What follows is a short look at the good, bad, and the ugly
as we have experienced marina life in this, our new capacity. It is perhaps a good time to reflect on this
topic, as we are now getting ready to cast off from this place and head to Key West and then on
into the Gulf of Mexico to finish this year’s cruise.
The Good
1)
Second
Wind is not just a place on the water where we endlessly pour our money. But it is also a place where we are forced to
immerse ourselves into nature. Docked in
our slip, our stern faces northwest and looks across Community Cove into the
mangroves. The water is so clear that we
are able to watch an abundance of sea life under our boat. Sea birds surround us and perch on adjacent
boats. Cormorants spend their days fishing
off our stern. And herons fish along the shoreline totally indifferent to us. A
boat is the perfect platform to commune with nature.
2)
There has always been something magical about
the water itself. During the day, in
different light and weather, it changes in character. Sometimes the water is smooth and sedate, and
at other times dark and stormy. It sparkles,
shimmers, or turns foreboding in response to changes in weather. We live aboard totally connected to the water
and its moods.
3)
Live aboard life has allowed Cece and I to get
active. We spend our days walking, biking,
playing tennis, in our kayak and paddle board, and staying active with boat
chores. We are staying more physically
active than we have in years and we love it.
Since a boat moves all the time, even if gently in a marina, we find our
muscle tone improving.
4)
We learn to simplify. As a live aboard, you by necessity learn to
keep your possessions to a bare minimum.
Storage of consumables is essential, and a place for food supplies and
drinks can always be found. But space
for new stuff requires you to get rid of something in return. There is no attic or garage to store stuff,
and everything onboard either has utility or needs to be gotten rid of.
5)
Spending time together has been a great
joy. Every day I am reminded of why I
fell in love with Cece so many years ago.
I did well to marry my best friend.
I do even better to chase a few dreams with her.
The Bad
1)
The
community of people we meet is changing daily and long term friendships are
hard to develop. Cece and I have met
many wonderful people. But, we are usually
limited in our ability to develop long term relationships out of necessity. Boats are constantly coming and going. And although we meet lovely people, it’s hard
to leverage these acquaintances into deep long lasting friendships without adequate
time. Long term community by a group of people is hindered by the transient
nature of marine life.
2)
Accessing life’s necessities can be
difficult. Laundry, groceries, shopping,
and yes even haircuts and doctor appointments represent major challenges. Being so far from home,
it can be difficult tracking down the services and supplies we once took for
granted. This week Cece finally had to
take a flight back to Annapolis in order to address some of these critical
needs.
3)
Although email, phone calls, texting, and face
time have allowed us to stay in touch with family and friends that we care
deeply about, we do miss the time spent together with them. The promise that the cruise has a finite end
helps remind us that we will be back again in the near future with loved ones.
The Ugly
1)
Weather is much more transparent on a boat than
anyplace else on earth. We check weather
forecasts constantly while onboard, because our lives revolve around the wind,
temperature, and rain. When the weather
is good, life is very good. But when the
winds are high and the sea fetch is up, life can be ugly. We will get very little sleep in a strong
Northwesterly, and the boat pitches and rolls while the seas slap our hull and
winds whistle through the rigging. We
find winds over 30 knots out of the west to north can create unhappy conditions
aboard.
2)
We have very little control over the marina
environment itself, and rely on the marinas management and our fellow boater’s good
conduct to sustain a positive marina environment. When either fails, it gets ugly. As an example, marina restrooms, public
spaces, docks, and parking lots can quickly deteriorate into slum like
conditions without a joint commitment to maintenance. An extreme example occurred the other day
when I walked into the bath house here.
Posted on the mirror was a new sign that read “Please use the toilet for
number two and one. Do not poop in the
showers”. Not believing the sign, I asked the cleaning crew if the sign was for
real. I was told “We’ve been having
problems, it only takes one bad boater”
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