Working away on the house, land yacht as I call it and got to thinking about our library. Specifically, I was thinking about why live ashore and what to do to make that as pleasant as possible. My thoughts turned to our library, my easy chair, the table that holds the glass from which I refresh myself and how those things aren't on the boat. Not just not on Averisera but not really part of any regular cruising boat. At least not a library with maybe a thousand books.
Thinking back to St Maarten and my Caribbean years. There were book swaps at Shrimpies or Business Point: they were fun and just not the same as your very own library.
The house is getting more library attention. Maybe I will even get a library card to the town library.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Size!
http://kkmoorea.com/losing-the-excess-pounds/
Guests
On board, it is hard to have guests. Ashore guests are simple to accommodate. This summer we have had almost 60 days of guests. most of those days were either in our house or my mother in law's house. She lives nearby. Life on board is hardly devoid of guests or friends, we just interact with them so very differently.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
House vs Boat, Scope and Scale
As noted earlier, everything one can want for completing a house repair is readily available and competitively priced, many tradespeople are available for hire. Not so with a boat. Fortunately, once a boat is in fairly good shape, it is easy to keep it so. This has to do with the scope of each job. I can prepare my 32 footer for a winter of voyaging for a few thousand dollars and keep it going, with just me aboard, at about ten bucks a day.
The scale of every job at the house is big, big as in super yacht big. Granted it is at a fraction of the real cost of a superyacht. Within each job come a thousand decisions that change the scope of each project from simple to complex. House is always being redesigned on the fly. Boat is designed by the naval architect and that's pretty much it.
More to follow.
The scale of every job at the house is big, big as in super yacht big. Granted it is at a fraction of the real cost of a superyacht. Within each job come a thousand decisions that change the scope of each project from simple to complex. House is always being redesigned on the fly. Boat is designed by the naval architect and that's pretty much it.
More to follow.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Weeding the Garden
Scrub the boat bottom and clean grass off of the boot stripe.
-or-
Pull weeds from the garden.
-or-
Pull weeds from the garden.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Pace of Cruising vs Pace of Life Ashore
Individuals each have their own personal rate of foing things or pace. On top of that is the rate at which things occur in the place one lives. As the appliedsailor moves ashore he finds the transition between the seagoing pace and land based pace different. When I was a charterboat captain, I knew it would take my guests or student-crew a few days to acclimate. They knew they were leaving in a week so the personal pressure to adapt was low. For a long voyage, the situation is quite different. There are few parallels with shore based living.
We live ashore and plan to sail away, in most cases. When you buy a boat with a plan to sail for parts unknown, there is a burst of energy to get the craft ready and off you go. There are bursts of refit energy and then it's off again. Life aboard is fairly quiet punctuated more by the rhythms of the sea environment, calms and storms. One can never "stop" sailing until, at the very least, one is at anchor. (Sailors will have endless quibbles with that statement, let's hold them for later.)
With a house, you aren't going anywhere. The distraction is the work on the house so it is what you do. The environment is much more controlled. Buy everything online and the package company delivers the goods a day or so later. Too hot, turn on the AC. Too cold, settled down to the fireplace with a cuppa. Bored, head for the movies, a bar, the mall, or just out onto the open road. Options abound. Want to travel? Turn on the TV and pick a show about a place. One never has to leave the house
The Pace of Cruising is a rhythm of activity. No matter what, one must go out and interact with the sea, wind, and local culture. There are few filters. The Pace of Life Ashore is very different. Unless guests are coming to visit; each day seems to be get up and work on something around the house, go to bed, repeat the next day.
Thank goodness for guests. Can one thank goodness for far shores?
We live ashore and plan to sail away, in most cases. When you buy a boat with a plan to sail for parts unknown, there is a burst of energy to get the craft ready and off you go. There are bursts of refit energy and then it's off again. Life aboard is fairly quiet punctuated more by the rhythms of the sea environment, calms and storms. One can never "stop" sailing until, at the very least, one is at anchor. (Sailors will have endless quibbles with that statement, let's hold them for later.)
With a house, you aren't going anywhere. The distraction is the work on the house so it is what you do. The environment is much more controlled. Buy everything online and the package company delivers the goods a day or so later. Too hot, turn on the AC. Too cold, settled down to the fireplace with a cuppa. Bored, head for the movies, a bar, the mall, or just out onto the open road. Options abound. Want to travel? Turn on the TV and pick a show about a place. One never has to leave the house
The Pace of Cruising is a rhythm of activity. No matter what, one must go out and interact with the sea, wind, and local culture. There are few filters. The Pace of Life Ashore is very different. Unless guests are coming to visit; each day seems to be get up and work on something around the house, go to bed, repeat the next day.
Thank goodness for guests. Can one thank goodness for far shores?
Friday, July 4, 2014
Cost of Cruising, Cost of Living Ashore
Regulatory Cost:
One of the interesting things about life ashore is regulatory cost. Living ashore involves an awful lot. Electrical, plumbing and building changes repairs and installations all have a regulatory component. Afloat, one is more self reliant and also assumed to be so. The building inspector isn't visiting every once in a while when you least expect it... and then not to be found when you need him to sign off on a job.
When we lived in Medford, outside of Boston, I asked the city building department about having some work done in the kitchen. Short answer, everything needs to have an inspector involved. Technically, I was not permitted to remove the cover from a light switch or wall plug much less change one out without hiring a licensed electrician and scheduling a building inspection at cover removal and before the cover was re-installed. Three days minimum! Before landscaping, the "digsafe" guy has to come by and make certain all the underground stuff is identified and located. I get it, a lot of stupid stuff is done by incompetent amateurs.
In the voyaging world, the group self-selects towards competent if not down right expert. Incompetent gets sorted out pretty quickly.
Living aboard involves no such costs in time or personnel.
One regulatory cost of cruising is customs and immigration. Or, as my South African shipmate used to say, comedy and irritation. The regulatory cost is safety equipment is another. Some places, like the USA are very minimal. Others, I am told, are very rigorous.
As I explore the difference between living ashore and living aboard, regulatory delays and costs become apparent. Ashore, regulations are pervasive. Afloat, regulations are seem almost remote.
July 2014
One of the interesting things about life ashore is regulatory cost. Living ashore involves an awful lot. Electrical, plumbing and building changes repairs and installations all have a regulatory component. Afloat, one is more self reliant and also assumed to be so. The building inspector isn't visiting every once in a while when you least expect it... and then not to be found when you need him to sign off on a job.
When we lived in Medford, outside of Boston, I asked the city building department about having some work done in the kitchen. Short answer, everything needs to have an inspector involved. Technically, I was not permitted to remove the cover from a light switch or wall plug much less change one out without hiring a licensed electrician and scheduling a building inspection at cover removal and before the cover was re-installed. Three days minimum! Before landscaping, the "digsafe" guy has to come by and make certain all the underground stuff is identified and located. I get it, a lot of stupid stuff is done by incompetent amateurs.
In the voyaging world, the group self-selects towards competent if not down right expert. Incompetent gets sorted out pretty quickly.
Living aboard involves no such costs in time or personnel.
One regulatory cost of cruising is customs and immigration. Or, as my South African shipmate used to say, comedy and irritation. The regulatory cost is safety equipment is another. Some places, like the USA are very minimal. Others, I am told, are very rigorous.
As I explore the difference between living ashore and living aboard, regulatory delays and costs become apparent. Ashore, regulations are pervasive. Afloat, regulations are seem almost remote.
July 2014
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