A Sail of Two Idiots (55 page)

Because you're not working for someone else who's probably pursuing this lifestyle him/herself using
your
sweat and blood to get there. It's nice to take a break from rush hour, crowded malls, home repairs (ha!), and the humdrum routines we create. It's also nice to come back to some of those things (which is why I suggest having both a house and a boat, alternating to keep both experiences fresh).

Because it's refreshing to discover that people still care about one another and you can call for help at any time and half the harbor will assist you before you can finish saying Mayday. Many boaters are entertaining to hang out with, particularly if you share their need for novelty.

Because you learn to be self-sufficient, which builds confidence. You listen to that inner voice and discover that it was smarter than you gave it credit for.

Because no matter how bad you tell people it is out here, you'll always be considered a maverick, even if you drop anchor and never move again. If everyone is starting to look the same in your world (same nose job, same boobs, same color hair, and same house, and wants the same things), it's nice to stand out.

Because sometimes all the conditions (winds, waves) are just right, and you have the perfect sail, and you feel as though you belong out there.

Just like raising kids, this lifestyle is an amazing, indescribable experience mixed with shockingly painful moments. Were the good moments worth it? How can you say no? But even many parents with the “best” kids still do a little jig when
the last one leaves home and their lives become their own. We were at that point too. We willingly sacrificed a lot for the boat and the life that came with it. And even though we did it to be “free,” the adventure redefined that term for us. That in itself made it worth it.

Ah, where to begin. This whole book has been a tip, hasn't it? Well, let's just summarize then.

CHOOSING YOUR BOAT.
People always ask us if we'd buy the same boat again. I would buy the same
make
again. We loved the extra width, the 7-foot entrance, the four eye-candy chairs in the deck corners, the stadium seating we had in the stern. We really liked the layout. The engine was easy to get to, the side decks were wide, and we had a good anchor setup in front, a walkway on our bimini, steps to the mast, wide swim scoops, and lots of electronics.
Jacumba
was a good boat! But we would have gone for a 40-footer instead of the 37-footer in order to have bigger cabins. We would have preferred an owner's version, so that the owner's side would have been larger with a bigger bathroom and more clothing storage. We might have chosen a newer boat, as well. But we didn't have that kind of money, so if we were just wishing for something better, I'd say a megayacht with its own captain and crew would have been nice too.

People also ask us if selling the boat was bittersweet. No, selling the boat was sweet. It was the selling price that was bitter.

ENERGY USE.
One of my biggest gripes about the boat was having to run the wind generators and/or the engines in order to charge the batteries. We were supposed to be out there enjoying the serenity of the ocean (or something like that) and all I heard was WHHHHIIISSSSHHH or RUMBLEGRRRRPUTTER.

Before you leave for your travels, make sure the boat is outfitted with the right energy array for your needs. I know this is a dry subject, but you should understand it.

We had two incredibly noisy wind generators that put out maybe 15 amps on a good day (much less when the trade winds died), and two small solar panels that put out a combined total of 6 amps while the sun was out. This obviously could not keep up with a refrigerator and separate freezer using about 16 amps, plus our laptop, VHF, interior lights, and anchor light. We eventually replaced one of the wind generators with a quieter one, but it put out even less power.

Many boats, particularly those with watermakers, had generator sets (or gensets). Usually diesel powered, gensets (both mobile and fixed) can generate
4 to 65 kilowatts of power, allowing for lots of energy-eating appliances on board (even hair dryers), but they also need fuel, can be noisy, and require a lot of maintenance. Had I a do-over, I would have gotten rid of one wind generator and removed the two small solar panels to make room for at least four much larger solar panels. I would have kept the one loud wind generator as a backup to the panels. You can also play with alternator size and number of house batteries.

Most boats have inverters as well. An inverter allows you to use 110-volt appliances on a 12-volt system, so we could use our laptop, charge our cameras, and other electronics. The
big
problem with an inverter is that because it's converting energy, it's not a steady source of energy, and the constant surges wreak havoc on rechargeable batteries. The only alternative to that, I think, is a genset, which provides a more reliable current.

HEADS (TOILETS).
We saw every kind of head on boats, from buckets to electric flushing. Ours had to be manually pumped. It had been electric at one time, but it kept breaking down and was prone to backing up. We never had a problem with the manual pumps (other than that one time, but that was user error). Still, once you did your thing, you had to pump about 10 times, close the lid, and then pump another 10 times. Of course, men could just lean over the side of the boat most of the time. It was nice to go to a restroom onshore every once in a while. Ever seen videos of cats that flush and flush and flush, excited about the swirling waters? I felt like that when given the opportunity of a real, flushing toilet.

Many toilets, including ours, used salt water, so we had to stay on top of the odors. You could have seaweed in your toilet and even creatures (an octopus can be itty bitty). Vinegar poured down the heads once a month usually kept odors at bay. The marine life usually found its way back out to sea.

Another source of stinkiness was the holding tanks (for human waste). You're supposed to use holding tanks (rather than a direct flush) until you're 3 miles offshore, at which point you turn the valve and the tank empties into the sea. Pump-out facilities exist in some places, too, but we never saw any outside the States. Most boaters don't use their holding tanks; they just direct the waste below their boat via a through-hull fitting—which is why diving on our anchor, or looking for a missing prop, or trying to cool off in a crowded harbor was gross. Cleaning a holding tank is one of the most disgusting chores ever. I have to admit that if there was a strong current going away from the beaches, we pumped directly too. I'm not proud of it, I'm just saying …

Our head was also our shower. We used our pull-out type of sink faucet as the showerhead; the used shower water was pumped out the bottom of the boat. This layout can be cramped, though (which is why we recommend an owner's version), so we often used an outside faucet near our swimming ladder (me with a bathing suit on, Michael in his birthday suit). Have a water heater to warm the water (a blessing in cold weather in the Bahamas).

I repeat, the head can be cramped. When shopping for a boat, I highly recommend you picture yourself performing bathroom activities in there. Lots of boaters jump in the water, soap up with Joy (which used to be the only soap that would suds up in salt water), and then rinse off with fresh water. Whatever works!

REFRIGERATION.
Just like at home, refrigeration sucks up a lot of energy. You could use a cooler instead, but ice is expensive in the Caribbean, assuming you can find any. You will want cold foods and beverages, I promise you. You will want both a refrigerator and a freezer. Make sure they're both very well insulated; otherwise, they will use up a lot more energy (running and running) and you will find yourself having to defrost them often as moisture seeps in. Understand that the Caribbean is humid. Your refrigeration system will not be at its most efficient, and some systems are less efficient than others.

Because our boat had a very deep freezer, it took forever to retrieve stuff from the bottom and then repack everything else, which let in warm air so we had to defrost the thing a lot. Pay attention to the layout and efficiency of the refrigeration system on the boats you consider buying. Make sure that when you open the doors to the refrigerator and freezer, you'll be able to easily get to your food, drinks, and ice so you can load your goodies faster and get to them later faster. The longer you leave the fridge or freezer open, the more often you'll have to defrost. Consider getting a cooler for drinks and often-used foods to keep you from rummaging frequently in the main refrigeration unit.

DINGHY.
Do not skimp on your dinghy or dinghy outboard. Yachts are like RVs; sometimes you want to ditch the big rig and just take a moped or a car out to dinner. In the case of a boat, you might want to go to a nearby harbor for dinner or across a 2-mile cut and not want to move the big boat. A decent-size dinghy with a powerful motor will keep you dry and get you there. When you are island hopping, your dinghy can be used as a survival raft if you don't have one. If you plan to cruise offshore, you should have an approved life raft. Don't forget about those dinghy wheels for the beach! Although none of these are have-to-haves if you're on a tight budget, you might find them helpful. Most dinghies are sold with oars, but if yours isn't, make sure you buy some. We used ours a lot. I recommend you practice with them too.