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"Life on a sailboat" continued. |
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THE HEAD - Yes, it's all in this tiny closet. |
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GALLEY SPACE |
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WATER As we carry only 135 gallons of fresh water that must serve all purposes from drinking to cooking to bathing, and generally needs to last a minimum of 2 to 3 weeks, we are always very careful about how we use it. Showers are usually completed with less than a gallon, and dishes are pre-rinsed with salt water to save the fresh stuff for more important tasks like cooking and drinking.
Hot water from a faucet is only available if the engine has been running in the last hour, so washing dishes usually requires boiling water on the stove. Warm showers are available if the sun has been out long enough to heat one of the "Sunshowers," that you hopefully remembered to fill after the last use, and then, only if the sun has been shining. Fortunately, we have been traveling in mostly warm climates, and the water is always at least tepid. Laundry is saved to be done in port. |
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ENERGY/ELECTRICITY Electricity on the boat is supplied by a bank of 12-volt batteries, kept charged by a combination of solar panels and an engine-driven alternator. Most everything on the boat is powered by 12-volts, and those that are not are generally only used in a marina where we can hook up to 120-volt shore power. We do have the ability to convert 12 volts to 120 volts, and do so on occasion to run our tiny microwave in very short bursts or watch a movie on the DVD, but running anything more power-hungry uses up way too much of a very limited resource. We religiously monitor the amount of electricity we use, as it would be very easy to drain the batteries down to a point that things would not work. |
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COMMUNICATIONS Needless to say, there is no phone service out here, unless you have a "Bill Gates" budget, and can cough up more than a grand for the least expensive Satellite phone, and then be prepared to hemorrhage about three bucks a minute to make a call. Can you imagine a 30-minute phone call home to tell mom and dad that yes you are alive, the world is not flat, and you have not fallen off the edge, yet? Internet? You can get it if you have another pile of money to part with, a boat large enough to carry the equipment, and can be happy with a baud rate equal to mud running through frozen pipes.
We do have the luxury of email via our Single-Side-Band radio, but it, too, is slow, and completely dependent on radio-wave propagation and other atmospheric phenomena that I cannot explain. We do most of our communicating (other than the usual hand waving and gesturing at each other because we can't hear over either the wind or engine noise) while in a port or marina. It is a true luxury when we get good WIFI service, and can sit on board and check email or make SKYPE calls to family, or more importantly, the guy sending is parts for something that broke. |
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The COCKPIT
Our patio and outdoor living space. |
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MOTION While underway, especially when sailing, you can never just set something down, for it is a bonified law of nature, physics, and the small havoc-creating goblins inhabiting all boats, that it will end up on the floor, or worse, overboard. When sailing, life is adjusted to everything being tilted one direction or the other, depending on which tack you are on, and then throw in the seesawing motion of the seas for a truly challenging environment. We used to think that we would get little to no exercise while sailing, but I can now assure you that spending 24 hours a day on a gyrating platform, where every movement requires muscles not normally engaged, and even sitting can be a workout, you quickly come to the realization that you do not need a gym membership. Using the toilet in rough conditions is a true test in coordination, timing and aim, as you attempt to pull down your pants, hit the small round target with your bare butt, and then keep it there for the duration of the required ablutions, while being tossed about like a numbered ball in a bingo machine. |
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WHY? We have asked ouselves this question many times. Living on a sailboat can be a lot of work, and what good things aren't? For us, the positives far outweigh the negatives. There is no traffic or the lunatic drivers that go along with it. Phones never ring. We are not inundated with media hype. We have the opportunity to explore remote places, watch birds, whales, and fishes, swim, hike when ashore, read lots of books, and listen not only to the music on our stereo, but far better, the music on the natural world that surrounds us. If we need a fix of civilization we generally get plenty when in a port stocking up for the next adventure out in "our" real world. |
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Captain Cheri at the helm with a big "Happy to be leaving port" grin. |
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