Abandon Living Aboard

[19 and counting]

How very thoughtful and true. I think I fit into the #3 group and the goodbyes just ripped me up. You do really get intensely close. There is a current of understanding running in these veins.

[zeehag]

i learned at age 4 that folks are temporary.
yes love them. they are forever, and preserved in the memory .
might or might not ever see em again-- but the memories are great. save em. enjoy em.
these are your wealth.

[Sailor42]

Originally Posted by stormsvale

Guess I am a type 2-3-4-5 cruiser... or a life time junkie. I lived aboard 10 years and raced intensively in my 20s and 30s in Vancouver. Moved to Europe in my late thirties and went boat less for 3 years...A dark time in my life!!! Bought and restored our present boat after that (living on land arghh) ...it is an addiction I tell you!! I am getting ready for my 3rd Atlantic crossing, first one was a singlehanded adventure. Note all in the same boat. We, my family and I just finished a 14 month sail about ...Denmark to the Chesapeake via the Canaries, Cape Verdes and up the chain from the Martinique. We discussed continuing but we have been back a year and are getting mails from around the planet. Why did we come back...our kids 11 and 13...this is their time to establish links those links to land.
In all I have spent over 25 % of my life in boats..I am an oceanographer as well so sailing is my hobby and my job my passion. I have spent months at sea...

People quitting: When living aboard in Vancouver I used to watch the folks from the prairies who wanted to live their dream. They usually sold the ranch, bought a new boat and commissioned it in Van then set off south...NO clue! never sailed seriously in their lives just had a dream. Lots of them either sold the boat in California or shipped her home. That can be a tough trip breaking boats and people. Very few made it mostly because the reality is IT IS NOT A JIMMY BUFFET Song or something out of the sailing rags.. It can be but it is also a lot of hard work and the sea is not kind! It just is!! start easy build up.

Communities or types
Type 1 The weekend sailors who have a different perspective, racers as well. They love sailing but enjoy all the land based luxuries. Lots of adrenalin rushes...YOu push boats to the limit when you race. Lots of friends but they have drifted. Here deep connections can be rare, most are adrenaline junkies. I still am!

Community 2. Those early years I spent in the arms of my liveaboard friends.. We all had same problems and were a very tight community. Many of the folks from that time are still friends although thousands of miles and decades away. Many of them dreamed of taking off...few did. Many were just happy living aboard and tinkering on their boats.. they are still happy either with their dreams or living them!

Community 3. The offshore community... you don't get into this until you are in either in a kick off harbour..or you have made your first multi day trip... say Norfolk to Bermuda or Plymouth to la Coruna.. Las Palmas.. Here you run into the wanderers. This community is very close and open.. You may only see them once or you may see them in the next harbour or the next. One forms friendships fast, we all help one another be it with expertise or bits and pieces.. you are always fixing something. Friendships tend to be intense. It is very hard to leave this community.. I have suffered withdrawal after every trip!!!

Money: you will never have enough just go... the art is to appreciate what you have and not lust after ...a bigger boat..car..winch. Go now.

Wind in the Willows

Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: `messing--about--in--boats; messing----'


It is either in you or it is not. Take it easy, watch the weather and enjoy!!!

A sailing junkie

What a thoughtful comment! As a dinosaur about to return to your type 1 liveaboard life, maybe morphing to type 2, I really agreed with what you said, from my previous sailing life experiences. Really well put, thank you.
Cheers,
The Dinosaur.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Sailor42

What A Thoughtful Comment! As A Dinosaur About To Return To Your Type 1 Liveaboard Life, Maybe Morphing To Type 2, I Really Agreed With What You Said, From My Previous Sailing Life Experiences. Really Well Put, Thank You.
Cheers,
The Dinosaur.

You're right, Dino,

stormsvale put it all very well.

Ann

[Pelagic]

Just read this interesting thread and realized that my own philosophy has evolved over the years.... to become a little bit different.

I found that as in sailing; where we learn to let time and direction in nature assist in working tides or furling sails.
.....I now apply that same philosophy to support my continued love of boats and my relationships with others.

Basically:

"IF IT DOESN'T COME EASY...LEAVE IT"

Having spent 2/3rds of my life living aboard, sailing and travelling the world, I was conditioned to plan long term and look over the horizon .

Now I look more internally and am happier for it.

Sometimes it is better to abandon a particular tack and come at it from a different day to day perspective that works for you and most importantly.... the partner who inspires you.

[Therapy]

I never sailed enough as a young person. My dad put me in a pram and shoved me off. I had to learn to sail back to shore. (I don't remember how I learned how to swim) My first boat was a Snark. Time on a 50 footer, a 32 Cheoy Lee and a 41Gulfstar - Capt. Mels sailing school. Back then it was a business card with some initials and date next to all the classes finished. Then it was a 18' Westerly Nimrod. Years of daysailing and camping out (two weeks too) Anclote to Sarasota. I read every sailing book I could on provisioning, heavy weather sailing etc. I was going to sail the world - when I could afford a boat, and rope, and sails and..... Then girlfriend came along and learned a bit. Then wife and kids for 20 years with 10-14 hr days that should have been 8s. A friend bought a horrible Catlina 30 and we moved it to his place. HOOKED AGAIN!!! And he gave me the Kenny Chesney CD. The bastard. So I convinced the wife that spending some of the money I had worked so hard for was not a bad thing. Plus "You know you liked to sail". Ah yes.

Now though, cruising has been "abandoned" for us. I still like to see what the old timers are up to so visit once in a while. Less and less though, as time passes.

Originally Posted by rognvald

For a true liveaboard that does not have the conveniences of-- nor live in a liveaboard marina, the pitfalls for those who are not truly commited are:
1. Garbage disposal
2. Laundry
3. Provisioning
4. Water
5. Maintenance
6. Finding secure anchorages during storm conditions
7. Bottom cleaning
8. Illness and/or injury
9. Lack of time spent with adult children/grandchildren/family
10. Need for more living space/shoreside amenities
11. 24/7 time spent together
12. The ultimate awareness of Reality vs. the Dream

We lived aboard ten years and witnessed the death of the dream in the majority of those we met. The Cruising World stereotype does not match the reality of the experience. Only the truly committed will survive and I would describe them as counter cultural in their beliefs and their views on life. It is not an easy life, but the rewards outnumber the difficulties. Good luck and good sailing.

Great list. We got a Gemini 105Mc and over a few years got away for days, long weekends and a few Month-long sails. 1-3 were not all that much fun for us. Finding decent dingy landing places was more difficult than I thought. Some walls my wife simply could not manage. Carrying 80 lbs of "supplies" several miles is a killer. That beer is heavy!

4 is no big deal in Florida. For places like the Tortugas with no supplies the small water maker was OK but filters filled quickly if not in really clean/clear water, making it not all that great over all.

5 is something I was used to doing for all my living places and machines my whole life. I can figure out how to fix most things. The drawback was not being of average or less height. I am 6'4" with past back injury and painfully bad knees. It makes all the kneeling while working with both hands extended excruciating at times. Impossible on occasion.

6 Again, in Florida it was not really an issue. Except when dropping in shallow grass flats and finding that the anchor simply fills with a mud/grass ball and floats along the bottom. Rocna, Delta, Fortress, HUGE Danforth....doesn't matter. Anchor thread anyone

7 Not too bad really and that is with just a snorkel. I would go for a Brownie type for sure. But it is yet another chore. Two weeks with fresh paint (good according to Practical Sailor) and zillions of tiny barnacles.

8 Here is our problem. My knees and back - ouch. The wife though, with Chronic Lyme problems and now having come back from the Carribbean with Chikungunya, which by the way, does not go away in "a few weeks" for all, like you read in the papers. It can last a long, long time. (9 months and counting and the director of local CDC checking in and asking if she needs help getting disability SS - nope, too proud). So, vision changes, memory issues, constant joint pain, balance problems and several other issues have made it impossible for us to live on board . This is the real "Abandon" issue we have.

9 A big problem for the wife too. She has a very close family and being a Nurse, is the go-to person for aging parents health issues. She must attend almost all doctor appointments as they just don't remember what is what after leaving the office. The aging thing is really a tragedy.

10 More living space would have been better for the long run I think. Mostly because of my height. The Gem has pretty good headroom for a small boat but not quite enough and the master bunk was almost big enough. Extensive searches reveal few cats I could live on. We were looking. Seriously looking. Shoreside amenities? Sure. Like laundry, groceries etc - yea. Others like movies, restaurants etc. not so much. We seldom eat out and see one or two movies a year, if that. Theme parks - Blech!!

11 I guess being close and doing most things together for 30 years make this not too big an issue for us. Don't know about 6 months in a row though. I know a month in the Caribbean without her was a lot of added misery to the already miserable time on board a "charter" catamaran.

12 I don't know what amount of "ultimate awareness" I achieved.

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

A few years ago we were anchored off the same marina where we are now and I woke up to notice a ca. 40' cutter anchored to close for my comfort. I saw no dinghy or anyone aboard and I decided to raise my anchor and move away since there was plenty of space and only this one other boat. Later I asked at the marina office if they knew of the owners of the cutter and we heard this strange story.

We were told that the couple on the newly anchored boat had purchased their vessel in Tampa Bay two or three weeks earlier and sailed around Florida to the St. Johns River. After anchoring they jumped off their boat with some essential possessions and swam to the docks. They left a message on the broker's door to sell the boat. They abandoned their living aboard dream with an urgency I've never seen before.

My guess is that they made the cruising commitment without proper preparation for their basic needs. I think it's best to move aboard for a while and adapt to the boat before setting out.

We bought our Gem through a Gemini sales agent in Florida. Apparently a Canadian bought the boat and came down with his wife and finished provisioning for the Bahamas and took off. Two weeks later they called the broker and said "Come and get the boat and sell it." I have never been given the details. And I was ignorant as to the chart plotter memory overwriting after a time, so when we got home with the boat the original plots were gone. No info for me to add to speculation.

The boat had everything on it. Everything!
Truly sail-away. I did have to clean the carb on the silly 4-stroke motor though. Those small 4-strokes really suck if you use ethanol fuel. Outboard thread anyone?

So. We have abandoned the thought of cruising. We tried it a little bit and found that we cannot do it for the reasons listed above. We also realized that having a boat in a slip that is used occasionally (we both love a nice sail or weekend away - weather permitting) , with all the systems to maintain is unaffordable for us. And we were not going to sell all and "just do it". Not that stupid.

So it has turned out to be just one more thing on the bucket list that simply will not happen for one reason or another, or another, or many.

I remember my mother saying over and over again with increasing frequency "Don't get old". Not sure how to do that though.

Your mileage may vary.

[BandB]

I abandoned diapers.
I abandoned preschool
I abandoned kindergarten
I abandoned elementary school
I abandoned middle school
I abandoned high school
I abandoned college
I abandoned living at home with my parents
I abandoned single life
I abandoned employment.
And I'll probably abandon this stage of my life some day.

The reality is life should always be moving forward in the direction that's right for you and that means leaving the past, changing things, and even reversing previous choices.

[Pelagic]

Glad the diaper thing worked out. ... but as you said....who knows in the future ? .

[19 and counting]

Be happy people at least you have left the ordinary behind, for a while or forever. be grateful that you have/had the guts and determination to do something most everyone else would not consider. Our journeys, preparing for them, going and returning, are such intense and valuable learning experiences. Only to enrich our lives.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by rognvald View Post
For a true liveaboard that does not have the conveniences of-- nor live in a liveaboard marina, the pitfalls for those who are not truly commited are:

1. Garbage disposal

In my experience not an issue. Depending upon your location there typically bins and where otherwise absent, like in Chagos Archipelligo, the garbage is burned.

2. Laundry

When stopped an issue only where adequate fresh water is unavailable. More effort using a bucket, but doable. Laundromats are non-existent in most less developed countries, and the norm is to hire people in the business of washing clothes. The hazard is your clothes may be returned looking more brown than you remember... Otherwise in developed countries laundromats may be a significant distance away, but nonetheless still available. Underway, soiled and wet clothes are a big problem. They consume valuable space and if left unwashed for long enough can be damaged by mold.

3. Provisioning

After two 4.5 year near global circumnavigations lasting 4.5 years each time, I can state unequivocably I was never prevented from finding most of my wants and needs. Cost can vary significantly, but otherwise most of my provisioning was accomplished with a bicycle and backpack.

4. Water

Water quality may vary, but until you leave Australia toward S.E. Asia or some destinations in the Indian Ocean potability is not generally a concern. It's always available and requires more or less effort to obtain. Since I sail solo I require less water than crewed boats, so the effort required is less. The trick is to carry water to the boat in small, easily managed containers every time you go ashore. Don't wait until the tanks are nearly empty, and if possible consume water from the small containers leaving the main tanks alone.

5. Maintenance

Depends on complexity of boat systems and components. Parts availlability can be a challenge. Keeping a boat clean when at anchor can be difficult and some repairs or maintenance may be impossible to perform. But, this applies to any boat in the water...

6. Finding secure anchorages during storm conditions

Finding anchorage under any circumstance is rapidly becoming a major problem in developed countries. A primary motivation for anchoring is to eliminate marina fees. But, in some locations charges are assessed for anchoring and there is a worrying trend toward others adopting the practice. Worse yet, are harbors where anchoring is prohibited altogether. In my location various ordinances have been passed to prevent boaters from staying on their boat more than three days out of seven in one case, and prohibiting living aboard altogether in another. In the U.S. there is an anti-anchor-out, anti-liveaboard movement that if successful gives you two choices. Comply or leave. So far these efforts have been ineffective mainly due to the numbers of miscreants involved. Simply unenforceable.

7. Bottom cleaning

Another very significant issue since NOT cleaning a boat's bottom at some point is no option. Regardless of the factors driving price increases, haulouts are becoming rediculously expensive. Careening may be an alternative in some locations, but in others preparatory work that may release paint/toxic substances into the water are prohibited and may attract enforcement action/fines. Diving to clean away growth is not for for the out of shape, unhealthy, injured or aged among us... Otherwise.

8. Illness and/or injury (plus age)

Probably the primary reason most of who were not at some point in the past pushed off our boats by rules, laws and regulations throw in the towel.

9. Lack of time spent with adult children/grandchildren/family
10. Need for more living space/shoreside amenities
11. 24/7 time spent together
12. The ultimate awareness of Reality vs. the Dream

[19 and counting]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Originally Posted by rognvald View Post
For a true liveaboard that does not have the conveniences of-- nor live in a liveaboard marina, the pitfalls for those who are not truly commited are:

1. Garbage disposal

In my experience not an issue. Depending upon your location there typically bins and where otherwise absent, like in Chagos Archipelligo, the garbage is burned.

2. Laundry

When stopped an issue only where adequate fresh water is unavailable. More effort using a bucket, but doable. Laundromats are non-existent in most less developed countries, and the norm is to hire people in the business of washing clothes. The hazard is your clothes may be returned looking more brown than you remember... Otherwise in developed countries laundromats may be a significant distance away, but nonetheless still available. Underway, soiled and wet clothes are a big problem. They consume valuable space and if left unwashed for long enough can be damaged by mold.

3. Provisioning

After two 4.5 year near global circumnavigations lasting 4.5 years each time, I can state unequivocably I was never prevented from finding most of my wants and needs. Cost can vary significantly, but otherwise most of my provisioning was accomplished with a bicycle and backpack.

4. Water

Water quality may vary, but until you leave Australia toward S.E. Asia or some destinations in the Indian Ocean potability is not generally a concern. It's always available and requires more or less effort to obtain. Since I sail solo I require less water than crewed boats, so the effort required is less. The trick is to carry water to the boat in small, easily managed containers every time you go ashore. Don't wait until the tanks are nearly empty, and if possible consume water from the small containers leaving the main tanks alone.

5. Maintenance

Depends on complexity of boat systems and components. Parts availlability can be a challenge. Keeping a boat clean when at anchor can be difficult and some repairs or maintenance may be impossible to perform. But, this applies to any boat in the water...

6. Finding secure anchorages during storm conditions

Finding anchorage under any circumstance is rapidly becoming a major problem in developed countries. A primary motivation for anchoring is to eliminate marina fees. But, in some locations charges are assessed for anchoring and there is a worrying trend toward others adopting the practice. Worse yet, are harbors where anchoring is prohibited altogether. In my location various ordinances have been passed to prevent boaters from staying on their boat more than three days out of seven in one case, and prohibiting living aboard altogether in another. In the U.S. there is an anti-anchor-out, anti-liveaboard movement that if successful gives you two choices. Comply or leave. So far these efforts have been ineffective mainly due to the numbers of miscreants involved. Simply unenforceable.

7. Bottom cleaning

Another very significant issue since NOT cleaning a boat's bottom at some point is no option. Regardless of the factors driving price increases, haulouts are becoming rediculously expensive. Careening may be an alternative in some locations, but in others preparatory work that may release paint/toxic substances into the water are prohibited and may attract enforcement action/fines. Diving to clean away growth is not for for the out of shape, unhealthy, injured or aged among us... Otherwise.

8. Illness and/or injury (plus age)

Probably the primary reason most of who were not at some point in the past pushed off our boats by rules, laws and regulations throw in the towel.

9. Lack of time spent with adult children/grandchildren/family
10. Need for more living space/shoreside amenities
11. 24/7 time spent together
12. The ultimate awareness of Reality vs. the Dream

We always kept up with the laundry cause there is nothing worse than mildewed sour clothing. We keep a bucket of seawater with dawn dish detergent in it and throw our soiled clothing in it and let it soak, esp. if you are on a passage is sort of does the washing machine bit by itself. At anchor I pretend I'm making wine and stomp on it in the bucket and swish it around. Another rinse in clean salt water to get the soap out and then a final rinse in fresh water and hang on line between stanchions. Works great.
Don't let it build up to the point where you have several days worth of laundry, just wash every other day and we don't change our costumes every day either unless we have really grossed them out. haha

[Wrong]

Disenchantment with the status quo and a desire to minimize stress in my life induced from a variety of sources led to my liveaboard/cruising lifestyle. That was nearly 24 years ago. If I were to abandon the lifestyle, it would most likely be because of new stress caused by variables beyond my control.

While actively 'cruising' between destinations fatigue is a major source of stress. As I age tolerance for a lack of rest and ability to function decline as the affects of fatigue set in. Fatigue affects my interpretive ability. Are those leading lights or navigation lights from a tug? When and how should I respond when the chart shows leading lights, but both are possibilities? Fatigue can cause you to make wrong decisions, slow your reaction time and put you to sleep.

There are the 'official' sources of stress, always different in respect to details but fundamentally the same insofar as their purpose is concerned. Lots of our time is spent researching requirements in each destination, gathering the most recent and supposedly reliable information possible; only to discover it's changed by the time we've arrived. Fees, penalties, imprisonment and confiscation of our home may follow. A rare event for sure, but nonetheless possible.

Activities we engaged in 'back home' as simple as using cash, debit or credit cards to pay are another source of stress due to ATM fees, and costs associated with currency exchanges. Accessing funds when you need them is sometimes complicated in unexpected ways, frequently having to do with our bank branch back home. Surmounting these obstacles to getting things done can be expensive, time consuming, frustrating and a huge source of stress. Ever had an ATM 'eat' your card with no hope of having it returned?

These are only a sampling of sources of stress while cruising.

Then there's the other sources of stress in the 'between time', when we're challenged with finding friendly places where suitable anchorage is to be had. First is the obvious task of finding safe anchorage, sheltered from prevailing wind and swell. Is the anchorage affected by frequent boat traffic and wakes? Is access to shore relatively close and unencumbered by surf, local interference, ownership and a rock strewn shoreline? Are there dingy docks, public and or private where access is allowed? Having resolved the questions of where to anchor and shore access, what's next?

What's next depends primarily upon how large the divide is between classes of local boaters, land dwellers and the government. In California conflict and divisions between these groups vary by location, but will typically affect anchoring and liveaboard rights to some degree. The level of stress you endure will vary then by where you are in the 'between time'.

Consider Sausalito for example. Players in Sausalito that contribute as sources of stress range from the very wealthy to very poor, with the Richardson Bay Regional Authority largely playing the role of mediator in struggles between these groups over time. I refer to RBRA as a mediator because in reality it has very little power to enforce ordinances, ord87-1 through ord91-3. A primary 'object' of concern for many local residents and officials has for what seems like an eternity are the 'anchor outs' that occupy Richardson Bay. A source of stress for 'cruisers' hoping to hang on the hook during 'between times' for a variety of reasons. First on the list for me is the fact finding a place to anchor with close-in access is a tall order indeed. If one of the two primary anchorages illustrated in official 'maps' of the harbour even has room in which to anchor, it will most likely be occupied by boats who's owners haven't a clue about proper anchoring technique and ground tackle. Odds are their boat will be anchored with a too small anchor on an all rope rode. Well, in some cases they may have West Marine's recommended minimum 30' of chain... They are accidents waiting to happen, dragging incidents yet to come. Or, you may discover although a boat appears to be anchored, in truth it is moored creating a collision hazard. Sources of stress, no?

So, you've managed to find somewhat suitable anchorage and settle into a routine. Then you begin to become familiar with the local state of affairs. If you're like me you would rather see characters that comprise the 'anchor out' community on a boat rather than on the street. You recognize there are intelligent, creative folks among them. Even some who have jobs. There are the couples with children. One I know of actually sails his boat engineless and has written a novel, 'No Chance in Hell'. In my view he writes very well. Then there are the others. I don't wish to demonize the people who constitute this group, so will leave it to your imagination. I can say however, I've caught a woman stealing my kayak paddle who subsequently spent a few days in jail and plead guilty. Coincidentally, just a few days ago a sweatshirt I hung on a stair rail behind the city library took a walk during the same time when 'anchor outs' were returning from mealtime at a local church with a stop in the library. A bicycle was stolen within two weeks of my arrival here in 2012. Anyone could have been responsible for that. The bottom line is these issues are a cumulative source of stress as I try to maintain my liveboard lifestyle.

After 21 years of living aboard at anchor and two in marinas my boat is on a non-free port mooring. Not my preference, but considering the hazards the more prudent thing to do.

So. What to do as my once idyllic lifestyle crumbles under the weight of a changing environment and advanced age?

I won't really know what I'll do until the next 'cruising' season. But, what I do know is something has to change...

[Hudson Force]

Successful careers don't come by chance and fortune.
Good marriages aren't made by falling in love.
Ideal homes aren't born in the blueprints.......

So, who would assume that lasting liveaboard cruisers manged their lives by sailing off into the sunset?

Joy or despair are not often a result of things that are done to you, but more often an outcome of choices and attitudes.

Choose wisely ...... work for it ....... enjoy!

[weavis]

A few years ago, I was between buying homes. I had sold my residence and due to circumstances, Could not move into the one I was purchasing for 3 months.

I was thinking of renting when I realised I had a 42 foot cruiser that I could live on. To me, living on a boat is no different from living in a motorhome or an apartment. So having put aboard all my essential living gear, one night I just just didnt leave and go 'home".

It was a different feel to going 'cruising'. I recall the first night sitting on the aft deck, I was comfortable tied to the ball and in no rush to be somewhere. I got up and checked the meters that batteries were up, that water and fuel tanks were full, that charging circuits were fine. I checked fluid levels and all switches and seacocks and toilet fittings. I checked the shower was fine and the generator cranked over. I checked all the systems in a couple of hours.

I then went and sat in the cabin and switched on the A/C. The gentle motion of the water gave me an incredible feeling of being at peace.

The next morning I woke early and prepared to take the dinghy to the carpark and drive the 40 minutes to work. Then it occurred to me that If I motored from my mooring across the bay and then to the town where the clinic was, I could get there in about the same time.

Filled with this sudden urge to just "do it", I upped anchor, unhooked from the ball and headed out.

I will always remember that first day of "boating to work". Once clear of the Bay I settled at 26 knots and headed to the office. It was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. When I got there, I moored at the side of a canal and stepped ashore. My office was a 5 minute walk, across the bridge, past a great breakfast restaurant and a supermarket.

That evening, a couple of my colleagues joined me and we went to a marina upcoast for dinner and a few drinks. I dropped them off on the way back and headed back to my mooring ball.

A week later, I took a berth on the canal and relocated there.

When it came time to complete the house deal, It was with reluctance that it happened. In retrospect, I think I would not have done it except for ingrained training about owning property to live in.

When I lived aboard, I had quiet peaceful nights, and some great company for dinner and I travelled up and down the East coast of Florida several times including the Keys. It became my home and my recreation and my pleasure. It was not a small boat and it was not a sailboat. But the principle is the same. I do think its important to be comfortable and that is different for everyone.

I would be very happy on a small sailing catamaran these days. My needs are much simpler. But I still want 2 cabins, a good galley, a nice Head and shower and a protected steering position with single handed operation of the sails from there.

I dont long for crossing oceans but would do so if the occasion warranted it. Im easily satisfied with coastal cruising in the Med. Covers so many cultures and countries that if I found somewhere nice, It wouldnt matter if I stayed months or years. Its about the boat and the life. You have your home with you. The rest is all about the "Time" you devote to filling.



You have to be comfortable in your own skin and be prepared to take life as it comes, just like living on shore, only wetter.