We have been living aboard for 10 days now. I can’t believe it’s actually been that long. The time is flying by. We’ve learned a lot of things since moving on board. For example we just learned how to take apart and clean a carburetor. We also recently learned which way the valve handle should be pointed to ensure we are pumping the toilet to the holding tank instead of overboard (oops– fortunately we haven’t really used it yet). But in addition to learning about our boat’s systems, we have also learned (or relearned in many causes) some valuable life lessons. Here are our 10 lessons learned from 10 days of living aboard.
1) Get to Know Your Neighbors
This isn’t an entirely new concept to us. We were good friends with our neighbors back in Denver. However, in most of the places I’ve lived, I didn’t make an effort to know my neighbors…let alone everyone on the block.
I’ve been blown away by the kindness and helpfulness we’ve encountered since beginning this journey. From our beach apartment neighbor, Jon, who took us fishing, stocked our boat with every possible medical supply we might need, and invited us to many fish fries, to our dock neighbors, who are always there to throw us a line, help us disassemble a carburetor, and happily share useful tips–we have been truly blessed to meet such wonderful people.
Striking up conversations with strangers isn’t something that comes natural to me. Like most engineers, I can be a bit of an introvert. But the warmth of the sailing community makes it very easy to find instant friends. A large portion of our success so far has come from learning from others who have been there and done that.
So regardless if we will be neighbors for a night or for months, we will continue to make an effort to strike up conversations with anyone we meet along the way. And this is something I will continue to do after our sailing adventure is done. We’ve all had those “small world” experiences. Obviously you won’t become besties with every person you sit next to on a plane or make a business contact with each person you talk to at the dog park, but you never know if you don’t initiate a conversation.
2) Back to the Basics
Our new home is quite a bit smaller than our 2700 sq. ft. home in Denver. Needless to say, we’ve had to downsize a lot. We’ve are constantly asking the question, “is this a need or a want?” More often than not, the answer is “it’s a want.” It turns out that we don’t NEED much.
We’ve cooked dinner on board 9 out of the last 10 nights. We’ve made many of our favorite dishes with one pot, one frying pan, a wooden spoon, a knife, and a cutting board. I certainly do miss my fully stocked kitchen, but we’ve been able to make delicious meals without all of our kitchen gadgets.
We still, however, have several wants on board. Do I need throw pillows? No, but they are pretty and make me smile. Does Rob need a spear gun? No, but he’s pretty excited to try it out. Do the dogs need doggie beds? No, but it makes them comfortable.
Just like anything else, it’s a balancing act. We make sure our needs are covered (food, shelter, water, medical, safety) and wisely chose what wants we bring on board.
3) Patience is a Virtue
We were so used to “Go, go, go”…that it’s taking time for us to adjust to “Slow, slow, slow”.
Whether it’s with each other, with frustrating boat projects, or with the Bahamas who are taking FOREVER to issue our dog permits, our patience is constantly being tested. However, we purposely left the hustle and bustle of our Denver lives to enjoy the “relaxing” sailing lifestyle. We are learning to slow down and smell the roses ocean.
4) Organization is Key
Finally something I’m already good at! There is a place for everything and everything has its place on a boat. We are now living in a small space and organization is key. This is right up my alley. Because of my OCD characteristics, I find great satisfaction in organizing our boat and ensuring that everything is tucked safely away in its home at the end of the day. It’s important to have a system–otherwise you’ll end up tearing the place apart looking for a dinghy patch kit (which now lives inside the ditch bag).
5) Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
This is certainly something I need to work on. Rob and I get to spend a lot of time together now. Like every single moment. 24/7. Most of the time it’s great. But anytime you spend this much time with one person, you’re bound to get on each other’s nerves sometimes. Because of my type A personality, I may tend to over react occasionally. So when Rob misplaces the dinghy patch kit or the dogs get their dirty paws on my new cushions, my natural response is to implode. However, I’m learning to “shake it off” and remember what’s really important. And I’m finding life is a lot more fun and enjoyable for everyone.
6) Keep it Simple Stupid
Boat systems today look a lot different than they did in 1989 when our Pearson 39-2 was built. Therefore, most of our systems were added some time after the boat was manufactured. Thus, our Pearson users manual doesn’t do us much good when we are troubleshooting these upgrades. Moving parts and electrical systems fail. Without proper maintenance, they will fail frequently in a marine environment. So whenever possible, it’s best to keep it simple. Sure there are a lot of new boating gadgets out there to make life more comfortable aboard. But adding complexity, likely means adding more maintenance cost and time.
Having said that, we’re totally getting a watermaker. It will give us more flexibility during our adventure and come on…making drinkable water from the ocean sounds pretty cool. Maybe we can retrofit it to be a winemaker?
7) Measure Your Progress Over Time
We’ve had many days where it seems like for every step forward we take two steps back. We start each day with a list of things we want to accomplish. At the end of the day, we sometimes celebrate with beers because we were able to cross each item off. Other days we sulk over beers because our to do list grew instead of shrunk.
You win some, you lose some. But when we look back over the last month, we are so proud of everything we have accomplished:
- Renaming ceremony and decals
- Rebuilt fresh water pump
- Replaced shower sump pump
- New cushions and throw pillows
- Dodger zipper repairs and canvas waterproofing
- Repaired macerator and washdown pump electrical
- Repaired windlass and foot switch
- Sanitized water tanks
- Cleaned, organized, and moved on board
- Cleaned and inflated dinghy
- Cleaned dinghy motor carburetor
- Replaced lights and fixed some bad connections
- Repaired tachometer
- Assembled ditch bag, medical kit, and safety gear
- Polished metal and strataglass
- Got insurance
- Installed a TV
- Installed a stereo and cockpit speakers
- Set up reefing lines
- Cleaned anchor locker and removed rusty chain
- Sailed the boat and completed lessons
- Assembled spare parts
- Cleaned the bilge
- Varnished the outside teak
- Replace the boat level gauge
- Refrigerator maintenance
- Added a propane grill
8) Two Heads are Better Than One
Sometimes the divide and conquer method is most efficient, but we are finding that for larger projects, two heads are better than one. While I was working in the Bleecher sweat shop creating new cushions, the days that Rob stayed home to help were much more productive. Having another person to verify and review your work eliminates many mistakes. Likewise, when Rob was troubleshooting the windlass electrical issues, having a second set of eyes review the issue led to a quicker solution. While we can both be efficient on our own, we also make a pretty good team.
9) Make Time for Fun
All work and no play makes Rob a dull boy. It actually makes both of us pretty dull and grumpy. You wouldn’t think it would be difficult for us to remember to make time for fun, but we sometimes have to make a point to take breaks. We both have pretty strong work ethics and we are just so excited to finish our boat updates. Sometimes we get so caught up with our projects that we lose sight of why we started this adventure in the first place. Luckily we have some pretty fun neighbors on C-dock that help us remember to have fun.
10) Dogs are Worth the Trouble
This is a pretty obvious one to me. Clearly life aboard is a lot more difficult and expensive with our dogs. Not to mention the head ache of applying for import permits for each country we want to visit. But look at these faces…it’s completely worth it.
I’d argue on the speargun being a want 😉 You’ll be impressed at how well that keeps you fed!
Also, a lot of the wants takes living aboard from a house to your home. You want to love the time you spend there. Agree that there will be sacrifices, but you don’t want to feel like you are camping either. You’ll figure out your sweet spot!
I’m actually pleasantly surprised how comfortable life aboard can be. We’ve downsized a lot, but it still feels like home. I can’t wait to post Rob’s first spear fun caught dinner! 🙂
I’d argue on the speargun being a want 😉 You’ll be impressed at how well that keeps you fed!
Also, a lot of the wants takes living aboard from a house to your home. You want to love the time you spend there. Agree that there will be sacrifices, but you don’t want to feel like you are camping either. You’ll figure out your sweet spot!
I’m actually pleasantly surprised how comfortable life aboard can be. We’ve downsized a lot, but it still feels like home. I can’t wait to post Rob’s first spear fun caught dinner! 🙂
This is very impressive and looks like the life! I think I can learn some lessons from you two. Crystal and Rob’s life lesson #326…
Lol! Thanks Steve!
This is very impressive and looks like the life! I think I can learn some lessons from you two. Crystal and Rob’s life lesson #326…
Lol! Thanks Steve!
Rob, you are a lucky man to have found such an adventurous woman who is willing to give up a home and the comforts of a home for a sailing and nomadic lifestyle. Hats off to both of you. One of my long term goals is to eventually retire on a boat…….I have yet to find a woman who is interested in that kind of adventure, so hang onto her like a fine wine!!! All the best to you both.
Oh Jared, you’re making me blush…trust me, I’ll make sure to remind Rob of your kind words of wisdom!! 🙂
Rob, you are a lucky man to have found such an adventurous woman who is willing to give up a home and the comforts of a home for a sailing and nomadic lifestyle. Hats off to both of you. One of my long term goals is to eventually retire on a boat…….I have yet to find a woman who is interested in that kind of adventure, so hang onto her like a fine wine!!! All the best to you both.
Oh Jared, you’re making me blush…trust me, I’ll make sure to remind Rob of your kind words of wisdom!! 🙂
Some great lessons! Downsizing is such a revelation about what you really need and want. I remember when we lived on our first sailboat being surprised how much I could happily do without.
Thanks Ellen. I agree-downsizing has made most things simpler.
Some great lessons! Downsizing is such a revelation about what you really need and want. I remember when we lived on our first sailboat being surprised how much I could happily do without.
Thanks Ellen. I agree-downsizing has made most things simpler.
Love it all! Great read Crystal, you brought back lots of memories. 😉
Don’t worry too much on dog permits. Just make sure the furry ones are properly vaccinated. We recently crossed over to the Bahamas with no problem, did not get the permit ahead of time. Just make sure you get a health certificate from the vet within the allotted time of arriving (including a vet signature on the official one for the Bahamas – our vet had a copy ready lucky us). Rabies will be the biggest concern with customs in any country so its good to have that up to date and handy. We also went the extra mile and got a rabies titer test ( it tests active concentration of rabies vaccine in blood) for our Beau bear, which was a little pricey but it super nice backup when countries questioned, it was undisputed proof. French islands in the Caribbean are pretty dog friendly and pretty simple getting them cleared in. But don’t stress too much thinking about the each country, chances are your course will change with the wind and weather. What is most important is you plan a safe sailing route, everything else will fall into place, believe me.
*Any questions you have along the way please feel free to contact us, fellow Colorado friends are like family ;)…. But looks like you guys are on the right course ~ keep those sails full and soak in every moment! Best wishes, you have a pretty SWEET adventure ahead!
Thanks for the great pup advice! We can’t wait to start cruising. Just a few more boat projects to go. We too got the rabies titer. Better safe than sorry. We are still waiting for the results, but should have everything lined up in a few weeks! One thing our vet warned us about is that many countries have pitbull breed restrictions. Our Baxter is probably partly pit-did you guys have any issues with Beau? Thanks again and congratulations! It’s so exciting that you have a little one on the way!
Love it all! Great read Crystal, you brought back lots of memories. 😉
Don’t worry too much on dog permits. Just make sure the furry ones are properly vaccinated. We recently crossed over to the Bahamas with no problem, did not get the permit ahead of time. Just make sure you get a health certificate from the vet within the allotted time of arriving (including a vet signature on the official one for the Bahamas – our vet had a copy ready lucky us). Rabies will be the biggest concern with customs in any country so its good to have that up to date and handy. We also went the extra mile and got a rabies titer test ( it tests active concentration of rabies vaccine in blood) for our Beau bear, which was a little pricey but it super nice backup when countries questioned, it was undisputed proof. French islands in the Caribbean are pretty dog friendly and pretty simple getting them cleared in. But don’t stress too much thinking about the each country, chances are your course will change with the wind and weather. What is most important is you plan a safe sailing route, everything else will fall into place, believe me.
*Any questions you have along the way please feel free to contact us, fellow Colorado friends are like family ;)…. But looks like you guys are on the right course ~ keep those sails full and soak in every moment! Best wishes, you have a pretty SWEET adventure ahead!
Thanks for the great pup advice! We can’t wait to start cruising. Just a few more boat projects to go. We too got the rabies titer. Better safe than sorry. We are still waiting for the results, but should have everything lined up in a few weeks! One thing our vet warned us about is that many countries have pitbull breed restrictions. Our Baxter is probably partly pit-did you guys have any issues with Beau? Thanks again and congratulations! It’s so exciting that you have a little one on the way!
Great post. Your boat looks awesome! I look forward to following your adventures 🙂
Thanks Viki! Our boat, like most boats, is a work in progress. But it’s getting there! Thanks for following.
Great post. Your boat looks awesome! I look forward to following your adventures 🙂
Thanks Viki! Our boat, like most boats, is a work in progress. But it’s getting there! Thanks for following.
Pearsons are great boays, I’ve sailed a Pearson 32 for many yrs. I now have 2001 Caliber 40 and preparing for own adventure. It’s amazing how much your to-do list looks like mine. I’m a year or two behind you so it will be great fun watching your adventure unfold.
That’s great Les. Some days it feels like our to do list is growing instead of shrinking, but we’ve made a lot of progress and it’s finally starting to show. I look forward to hearing about your adventure one day.
Pearsons are great boays, I’ve sailed a Pearson 32 for many yrs. I now have 2001 Caliber 40 and preparing for own adventure. It’s amazing how much your to-do list looks like mine. I’m a year or two behind you so it will be great fun watching your adventure unfold.
That’s great Les. Some days it feels like our to do list is growing instead of shrinking, but we’ve made a lot of progress and it’s finally starting to show. I look forward to hearing about your adventure one day.