We have lived on a sailboat for 9 months now, every day that goes by I realise I did not know as much about sailboats as I thought I did. We have made it through a beautiful Fall and a very unusual Winter with rain,sleet, highwinds and many snow falls. As an adult we are used to these conditions. . . however with a 5 yr old they get to be cumbersome. We named Ava, Pippi after Pippi Longstocking. She is a clone to her, very agile when it comes to manuevering around the boat, things that terrified me she handled with ease.
Survival, was on top of our list, then came the every day challenge of getting Ava 50 miles to school when conditions were no where alike between the 2 places. We don't share the same radio stations here on the Sassafras River as in Denton, in fact our stations are for Baltimore and Philly. I am thankful all of that is behind us now.
Heat was an issue at first, we used an onboard heating system that was water heated and cooled, when the water temp got below 45 degrees we had to find another safe method of keeping warm. We bought a big ceramic heater and used warming blankets on the bunks, it was so cozy it caused another problem . . we did not want to leave our cabins!
Christmas came, it was a fun time on the boat and at the marina, we were the only ones living here so it was much like our own private island. Once we went below on the boat we had not a clue as to what was going on topside, except when the high winds came and they did. One memorable day was when they hit close to 60 miles an hour, we could not leave our bunks and prayed, a tornado was passing through. Christmas brought our daughter home from sunny LA., she endured 10 days in a 450 sq. ft space and did very well. We also got rooms for family at the Hampton Inn so there was swimming and comfort for visiting grand children.
With the rest of the Winter yet to come we had over a ft. of snow while Papa was in Texas saying his last good byes to his dad who had also been a sailor as well as many other trades.Ava and I managed to keep the snow off the biminy and hatches, we left it on the cabin top for insulation in the main cabin. As we kept our meals simple life was simple as long as we did not have to walk 800 ft to the bath house or parking lot. Ava and I did not leave the boat for 3 full days and ate what we had stored and used very little water since we only have a 100 gallon water tank. We played many old pirate games and watched what we could get on the TV.
TV, another issue. . we only have an antennea (sp) so programs were at the mercy of the gods. We have a battery operated HD flat screen TV, we got this so that we would still have tv when we are out cruising. You have to stand in one spot to see the screen clearly, so it's been used mainly for sound. Ava did without Disney & Nick under protest. My soaps came in clear every day. . thank goodness.
What we weren't prepared for was the tides and how much they ruled our lives, there were days when we could not get off the boat because the water was over the dodk, in fact there was no dock and just as many days we were under the dock, these were the most difficult times rushing Ava to school when we could safely exit the boat, her school was not as cooperative and did not excuse these tardies or absences. I had seriously thought of home schooling her but decided against it for social reasons.
Spring arrived and our spirits lightened, we started to take layers off and saw the extra inches 2 of us had added ( I will not mention names as to not incriminate the parties involved). This made for less space in the main cabin, we clearly did ot live on nuts and berries!
Up to date. . . School has ended, the boat is turned around, sails on, water hoses splitting, water pressure pump breaking, humans at the marina, etc. . . we have found out there is nothing the 3 of us can't handle. We have a sign on the boat Papa had made. . . WE MAY NOT HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER. . . . BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE IT ALL!
We are looking forward to a great sailing season with many friends and family aboard. We rented an apt. in Newark ,DE that we are starting to put together for vistors to stay since the boat does not accomadate over night guests comfortably. It is 20 min. from the boat. Come August we will stay there during the week while Ava attends school(which is .05 miles from the apt.) then come to the boat on weekends until Oct. when the boat will be pulled for cleaning,painting and repairs getting ready for our adventure in the Fall of 2013. Bahamas will be our first destination, Ava will be home schooled, I will be thin,tan and. . .oops drifted off there. . . As life will have it we never know what is around the corner for us so we have learned to take it as it comes.
I am Thankful to everyone Family and Friends who have followed our Adventure so far.
Fair Winds!
