What we are learning....

The economy has been rough for many people these past couple years. More than ever before, business was slow and finances were tight. So, we rented the house, closed the business, gave up our slip, and decided to go cruising. Actually, we had planned to do this, but not for another 6 years. However, given the state of things in the world today, and the realization that our definition of success in life depended on having no regrets, we pushed our plans forward. This was not an easy decision.

We spent all summer cruising from place to place working hard to learn and adapt to those things we would really need to understand before we left on the cruise of a lifetime.  I will endeavor to comment from time to time on the things we have learned as well as the places we visit.  I have made a few notable comments below.

Most cruisers understand that planning and preparation are keys to “uneventful” cruising. However, there comes a point where you can only plan so far ahead. Since we decided to swim instead of sink, we have learned that life on a day-to-day basis is ok. We do not necessarily know where we will be next week, and learning to function without a car in Southern California has been a challenge. However, it can be done. One of the most important things we have learned is how much we take life for granted. Here are just a couple of examples.

Living a land based existence, one takes for granted that the sink and shower can deliver an endless supply of fresh water. Washing dishes in the sink at home is easily a 10 to 15 gallon (or more) affair. Then there is the dishwasher. Water consumption can easily exceed all reasonableness if you feel compelled to wash the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Alternatively, on our boat, we carry a limited supply. 150 gallons only goes so far. While getting fresh water is not necessarily difficult, it is something landlubbers do not even contemplate. Generally, unless your boat is equipped with an expensive water-maker, filling the tanks requires finding a place where there is a supply. Then, you have to pull out the hose, make the connection, remove the fittings, fill the tanks, replace the fittings, and then stow the hose. You also have to maintain the hose to keep it as clean as possible, given that you are going to be drinking, showering, and cooking with the water from the hose. All this is necessary to wash dishes or shower, so it has to be done. It’s almost like living way out in the country 100 years ago. Life was simpler then. Today, providing for fresh water is a chore, albeit, a necessary one.

Another example of the things we take for granted living on land is provision for sewage. At home, you simply push the lever, and all your past consumables are a memory. A boat has to carry its waste and discharge it according to very specific parameters – either many miles out to sea, or at a proper pump out facility. We’ve all heard the slogan, “Dump at the Pump.” We subscribe to this because we now make the ocean our home. You get the idea. Nevertheless, gone are the days of flush it and forget it. A holding tank can only hold so much and has to be emptied from time to time. Generally, one can estimate how often this has to be done. If you’re wrong, or you forget, things can get quite unpleasant. Then, there is tank treatment, and the need for the limited use of specialized toilet paper. Additionally, learning the ropes at the pump-out facility can be harrowing. Erring in this regard might make your spouse giggle as you go running down the dock and dive head-first while fully clothed into the harbor. But that wasn’t laughing you heard from me – only gagging and spitting.

Some folks live in large homes spread out over nearly 3000 or more square feet. Space is something easily taken for granted. At home, we can drop our shoes in several different rooms at the same time and not risk tripping. Clothing storage is virtually endless. We have large refrigerators and pantries. The garage holds stuff we haven’t seen or used in years. Try moving onto a 42 foot boat and you will learn very quickly what is really necessary. It occurred to me that I didn’t need those nine pairs of shoes because I really only wear one pair regularly. I didn’t need sixteen dress shirts, because I might only wear two. Why have 15 pair of pants when life will be spent wearing shorts. To make a very long story short, space is at a premium living aboard. We made at least several charitable organizations quite happy with bags of clothes and shoes we would no longer need. Some of what we decided to keep is stashed in vacuum sealed bags in the lazarette. It will be interesting to see what we pull out over the next year. We will probably get rid of even more stuff. We can pare down. We have managed to vastly simplify our lives. We take so much for granted living on land.

Having pets while living ashore is a joy to behold. We have two cats. At home, they run from place to place, lounge wherever they chose, and come and go as they wish. Their food bowls are always full and they have that endless supply of water discussed earlier. The Cat Clinic is only minutes away in the case of a feline medical emergency. Cat box? What cat box? That was one of those things that went out in the garage and got cleaned rarely since the cats preferred my flower garden. Cat hair simply became one with the carpet, and in a large home vacuumed weekly by the cleaning lady, never was an issue. The invariable pile of cat vomit could easily remain hidden for weeks. Land dwellers perceive cats as “clean” animals. I am here to tell you, however, that living on a 42 foot boat with two cats gives new meaning to the word “filthy”. Cat hair is everywhere and sticks to the bottoms of your bare feet walking the decks and hardwood floors. You have to feed them, and there is no fountain in the yard from which they can get water for themselves for weeks at a time. The cat box must be cleaned daily. And, that inevitable pile of cat vomit will, more than likely, get stepped in at the most inopportune time – usually first thing in the morning upon alighting from bed, if it’s not already in the bed. Living on board with 2 cats has become something more (or less) than the pleasure we took for granted living on land.