Loose Moorings: Liveaboard Life in Victoria Harbour
victoria.liveaboard@gmail.com
Nathaniel Poole and Tracy Koebel
in the summer of 2007 we kicked out the kids, sold the house, bought the boat - a cs36t - and moved from the dull confines of the fraser valley to Victoria's inner harbour. i like to think of myself as a full-time writer although living aboard seems like a full time occupation in itself. tracy works with the elderly as a social worker in one of the city's many retirement homes. this is our first major life experiment since having our two kids all those years ago.
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And all the while you were forced to be in "the now", without the nagging past and the worrisome future, those great imposters whose business is to torment.
Exactly, and the real challenge is to be that way at all times, not just when sailing!
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Hi, Nathan
I am enjoying following your blog and I have had some of the personal thoughts you are so bravely sharing.
Wishing you fair winds,
Eric
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Have you ever listened to some of what Eckhart Tolle has suggested? The power of now, how all we ever have is the now; we never have the past nor will we ever have the future, we will only ever have the now. Interesting and useful stuff, in my experience.
Tracy has read it. I think it's on the boat. I'm reluctant to read gurus because for all their wisdom, they are well-paid and famous, so by definition their values don't sync with their words. I'm reminded of fat cat TV evangelicals who get filthy rich off the backs of people desperate for meaning. A limitation in my thinking, almost certainly. WIse men don't judge the source of knowledge but take what they can get, wherever it is and regardless of what it looks like.
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I agree with your avoidance of "gurus". From my brief research, Tolle doesn't seem to be living that contradiction, but in any event he doesn't so much tell you what to do as to point to things for consideration, many of which are noteworthy. As I've tried to live in the "now", I've found more peace, less anxiety, and less struggle over meaning. Perhaps sailing is the ultimate "living in the now"?
Sailing absolutely is living in the moment. And I will pick up the Tolle book since it's sitting right here. No one can accuse me of being closed minded
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I think the water has some healing effects. Back when I used to live near the Atlantic ocean, there was nothing that would make me feel better like a trip to the water. Any headache, any sinus issues...it all just seemed to melt away when I got to the beach.
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Missed the first post, what was the symptom that sent you down that road again?
Thanks for the details of maintenance!
The symptom was very hard starting, after which it would run very well. This is usually either a compression problem or fuel problem. I also had a smoking problem, but having the injectors rebuilt took care of that. I thought that perhaps I had a broken ring in one of the cylinders, as I knew the engine wasn't "worn", and that the problem suddenly showed up one day.
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WOW!!!! WOW....what the hell huh!
My thoughts exactly!
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Push on, good man. You won't find your authentic self in someone else's castle. It's like the sirens' song, that castle.
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I am in dire need of the owners manual for a Harken rollpin MK-1 roller furler. I need to locate some parts and the manual would be a great help. If you happen to have a pdf of one or know where i could find one i would much appreciate it. Thanks.
I have the manual and can send it to you, but I don't think you'll have much success in locating OEM parts. But in most cases you can retrofit or have a machinist make you what you need far cheaper than replacement of the whole unit.
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Oh I don't know if I can agree with the focus thing... Maybe if you didn't have much else to write about besides boating, I could agree. I'm interested in how you tie it all together and incorporate your lifestyle into the bigger picture. You are quite capable in this department. Boaters can get all the boat talk they want in the various magazines out there, but that kind of stuff is really just the means to the journey and not the meaning of the journey. The meaning and application is much hard to pin down than the mechanics. If you must have a focus then that should be it, but then how did you get to that point?
No, I don't see how that conventional wisdom can be applied here.
Maybe not, but the problem with the status quo is that a huge part of my traffic is boaters and therefor seasonal, and drops waaay off in the winter. It's like boats fall off a lot of people's radar in the winter and they stop visiting. It's quite discouraging to see your traffic decline so precipitously in the winter; a guy likes to see his traffic climb the longer he blogs, not fall off by two-thirds just because it's winter in the rest of the northern hemisphere. It climbed out of the doldrums last spring and grew right up till October where it leveled out and it's been falling ever since. I know it's not my content this fall as the same thing happened last winter.
It's kind of like having a skiing blog in July.
I'm imagining that if I focused on something less seasonal, I wouldn't have to deal with the annual heartache of reader abandonment.
I do prefer to write more about subjects other than boats (which are just objects, after all) although i do like tying it all together. Maybe the best approach is trying to advertise the blog in other forums rather than simply boating/liveaboard ones. but then you fall into the problem of someone coming to read something maybe on relationships or politics, and being turned off by posts on propane valves!
A writer always has to be aware of his audience.
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I can relate exactly... Every time I come home from work it's like that. Granted, I'm working in a machine-intensive situation that is completely dependent on petroleum, so no similarity there. Whether sail or machine, everything on the water moves slowly, in my case with lots of mass and deceptive destructive power. The only thing that moves fast is the airplane getting me too and from work once every 6 weeks.
So I get to Vancouver, and I'm always struck by how fast everyone is going. I can't help but think of Ghandi's quote, that there's more to life than making it go faster.
Eventually my metabolism keeps pace and the speed seems normal. This is probably why when I get to work it almost feels like a break, because I'm back into that slow, deliberate pace and once again I have time to observe and consider things.
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Listen man, I understand a lot of your thoughts -but you've got one thing seriously wrong.
Love is selfless. If you don't know how to love someone selflessly, you haven't loved. It means to give and give until there's nothing left, then give some more.
Companionship is one of the most important things in life, and one day you may need it. It's worth fighting for.
Alex
in part i agree. but selfless loves starts with yourself. the love that you extend to others comes from inside, from a heart so filled with love that it bubbles up and extends to those around you, your partner, family, and community. and part of self love is living an authentic life, make your journey concurrent with who and what you are as best you can. martyrdom never ever works, no matter how just the cause. sacrifice that comes from self-denial is many things but it is rarely what i would call love.
companionship is crucial, i agree. the dialogue comes about when we consider how much of ourselves we deny in order to accommodate companionship. it's always a juggling and a compromise and it is worth a lot of thought. it is also never static and changes throughout life.
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This is a great article. Wish I had time to read more of your posts about living aboard ship in Victoria Harbour. ( Hope to meet you soon as I am VP for BC for CAA! What a mouthful ! I will be phoning Victoria members to get ideas to revive the branch. Cheers, Bernice)
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Having had those first 6 days alongside you on the first 'leg', Nathaniel, I would encourage Tracy to hang in and trust you IF she can. You are obviously a skilled, thorough and thoughful sailor. It IS beautiful isn't it, but maybe you can only have a destination and then be OK about changing your plans as you go along - whenever I got scared I would take in the beauty of all that was around us and it would compensate 100% fold. I'll try not to comment every day ... Susan
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Hi Nathanial.. from one of Al's 'training sailors'.. -Wonderful to read all of this, see the photos ( my god that's me at the helm of Al's boat !! ).I'll enjoy following you around the island with a lot more interest than I might have otherwise.
I did watch you from the safe harbour of Comox the day after the big wind and could hardly believe it was the same place. Also saw the dragon boat -
Enjoy the sun, the wind and eachother
Bon Voyage Susan
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Enoyed the read!
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As a new owner of a CS36 I find your blog both interesting and helpful. Having already paid the Westerbeke price for the fuel lift pump, I'd sure like to know where you can get the fresh water pump for $80. I've tried everything I can think of to cure the overheating on my W30, so might as well change the old fresh water pump if I can get it for that price.
Thanks,
Kevin (Verdia II in Maple Bay)
welcome! a good place to start for parts is to look up leyland 154 mini tractor (same engine). one source in US is http://www.importtractorparts.net/nl.html
the engine is also the BMC 1500, and the nuffield 4/25.
you can find tons of stuff on ebay UK. i've picked up inexpensive gasket sets and a new piston and ring rebuild kit for $150!
surrey diesel has a tech from the UK who is expert on these engines and is very helpful (and relatively inexpensive) for injector work.
while it may be a good idea to have a spare fresh water pump on hand the chances of that being your problem are almost nil. typically when they go they leak coolant. other ideas:
thru-hull or seacock clogged
raw water strainer clogged
raw water pump (a horrible piece of work, that)
clogged water hoses
plugged heat exchanger
plugged tranny heat exchanger
blown head gasket
bad thermostat
bad elbow
overheating issues i've had were always clogged heat exchanger. the stock cooling system on these engines is bulletproof; it's the heat exchanger side that westerbeke slaps on it that gives most of the trouble.
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Thanks for info on MK1 RF. I have been given one. I need to disassemble to move home. Seems easiest/quickest to cut thru some luff extrusions and replace the connectors. Is it easy/possible to get new connector parts. Grateful for any advice.
a web search turned up nothing and I suspect there won't be any parts over at Harken, but they're your only option i think. we are long past the intended lifespan of these devices. often I find it's much cheaper to talk to a machinist and get him to fab you something, especially when dealing with old parts. Check out my posting on rebuilding the Jabsco raw water pump. the search feature on this blog is the shits but there are two posts describing how I had to get a custom armature made and It was less than 1/2 OEM price.
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I understand the feeling. A couple nights ago I found myself down by the river just looking out over the water and thinking for like twenty minutes. Just being.
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i, for one, will be very happy to have you back...
and it can be so intensly overwhelming to see such displays of wealth. i think the only way to help us feel better about it is to think of it in terms of penis size. those massive yacht owners have gotta be compensating for something!!!!
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great pics and story!
I wonder: Did Anderson pay that $2000 fine while the taxpayers picked up the other $423,000??? Bet not!
If that's the "Dan" I think it is, he left all kids of junk behind him. Someone should do a study on Packrat Syndrome among these serial boat 'abandoners'! I think the time is overdue for criminal charges to be quickly brought against those who pollute our environment with their nightmare wrecks.
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I have a 1988 Pearson 31 with a Harken Mk 1 furler stamped 1-287. The drum cover is misaligned - it has the opening symetrical on the boat centerline which means it rubs the line. It has three screws attaching the cover to the furler. How do you index the drum less than 120 degrees to overcome this and skew the drum cover in the direction that the line pulls?
Hi Paul. There is a large locknut beneath the drum that holds the drum in place. If you loosen this nut, there is a toothed lock washer that holds a pin sticking down from the drum. This washer is what holds the drum in any orientation. By loosening the locknut, you can drop the washer and then rotate the drum so the reefing line doesn't rub. Reset the lockwasher and nut.
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Thanks - that sounds great and simple. I could not find this on the Harken website. Much appreciated
Paul
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to late Cpat cook Burnt it tonite...
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Man, reading that just makes me hate where I'm at right now. It is comfortable... to an extent, but how much comfort can one be in when you know you've got these huge bills to pay at the end of the month. However I do it, I wanna get out of this way of life.
It's even harder when you are young as you haven't been acclimated to the life of selling your time for money; most young people hate it. Unfortunately they have also grown up taking the comforts of their lives for granted, without seeing the hours of other people's lives that have been traded for those comforts and trinkets.
Most of what we have we do not need, and most of what we have we pay for with our lives. The problem is that to cut all that away and live according to your own inner impulses is very frightening. nobody can show you that path. many will dissuade you from it. but it's your life and you can spend it how you choose, you can decide what is a need and what is a want.
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Yea, that's interesting. That's pretty much the conclusion I've come to... it's all just scenery. I'm young, I've travelled a bit with my dad... been a few places in the world, but I'm always me, and It's all just scenery.
I'm considering finding a boat and doing the liveaboard thing. I don't know how I'm going to afford to get a boat at the moment, but aside from that, I've never sailed and I don't have a clue as to why all the sudden it seems so appealing to me other than the fact that I just got back from a road trip and enjoyed that experience.
I'm book marking your blog. I think I'll keep an eye on what you're up to as I contemplate the idea.
Hi Alex
Just remember that boating and living aboard can be very different things, with very different price tags. Simply living on a boat can be done dirt cheap. Living on a boat that can take you places can be a lot of money and a lot of work. Best to figger out what your goals are now before buying anything. Good luck and hope to see you on the water.
Nathaniel
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Thanks for sharing this. Thanks for new great things and beginnings. You might consider putting up a small business with all the skills and knowledge that you have.
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The bigger they are the tougher it is to find any kind of moorage for it.
sure, which is something to have arranged ahead of time before taking n such a project. again, i think it would be tough to keep something like that afloat on the hook without a lot of money for solar panels and wind generators just to keep the bilge pumps going.
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First time I've seen your site. Like what I see. You know there is much to be said for coastal cruising. In Australia it is almost possible to circumnavigate the place, spending only a few days here and there at sea. (the Great Australian Bight is the really nasty bit.) Even if we wanted to cruise out to French Polynesia we could do so in relatively short hops. OK, so if you want to do the big loop you'll need to spend up to three or four weeks at sea but even then doing it in shorter hops is possible most of the time. I think that America to the Marquesas is about the longest unavoidable hop. Overall my preference is to not spend more than a few days at sea per passage.
Then again you buggers in the PNW have it all on your doorstep. (Palms trees and coconuts aside !)
Circumnavigating Australia sounds wonderful, especially since the ecology/climate is so very different from north to south. I imagine it would would be a voyage of a lifetime. technically, you could traverse three coasts of canada but i suspect the northwest passage would be one cold and miserable challenge. the romantic in me has wondered about that one as well.
you are right about what we have here and there is a part of me that says just enjoy the incredible gift of our coastline, but it's human to wonder if not long for distant shores.
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Hi Nathaniel,
Love your blog! Will you write a book about your experiences?
Re your comments on degrees, career, adventure.
Why do we engage in these & other activities? Is is with an expectation of results, external or internal? Is is simply for the experience? Is it following our passion allowing the universal energy to express itself through us? Some degree of all of these?
My philosophy for over 30 years has been to follow my passion - it has been fun, intense, difficult, monumentally challenging, joyful - a range of feelings & experiences. Has any of this changed me? I don’t know, not sure it matters. I feel richly blessed to have had these experiences, often experience a profound sense of wonder re the microcosm & macrocosm & continue to be open to what life has to offer.
i doubt i would write a liveaboard book - that's been done ad nauseum. i've written four novels but having a bugger of a time finding and agent (never mind a publisher), although i'm not exactly pushing that right now.
following passion is the only way to go. to do that requires one to set aside fear and have faith. for too many people doubt determines their life's path. my experience is that when the heart is followed there are no real limits.
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You are doing a great job on this technical writing. The photos look great and the description may help even a mechanical luddite like me!!
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Hey!! That was an incredible trip!! One of the highlights of my life. I really like they way you described it all and the photos turned out just beautiful! But where's my credit!! I worked so hard to take those...
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Well said. To truly enjoy life, you must first enjoy who you are. What you do, what you accomplish, are elements of "you". They cannot be spoken of without "you" being mentioned, so without you all would be naught. Where you are is less important than the fact that you are there.
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Eloquent, as always. The movement towards more social services would indeed accept a large percentage of those displaced by cutting out the upper tiers. Unfortunately, the time it takes to move from one career to the next is but one stumbling block. Most of those in, as an example, the automotive sector, particularly production, have developed an excessively wasteful attitude in their own lives. Their wages rival the social service sector while the dedication of time to be educated in their field is, regretably, much less. Human nature seems to require comfort, and the more there is the better we feel. These same people will not voluntarily leave a job with a more-than-modest income to persue an education they are going to have to devote, in many cases, a lot of personal time and effort. That time will see them without benefit financially, and their comfort will be markedly reduced. Take those same people, after they are laid off from the collapse of their company, and, in time, they will embrace the same commitment that, while employed, they snubbed. The automobile sector is not the only sector guilty of flooding the markets, but it most certainly would be the leader of the pack. More money for less commitment has always been a focal point of us westerners.
However, not all westerners feel that way. Take yourself, Nathaniel, and many of us on the prairies. Rampant consumerism is not part of the equation of our lives. Convenience is nice, but as you stated, even though it is a small convenience, we still feel guilty. Having an MP3 player is a convenience, yes. Are there alternatives, yes. Is the MP3 player the better choice, it depends on your requirements. On a boat, with every cubic millimetre of space a luxury, an MP3 player is more practical than a stereo unit, and with varying tastes in music, less intrusive with the other shipmates. 2 MP2 players, with very different content, take up less space, power, and resouces than even one component of a stereo. Why the guilt? Socially responsible people feel for others first, themselves last. Society as a whole is not socially responsible, it is, as you said, consumer/money driven. Once we (as a society) break the cycle of lining our own pockets beyond future stability, I think we will see a much more responsible and fulfilling environment, where peoples needs are taken seriously, and wants are more tempered by personal responsibility. As you said, bring on the recession. A mini-Armageddon may bring the world back to the realization we all bleed the same colour, and we have enought for everyone.
good to hear from you brad. i agree with much of what you say, except the difficulty in retraining. most of the folks are gonna need to retrain anyway, in a post industrial economy. that is unless they wanna sling coffee and doughnuts. big change is coming, which is unfortunate for those who prefer to be on the sidelines of life, but humans are far more adaptable than they realise; people have survived far, far worse than losing work or changing careers. despite all the effort that is going to shore up the status quo, it simply isn't sustainable, economically or ecologically. but like i say in my post, it doesn't have to mean massive hardship either.
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Good to have someone with a good head on their shoulders to chat with again. My point wasn't that these people won't retrain, it is that they don't want to since they are still in their comfortable, overstuffed jobs. ONce faced with no other option they will then go for it, but until then, they are not willing to prepare for the inevitable. Greed has infected them, and the whole "what is in it for me" syndrom is still in place. ONce they are put in a position where they have to survive they will, but if some were to start now, there would be less delays in getting some of the social services moving ahead. They do not want to experience hardship, so they will wait until they do before persuing what you and I both know is a better course. But it is still good to chat with you. Sorry about all the other tests you have had to be run through, but you are gonna make one fine sailor.
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Its a very educative post.. nice replacement tips.
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Two bearings about twenty bucks and a bit of machining down to fit about twenty bucks its the seals that are difficult to locate? but its possible if my memory serves we well the bearings in the propriety kit are the same size as the idler /tension arms on the 60b volvo marine engine?
thanks for the info - that would be an interesting possibility, but i wouldn't be surprised if volvo parts as expensive as westerbeke. what i want to do is take the rig down to bc bearing and ask them for OEM replacements. the numbers on the bearing are hard to read but maybe they can help me. it's a weird bearing - almost as high as it's diameter. there's always a way is my motto.
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Take the old unit to a traditional TV repair man ( one that isnt just a "valve plumber" and understands PC`s )if you can find one? and ask him to repair it. I did with mine and $20 later I got it back working like new!
that must have been a very minor problem -even those guys charge $45.00 + parts.
thing is, i used to be a tech and i already did the troubleshooting - whole rack of MOSFET switching transistors had blown, and possibly the driver IC. maybe a few other components. minimum $50.00 for the parts. and i would have a repaired 20 year old charger/inverter. it wasn't worth it to me as we live aboard and need to have the 12V system working. i scrounged some usable parts off the thing and sent it off to its maker.
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Isn't is appalling how all of these companies make such garbage? Profit before performance. All their engineers know it, but whoever bucks the system gets fired.
it is. of course it's always the old "you get what you pay for" gig; you can spend 4 grand on a windlass and this one was 1/4 of that. still, putting in non-SS components just isn't acceptable. as well, being that it is a dedicated marine device you know there's a hell of a markup. parts for my old british leyland diesel cost ten times from westerbeke (no hyperbole) than what the OEM parts go for, simply becasue it's a boat part.
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I stopped sailing nearly as much when I started living aboard. In part because there's just too much STUFF all around. I hadn't thought of the safe nest issue, though. Maybe that is part of it.
I'm on a waiting list for the causeway docks this winter, but am still debating living aboard versus on shore. It'd be kind of nice to have the boat ready to take out when I wanted, but I sure prefer living aboard financially.
I'm enjoying your blog lately.
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You don't quite understand the sea will take you when it the right time. That is the way things are and always will be be , on the sea your time is your time. No one complains it's understood. Why not wear a harness why not sail with a buddy why not stay on dry land !!
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Bravo, bravo, BRAVO! I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. My partner and I have several boats and have been trying to build a community of our own. Its really tough. Lately we're feeling really discouraged with all the politics in as much as we're trying to take leadership where there is very little support. I am adding you to my list of links.
Thank you. Tana & Greig
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A few years ago I was sailing on the west coast of Florida and had a full holding tank. I searched for a pump out but to no avail and finally went into the Gulf and dumped. A lot of places have "anti-dumping" legislation and can come after the boaters for dumping illegally. Solution is if you sell fuel or rent dock space you MUST be able to pump out.
I enjoy reading your block keep it up.
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Thanks for your answer. You have given us alot to consider, since we would like to cruise at some point in time.
It is tough to give up one lifestyle you love for another. I am glad it seems that you could find a compromise.
Thanks again Gypsywomen
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The 'A' in SAD is affective. Might want to edit that, but otherwise an informative article. Well done.
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A very nice description of life aboard. Right on.
Mark N.
www.livingaboard.net
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Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Nathaniel,
What are we going to do with you?
You are attempting the impossible. The ebb and flow of human history can not be summarized in a few paragraphs.
It is indeed the end of civilization as we know it, and every morning we wake up to a new world full of hope as well as littered with the mistakes and uglyness of days gone by.
I applaude your efforts to correct societies inequities and am thankfull there are so many with similar bent. As I look back and can remember six decades of the best of times as well as the worst, and in every decade there were those who genuinely felt, with just cause, it was the end of civilazition. I know for a fact my father's generation (he passed away last year at age 92) saw more homless, higher unemployment, more war, barbarity and crulety than mine. In spite of all the crap that is taking place today my grandchildren have inherited a better world than he.
Keep up the good fight!
Howard
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oh, I very much agree; i try to write interesting stuff, but of course one could write a tome about this issue; i have a lot more ideas and thoughts around this issue, but there's a limit of space
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Ahh yes, i love the smell of poop floating by my house in the morning, smells like victory.
You canadians need to clean up your act and stop dumping waste into the strait and polluting the puget sound.
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Hey Hoff! That looks pretty snazzy. I would definitely be "in" once you get going on those. Probably a hat, maybe a "T" or a "polo" shirt? Even a canvas boat bag.
BTW, I love your blog.
thanks, once i get a few more signs of interest i'll put in an order. you have to have a minimum order or else it's waaaay expensive. i'm looking forward to wearing it myself
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Just a suggestion - truckers use "bunk warmers". These are 12v, use some serious power because they need to run a considerable time, they go UNDER the bedding and are so much more comfortable than electric blankets you won't believe it! Any truck stop will have them.
My second suggestion would be go south! Snow Birds are the norm on the East Coast and it seems to work well. Just enough to get out of serious cold weather would be enough. I will move my CT-34 to the North Carolina coast next year when I retire for good and I will try to spend the winters in south Georgia and come back to NC for spring through fall. I have a good friend who has made this short trip each year and has been quite happy with the change. Just enough to reduce the problems of cold weather.
Fair winds to all,
Truman
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Nathaniel,
You are indeed a poet/philosopher. You have hit the nail on the head for my wife and I.
Having momentaitly owned the small trailer, so to speak, we find living on the boat has significantly expanded our horizon. Whether we leave the dock or not we know we can cast the lines at any time for adventures totally uinque. Yet even here in the marina we are on the water, experience the hot summer sun with its 15-20 knot west winds, or the cold, still winter morning with only ourselves, our three dogs,ducks, otters, other assorted wild life.
Yes, it just life afloat but it is far more romantic.
Bravo on your solo sail.
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Hey folks.. COngratulatoions.. Nice to read about others who had the same and similar challenges as we had 3 years ago. We sold everything - even tried to sell the kids, but they wouldn't have any of that... and moved aboard a 60' cutter in Ladysmith. I always wanted to live on a boat from about 6 years old and came to the wet coast to realize that.... Met my wife out here and she had the same idea so we went for it. Liek I said, we tried to sell the kids, but they wanted to come so there are 4 of us aboard and loving every minute of it.
I'm a shipwright by trade (former brewmaster) and we are kept very busy with all the boats here in Ladysmith. Good call for the wiring business.
We find that keeping the boat warm is the most difficult thing. We have 2 500 watt oil heaters and one 1500 watt in the main saloon. As well as diesel dickenson Antarctic so it does get pretty toasty. Getting to the point where we have to have the diesel going most of the time now to keep the condensation down. Working o a hydronic system so we won't have to run the electric so much. It's WAY better being at anchor rather than at a dock. Only drawback to that is the kids and school...
We'll be looking for you out there this summer.. PLAN NOW to take a month off so you can enjoy your boat. As the summer time is the most busy you will be. (been 8 years in the field and that is what has always happened.) And you DO want to get out on your boat.
Look for the 60' (she's freaking huge) cutter sloop named Stone Age this summer.. Stop by and say HI. Love to meet you folks and enjoy some of the beautiful cruising this coast has to offer.
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Aloha folks,
Your reflections are interesting and well written. I used to live in Victoria, don't miss it, my two daughters still do. Miss them.. The best advice from me, is for you to get out of there. Pick your weather window, late spring?, and head for Mexico. I sail the Carribean on Telegraph, my Morgan 38 and am docked at a marina in Guatemala. The weather is warm and sunny. Swimming everyday and never being cold reminds one of why the boat. Guatemala is very inexpensive and the people are friendly and gracious. Many boaters spend the summer hurricane season up the
Rio Dulce. The Mexican cruising grounds are supposed to be magnificent and I may venture through the Canal and head up there myself. But for now diving on the Belizean Reef and hanging about the Bay Islands of Honduras suit me. Good luck with your plan.
Now that's just such a tease, what with the wind and the rain we've been having
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Idyllic, can be..but don't forget it's El Carib. Gulf Stream and contrary winds make for quite a ride. Mother Nature doles out wx in all the world, even when it's sublime.
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Hi, Nat:
I enjoyed your blog, and found it really interesting. You do give an
excellent view of "what
it's like." You've recovered well from your six weeks of repairs and
enforced shore-side
relocation.
I'd be interested in knowing more, and seeing some more photos,
relating to how you've
equipped the boat, what modifications you've done, etc. Also, if you
are willing to share
this, what the fixed expenses are for mooring, electricity, etc. Do
you have shore facilities
at a club you can use (showers, etc.)? How often do you eat out rather
than on board?
You spoke of the problems of cold; what about dampness?
We have a son living in Victoria, and spent the last two Christmases
there. My wife and I
discussed doing what you're doing. We thought that buying a sailboat
as you've done to
live aboard seemed a better route than the floating houses we saw
there--about 1/4 of
them were for sale it seemed. In the end we've decided (at this
point) to continue to live
in Kingston, and travel (by air more than by sea) to places we want to
visit. This Christmas
we're visiting another son in Ireland.
But I think almost any sailor would applaud your initiative, and wish
you well--as I do.
Cheers,
Bill James
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Am enjoying your blog and comments on sail net. My wife Vicky steered me to you. She really appreciates your sense of humor, candor and humility.
We sold the home 8 years ago. Moved aboard, traveled north to Alaska then headed south to Mexico. On a wonderful night sail down the Washington Coast my bride told me this sailing gig wasn't her cup of tea and she wanted to go home. She did encourage me to continue on and fulfill the dream. I did. Continued South to Mexico. Had a great experience but realized warm water sailing and beautiful sunsets are the stuff of dreams, but they would have been far sweeter with my beautiful woman.
I decided to head home the long route Zhaut to Hawaii to Portland. It was a quite an adventure. I climbed my mountain.
A strange thing happened about 18 months ago. MY wife started asking if I missed the boat and sailing. She kept bringing the subject up and in November we had new(to us) boat. We will be in Victoria around the end of May headed North and I'm sure I'll need some electrical help.
we're very glad to hear from other folks who pursue the dream afloat, although it saddens me how the dream so often separates us from the most important people in our lives: friends, family, and even our partners. I want to touch on this in another blog post as it has been a challenge for tracy and i, and i'm still not sure how it will all pan out for us. i think it can be one of those issues that can really divide the sexes -it doesn't have to, but so often it does.
i'm also encouraged by your story - and would like to hear much more - as i haven't yet gone offshore - and although the idea is daunting, so what
please visit here often, post your experiences and ideas, and i hope to see you when you pass through, whether you need repairs or not!
nathaniel
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you may know from csoa
cs33 3334
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Nat,
I am really enjoying your page, and will follow it periodically.
I also, would like to wish you, the very best luck and success in your new "endeavour" as a liveaboard.
By the way, as you will be able to see, my behavior here has nothing to do with the Giu from Sailnet, so no jokes from me here.
All the best and congrats in this large step in your life
Alex
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