Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
Introduce Yourself (Example Post)
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
My Compac 16 research
The itch came back… looking for my next adventure. As I research Compac 16s, I found this great article about a Bahamas’ voyage in one. Favorite quote:
“Apparently, the line between insanity and heroism is a thin one.”
Long Voyages in Small Boats
Hat tip to Volkscruiser for putting this in my inbox.
I had a delightful opportunity to run into a recent USNA grad who is also doing the “finished the Academy, heading to Charleston for nuclear training, living on a sailboat gig.” It reminded me that many folks do find their way to this site, despite my lack of attention (or really, attention on 1000 other things!) and I appreciate that.
When I read this article over at Yachting Monthly, it recalled my own experiences on SeaWitch, a Cal28. You can do so much with a small boat. There are no limits other than what you place on yourself, and a reasonable set of those self-limits depending on the particulars of the boat in question. As I continue a refit of Ruby Doobie, my Balboa 23, I’m reminded that she’ll do almost anything I can set my heart to.
Love keeps them afloat. And in the words of a great philosopher, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”
The Young Liveaboard: 2017 and Beyond
2016: The Year I Met One of My Readers & Hit the Water!
Earlier this year I made a deliberate decision to kind of push pause on The Young Liveaboard, or as I can it, TYLA. The reasons behind that were primarily logistic in nature: a career in engineering, side gig as a Navy officer in the Reserves, finishing my 2nd master’s degree, and trying to be a great husband and friend. From a writing perspective I wanted to my goal was to double down on my fiction writing efforts over at Thorium Publishing. That effort paid dividends!
I hit “publish” on December 20th for a December 24th launch of my first novella, Ascent of the Fallen, with two more in the series right behind it. My author website, Facebook page, Amazon and Goodreads pages, and all of the goods that go along with writing on a semi-professional basis were put in place. You can check out those efforts in my most recent post at Thorium.
Those efforts made me dwell a bit on this website. I paid to renew the hosting for another year, which isn’t a lot, but it’s not nothing either. One of the reasons was the nominal traction the site receives; usually around a hundred hits per day. That’s a hundred people looking for information or insight that come here to find it. If the site were to go down, I’m sure I could transfer the content over to something free and have a subdomain, but this is part of the intellectual property assets I own. What to do…
During our annual New Year’s hike I spent some time thinking on that idea. Over at Thorium I spent some time discussing my business plans for my authorship, and I think I can do some combining to improve my overall position. So for 2017, I’m planning on the following actions:
- Continuing the “Sailboat Saturday” series on a monthly basis: I’m hitting my content hard over at Thorium, but I think I could try to squeeze in a few posts here to keep the fires burning. The most popular posts on the site are the limited series of analyses of sailboats for sale and some thoughts on how to make that work living aboard. There’s no limit on sailboats for sale! I should have enough material to work from for a bit, and I can see where that goes.
- A paid product: I have a product in the works chronicling the sinking of my first sailboat, SeaWitch, the experience in situ, and the lessons learned from watching 28 feet of fiberglass go “glug glug” and then getting her raised back up again. I have a couple of idea for other stand-alone books that may also come to bear. While my goal is to keep the majority of the content here 100% free, but if I can recoup a few dollars in the hosting costs, that will go a long way to keeping this viable.
So stay tuned for more to come. 2015 was my “year of too much.” 2016 was just as full, but started to get into a steady-state. Now let’s see what we can make happen in 2017!
Cheers!
- Travis
Photo credits: Travis Chapman
S/V Ruby is for sale
S/V Ruby is up for sale!
Reason for sale: After a less-than-full sailing season, I’m putting Ruby on the market. Maybe it’s time to admit that I’m not going to enjoy this as much as I’d hoped, and that someone else can pick up where I’m leaving off. I lived aboard a Cal 28 out of college, moved up to a circumnavigating Tartan 37, before downsizing to the biggest trailerable I could find. I was inspired by the voyage of another Aquarius 23 named Lacuna from Seattle up the Inside Passage to Alaska.
That picture in front of a glacier convinced me this was a boat that could take me anywhere I reasonably wanted to go: any East-coast destination was do-able with grit. Ruby has been arranged for comfortable single-handed cruising and fun with friends. Trailer her home for easy winter maintenance, then launch for great sailing the rest of the year. I’ve owned Ruby and her Aquarius predecessor for just over 6 years now.
The boat: S/V Ruby is a 1980’s vintage Balboa 23 centerboard sloop. Balboa purchased the molds and rights to the successful Aquarius line and continued production with some modifications. Most notably, Balboa interiors are molded fiberglass and the rudders are stern-mounted with a fully-enclosed cockpit. The Aquarius owners group on Yahoo has extensive information about both models, their performance characteristics, and a slew of happy owners. Moored on the Middle River above Baltimore, MD, the slip could be transferred to the new owner (current rate is $100/month).
Hull, rig, above decks: Ruby is 23 feet long, just inside of 8 feet in beam. She draws less than 18” with the centerboard up. The stern-mounted blade rudder kicks up as early indication you’ve found the shallows. New “Ruby” vinyl letters on each side. Aluminum rub rail all around (forward port side shows some older hull repair from dock rash).
- The aluminum mast and boom are easily managed even single-handed. I installed a new stainless mast-base hinge to permit easy raising/lowering of the rig. An aluminum gin pole and custom-made cat’s cradle provide additional leverage/support for the operation.
- Standard fractional sloop rig with stainless shrouds all around, adjustable tension backstay (two-part block), and pair of windex indicators. Only two halyards: main and jib, with mast cleats.
- Mainsail is in working condition. Partial battens, full-length mast and boom slot for attachment (pro: no loss of wind, con: not as easy to raise/lower due to system friction). Mainsheet is A-frame style across rear of cockpit.
- Jib is in working condition. Probably 110% (feels a little small) with luff clips. Heavy-duty sheets. Non-tailing winches and cleats in cockpit.
- Deck layout is standard for a large trailerable. No openings in the bow, raised cabin with 20” port on starboard side. Bow pulpit and stern pushpit of 1” stainless. I removed the lifelines but will provide the stanchions. Companion hatch converted to sliding-style with rails; original plexiglass two-piece hatchboards & bronze fox head. Cockpit has single drain (1 ½”) at aft end. Deck was painted this year with non-skid for looks/grip.
- Maybe the most unique feature is the hard dodger. I made this as a prototype to see how I liked the feature. Has (5) opening ports for visibility, (2) solar trickle chargers mounted on top, screwed to the hatch rails and is removable. Coated in asphalt roofing tar ad covered in hull paint.
- Rudder is stern-mounted with oiled tiller, red tiller cover, and push-rod for the kick-down blade. Newly installed clam cleat provides tension and safety when underway.
Trailer: Original EZ Loader galvanized single-axle trailer. Towed well on 2” ball. Added an extension for an additional 4’ of length to make launching easier. Tires new in 2011; maybe 200 miles on them. (4) galvanized jack stands provide long-term storage weight support (takes the weight off the tires and/or use in emergency to jack the trailer up). Light-bar attaches to boat to prevent submerging them. Comes with: (1) spare wheel carrier (uninstalled), (2) spare wheels (good rims, need new tires), and if desired a weight-distribution hitch for a 2” receiver.
Propulsion options, spares: I spent a great deal of effort getting options for alternative propulsion. Ruby is one of a few of these boats with electric propulsion capability. Motorguide Riptide 80 lb thrust with hull-mounted plug connects to (2) 12 VDC batteries in series for a 24 VDC system. Super quiet, fully maneuverable. I’ve cruised a full weekend on a single charger. 24 VDC shore battery charger, fusing, circuit breaker, and kill switch are installed. Great option is you are in quiet waters and just need to get out/in.
I’m moored at the upper end of a long river, and decided this year that I needed to renew a gas option. Currently installed is a 1990’s vintage Honda 8hp 4-stroke CDI outboard. Good condition, recently tuned up and many parts replaced. Mounted on a Garelick outboard mount, fuel hose, filter, and bulb in cockpit locker with thru-hull connection. Has 6A, 12 VDC charging capability (not installed). Comes with working spare motor with many replacement parts on hand.
Interior layout, fixtures: Pretty much a stock Balboa with the expected level of comfort. Think “glamping”. Normal arrangement for a sloop:
- V-berth
- Forward-facing head
- Starboard-side settee berth with fold up table
- Aft-starboard navigation station console
- Port-side galley
- Port-side quarterberth
Berths include two sets of cushions; tartan fabric in OK condition; back rests recovered with blue sunbrella. Thetford portapotty in head with shelf rack (will be cleaned for new owner, wink). Navigation console provides table-top an electronics mounting in convenient location. Cabin-top mounted chart storage. Floor has vinyl wood stripping for ease of cleaning.
Galley includes wall-mounted papertowel rack, trashbag rack, trashcan, hooks, (2) burner alcohol stove, small stainless sink, 5 gallon water tank, and weather station. Pots, pans, cooking utensils, etc. included.
Safety kit: Mostly standard items, but enough to get you safely on the water.
- Heavy cruising plow anchor
- Danforth anchors
- Fisherman-style anchors, plus rode
- Lifejackets (so many lifejackets…)
- Harness & jackstrap
- Flares, flaregun, horn, first-aid kit
- Stern chainplates mounted to tow a drogue or lines when heaving-to
- Multiple fenders, including a large sea buoy-style for in-port use
Electronics & whiz-bangs: I’ve managed to collect an assortment of odds and ends over a decade of sailing that found their way onto Ruby. Some are installed and working great. Some are installed and working good enough for now, but could be improved. Some are not completely installed, but planned.
- House battery: 12VDC deep cycle, under the nav station, fused. 110VAC battery charger with co-located outlet for shore charging.
- Dodger-mounted 12VDC trickle charger (2)
- (2) cockpit-mounted depth sounders (pucks not installed at this time)
- 5 VDC microUSB charge cable in cockpit
- Bluetooth command mic in cockpit (for using your cell phone)
- 3” compass
- 12 VDC tiller autopilot (uninstalled)
- LED running lights (bow, stern, mast)
- Handheld marine VHF (2)
- LED cabin lights
- 10m Yaesu Ham radio (console)
- Antenna tuner & watt meter (console)
- 2m Kenwood Ham radio (console)
- Midland CB radio (console)
- Apelco Marine VHF (console)
- 12 VDC audio amplifier + unmounted speakers (console)
- 7” Lenovo Android tablet w/ 16gB SD card (pdf manuals, and a great classical collection: will reset for new owner)
- Weather station w/ wind speed, temps, barometer: cockpit-mounted anemometer
- 5VDC charging cable (interior)
- Non-marine Garmin GPS (I keep it outside for simple speed & geographic area info)
Current to-do list:
Centerboard: Like many A23’s, Ruby has a stuck centerboard. I purchased her in the water and wasn’t able to fully assess until I hauled out in 2012. The Aquarius owners group has extensive directions on best practices for removing, refurbishing, and/or replacing the ~120 lb steel plate.
Ports: I’ve gotten by with Gorilla tape for the last few seasons, but the ports need to be addressed at some point. I envisioned replacing them a la Lacuna with fixed Lexan or Perspex fixed with stainless screws. In the current condition there is minor weepage in the cabin during heavy rain.
Electrics: I’ve been in continual “upgrade/update” mode on the electric system for the past two years and there’s much left incomplete. I’ve been finishing things as I’ve needed them. A complete list will be provided and gone over during survey. The inventory provided above gives you an idea of the extent of my envisioned scope. If you search “Datawake” and “Technomad” you’ll see one of my influences…
Galley mods: I’ve been considering how to improve the galley and came to a conclusion that a new galley top would be a wonderful improvement. A new surface would allow the stove to seat better and provide for a better 5 gallon tank fixture and more working space.
Inner shrouds: Are too long. I have a temporary set of galvanized wires with stainless hardware serving well, but could use replacement.
Additional projects going along:
- Rail BBQ: I have most of the parts collected for a rail-mounted BBQ, like the Magma bowl-styles.
- Stove: I have some parts for an in-boat stove, stainless enclosure, etc. This would be in addition to, or alternative to, the propane heater
- (1) Self-tailing winch and chain windlass for use in anchoring (was going to mount at bow area)
Additional items going with the sale:
- Tool bags aboard: two collections of hand tools for use aboard
- Spare blue & red Sunbrella, cushions, marine carpet, paint, and interior items
- Sevlor inflatable dinghy with bag & pump
- Full-size boat cover for use in the off-season (sized for pontoon boat; fits over lowered mast and fully over sides; some tears from last winter)
- Mast, fins, snorkel for below-water expeditions
- sleeping bags + camping kit for shore expeditions
- Fishing gear
- Collapsible hose, nozzle, and cleaning kit
- Spare boom, mainsail
- Spinnaker & spare jib (can be repaired but unuseable at this point)
- Propane Buddy Heater for winter projects aboard
- Carriers for mast when trailering
- Sailing library: Every armchair sailor needs some good books to while away the winter nights. I’m including a selection from my library to get you started, along with some maintenance classics for those projects coming your way. There’s probably ~ $500 invested over time in these.
What’s coming down the pike for you: Hey, it’s a good honest question. You can sail comfortably today and for the foreseeable future. My annual operating costs feel high but were influenced by the many updates I wanted to accomplish. Required expenses were probably less than $300 (registration, fuel, simple repairs) plus slip. Rigging at the ramp takes 45-60 minutes (faster with familiarity) and derigging takes 30-45 minutes; in the slip I was underway in 10-15 minutes and packed away in 5-10 minutes. Looking out at the list of project above:
Centerboard replacement: Carbon steel will run a few hundred dollars or less, depending on the source. If you replace the board you may want to renew the antifouling paint all around.
Ports: Depending on source will run $100-$300 for materials to do them well.
Rigging & sails: Could be refreshed and get you a lot more performance: probably somewhere around $1000-1500 would get you well set up for years to come.
Bottom line: I’m familiar with this family of boats and the average prices they go for. I never thought too hard about investing money into something I really enjoyed, and I really enjoyed making Ruby a better boat than she started out as. You can find lower priced offerings out there. You’ll probably have to find an engine, trailer, or other substantial parts to get them going reliably. You’ll have to invest a lot of elbow grease one way or another! Ruby is priced to represent a lot of the odds & ends that add up over time but make her convenient and comfortable. You’ll still need elbow grease, but hopefully a good deal less.
Sales price: $2800 for everything. At this time I’m not interested in parting things out. You can probably make back a good deal of the purchase price by diligently selling off some of the spare kit (I’m just not interested in being diligent at this time either). In spring 2017 I’ll probably get her up on Craigslist for other potential buyers.
I can be contacted at my personal address travis.a.chapman(at)gmail.com to arrange viewing. My plan is to block Veteran’s Day weekend for trial sailing and/or a nice final cruise! I’ll probably haul out end of November.
Transition
Ah, what a great word. I’ve had several notable transitions in my life, each one with their unique challenges.
1993: Transition from grade-schooler in Rhode Island to high-schooler in Western Pennsylvania. Begin realizing “Wicked awesome” should not be used in every sentence.
1998: Transition from farm kid mucking out the family barns to midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. Realize city-living isn’t the worst thing out there, but appreciate coming home more and more.
2002: Transition from midshipman to liveaboard sailor & now Ensign in the U.S. Navy. Sail from Baltimore, MD to Charleston, SC and later Fernandina Beach, FL. Realize what it’s like being a real adult on my own!
2005: Transition from solo to couple. Realize how little I know about relationships now that I’m married!
2009: Transition from active-duty military overseas to unemployment to my first “real” job stateside. Realize how challenging juggling multiple priorities can be. Double down on being a good husband.
2013: Transition from cozy DC-based civilian life to deployment in Africa with the Navy Reserve. Realize how resilient our family is.
2015: Transition from DC suburb and Federal job to rural country living while working from home for a CA-based start-up. Realize I’m losing control of too many spinning plates.
I didn’t check the stats, but I don’t believe I wrote any blog posts last year. Not for lack of material or commentary, but for differing priorities. I tell folks 2015 was “The Year of Too Much” for us. Buying a house, selling, a house, four international trips, changing jobs, sick family, blah blah blah. All the normal things that happen to a person.
Also, my creative focus has been on getting my first novella out the door. I just finished the first draft after stalling for two years. And I really want to see it through.
I’ve also spent time thinking of “what do I want this to be?” Frankly, let’s call a spade a spade. I’m out of this game for the time being. I was out in 2009 when I stopped living aboard. I have no intention of being a full-time, or even part-time, live aboard in the near future. There’s a new generation of entries into the field, and the mediums have changed. I love watching the videos of SV Teleport on YouTube. And reading the great dialogue being put out there by Bob at Boatbits and Volkscruiser and Teresa & Ben at Sailing Simplicity. They are out there living it today, and have a much closer relationship to many of these topics.
So as I can, I’ll continue to tell my story here. It’s one perspective in the bigger swimming pool of available thoughts. And I won’t lose sleep over how frequently I post! I’ll call this a noble experiment. And do my best to leave my content up and available for everyone in the years to come.
Transitions are great opportunities to reflect, to take stock, to cut things away, or add news things in. I know I’ve done all of those.
Happy sailing friends!
Commentary: Triloboats talks about Hermit Crabbing
I’ve been swamped lately, by my own choice to some extent, with selling a place, buying a place, moving, and travel for my two careers. If anyone ever questions a “normal” life with the typical U.S. dreams and aspirations… I’m a case study in why you should think otherwise. But as they say, happy wife, happy life.
I’ve had the opportunity to be over in Stavanger, Norway, and took the following photograph of the harbor near my hotel. Live aboards… they’re everywhere!
The following article, detailed with further correspondence by Dave Z over at Triloboat, was a fascinating read this week:
Hermit Crabbing: Another Way to Go
While the original author, Michaela Popperton, has a more finely tuned “system”, this was effectively how we changed over from a Cal28 that I originally lived aboard out of college for three years to a Tartan 37 in 2007, followed by a move back stateside in 2009. I was sad to leave Persephone behind in Guam, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I was completely starting over again; I simply had to find a new shell to put my sailing kit.
The interesting part of this article is the two-part nature: there is a piece of philosophy in how she chose, deliberately, to live this particular lifestyle, and a second piece that is practical in nature.
There’s no reason one would have to consider every purchase in light of moving from boat-to-boat over the years, but certainly there is something to be said for buying a few things of high quality, high usefulness, and high return-on-use, and saying “These are mine, and will continue with me wherever I go, no matter what.”
Some things I still have, effectively in my kit bag (so I can always take them sailing with whoever):
– Handheld GPS
– SPOT man-overboard personal beacon
– Onyx kayaking PFD
– Gill sailing gloves
– Prescription sunglasses w/ polarization and strap
– Wide bottom coffee cup
– Carabiner’d water bottle
I also have a galley kit which has changed boat-to-boat, as well as a pretty decent sailboat tool bag. No need to change what works.
I also took advantage of one of her points on trailer-sailors. The Ruby Doobie is actually a combination of two hulls: an original Aquarius 23 that I stripped down extensively to outfit a better condition Balboa 23 that came my way for free.
One could do worse than this philosophy on sailing. An intentional move, say for one-to-three years, with the idea of building a good usable kit and saying “Hey, I can punch at any time and still walk away with something for my time” is something to consider.
————————————
Here’s to hoping for a little bit of slack in my future. I have a few articles in the hopper about our Tartan 37 purchase, my galley kit, and some odds and ends. If you’re still reading, cheers! Hopefully there’s something valuable here, even if it’s not consistency!
Commentary: Volkscruisers Talks Maryland Sailboats
A quick combination commentary / Sailboat Sunday…
Bob over at Volkscruiser (I promise, I do have variety in the works), points out some of the advantages of living in the times.
What struck me is the selling price of this particular Columbia 36. In 2002 I paid $8500 for my first sailboat, a Cal 28. $8000 still feels like a lot of money, relatively speaking, but I tend to agree that the benchmark prices have steadily dropped over time. Partly due to inflation, partly with these vintages of sailboats aging further.
I believe this is the Columbia in question. Nothing too fancy, but more than needful.
For those in the market, it is a good time.
Coming up….
I’ve got a few things in the hopper. A post on risk assessment, sailboat head options, galley considerations, the story of purchasing our Tartan 37 in 2007, and more. I’ll try to continue our structure of a Sailboat Sunday analysis and Commentary as I can.
Thank you to all who have commented. Great to see others with experience on those particular models adding to the collective knowledge base out there. It was also a good reminder to clarify the intent behind the Sailboat Sunday posts. While I’m not looking to buy at this time, someone may be, and these analyses are a good exercise in “What if?” assessments. And who doesn’t like talking about boats?
I’ve missed my mark for the past two weeks now! Bad Travis. Unfortunately we’ve been occupied with getting a move set-up on top of a full spring. Hopefully my intentions can met real life head on, and I’ll be diligent in posting once again!
Photo credit: m01229
Many Voices: Here’s What I’m Reading
“I have not always chosen the safest path. I’ve made my mistakes, plenty of them. I sometimes jump too soon and fail to appreciate the consequences. But I’ve learned something important along the way: I’ve learned to heed the call of my heart. I’ve learned that the safest path is not always the best path and I’ve learned that the voice of fear is not always to be trusted.”
― Steve Goodier
Listening to those around you…
When the idea of living aboard a sailboat first came to me, it was early 2002. The internet was alive, but just beginning to grow. WordPress, as a content engine, wasn’t even on the horizon. “Blogs” were not around, although the first beginnings were present. So where did one turn to for information? The library had some books, mostly written in the days when sextants were the only navigation tool available. Various sailing periodicals were in distribution, but you had to spend $20-40 a year for a subscription, followed by 30-50% of the pages being filled with advertisements.
In the years since, the information revolution washed over all things, including the sailing community. With tools like Blogger, WordPress, and others, everyone now has a voice. Which is great, on the one hand, because the conversation has more depth and breadth. It’s also more challenging to find the “right” answers because it’s a sea of voices, and easy to get overwhelmed with analysis paralysis.
Over the last twelve years I’ve fine tuned my intake stream for information. And many of the books I’ve collected over the years have found varied use; some are well-worn, some only read once through. Below are some of the resources I’ve used at various times, with a piece of context with each. Many are free. Some are available at modest cost (and in the case of print books, maybe a used copy or previous edition would yield most of the same value). If I were starting over again, fresh out of college, looking to live another adventure, I’d consider:
Motivation
Dove: I read this at age thirteen and knew I’d be living on a sailboat someday. Excellent story of a young man finding his way by sailing around the world. A movie was made later on; not sure of the quality.
Voyaging on a Small Income (Annie Hill): I’ll chock this up to both motivation and technical knowledge. Once I was already living aboard, Annie’s way of conveying information through stories had a profound impact on my life. And the technical knowledge (especially for someone just starting out) was excellent.
Blog of S/V Estrellita 5.10b: Great log of their on-going voyage. There are many (MANY) voyaging blogs of various quality. Some folks are great about sharing their adventures. Some use a blog as a continuous letter home. The content varies. Estrellita is one of the few sailboats I actually keep up with; they have great things to say.
Blog of Webb Chiles: Let’s all hope we’re still sailing with the same vigor as Webb at his age. Excellent lifetime of sailing behind him and more ahead. Many different boats.
YouTube series of Yacht Teleport: If this doesn’t get yo motivated, I don’t know what will. Great to see a pair of professionals using their skills to inform others about the live aboard lifestyle.
Sailing Simplicity: Ben and Teresa have lived (and continue to live) and fantastic adventure, sailing solo (together) and now together-together. Both a source of motivation, great technical content, and for me (at least) a flash-back to ten years ago and the carefree life of simple living. If you are a female reader, I can’t recommend Teresa’s work enough. Excellent.
Technical Knowledge
Cruising Handbook (Nigel Caldwell): As a senior at the Naval Academy I bought this book at the local Barnes and Noble as a way to indoctrinate myself into the idea of living aboard. I knew I wanted to; just needed to find the requisite knowledge to back up my sailing experiences till then. This book has always had a place on my shelf. Not necessarily comprehensive in every subject, but a great broad brush stroke of most all major skills necessary to bring a boat from point A to B.
This Old Boat (Don Casey): Again, one that I’ve always kept on my shelf. One of the greatest gifts living aboard taught me was a wide range of necessary skills to repair goods. There was always an opportunity waiting. Don’s book gives excellent advice on a variety of skills, and each chapter typically includes an example project to hone those skills with. I can’t think of many things you wouldn’t learn enough to started with via this book. Obviously the internets have added a great deal of specific examples of folks doing many repairs/upgrades/improvements. But Don’s book forms a solid basis to begin from.
Attainable Adventures: John and Phyllis have been experimenting with a different model for their information exchange (much of their site is now via paid subscription), but for many the price is well worth it. The group of writers providing content at Attainable Adventures is phenomenal. And for me, the draw (initially) was information about high-latitudes cruising. They provide sound information and experiences for others to consider when cruising in a challenging environment. Recognize they are in a different place than most starting out (relatively expensive, purpose-built sailboats for the cruising envelope they are in), but the information is applicable to most every sailor.
Volkscruiser: At the other end of the spectrum, maybe, is Bob’s purpose-driven site on ideas for minimalist cruising. And I use minimalist in a good way, and maybe because “budget” feels icky. It’s not bad at all; it’s exactly how I started and would continue to advice folks getting into the game to go. Great considerations on boat selection, skills, and general musings. I also read his original blog, BoatBits, which provides some interesting commentary. I love Bob for the fact that he’s one of those folks acting as the thirteenth man: “Everybody is moving in this direction; why? Something may be wrong.”
Pardey’s: What list wouldn’t be complete without something from Lin and Larry Pardey? I have several of their books, mostly used, that are both excellent motivation, great real-world, first-hand information, and timeless. My favorite thus far is The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew. They recently posted a short post on buying a first sailboat; I intend to provide some commentary later.
Great Sea Stories
Voyages of Ming Ming: As a proud down-sizer to a 23 footer, Roger’s travels on Ming Ming (and now Ming Ming II) are phenomenal. Consider this also a technical information website; his upgrades/refits to bring older Corribee designs up to speed for high latitude cruising are amazing.
Atom Voyages: Also a technical information site, but one with significant sea-story vibe. James Baldwin is still living the life.
Keep Turning Left: If you want to while away the time watching YouTube, I can’t recommend Dillan’s video series enough. He is doing a slow, deliberate circumnavigation of Great Britain, in several boats thus far. As a professional, his editing is amazing. And the length of the show lends itself to a good lunch-time break.
Hal Roth’s Seafaring Trilogy: There are other books from Roth that are excellent. I reread this one every few years.
Ideas for Life Style Design
Tim Ferriss’s Four Hour Work Week and Four Hour Chef: Not only would 4HC be a great book to have aboard for the cooking lessons, but the idea of deliberately managing time and other resources, and purposeful learning, were great influences on me and my successes. He also has a great podcast with some phenomenal guests.
Zenhabits: If you know Leo Babauta, and take only one thing away which is necessary for living aboard a sailboat: Clutterfree.
Ideas for “Work”
When I was first living aboard it was as a working professional. You can imagine a Naval officer has some commitments to keep, like showing up for work in uniform. So my lifestyle was framed around this aspect of my life. That said, there are many who mold their sailing lifestyle around their work. A few resources that come to mind:
Ramit Sethi: He’s a thought-leader in today’s online economy, but his advice is pretty sound. I can imagine several business ventures working out from a mobile platform like a sailboat, even with connectivity being a challenge to overcome.
Fizzle.co: The guys here provide some great advice on getting online businesses up and going. In my imagination I can see a productive 20-something on his or her Columbia 29, sitting at a laptop, pulling wifi from a shoreside establishment, and working on their business. Completely within the realm of possibility.
And several others. One thing I’ve changed over the years is recommendations for magazines. Frankly, that market has not done well. Most of the big names you’ll see on the shelves at West Marine are becoming more and more… well, worthless. Lots of advertisements, lots of product placement, little of value. The occasional cruising story to give some inspiration, but a lot of it is focused on chartering or buying the latest-greatest production boats on the market. I have enjoyed Good Old Boat and Practical Sailor at various times, but with so much online, I’d rather just save my money.
I know many of you came from some of these blogs, but I hope there’s something to spark some inspiration this week. Or keep the spark going. Or reminiscence about days of old. Or just put a smile on your face.
What are you reading? Give a shout out to your favorite resources in the comments.
The Young Liveaboard 