Often friends and family ask us, “What do you do all day on your boat?” For the curious, here is a look at our time spent:
· Awake (without an alarm) at about 7:30 am. Sometimes, a noisy rooster or pack of dogs helps with this process.
· Before rising, look up through the hatch over the bed to determine what the day is like. If rain did not interrupt the night, stand up through the hatch and look around to see—literally—which way the wind blows and how the boat is oriented to shore.
· Have coffee and breakfast.
· Run the engine for an hour to charge the refrigeration system.
· Turn on the VHF radio to channel 68 at 8:15 am to hear the “Cruisers’ Network.” This informal broadcast organized by seasoned local cruisers provides detailed 5-day weather and wave predictions, ‘invitations” for local businesses (e.g. pig roasts, happy hours, SCUBA diving trips), news and sports highlights, Q&A for cruisers with questions (e.g. Where is recycling? How can I get cash? What is the duty owed on imported parts?), community announcements (e.g. dog training classes, opportunities to register foreign born children, requests from the community NOT to wear swim attire while shopping), mail call (identifying people that are headed back to the states or Europe willing to carry unsealed mail from other cruisers), and arrivals and departures.
· Together, do yoga followed by meditation on the back deck.
· After this morning routine, Dave and I make a plan for the rest of the day. Activities might include several hours of boat repairs, cleaning, and maintenance (the boat requires about 20 hours per week of attention). Other options include sailing to a new location; taking our inflatable dinghy and outboard into town to grocery shop, track down the local fisherman and his catch, surf the internet at the coffee shop, or walk the beach; swimming; snorkeling; or lobster spear fishing. Whatever we do, our plans are shaped by our location, weather, and tides.
· Typically, we eat all our meals on board. I love my little galley kitchen and we are working our way through 10 weeks of stowed provisions.
· At sunset, we are on board with beverages in hand quietly watching the sky change colors.
· After sundown, we run the engine to charge the refrigeration system and—this time—power our XM satellite radio. In this way, we can listen nightly to Wolf Blitzer and the Situation Room on CNN. If we are at a marina (about one night a week) we can watch unlimited cable TV, choosing between a wealth of US channels.
· Make and enjoy dinner.
· Read till we pass out from all the fresh air. Sometimes, rarely, we last until 10 pm.
· Sleep under the stars visible through the overhead hatch.
· If we are on anchor and the wind is blowing hard, we rise several times during the night to check weather and possible anchor drag.
· Awake (without an alarm) at about 7:30 am. Sometimes, a noisy rooster or pack of dogs helps with this process.
· Before rising, look up through the hatch over the bed to determine what the day is like. If rain did not interrupt the night, stand up through the hatch and look around to see—literally—which way the wind blows and how the boat is oriented to shore.
· Have coffee and breakfast.
· Run the engine for an hour to charge the refrigeration system.
· Turn on the VHF radio to channel 68 at 8:15 am to hear the “Cruisers’ Network.” This informal broadcast organized by seasoned local cruisers provides detailed 5-day weather and wave predictions, ‘invitations” for local businesses (e.g. pig roasts, happy hours, SCUBA diving trips), news and sports highlights, Q&A for cruisers with questions (e.g. Where is recycling? How can I get cash? What is the duty owed on imported parts?), community announcements (e.g. dog training classes, opportunities to register foreign born children, requests from the community NOT to wear swim attire while shopping), mail call (identifying people that are headed back to the states or Europe willing to carry unsealed mail from other cruisers), and arrivals and departures.
· Together, do yoga followed by meditation on the back deck.
· After this morning routine, Dave and I make a plan for the rest of the day. Activities might include several hours of boat repairs, cleaning, and maintenance (the boat requires about 20 hours per week of attention). Other options include sailing to a new location; taking our inflatable dinghy and outboard into town to grocery shop, track down the local fisherman and his catch, surf the internet at the coffee shop, or walk the beach; swimming; snorkeling; or lobster spear fishing. Whatever we do, our plans are shaped by our location, weather, and tides.
· Typically, we eat all our meals on board. I love my little galley kitchen and we are working our way through 10 weeks of stowed provisions.
· At sunset, we are on board with beverages in hand quietly watching the sky change colors.
· After sundown, we run the engine to charge the refrigeration system and—this time—power our XM satellite radio. In this way, we can listen nightly to Wolf Blitzer and the Situation Room on CNN. If we are at a marina (about one night a week) we can watch unlimited cable TV, choosing between a wealth of US channels.
· Make and enjoy dinner.
· Read till we pass out from all the fresh air. Sometimes, rarely, we last until 10 pm.
· Sleep under the stars visible through the overhead hatch.
· If we are on anchor and the wind is blowing hard, we rise several times during the night to check weather and possible anchor drag.
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