Everyone wants to be free…from something.  Sometimes it’s getting away from everyday life.  Some take to the road for a weekend, a motorbike ride for added exhilaration, a trip to another country. For a few, they take their boat out for a short trip, a week, maybe more, maybe less.  And then they dock again, come in to shore and live lives on land like the majority of us.  For an even fewer percentage, life never leaves the boat.  It is home.  If it goes under, well, so does life as they know it. Alternate Lifestyle My experience living on board was brief, but sweet.  I have friends who live on their trimaran on the North American west coast, a little north of San Francisco.  Wilma lived in an apartment on the marina before she met her partner and chose to abandon her conventional lifestyle and move in with him.  Her first task was to trim down her life in a 3 bedroom apartment to fit, with another person, into a 45 ft trimaran.  As you can imagine, she had all the amenities that an apartment complex will offer and all the space to house the precious items she had collected for years, either out of need or definitely out of desire.  So why change?  Living on board a boat is a definite change in lifestyle; it can be a simpler one, less expensive, more relaxing, and more adventuresome. Perhaps less things, more life? Back to Basics I imagine the toughest part of living on board a boat is giving up the things to which one has become accustomed.  Letting go…paring life down to the bare necessities.  The pretty vases will have to go; the large pictures that adorn the living room wall will have to find another home; perhaps the 8’x11’ rug that was handed down from grandparents – okay maybe storage.  Definitely the armoire with the delicate china will have to go… and…. Well, you get the idea.  Luxury as one is accustomed will have to go, exchanged for a freedom that I think people will define in different ways.  I think this freedom begins with a freedom from materialism.

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The cost of upkeep of a storage unit, depending on size, may not even be worth the articles kept within.  According to Lenard, “after a certain length of time, you would have paid many times over for what you own – might as well dispose of it and buy it again if you find you need it in the future.”  Although tough to take, I think he is right…except for extremely sentimental, irreplaceable items, I think re-purchasing in the future makes perfect sense. 

Size matters
As I sat on their boat on a sunny Friday afternoon, I realized that it hardly bobbed.  This is one of the neat features of a trimaran – very steady and good for a landlubber like me.  Once we set sail, I found that it took a little getting used to being below deck, where you really feel every roll.  Had it been a smaller vessel, I would have felt an even more concentrated movement.  So size does matter! Naturally, the type of boat a person lives on will be their personal preference, not only for living aboard but also for what they choose for their recreation.  I was impressed with Wilma’s new home and I thought she had not given up anything except for space and a few conveniences.

The ordinary life continues
While waiting for Lenard to finish storing supplies for the weekend… (a weekend of fishing no less!), Wilma switched on the TV for a quick look at the news. TV? Yes, they are connected by cable while docked.  Naturally it’s not a rear projection large screen TV, but that’s what other friends are for!  Seriously, a simple 13inch regular tube TV would work, but an even better fit would be a flat screen monitor, settled on a ledge or positioned on a wall, with hi-def if you want (just what they had).  The screen size, of course, will be determined by the space available; the point being though, that this isn’t something that would have to be given up. Of course, it will depend the marina and if they offer the service. 

Cable hook-ups and electricity are the two main things that caught my attention as I checked out their boat and the utilities supplied by their marina.  Lenard installed a satellite radio system so whether they were in dock or out to sea, the radio brought hours of entertainment.  At the end of the weekend I was spoiled, as one can’t select “types” of music with regular radio.  While we sat on deck waiting for sturgeon to bite, we listened to 80’s, 90’s, Elvis, and all kinds of rock. (Apparently sturgeon dislike every type of music we played as they stayed away from our lines).

Electricity, cable, radio, TV – where’s the inconvenience?

What about the cook?
Aha, the kitchen or galley, that tiny nook that I vary rarely frequent on land.  I was sure this was where she would feel the change the most. Needless to say, this will never be a chef’s paradise but a woman (I should say person as Lenard mans the kitchen as much as Wilma!) who enjoys cooking should not go wanting either.  Their boat has a four burner gas cooker and for those who love to BBQ, there is a grill attached to the rail at the rear.  Out of their full size refrigerator (yep, full size) came a variety of food for the different times our tummies growled for food. We had to pull from our supplies as we obviously were not going to have fresh fish for supper!!

Space will always be an issue especially for people who have a tendency to collect.  So it is important that almost every nook and cranny efficiently become storage for something, whether it is used as storage itself or as a support to hang items or shelves that then become storage. Lower portions of the trimaran, the hull, if I dare guess, can be used as storage.  I am amazed at how much can be squirreled away in this boat. The kitchen, where most things need to be accessible, their vertical space has been utilized for utensils or spices and little hammocks take advantage of open air, holding bread or chips and freeing up limited counter space. 

I ran across an article on a website that quoted from “Good Boatkeeping” by Zora and David Aiken.  It gave some pointers for kitchen storage and utensils. 

• Use glass cutting board (from Corning) for fish.
• Use nutcracker to open crabs and lobsters.
• Square containers store better than round ones.
• Use see-through containers.
• Double-jar things that attract moisture: bouillon cubes, yeast.
• Use squeeze bottles for mustard, ketchup, margarine.
And they generally don't have to be refrigerated.
• Make solar tea: dangle 4 teabags in top of 2-liter bottle of water in sun. But see Colorado State University 's "Is Sun Tea Safe?".
• Write date-purchased on cans, use oldest first.
• Use mesh bags for hanging fruits and vegetables, but don't let them bang into things as the boat moves.
• Store breakable glass bottles in plastic dishpans so spills are contained.
Put socks on bottles.

and when I need to goooooo?
How about the bathroom or the head as they call it?  Well, for most of us this might be deal breaker; sacrifice is one thing, but additional work, well that can be a whole different animal.  The routine aboard Lenard and Wilma’s boat is this…liquid or solid, the paper must go into a bin near the toilet, not in the toilet.  That takes a bit of adjusting to.  Flushing isn’t just a one stroke flush and your donation swirls away, but a shaft is manually cranked (sounds obscene) that releases water into the bowl and then flushed.  It’s important to not overfill the tank and I am told to crank 8 times, that being the appropriate number for fluids.  Each boat will be different – a point of discovery!  The captain (that will be Lenard) manually removes the waste bin when the boat docks and periodically empties the ship’s waste properly and according to law.  I compare this process to the large RV’s that have become so popular, and that little snake that runs from the vehicle to the dump. 

The simple life and savings on the pocket book…
So far, I don’t see where Wilma has given anything up, except space, a few conveniences (like private showers) and the opportunity to be a collector of semi useless ornaments.  The restriction on space can have a saving grace on the pocket book…nowhere to put purchases.  But what about rent?  Compare a three bedroom apartment to the dock space for a 45 footer.  At their marina, 30 foot slips currently run at $6.99 a foot.  Even if your math is as bad as mine, you will see that the cost of living (after the purchase of the lovely boat itself) will be a whole lot less than even a studio apartment, and especially in the California Bay Area.  That’s more money in the bank (because, too, you are still not spending it on new decor or furniture!!) 

This link to the marina in Richmond, California is indicative of what many marinas can offer.
 

• 24 Hour Courtesy Patrol	• Cemented DocksAccess to Public Transportation
• Beautiful Landscaping	• Cemented Docks
• Children's Play Area	• Daily or Monthly Rates
• Disability Access	• Dock box with night light
• Easy Access to Freeways	• Easy Access to Shopping
• Electric 30 amp	• Electric 50 amp
• Gated Access	• High Speed Internet Access
• high speed wireless internet access "iDock"	• Laundry Facility
• Onsite Maintenance	• Phone Hook Up
• Picnic Area with Barbecue	• Public Parks Nearby
• Rub Rail	• Short Walk to the Slip
• Single Load Slip	• Swing line Cleats
• Views of San Francisco	• Water
• Wide Fairways

Pet Regulations: All Pets Allowed

Looks like quality of life has remained the same…security, landscaping, laundry facility, phone hook-ups (although many people these days use cell phones with service getting better all the time).  And Snoopy can stay with you.

Technology still abounds
I was glad to see that high speed internet was available in dock and not just that – WIRELESS service was available. I am a soul whose life is tied to the web, and I would be lost without access. Nonetheless, for those who might not have the actual connection, there are more and more service providers, such as Verizon, that provide PC cards that are inserted in your laptop and enable you to connect to their broadband network.  Go to http://b2b.vzw.com/broadband/bbapccard.html if you want more information on how it works. 

Lazin’ around or adventure…what shall it be?
It goes without saying that those who live aboard a boat will have the pleasure of living off the sea.  A whole new world opens up, navigating waters, treacherous or calm; mastering the finer points of your vessel; learning the habits and hopefully the weaknesses of your different prey. Food, in other words!  Or perhaps for a weekend to get away from city life, go out on the water, drop anchor, pop a beer, leave the radio off, listen to the gulls and take a snooze.  On this particular trip, there were no fish biting; apparently only the crabs were having a free dinner. I feel like Huck Finn though, except aboard a boat instead of on the river bank, lazy and sleepy from the rocking of the boat and the caress of the warm Sunday sun. The quiet slosh of the water against the side of the boat is so relaxing that it would be easy to give way to an afternoon slumber. This I think is one of the fringe benefits of living on board a boat; the constant and gentle rock that resembles a stretch in the backyard hammock, without having to push. 

With a little imagination, or a reality, that “hammock” could be at a tropical island. Out of curiosity, I looked online for marinas around the world and especially in North America. The web search brought up a map that made California look like it had the pox...hundreds of little red dots covering its body.

http://www.marinabayyachtharbor.com/unit_listing.html
http://www.boatharborslocator.com/sfba_san_francisco_bay_area.htm

The same is true for the rest of the world and for those open water worthy vessels, the ocean is truly endless. Lenard and Wilma have traveled south towards Mexico, stopping along the way as necessity dictated.  They have chatted about one day crossing the Atlantic to the “Old World”. 

Can’t be all play
It’s not all a romantic life aboard ship.  As with a home, there has to be maintenance and upkeep.  This is even more critical when your home needs to stay afloat.  Making sure there are no leaks make happy passengers. 

During the weekend, the heater was on, blazing away to make a nice toasty cabin.  The next day, there was black soot over most of the forward deck.  Naturally for me, this being my first experience on board (and as a deckhand), I was eager to help wash it down. The hose came out and with a broom, the deck was scrubbed back to white.  House or boat, there will always be cleaning to do.  Also from “Good Boatkeeping” by Zora and David Aiken, a few pointers:

• Baking soda is a great cleaner: sink, shower, thermos, cooler, refrigerator, stainless steel, vinyl, tough laundry, takes fish smell off hands. (Also good on minor stings/burns.)

• Simple green is a good universal cleaner

• Use non-scratching stuff to clean fiberglass like plastic or nylon net scrubbers, nylon scrub brushes.

• For scrubbing the bottom of the boat, get a suction-grip handle [from a hardware store or a glass supplier] so you can hold on while you scrub. [Attach handle and scrubber to your wrist via lanyards, to keep them from disappearing.]

Or, as I saw along the way, some folk hoisted their boat up, out of the water for a full scrub; definitely a major cleaning or overhaul.
Maintenance, on a boat as with a home, will keep it in good shape for a long time.  I think considering square footage, it will be a cheaper and a less intimidating undertaking to keep a boat in top condition. 

Emergencies?
There is apartment insurance, home insurance, car insurance and of course boat insurance.  Forgive the pun, but there are boatloads of companies to choose from; with services that include towing.  Google “boat insurance” and you will have your pick.  A couple of young men who tried to cross a channel unaware of the sandbank that quickly ran them aground would have liked a tow.  However, as the water got shallower and no one would go near, even if they HAD a tow service, their predicament remained on show until the tide again came in. Resourceful folk they were though…out went the fishing rods, and with a drink in hand and pride in check, they waited for their watery redemption. 

Is it for everyone?
Hardly.  Not many of us can separate ourselves from the ordinary and traditional.  To eliminate the bulk of our possessions would be difficult. What I learned from Wilma was that desire is a strong emotion and one, that when focused on can reap amazing results.  If we really wanted to change our life, to free ourselves from what ties us down then we can.  If we ask ourselves what we are willing to give in exchange for the freedom a certain way of life offers, we can make it happen.  If we take it one step at a time, it will come to pass.  Everything surveyed in lump can be overwhelming but one piece at a time will make it more manageable. 

I have to admit that although the sea holds for me a certain mystery and dread from seeming to have a life of its own, it also has a calm and soothing nature that draws me.  It is another type of wilderness, teaching and testing each who would try to live on her and giving to those who succeed the greatest reward a human can have and that is a sense of freedom. 
 

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