Cruisers Living On Dirt - our whole lives, we've been CLODs. This isn't the first time we've considered a live-aboard cruising life. Back in 2005 we learned how to sail with the American Sailing Association and discovered that a 40' sailboat just wasn't big enough to hold our marriage together.
Then we discovered a class of ship called Cruising Trawlers - or rather, Jerry discovered them. I was content to rent a boat whenever we wanted to go out. Might be a canoe, or a deep sea head boat or anything in between. Might have a captain or a guide or we might be bareboating.
As he shared his growing vision, I learned with him; and feared all the things that can and do go wrong. Then, after taking a hands-on course with Captain Bob's Trawler school, we rented Sandollars, a Mainship 390 for a few days.
Plenty of room - very modern - and we even made a mistake that caused Sandollars engine to quit. We were dead in the water! We were also happily anchored in gorgeous weather and just a phone call away from meeting the friendly Sea Tow captain who brought us safely back to harbor.
We got through that with great humor. So now that I'm convinced our marriage would survive and even thrive aboard Tanuki - the boat we've named, but we don't yet own, well I'm practicing living aboard.
I've started to put away things I don't use very often, especially in the kitchen - or galley, as the food prep area of a boat is known. I've started planning and executing menus that will work well on a boat (not a lot of energy used cooking). I've started really watching how much water I use to prepare foods and wash up afterward.
After I finish reading "Storing Foods without Refrigeration" by Carolyn at TheBoatGalley.com, I'll start using those methods too. There will be refrigeration on Tanuki - just not a lot of it.
We've met many cruisers. By and large they are a fun group of people with a sense of adventure and an even bigger sense of humor. As a CLOD, I can play Jimmy Buffet music in the background as I practice the live-aboard lifestyle as we search for the floating condo that will be named MV Tanuki.
Sam
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
We have named the boat we don't own yet!
It's finally the right time for us to take the plunge and move part time aboard a cruising trawler!
We have been studying and chartering cruising trawlers enough to make us think we may eventually sell our land based home and live aboard full time.
We have been looking at various trawlers online, and have cruised aboard two about the same size (40-45') we are looking at for several days each. For now we are focusing on two Kadey Krogen models we think we will like, the 42 and 39 raised pilot house designs, have joined the Kadey Krogen owners group as "wannabes" and are putting a few things in order here on land before buying the boat. We haven't been on a KK 39 or 42 yet, and are eager to look at both.
If everything goes according to our plan, we will be seriously shopping and ready to make an offer and close by mid summer of this year. Depending on when and where the boat is located, as well as any pre-liveaboard modifications we may want to make, we hope to move aboard and spend most of our time the rest of the summer and early fall North of North Carolina until November brings an end to hurricane season here in St. Augustine, FL, where we live.
If, after several months, we are certain we like the live aboard lifestyle, we will probably list our home for sale and live aboard full time following the most pleasant weather up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the US and around the Gulf of Mexico, The Bahamas and the islands of the Caribbean until we find we can't or don't want to live aboard anymore. We also are seriously considering the Great Loop at least once, taking our time and allowing up to a full year to do it!
The plan is for the first few blogs to record our preparations and boat search, so they may be infrequent for a while. We hope to keep the blog up to date with our travels and adventures after that, with both of us posting from our different perspectives.
If you are following, welcome aboard!
Jerry
We have been studying and chartering cruising trawlers enough to make us think we may eventually sell our land based home and live aboard full time.
We have been looking at various trawlers online, and have cruised aboard two about the same size (40-45') we are looking at for several days each. For now we are focusing on two Kadey Krogen models we think we will like, the 42 and 39 raised pilot house designs, have joined the Kadey Krogen owners group as "wannabes" and are putting a few things in order here on land before buying the boat. We haven't been on a KK 39 or 42 yet, and are eager to look at both.
If everything goes according to our plan, we will be seriously shopping and ready to make an offer and close by mid summer of this year. Depending on when and where the boat is located, as well as any pre-liveaboard modifications we may want to make, we hope to move aboard and spend most of our time the rest of the summer and early fall North of North Carolina until November brings an end to hurricane season here in St. Augustine, FL, where we live.
If, after several months, we are certain we like the live aboard lifestyle, we will probably list our home for sale and live aboard full time following the most pleasant weather up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the US and around the Gulf of Mexico, The Bahamas and the islands of the Caribbean until we find we can't or don't want to live aboard anymore. We also are seriously considering the Great Loop at least once, taking our time and allowing up to a full year to do it!
The plan is for the first few blogs to record our preparations and boat search, so they may be infrequent for a while. We hope to keep the blog up to date with our travels and adventures after that, with both of us posting from our different perspectives.
If you are following, welcome aboard!
Jerry
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