04/11/11 life in the Bahamas has been terrific. It is hard to believe it has gone so quickly. (We are in the Abacos and will be in the States sometime in the next few weeks) We have done a great loop of most of the Bahamain archepelego..We have met wonderful boaters as well as local Bahamains. The kids have attended school in several locations, and volunteered in one. Everything here is more expensive as it mostly is imported and with heavy tax ( 45% duty on big items!). We have learned to live on rice and beans and cabbage,or pasta, coconuts and home made bread, also these cream crackers that are somewhat like Matza. We have alot of canned goods, and Rachel has gotten very good at making tasty creations from them! We have had several potluck " cook offs" with other boats- one with canned corn beef ( tastes like dog food) and the other "ake a meal for under $5 to feed four adults. Everything is twice as much if not more in the Bahamas and fresh produce hard to come by. It is tough to grow anything in the thin soil and rocky ground. Cabbage grows well, so is cheap - relatively - 3 to 4 dollars a head, but it keeps well. Water is precious as there is very little groundwater, on the limestone rock. Water is either from rainwater cisterns or R/O- reverse osmosis from the sea. - or from our friend's watermaker ( same r/o process). We have learned to conserve! Rain is rare but when it comes we all put our swimsuits on and take a shower! We also save rain water in buckets to wash hair, etc. Washing hair is a challenge, ( sometimes have dreams about washing my hair- sad!) and usually do a seawater wash with special biodegradable shampoo with a VERY brief spritz of fresh water at the end. My hair has turned blond in this process anyway! Laundry is another issue and we mostly hand wash with very little water, or go to a laundrymat ( 3 to 5 dollars a wash and the same to dry). when in a settlement. ( FIVE STARS FOR TRIPLE T'S LAUNDRY IN ROCK SOUND ELEUTHRA reasonable , clean, and nice people who run it..) Life is simpler but harder, as we often lug 5 gallon jugs of water or diesel at every settlement. Th weather has been great, it has been great spending time as a family and away from Tv and mostly away from the internet. We read books alous at night, play music and get together with friends on other boats. Getting schoolwork done is hard with boat chores and beautiful weather, but we do so every morning- weekends included- even if only for a few hours.. We get up to listen to weather on the SSB at 6:30 am every day except Sunday.The weather has been great- fortunately, and we have swam, snorlkeled, hiked in town and on trails, Adventured through caves and ocean holes. .. We have met great friends and yet look forward to seeing friends and family at home.
12/03/10 At times I feel as though all we do is go from port to port and do laundry, shopping and take showers( or in Andy;s case, fix something on the boat, change the oil, etc). It is hard work,but in new places. It takes me roughly two hours to stow groceries ( after walking to the store!) and we go through them so quickly with our growing crew! However, it is the people we meet while going through these tasks that makes all the difference. For instance, the kind folks in Deltaville, VA who offered us rides and hospitality, orSam and Gus at Elizabeth City,NC. WW II vets who come to the docks every day to assist boaters, or Glenn in New River,NC with wooden shark fins decorating his truck and his wonderful little dog Rudder who went out of his way to give us a ride to the grocery store. Or the nice folks at St Mary's who give rides to the grocery and supply the turkeys for the wonderful Thanksgiving potluck dinner. Many thanks to all of you kind people, who show us that most people in the world are still good. You inspire us all !
Life on a boat sounds relaxing, but it can be a great deal of work- though it is rewarding. It also makes you very aware of precious resources, like water and energy.
There is a limited supply of fresh water onboard, so you become very aware of how much you use. We carry two 70 gallon tanks of water, plus a 6 gallon jug on deck and about 6 gallon jugs in the fridge. We shower with cold water via hand held pumps. WE do have pressurized water in the sinks, and could use this as well. There is no separate shower stall, but the bathrooms ( called "the heads")are small and enclosed- thus serving a double purpose. If we have been swimming, we use the hand pumps to rinse off as we come on deck in our bathing suits instead.
Energy is another limited resource. Our boat runs on 12V batteries, much like a car. When you use power, you have to recharge the batteries. This is done by running the engine, using the Genset, or our solar panel. (Some boats have wind generators.) We are very careful about how many lights we have on in the evening. Many of the bulbs are LED, and we try to use them the most as they use very little energy. The refrigerator, which is big for a boat ( installed by previous owner) uses alot of energy. We insulate it as much as we can, and often turn it off when we anchor. We are aware of how many amps each device uses and are very careful. If we do not save enough charge in the battery, the engine will not start! ( We try not to use the generator ( Genset)- it is loud and uses up diesel).
Also, we are careful about how much trash we produce. Everything has to be stored aboard until we can come to a place where we can dispose of it. Living on a boat gives you an intimate understanding of how to conserve our planet's natural resources.
Here is a picture of daily life, though no day is exactly the same. A great deal depends on the weather. Mom and Dad get up before dawn, have coffee and listen to the weather. on the VHF radio, and also check the computer if available. They consult the charts and guidebooks and confirm our destination. Dad checks the engine before we go, every day. The sunrise on the water is very beautiful as we get underway. Usually Rachel or Jake come up as crew, sometimes both. This starts at dawn, sometimes before breakfast. If we are underway we have cereal or something easy, If we are staying put we make pancakes or french toast .( We have a gas stove/oven that runs on propane.) Often the days are long- usually 8 to 12 hours underway. Our typical speed is 6 to 7 knots(which is a just little more than miles per hour) If there is rough weather, or many hazards to watch for ( lobster/crab pots/ floating debris/ traffic) we are all on deck, or take shifts to watch or helm. If it is not too rough, the kids do schoolwork underway. We have two very large boxes filled with schoolbooks!) We usually stop at night and we either anchor, or take a mooring. We very rarely go to a dock. This means that to get to land, we use our dinghy ( inflatable rowboat with motor) to get to shore.Jake and Rachel help with anchoring or grabbing the mooring, and Jake helps get the dinghy down from the Davits- (where it is stored up out of the water while we are moving). If we need groceries or supplies, we walk to the store. It is not uncommon for us to walk 2 or 3 miles, sometimes more. Everyone helps to carry the groceries back. We usually try to visit the local sights, museums, historical places. On board we read, do school work, play games, play guitar,listen to music, or watch a movie on our portable DVD. Meals take quite a long time, as everything is stored carefully. Often, you need to take out three or 4 boxes to get to the item you need stored underneath. Everything has to be stowed away carefully so it does not come fly around when it is rough or when we are heeling ( tilted) under sail. Sometimes it takes patience to fit everything back where it goes, or to get what you need.
We usually read at night, and I read aloud to Eli. Jake and Eli sleep in the main salon, there are two bunks , one on either side, Rachel in the V- birth up forward, and Mom and Dad in the aft cabin.
The best rewards of this life are deeper family ties, an appreciation for each other, learning skills in communication, respect and getting along in a small space.We also enjoy the slower pace, the simpler life( even if it is harder), and the beauty of nature all around. Another precious gift is the people that you meet along the way. (So many interesting stories! ) The kindness we experience is amazing. We have truly seen the better part of human nature. People on the water have a code to " Pay it Forward", to help when you can- with no thought of reward- you never know when you will need it. It is a real sense of community. We have helped others, and have been helped in return- not only by those in boats but many good people on land. It restores your faith in human kind and inspires you to become a better person.
There is a limited supply of fresh water onboard, so you become very aware of how much you use. We carry two 70 gallon tanks of water, plus a 6 gallon jug on deck and about 6 gallon jugs in the fridge. We shower with cold water via hand held pumps. WE do have pressurized water in the sinks, and could use this as well. There is no separate shower stall, but the bathrooms ( called "the heads")are small and enclosed- thus serving a double purpose. If we have been swimming, we use the hand pumps to rinse off as we come on deck in our bathing suits instead.
Energy is another limited resource. Our boat runs on 12V batteries, much like a car. When you use power, you have to recharge the batteries. This is done by running the engine, using the Genset, or our solar panel. (Some boats have wind generators.) We are very careful about how many lights we have on in the evening. Many of the bulbs are LED, and we try to use them the most as they use very little energy. The refrigerator, which is big for a boat ( installed by previous owner) uses alot of energy. We insulate it as much as we can, and often turn it off when we anchor. We are aware of how many amps each device uses and are very careful. If we do not save enough charge in the battery, the engine will not start! ( We try not to use the generator ( Genset)- it is loud and uses up diesel).
Also, we are careful about how much trash we produce. Everything has to be stored aboard until we can come to a place where we can dispose of it. Living on a boat gives you an intimate understanding of how to conserve our planet's natural resources.
Here is a picture of daily life, though no day is exactly the same. A great deal depends on the weather. Mom and Dad get up before dawn, have coffee and listen to the weather. on the VHF radio, and also check the computer if available. They consult the charts and guidebooks and confirm our destination. Dad checks the engine before we go, every day. The sunrise on the water is very beautiful as we get underway. Usually Rachel or Jake come up as crew, sometimes both. This starts at dawn, sometimes before breakfast. If we are underway we have cereal or something easy, If we are staying put we make pancakes or french toast .( We have a gas stove/oven that runs on propane.) Often the days are long- usually 8 to 12 hours underway. Our typical speed is 6 to 7 knots(which is a just little more than miles per hour) If there is rough weather, or many hazards to watch for ( lobster/crab pots/ floating debris/ traffic) we are all on deck, or take shifts to watch or helm. If it is not too rough, the kids do schoolwork underway. We have two very large boxes filled with schoolbooks!) We usually stop at night and we either anchor, or take a mooring. We very rarely go to a dock. This means that to get to land, we use our dinghy ( inflatable rowboat with motor) to get to shore.Jake and Rachel help with anchoring or grabbing the mooring, and Jake helps get the dinghy down from the Davits- (where it is stored up out of the water while we are moving). If we need groceries or supplies, we walk to the store. It is not uncommon for us to walk 2 or 3 miles, sometimes more. Everyone helps to carry the groceries back. We usually try to visit the local sights, museums, historical places. On board we read, do school work, play games, play guitar,listen to music, or watch a movie on our portable DVD. Meals take quite a long time, as everything is stored carefully. Often, you need to take out three or 4 boxes to get to the item you need stored underneath. Everything has to be stowed away carefully so it does not come fly around when it is rough or when we are heeling ( tilted) under sail. Sometimes it takes patience to fit everything back where it goes, or to get what you need.
We usually read at night, and I read aloud to Eli. Jake and Eli sleep in the main salon, there are two bunks , one on either side, Rachel in the V- birth up forward, and Mom and Dad in the aft cabin.
The best rewards of this life are deeper family ties, an appreciation for each other, learning skills in communication, respect and getting along in a small space.We also enjoy the slower pace, the simpler life( even if it is harder), and the beauty of nature all around. Another precious gift is the people that you meet along the way. (So many interesting stories! ) The kindness we experience is amazing. We have truly seen the better part of human nature. People on the water have a code to " Pay it Forward", to help when you can- with no thought of reward- you never know when you will need it. It is a real sense of community. We have helped others, and have been helped in return- not only by those in boats but many good people on land. It restores your faith in human kind and inspires you to become a better person.
