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Position: Crusin’ and Cursin’
Here it is. Our response to last week’s video from Practical Sailor about what it’s like cruising and living on Aleta full time. If you haven’t watched the video yet, see it before you read on: Video: Living on a Sailboat
1: Life’s Compromises
Laundry – We don’t have a washer or dryer. Do we want them? Only if they come with a boat large enough to contain them. That’s a $1,000,000 solution to a $10 tri-weekly problem.
Internet – We recently installed Starlink satellite internet to replace/augment our HF radio. That gives us 200Mbps internet access anywhere we go – for a price. It is as good as any internet service we had back home.
Shopping and Cars – Provisioning often means long walks to the shops and carrying heavy bags of groceries back. There’s always a taxi if you get overly ambitious. Unlike many sailors we have a car. In America. On jack stands in Wade and Lauren’s backyard. You can borrow it if you want.
Pets – Marlon’s long tenure as second mate made us advocates for sailing with pets. He had a blast and opened many doors for us. We miss him every day.
Passengers – The perfect boat has enough room for six people to enjoy cocktails, four people to enjoy dinner, and two to sleep comfortably. Aleta fits that mold. Although when we’re on passage, she accommodates four crew and a dog very nicely.
Chillin’ Like Villains – Aleta has a fridge and a freezer. Both need replacing with more modern, more efficient technology. As costly as that project might prove, it doesn’t change the ROI on swapping Aleta for a big, million-dollar boat.
2: Comfort
Sleeping – Nothing remains still for a moment on a boat. Even tied up in harbour the boat keeps rocking. Few things are more relaxing than swaying gently at anchor with a good set. Pounding through choppy six-foot seas in 30 knots of wind makes for a more challenging night’s rest. Yet, even in those conditions, light sleepers can catch some z’s if they’re tired enough. It’s amazing what you get used to.
Air Conditioning – Behind Aleta’s pantry is a space perfectly sized for an air conditioner. For a hot minute during her purchasing process, we considered installing an A/C unit. The minute passed and we decided against it. There has never been a time at anchor when we were too hot at night. Running the A/C eats up lots of power. That means turning on the engine and the engine is noisy and smelly. That alone is enough reason not to use it. Boats shrink by half in a marina and that’s where things can get hot enough to make you wish you were at anchor. Access to shore power makes an A/C tenable, but we’d rather head to the pub and chat to the locals over a cold one or several.
Showers – Once we’d figured out how the shower operated, we’ve never looked back. Onboard ablutions are less about how quickly you wash and more about how much water you use. Carol has happily mastered the art of taking a warm refreshing shower in a gallon and a half of water.
3. Everything breaks on a boat
Breakage – A wise man once told me, “Things break when you use them.” That’s true no matter if you’re on land or at sea. I have a friend who bought a classic Porsche: his dream car. It lived in his garage. I’m not sure he put a hundred miles on it in five years. Then he sold it. It didn’t break, but I’m not sure he lived his dream to the fullest, either.
Spares – It doesn’t help that America’s sailing industry is ageing out of business and closing shop. That’s making spares harder and more expensive to come by. While Italy and France have, for the most part, picked up the slack for new components, that doesn’t improve stock for old ones. China, once a great seafaring nation itself, hasn’t yet developed much of a recreational sailing market. Broadly speaking, it doesn’t compete in the sailboat component business. But as global leaders in solar energy and lithium batteries, China’s pivotal role in supplying gear for 12-48V electrical systems is as welcome as it is essential.
Maintenance – Given the high cost of parts, preventative maintenance only goes so far. The trick is knowing roughly how long things will last and buying the part ahead of time so it’s on hand when all hell lets loose. For example, after eight years on the boat we have replaced the damper plate twice. I can with some confidence predict that we’ll need another in 36-ish months’ time. That suggests I should replace it six months sooner to avoid any unexpected delays.
Work – For the record we’ve repaired our stove’s igniter (low batteries), the windlass twice (old age and old design), and the rigging twice. Bailing the dinghy is routine, although not often like we had to after the monsoon on Ithaka. Cleaning bird poop and brightwork comes with the territory. Keeping Aleta 80% functional feels like the right level of effort vs. adventure. As long as the crucial stuff is working it’s time to go! Right?
4. Everything is expensive
Yep – everything is expensive. That’s why things need maintenance. Even worse, competent technical support has become a rare commodity. For 20 years schools taught pointless skills like HTML programming, distracting kids from the real value-added work of diesel mechanics and carpentry. Things that AI can’t do. That forces the sailing community to close ranks and lean collectively on its resilience and resourcefulness. Our recent experiences fixing Aleta in Germany are testimony to how amazing the sailing community is.
Underway – American sailing has suffered from private equity firms hoovering up small, locally run marinas and jacking up prices. Europe, with a $16B industry at stake, does what it can to keep people behind the helm. Marinas run by local town councils are cheaper than private ones and just as nice.
5. The weather is not your friend
Climate Change – It ain’t getting better, is it? Storms are getting stronger, heatwaves hotter, and weather patterns shifting everywhere. As slaves to the weather, our ability to be anywhere on schedule can make us seem more than a little flaky. Likewise, when the weather window opens, we’ll leap through it without a ‘by your leave’. The weather is not our friend, but we will do whatever it tells us to. It is, after all, a much greater power that cannot be second guessed, duped or avoided.
Conclusion (for our Guests)
For the intrepid few who want to sail on Aleta you are always welcome. Just come prepared for things to break, the weather to change, and a berth that’s constantly moving. Even better, bring spare parts with you. We always need them!
A Plug for Practical Sailor
in 1971 Practical Sailor magazine set out to be Consumer Reports for sailors. For decades it has been the go-to resource for independent advice and quality reporting across all aspects of boating life. Its transition from a monthly, subscriber-funded magazine delivered to your doorstep to an online resource has been slow. With a deep archive of reference information at its disposal, there are signs of life. Suppliers of boating gear have shrunk in the last few years, and the pandemic didn’t help. Long-term tests occur less frequently, but many previous ones are getting updated. Most content is behind a paywall, but it’s inexpensive and absolutely worth the $34 a year.
