Life on the Boat

Friday, July 08, 2011

Palmetto, Florida

Regatta Pointe Marina

Wow! What an adventure..!  I don’t think that any of the plans we made at the beginning of this journey has turned out exactly as we’d planned.  Some plans that we’d made have turned out better then we thought and others well, let’s just say that next time, we’ll be better prepared, if there is a next time, LOL!!

It has been a week now that we’ve moved onto our boat.  It’s been a very busy week…the days are really flying by…too fast!!  Keith has been really busy with his projects, like making a shelf to set the microwave in…putting doors on some shelves, changing out the batteries, putting in a new manual hand pump on the toilet, etc…MAN projects! 

Living on a boat is quite the experience.  Everything is small!  The head (bathroom) is small, even though it has a sink, toilet and a sitting shower/bath.  LOL!  You have to sit on a small bench and take a shower …..on the bright side, Maximus fits perfectly!!  The toilet does not have water in it…when you go, you have to unlock the handle of the pump, pump the bowl with sea water and when you are done, you have to pump it till there is no more water.  It takes a little longer going to the bathroom on the boat…LOL!

The galley (kitchen) has a small sink, propane stove and an ice box.  There is one small cabinet to store a couple of pots, pans and griddle.  The biggest challenge is the ice box.  It does not have a freezer so we can’t store any meats for more then a couple of days.  Although you can put a bag of ice and store the meats around that so that they can freeze a little and keep longer.  We found that out when we stored the eggs next to the ice…yup! Frozen eggs!!  LOL…

The main cabin is quite comfortable…there is a “U” shaped sitting area with comfy pillows and there is a television. 

Behind the main cabin is the V- Berth…this is a sleeping area; an area which at this time we are using as a place to store our clothes bins and Maximus is using as his napping area during the day, a place to “bury” his treats among the pillows and blankets and playing with his toys. 

On the other side of the galley there is an area called the Navigation Station.  There is a comfy seat and in front there is a desk with the electric panels and the VHF radio.  This is where we store the GPS when it’s not in use.  This is also an area where we keep maps, charts and eventually some log books.

Beyond the Navigation Station is the Aft Cabin.  This is the “master bedroom”…LOL!! There is a nice and very comfortable mattress.  You can stand upright in the galley…but as you keep walking to the Navigation Station and into the Aft Cabin. You have to walk hunched over.  Once in the Aft Cabin…you still can’t stand…all you can do is hop up on the mattress and lay down. 

At this time we are renting a slip.  We are tied to a dock at the Regatta Pointe Marina.  We have water, electricity, TV (100 channels) and WIFI (which doesn’t work half the time).  There is a boat house (lounge) that we can use…it has bathrooms with showers, an ironing board and iron and a desktop computer that anyone can use.  It also has a small refrigerator with a freezer that anyone can use also.  There is another larger boathouse but it is a bit further from where we are docked.  The larger boathouse is of course, called the MAIN Boathouse.  There is a Fitness center, laundry facilities, two restaurants, a pool, Jacuzzi, a small convenience store and a fuel dock. 

Living on a boat sure is different, there are many things that are challenging…but all in all…the little time we’ve been here we have enjoyed!  I am sure that there will be more challenges ahead and we will face each and every one of them with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn and make this living aboard experience the best ever!!

Stay with us as we travel this exciting journey as we seek out NEW HORIZONS!!

Look forward to reading your comments..!!

Grilling Ribs on the grill off the back of the boat...yummmm!!