I can either say," Has it been that short a period of time" or I can say, " Is that All! " There are times when I feel as if we have always lived on the boat then, , , ,there are times when we run out of water, can't pull the boat to the dock to get off, etc. that I feel as if we just moved on.
I read an article written by a woman who has lived on a sailboat for many years in Annapolis yesterday, the question she is asked the most is how do you keep warm? It seems to Land Lubbers that is a main concern, it's not to us. Heat is important but you will find a way to keep warm no matter what. Safety is the main concern, the marina this woman is docked at has many people living year round on their boats(in Maryland? yes), they attend far to many memorials because of people being careless and sliding off the finger pier from there boat and into the water not thinking of the conditions. This is the reason Ava has 13 1/2 days absent from school. . . SAFETY. We did put up a bungie cord on the back side of the finger pier so that if we slide the bungie will act as a slingshot and shoot us back on the boat or at least give us something to hold on to. In nice weather it doubles as a clothes line. We do have 4 methods of heating the boat, elec. (baseboard), central( which does not work when the water goes below 45 degrees), warming blankets and then the stove. The cock pit has been staying between 58 and 70 with the Winter sun , we had coffee and read the paper and felt we were somewhere secluded for the Winter. . well I did. . I am sure Papa was thinking how long before I can fit into a bikini!
We are looking for a town house in Delaware to move into the beginning of May, this will keep us close to the boat as we have her hauled out in early Oct for cleaning and painting and work we want to do inside next Winter. Our boat neighbors are asking if we have had enough of living on the boat. . our answer is "NO". I must say the walk to the bath house, trudging down the dock when it is full of ice, loading groceries on the boat, pulling a cart full of stuff on and off the boat does get tedious. Again I would not give up the view, the feeling of a casual lifestyle, the family arguments and no where to go after you lick your wounds in private, putting a baseball cap on to use the potty and make coffee in the morning(because your hair looks like Rod Stewart's but not on purpose). Watching Ava skip and sing down the dock is enough for me to say. ." What a Life"!
It's not for everyone! but it is for us. We still have February to get through, the 9th will be our 37th wedding anniversary and we are living our dream, March will throw heavy winds in our direction but May will bring the start of our first sailing season together. Even though we will have a home on land the boat will be our main home until Oct. Ava will start home schooling ( be good to me God) so that we have more time to do out side structured activities and visit family and friends with out having to worry about missing school.
"Some People say I'm a Dreamer" (Thank You John Lennon). . . and maybe I am. . . but I say "Don't burst my bubble and I won't burst your's". I will handle what comes my way good or bad.
I hope to see many smiling faces this Spring and Summer as the wind is blowing through there hair and thinking " You are not Crazy People" !
