September 26, 2014  Hot and muggy in Burnt Store Marina.  73 – HOT and HUMID…. same thing as the day before….rain expected around 4pm.

First Month aboard

No one said it was going to be easy. We didn’t figure it would be that hard. What? Letting go of so many things. Memorabilia, junk, stuff, belongings, and whatever fills your back closet space that you only look at once every 10 years or so.   We had culled at least 95% of our possessions in AZ. Now we have to do it again with the remaining 5%. What won’t fit on the boat doesn’t go on the boat.

Joy – being able to cook a simple 1 pot dinner.
Panic – Do we have that 1 pot? Where did we pack it? In the box that is labeled pots and pans? Of course, not!! Where did we put it? Maybe over there in the “popcorn popper and coffee pot” box? Of course…we did.  Who’s we?

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Exhilaration – realizing that I really do only need one spatula, maybe 2 cooking spoons, and one can opener.
Thoughtful – Why did we have so many, anyway? Oh yea. That dishwasher machine always washed the first set of everything while I used the second set. That darned machine! Now I do dishwashing the old fashion way…by hand!!  Still love those machines (let them know in case they take over)

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Exciting – The early mornings when the Osprey are singing. Fish are jumping out of the water. An occasional manatee or porpoise breaking water for the first time. Phaarrtttt. Sorry…breathing air….
Dread – The sun comes up and stickiness rains…. I mean reigns.

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Euphoria – Getting our LaZBoys on the boat.
Dread – getting our LaZboys on the boat. As I watched the big chair bottom dangling over the mucky marina water. I mean dangling on the end of 2 straps that I wasn’t sure were held together correctly. The water being low tide which means that in less than 6 feet is the bottom…yucky mucky bottom. Wait….Wayne is over 6 ft tall. No problem?!?!

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 Success – learning how to use the Dingy Davit – lifter to move the heavy LaZBoys onto the boat.  The davit is used to move the dingy from the top of the boat to the water.  It should be easy to move a couple of clumsy chairs from the dock to the back of the boat.  Right?
Tension – realizing that we didn’t have a guide rope attached to the first chair to “reel” it onto the boat. Comments like “Honey, just pull it in”… “Honey, how do I do that?” I think of these being the G rated versions of what we actually said.

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Exhileration – Success!! Both chairs on board. Table on board. Rocking chair on board.
Angst – none. We are now masters of the Dingy Davit. We can move anything on or off the boat. Watch out Grandma!! You might be next!! Hahaha

New knowledge – Things we didn’t know before….

Barnacle buster – to kill barnacles growing where they should not be used in circulating raw water systems. Sounds like a great bar & grill. Actually, a dilute phosphoric acid that kills the critters and slowly dissolves their carcass.  Raw Water Strainers for the A/C units. We have learned how to clean them, clean them, clean them.   The marina raw water is used to keep the A/Cs working optimally via heat exchange. The raw water mixed with muck makes a strainer fill quickly of muck.   A/C pumps shut off. No A/C. Then new knowledge of bromine tablets that help keep the barnacles at bay.  Humans win!! Poor barnacles lose!

Barnacles in the plumbing!

Learning how to walk down stairs backward.  I might look a bit clumsy at the mall but on the boat, I don’t want to miss a step.  And if the boat rocks unexpectantly, I don’t fall farther than my face.  Hand rails are used … remember on the boat…one hand on the boat at all times!!

Learning how to live on more than 1 floor, again. We live on 4 floors. Master Cabin up 5 steps to the Galley… up 5 steps to the sundeck and off the boat. OR if we choose, 5 steps up to the fly bridge.   After living in a two 2-story homes vowing to NEVER do this again, how did we end up on a boat with 4 stories??!?!

Learning how to live in a closer space. There is a shower. We just take it sideways since the tub is only 1 foot wide. Maybe a large foot. Wayne has to duck because the light fixture over the tub is exactly where he wants to be. Alas, only one can have that space and it isn’t human.  Round light globe wins.

More comparisons for you land lubbers!!   Before – Now: 

Before: In our land based house (see I am already using land vs water ), when Wayne came to bed, he would put the floor fan on so that the air would caress his body during the night. If it wasn’t just right, he would get out of bed, reset the pitch or angle. Climb back into bed. This could go on for 2 – 3 times until the fan was blowing cool air across his body…just right.
Now: He rolls over, using the back scratcher, nudges the fan till the angle is just right. Perfection!

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Before: When looking for that 2^nd glass of wine, I would get out of my chair and walk all the way from the breakfast table to the box probably at most 5 steps. Sometimes, from the LaZboy in the family room to the kitchen and box location ( ok..maybe 20 wobbly steps).
Now: I reach around behind me and grab the box. Fill the glass. Reach around and place the box back on the counter. Perfection!

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The real challenge will be when we start moving. Rolling from side to side. Back and forth. As the waves rock us about. Watching for wakes from other boaters. Watching for weather storms makes waves go up and down….up and down…side to side. Got ginger ale?