Wow...one year has passed since moving onto HP full-time...our only home. It was an enormous step but one that I have no regrets with. The lessons I have learned, the person I have become, the strength and knowledge I have gained is more valuable than gold. I have weathered hurricanes, tropical storms aplenty, sailed the ocean blue, I have known near-untimate freedom, I have lived a dream.
There, that's the emotional part of the blog. I think Heather sufficienty covered a significant portion of the good and bad of living aboard...my lessons involve a bit more quirk (what else would you expect?)
Don't throw anything away. That bracket, those screws, that rope/line, a single glove, they all have their next-life purpose. They can all be improvised into another Frankenbeast...
You can never have too many:
Assorted nuts, bolts, and screws
Gloves (anchor, sailing, and muck)
Funnels
Notepads/notebooks/post-its
Fishing hooks
Rags
Sponges
I incorrectly anticipated:
How much jelly we ate (threw away 4 spoiled containers)
The necessity of a freezer - not used it for 5 months and don't miss it
How much grits we eat... (is is plural? much or many grits?)
I have learned:
Judge tide correctly and you will be happy... leaving Sisters Creek an hour or two too early caused us to run aground. Patience, kedging with our anchor, and a rising tide got us off, but lesson learned.
Keep your boat in good shape and she will take care of you when the going gets rough.
The boat can take more storm/stress than I can
Building confidence and nerve is simply a process of desensitization.
When someone asks how you are, they don't really want to know... so the best answer I've found goes:
"How are you?"
"Life is good, and you?"
There it is, one year on a nutshell. Oh, I've missed aplenty I am sure, but that is the long and short of what pops into mind. I write the blog regularly so mine is nowhere near as comprehensive as Heather's...
I love hearing comments that everyone emails about the blog and I am amazed how many people (unknown to us) read this... we look forward to many more cruising years...keep reading and fair winds.
May your worries be as few as ours | 