Can you control how much "stuff" you have on your boat?

[Reach]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Ergo . . . a house on the water . . . albeit a "creative?" house on the water?

Yeah, I realized that I was making your point, but I still don't have to like the "floating condo" term

One can live simply on land or on the water, it seems, subject to personal preference. BTW, just got a ukulele to go with our guitar & nothing came off in its place. Sigh...

[jkindredpdx]

Ukes are small and very light, nothing needs to go. . . is now the time to bring up my golf clubs obviously I live alone.

[River Cruiser]

I'am on the upper Mississippi River marinas are plentiful I doubt you could ever be over 30 miles from one & a place to get or order parts. I know this but still keep a lot of spares, I buy some when I find them cheap on eBay. The heaviest goes toward the bow, pumps, props, tools & such because the tools, spares & 300' of chain help keep the bow down. The impellers, belts, hoses, fluids & filters are in the engine compartment. Being a retired field mechanic I have a very difficult time not being prepared for any problem short of a rebuild of a major component. I noticed the waterline is higher on the engine exhaust ports than when we bought the boat & I know all the extra weight uses fuel to haul around, there needs to be a 12 step program or weight watchers for boaters boats. But the 1st time I needed something & didn't have it I would fall off the wagon;-)

[SV Maclas]

We find that once all of the little spaces are filled, whatever is left over suddenly doesn't seem that important anymore and a "Free" sign gets slapped on it.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Why do you have a boat? Is it because you love to sail and wish to eliminate all extraneous and tedious elements of your shorelife and live simply or do you seek to have a condo on the water that provides you with all the creature comforts and amenities of home? Most "cruisers" we have met ascribe to the second philosophy ergo-- the need for bigger boats. It is usually because men need to offer their reluctant counterparts the "niceties" they need to make cruising more desirable and that translates into a fully laden vessel. Sadly, there are very few women who fall into the first category (some exceptions are on this website) as is seen regularly on the CREW WANTED postings. Is it the love of sail or the condo on the water? Is it the journey or the destination? Is it a simple creative life or a rat race on the water? You see that microwave in the corner? It's up to you. Good luck and simple sailing.

I have a few problems with how you positioned this. In your mind, there are only two options: 1) be a minimalist sailor or 2) be a condo on the water.

Does my desire to have refrigeration, cooked warm food to eat, clean water to drink, the ability to take a shower, listen to music and a TV to watch movies on rainy days somehow not make me a sailor?

You asked "Is it the journey or the destination?" Does the journey stop simply because the boat stopped? Isn't part of the journey exploring the new port, hiking new places, snorkeling new reefs, etc?

By the way, we are preparing to cruise in our 30-footer (20 months to go). So for the most part, we are part of the "Go Small. Go Now" crowd. I just find the way you counter apposed your two alternatives to be too extreme.

Fair winds,

Jesse

[River Cruiser]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

I have a few problems with how you positioned this. In your mind, there are only two options: 1) be a minimalist sailor or 2) be a condo on the water. Does my desire to have refrigeration, cooked warm food to eat, clean water to drink, the ability to take a shower, listen to music and a TV to watch movies on rainy days somehow not make me a sailor? You asked "Is it the journey or the destination?" Does the journey stop simply because the boat stopped? Isn't part of the journey exploring the new port, hiking new places, snorkeling new reefs, etc? By the way, we are preparing to cruise in our 30-footer (20 months to go). So for the most part, we are part of the "Go Small. Go Now" crowd. I just find the way you counter apposed your two alternatives to be too extreme. Fair winds, Jesse

I find all those things add to my enjoyment of being on the water & that is why I'am there because it brings peace & happiness to me that I do not find on land.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

The only way to control how much "stuff" you have on your boat is to get a smaller boat. Boats are notoriously like ladies' handbags - the available space is always filled to capacity .

this from a lassie that lives aboard a 57 footer? ROTFLMFAO
no offense lassie

[SecondBase]

If you bring something on the boat, bring something off the boat.

1-2 times a year, while in a resupply port, eat down to a 'zero food' boat. Then restock.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by carstenb

this from a lassie that lives aboard a 57 footer? ROTFLMFAO
no offense lassie

It is not 57' LOL and the rule still stands.
Having had both, big handbag or small, it simply gets filled to capacity if in full time use

[colemj]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Why do you have a boat? Is it because you love to sail and wish to eliminate all extraneous and tedious elements of your shorelife and live simply or do you seek to have a condo on the water that provides you with all the creature comforts and amenities of home? Most "cruisers" we have met ascribe to the second philosophy ergo-- the need for bigger boats. It is usually because men need to offer their reluctant counterparts the "niceties" they need to make cruising more desirable and that translates into a fully laden vessel. Sadly, there are very few women who fall into the first category (some exceptions are on this website) as is seen regularly on the CREW WANTED postings. Is it the love of sail or the condo on the water? Is it the journey or the destination? Is it a simple creative life or a rat race on the water? You see that microwave in the corner? It's up to you. Good luck and simple sailing.

It would help to have some context when considering this post.

Are you full time cruising in various countries and isolated areas or day sailing from a marina on Lake Michigan?

Mark

[gunkylump]

Some great replies so far....and enough humour in most to make me grin more than I'd hoped for..

We have a two year plan....right now purchase a larger boat with most amenities.......sail the north channel next year as a shakedown cruise, then refit what we feel we need....we plan to purchase this new to us vessel over the winter....anything from a 36 to a 45 footer.....wherever we can find the best value....shoal draft so that we can continue to sail the Great Lakes. Late summer of 2015 we start our journey south, hoping to make it to Grenada...or maybe even points further south.

So...right now landbound....with all of our "boat stuff" in the garage....waiting for the big transfer to something bigger than the 29 Bayfield we hopefully have just sold, waiting for the purchaser to have his survey completed. That's our story......just looking for some pointers on LOADING up thew new vessel.

gunk

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

It is not 57' LOL and the rule still stands.
Having had both, big handbag or small, it simply gets filled to capacity if in full time use

Still I'm amazed how much my GF fits in her small handbag. It's like a clown car. . . really comes in handy in a pinch.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

I have a few problems with how you positioned this. In your mind, there are only two options: 1) be a minimalist sailor or 2) be a condo on the water.

Does my desire to have refrigeration, cooked warm food to eat, clean water to drink, the ability to take a shower, listen to music and a TV to watch movies on rainy days somehow not make me a sailor?

You asked "Is it the journey or the destination?" Does the journey stop simply because the boat stopped? Isn't part of the journey exploring the new port, hiking new places, snorkeling new reefs, etc?

By the way, we are preparing to cruise in our 30-footer (20 months to go). So for the most part, we are part of the "Go Small. Go Now" crowd. I just find the way you counter apposed your two alternatives to be too extreme.

Fair winds,

Jesse

Smitty, sailing is many things to many people. I am neither an advocate of Roger Taylor's Spartan existence on board(thesimplesailor.com) since I sail with a female, nor am I an proponent of the "take it all" philosophy found on most boats we encountered in our journeys. I never advocated "extremes," but found that the ten years we lived aboard we did quite well without refrigeration, microwaves, blenders, inverters, TV's, video games, radar,electronic charts, etc., etc., but did bring musical instruments, CD's,books, fishing and snorkeling equipment, a sextant, a GPS, paper charts, ample tools and spares and the likes. Our boat never felt like a house but remained a well functioning simple boat that enjoyed the journey far more than the destination. Good luck and good sailing.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by colemj

It would help to have some context when considering this post.

Are you full time cruising in various countries and isolated areas or day sailing from a marina on Lake Michigan?

Mark

Mark, we lived aboard for 10 wonderful years in South Florida(our home base) and the Caribbean. We have over 17,000 exciting sea miles sailed in a well found boat(see above post) and avoided the herd, whenever possible, in our journeys. Currently, we are daysailing on Lake Michigan and preparing for our next hiatus for our exodus out of the Great Lakes, north to Newfoundland/Labrador, then South--of course, health and unforeseen circumstances permitting. However, our boat today is no less equipped than it was when we were cruising since we value a simple approach which keeps our boat, in our minds, a boat and not a floating home. It works for us, but certainly not for most. So, we are not neophyte sailors, as you intimated, that have only boomeranged back and forth from a floating dock to the water although it is certainly what we do while sailing on Lake Michigan. It has been a very difficult transition from full-time cruising to, once again, running a business and daysailing but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter as the time of our next departure nears. Hope that clarifies things for you. Good luck and good sailing.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by zeehag

funny how generalizations are made about women and sailing....

Agree and Funny! If you believe many of these posts a real man would sail without a galley, head, and engine... Scratching out an existence, fishing for dinner, washing with seawater (if at all), navigating by the stars, anchoring in secluded bays, toting fresh water with a bucket, guzzling rum, smoking cigars, and peeing over the rail...if it just weren't for those high maintenance biotches.