrils, and a vitriolic response of “Luck has got nothing to do with it!”. Actually getting afloat is a major achievement, like winning Survivor for boat people.
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Living on a Sail
Boat – Moving Aboard
The countdown in those final months, weeks, days, hours…just not enough time to achieve it all. The list, that infernal perpetual job list that takes up a whole toilet roll and more, almost immeasurably starts to shrink. When the Excel spreadsheet is down to less than 50 items, and none in the Category 1 essential items. So close, but so far! Still we are some months from departure, North to the warmth, North to the tropics. Finally, I have the stereo installed, and Jimmy Buffet is getting more than normal inspirational airplay, and I find myself singing along even louder than normal, after all who’s to complain as I am an atrocious singer. I am sure most people are fed up with hearing Cool Change!
Living on a Sail Boat – Moving Aboard
One big change is your daily routine, often to bed early and up at dawn. I was always amazed at how many people were up and about at the marina as dawn breaks. Often to get those daily ablutions done or get the early shower. One of my favorite times on board is awake at dawn and then sitting in the cockpit in the still of the morning with a cup of tea or coffee. When at anchor or a mooring invariably I have the fishing line over the side looking for a fresh breakfast treat. On pleasant evenings the cockpit and cold beer and socializing over sundowners and exchanging experiences with others is a daily highlight as people have so much to share.
Living on a Sail Boat – Moving Aboard
The first major task prior to or immediately after moving aboard is to clean and organize. This is a task that initially appears insurmountable in magnitude during and after a major refit. It looks deceptively simple at first glance, after all its only a yacht, not an ocean liner, how difficult can it be? Did I underestimate this task or what! First it was clean up, sweeping and wiping and a systematic vacuuming of dust, grit, debris out of the boat, again! We are somewhat pedantic about cleanliness, we weathered a cyclone in the marina and were left wondering where all the dust internally originated from given our obsession with cleanliness. It is worth the effort though as it all ends up filtering down to the bilge and I hate dirty bilges. My new book the 4th Edition of the Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible is out now, helping you stay self sufficient and save money.
Living on a Sail Boat – Moving Aboard
Second major task is emptying out every locker again, checking every void space, every place with stowed materials. Clean them out again while they are open. Then it is crunch time, a mixture of melodrama, emotion and sacrifice as each single item is put up for critical analysis and appraisal. I relate to a hoarder here, sometimes it is hard to let go. Do I really need it, will I ever need it, I didn’t require it in the last 23 years perhaps I just might need it this trip. Anguish was not the word for this task, I stoically bit the bullet, and consigned old well worn favorite clothes to the rag bin with help from my scissors. You can never have too many rags! Then it was all the broken things that I might one day repair, and they went to the trash can. The boxes of screws, bolts, nuts, and bits and pieces were gradually sorted, and those that didn’t make the “really necessary” grade or were visibly too used were consigned to oblivion. This sorting and stowing is well worth the effort. At the end of this traumatic episode, 15-20kg more weight went off the boat, and I had several more locker spaces in which to stow spares, food and supplies.
Living on a Sail Boat – Moving Aboard
Books, which books to take, which ones to leave behind and to store away. It is so easy to end up with floating library, and its all weight. Top of the agenda was the help and how to books as well those such a rigging, navigation, varnishing etc. In addition even though I had downloaded all the equipment manuals from Raymarine and everyone else keeping the hard copies on board in small transparent pocket folders was done, easier to reference. Now I love to cook, so top of my list was my Larrousses Gastronomique. I included a few other favorites books as well, visitors always peruse the bookshelf to see what you have.
Living on a Sail Boat – Moving Aboard
Gradually the pile of excess material reduces, slowly disappearing into the designated stowage location. Did I mention you need to prepare a stowage plan, then assign a number to each space and either label it with a Dymo machine, record the data in a spreadsheet so you know where it is and what is there. I place literally everything in sealable plastic containers or resealable plastic bags. Then place frequently accessed items in places easy to access. Eventually the boat is tidy and all squared away. But you know it isn’t for long, because you will still have to do another pass through it all. You know that you will have weakened and kept things that are now occupying valuable space, and this phased dematerialization process is the only way to cope with your new, simple, practical lifestyle. The final pass task has been scheduled for a rainy day to be fixed. All that Marie Kondo behavour and I have yet to see her tackle a boat on her Tidying Up with Marie. However decluttering is well worth the effort, and on previous boats I just didn’t get the email about that and learnt the hard way. Not this time. Living on a boat full time has its challenges.