How Long to Adjust?

[maxingout]

The cruising life is majorly different from life ashore. I never really tried to bring shoreside stuff aboard, and I never missed it. I wanted only those things on board that made a world cruise possible, and none of the stuff from shore helped me attain that goal. If a person has the mind of a cruiser, then the adjustment is easy. If a person regards his vessel as a floating condominium that replicates shoreside life, then stuff and interior volume become a real problem. They never gave up the mindset of their shoreside existence.

[Vancefish]

It looks like the transition is up to you. Either it takes forever (or never), or it happens yesterday???

I've lived on the hard dry of Colorado my entire life. I joined the Navy to travel, but only reached Philadelphia before a high school buddy got me excavated with his own bull (hence making my life rough).

I've worked my petuckus off to buy my boat. It will be where ever it lands next. As a child of an early 70's divorce, I'm used to the loss! the lack of crap was my existence just 12 years ago. I lived out of a car for over a year. Couch surfing while I found my way.

It was a girl who eliminated my child, who got me on track. After 10 years and no takers? I decided my crap had to go. The Rocky mountain life was overdone. Time for that other dream.

I bought the boat a few months ago (You can look up where). Currently running low on crap. Called BACK to my dead end job (but extra $$). Selling my paid off home..

I can't wait to get back to my boat! I can't WAIT!,, to feel the rock of the waves again (slept on it twice so far). I have yet to move on from a life on at a mile above the "hard". Yet I'm already adjusted. It will be the best home I've owned yet!!

(It'll be even better when I wake up at home in Cabo, or Costa Rica! ;-)

[D&D]

Originally Posted by maxingout

The cruising life is majorly different from life ashore.

We certainly agree.

Originally Posted by maxingout

I never really tried to bring shoreside stuff aboard, and I never missed it. I wanted only those things on board that made a world cruise possible, and none of the stuff from shore helped me attain that goal. If a person has the mind of a cruiser, then the adjustment is easy. If a person regards his vessel as a floating condominium that replicates shoreside life, then stuff and interior volume become a real problem. They never gave up the mindset of their shoreside existence.

While we respect your right to your views, your further comments about what others may choose seem (in our view) a bit too judgmental and negative. That 'floating condominium' reference is often thrown about loosely and derisively applied to any vessel whose crew enjoy creature comforts, whatever that may mean in each vessel's case. Our experience confirms that a comfortable vessel is absolutely not a sure marker of a crew stuck in the mindset of shoreside existence, any more than a seriously comfortable cabin might be to a long-distance trucker. The fact is that modern vessels can be both safe and very comfortable. In our view, many who carry a great deal more "stuff" than "only those things...that made a world cruise possible" are no less 'cruisers' than anyone else living on the water.

We say 'each to their own'...and we embrace cruising in comfort!

[JPA Cate]

Well, Mr. D & D,

We met "maxingout" when they were still cruising. Thanks for the cinnamon buns, Dave.

I think that what people think they need to "go cruising" has changed a great deal in the last say, 20 yrs. Seriously, people didn't need freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, hot water to head and galley, and foreced air heating then. It's a huge change, actually.

However, some people still seem able to cruise on under 30 ft. boats, without refrigeration, pressure water, and a lot of commonly thought-of-necessities. YMMV, but those guys are out there and some of them are having major fun...and possibly on boats that cost less than your genset and refrigerator cost!

Personally, I think there's plenty of room for most of us in the cruising fleet.

A

[44'cruisingcat]

Don't have a car, so don't need a garage. The rest was easy, we have a queen size bed, decent sized lounge area, good galley, full headroom throughout... really, adjusting was no problem.

IMO there were only positives about moving aboard.

[JPA Cate]

At first it seemed that adjustment was very fast. I grieved and moved on from the house I'd raised a family in. But then, after 2 - 3 years, I had to finally adjust to not being paid for my time. I had taken the pay in as ego reinforcing. And the lack of that ego reinforcement gave me problems. So I had a new problem to solve.....

A

[weavis]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Don't have a car, so don't need a garage. The rest was easy, we have a queen size bed, decent sized lounge area, good galley, full headroom throughout... really, adjusting was no problem.

IMO there were only positives about moving aboard.

I do have one preference in Cats. Trouble is that only on the more expensive ones is my preference met.

I dont need a super duper double extended King size bed. I prefer an island berth so instead of shuffling down the berth or climbing over everyone, I can put my legs over the side and stand.
Id gladly lose width for this.

Seems though that manufacturers just fill in the space and throw a mattress on top, sometimes the oddest shape mattress I might add.

Tis not that important at the end of the day. Just a preference.

[SailSummerWind]

It took a while, but my husband tells me every day I am spoiled as I never been on the boat smaller than 45ft. After finishing our first cruise we moved back to land and I was struggling with what to do with all that space..
Never went back to buying stuff I don't really need. We got our "new to us" sailboat last year, a 47ft for 2 of us and our 3 cats and the only struggle was cat litter and scratching pole. In the end cats got one of 2 heads, the smaller one. And we are all happy.
You learn to buy less, and use things that can multi task. Vine bottle is great rolling pin..lol

[leftbrainstuff]

We transitioned very quickly. We'd spent 2+ years becoming almost 100% digital in both our personal and professional lives.

We live and run a tech startup from our boat. The key to a quick transition is the right boat. In our case a Liberty 458.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Yofy]

From the first day It felt right. There was no looking back. I think we both felt like we'd finally found our tribe and its still that way today. People are constantly inviting us to stay with them and then go on about how great it must be for us to finally have space. If only they knew... we count the days until we can get back on board.

But to be fair we didn't move from a house to a boat and we've never had a lot of belongings.

Our first liveaboard boat was in Canada and we moved aboard just before winter. Our biggest adjustment was dealing with the climate. I looked at it as an adventure and kept a journal.

We've never had big boats and Manny works from our boat so storage is an issue. But I still think we have too much stuff. We'd probably feel the same way in a house. In my experience space is like a vacuum, you always fill it.

Robyn

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

Ya been to the Du Lac Dat?

Is that a trick question? LOL

Dulac is one word, if you refer to the town of Dulac.

Well I did some asking and I guess you mean the bar of that name, in Dulac. I don't think it was there last time I was in Dulac which was quite some years ago. There used to be two bars but I don't remember the names. Oh, and another one over across the bayou. Mostly Indians went to that one. Good place to get in a fight real quick, especially if you were trying real hard to just sit there minding your own business and drink your beer quietly. The other two bars were, well, interesting. I watched a barmaid pull a gun on a customer for being rude, once. (Yes, he stopped being rude.) Either bar you went into had a list of people who were barred. They were long lists, but only about 3 last names on either list. My understanding is you were automatically barred from one or the other, by circumstance of birth or family affiliation. Nice, simple system. LOL!

Dulac in the early 80s would have made a good reality show.


OOPS.. would that be considered off topic?

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Is that a trick question? LOL

Dulac is one word, if you refer to the town of Dulac.

Well I did some asking and I guess you mean the bar of that name, in Dulac. I don't think it was there last time I was in Dulac which was quite some years ago. There used to be two bars but I don't remember the names. Oh, and another one over across the bayou. Mostly Indians went to that one. Good place to get in a fight real quick, especially if you were trying real hard to just sit there minding your own business and drink your beer quietly. The other two bars were, well, interesting. I watched a barmaid pull a gun on a customer for being rude, once. (Yes, he stopped being rude.) Either bar you went into had a list of people who were barred. They were long lists, but only about 3 last names on either list. My understanding is you were automatically barred from one or the other, by circumstance of birth or family affiliation. Nice, simple system. LOL!

Dulac in the early 80s would have made a good reality show.


OOPS.. would that be considered off topic?

If you didn't have a knife they would issue you one at the door. High class joint with an indoor terlet.

[Lepke]

I am 65 and have lived aboard ships and boats, off and on, since I was 14. My boat experience has always been on power boats, so some more room than sail. The lack of space helps you decide what items you really need.
A boat/ship has always meant home to me where a house has not. What I like the most is the feeling of freedom. The ability to leave and go elsewhere. The quiet and privacy. I equate the freedom to something like a refugee coming to America.
Lepke

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Personally, I think there's plenty of room for most of us in the cruising fleet.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by SailSummerWind

It took a while, but my husband tells me every day I am spoiled as I never been on the boat smaller than 45ft. After finishing our first cruise we moved back to land and I was struggling with what to do with all that space..
Never went back to buying stuff I don't really need. We got our "new to us" sailboat last year, a 47ft for 2 of us and our 3 cats and the only struggle was cat litter and scratching pole. In the end cats got one of 2 heads, the smaller one. And we are all happy.
You learn to buy less, and use things that can multi task. Vine bottle is great rolling pin..lol

Hahahahahhahahahahahahah! Great post! Moved all the way up from 45 to 47' and still talking about buying less stuff and multitasking!

I keep the kitty litter in the washing machine when I'm not using it. (The washing machine.) The cats themselves sleep in the dryer, and drink directly from the watermaker so's to save some floor space. My middle name is "Multitasking!"

Peace sistah ... jes' funin' ... Dulac dat terlet?