a sailor's life for me?
Nov. 26th, 2010 08:09 amSometimes I wonder if I should have bought an RV instead. Would have gotten me down to FL within a week. Of course, I'd still have to deal with the pump-out of the head. All I can think of is "Christmas Vacation"- "Shitter's full..."
But anyway, my advice for those contemplating living aboard:
1) Make sure that you really want to do this. Too late to back out once you've quit your job and sold your belongings to finance the boat.
2) When choosing a boat, keep in mind that things will break down, get wet, and get ruined. And usually at the worst possible times.
3) Fuel and docking fees can get expensive. You most likely will need to rebuild resources along the way.
4) Be vigilant about hypothermia. Even for experienced boaters, what you think you know only scratches the surface. Trust me.
5) Be cautious when dealing with repairmen. If it sounds like he's inventing more, expensive reasons to keep you in dock longer, he is.
6) You will need more space than you think, although you can get by on less than you realize. Thing is, this is your home now, and you will want to be comfortable.
7) Pay close attention to sudden changes in the weather, the waves, your surroundings, etc. The marine forecast is accurate, up to a point. Sometimes you will not have much, if any, warning before a squall hits. Sometimes shoals shift, and the most recent charts and GPS depths are rendered obsolete. Sometimes, no matter what toys you have on board, things can go haywire and you will have to rely on charts. Watch out for small buoys and fish nets that might not be marked on charts.
I'm not pessimistic at the moment when I say these things; these are things we've had to deal with on the fly, and I hope that our mistakes benefit others.
But anyway, my advice for those contemplating living aboard:
1) Make sure that you really want to do this. Too late to back out once you've quit your job and sold your belongings to finance the boat.
2) When choosing a boat, keep in mind that things will break down, get wet, and get ruined. And usually at the worst possible times.
3) Fuel and docking fees can get expensive. You most likely will need to rebuild resources along the way.
4) Be vigilant about hypothermia. Even for experienced boaters, what you think you know only scratches the surface. Trust me.
5) Be cautious when dealing with repairmen. If it sounds like he's inventing more, expensive reasons to keep you in dock longer, he is.
6) You will need more space than you think, although you can get by on less than you realize. Thing is, this is your home now, and you will want to be comfortable.
7) Pay close attention to sudden changes in the weather, the waves, your surroundings, etc. The marine forecast is accurate, up to a point. Sometimes you will not have much, if any, warning before a squall hits. Sometimes shoals shift, and the most recent charts and GPS depths are rendered obsolete. Sometimes, no matter what toys you have on board, things can go haywire and you will have to rely on charts. Watch out for small buoys and fish nets that might not be marked on charts.
I'm not pessimistic at the moment when I say these things; these are things we've had to deal with on the fly, and I hope that our mistakes benefit others.