Life Aboard a (Very) Small Sailboat in Scandinavia

[KillerBoo]

A couple of pictures.. for those who have never seen winter
My boat and also friends boat, on the swedish west coast

[wingNwing]

These are a lot of fun to read - thanks for taking the time, and keep posting! We've lived on a 33-foot boat for 8 years, including 6 winters in the Chesapeake (near Washington DC) USA, but never anything as cold and dark and snowy as your pictures.

[aegean adrift]

Thank you! and please do pace yourself ...

[KillerBoo]

Thank you guys,
I´m doing my best to just translate/transfer what may be of interest. The original thread has a lot of side tracks since I get a lot of questions already answered and positive feedback on my "guts" and determination. Things of no real interest this long after the postings. So much time aboard is occupied by the same things as everyone already know of and understand from ordinary boat life, so really just of no reading interest.

My main attitude towards life itself is that nothing is impossible. I´m a "If you want it, then do it"-kinda guy and this makes things easier when I encounter a problem that many boaters find impossible to solve.. being a toilet issue or just how to keep a happy face after 2 weeks of rain.

[KillerBoo]

Reports are being made from around Sweden, about temps above freezing point. Well, so far not here.. but a nice, steady 2 to 3 below is actually starting to feel like the tropics even here. After 3 weeks of extreme cold, even for this part of Sweden, I´ve been wondering if global heating isn´t just a big hoax.

A lot of books about circumnavigation, 2-3 year long cruises etc have been consumed with great appetite and there´s a spot, far back in my (sometimes not very bright) brain that´s started to knaw... "why not at least do the canals of Europe, down to the Med?" At least after a winter on this small boat, I know I won´t get claustrophobic and the idea really appeals to me. Only prob is to get the means to do it. The poker games keep me afloat, but it won´t allow for any major extras and I´m not too keen on getting back to a dayjob. I´m lucky as it is, to be able to live my dream and wake up where I want to, during the non-ice season.

I can´t wait for the ice to go, but that will probably take another 2 months

I´ve slept perhaps 15 nights away from the boat, and every time I´ve longed back. I like it in small areas. A house just isn´t for me.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by KillerBoo

I´ve been living on board my Maxi77 since march 2009. It´s a small boat.. in some eyes too small even to be called Compact Living

Thanks for showing you don’t need a million dollar boat navigating through the tropics to enjoy cruising. I have been looking a bit further a field for inspiration and here is a link that might even excite you?

Introduction to the junk-rigged Corribee Mingming

(Noting my post 369! Getting a bit numerically superstitions or are things finally start to add up with innuendos of nearing gratification?)

[KillerBoo]

Got stuck in the SOL-swamp. ( Sailonline.org - Online Sailing ) It´s a site for virtually simulating sailing races that uses real time weather forecasts to set the conditions. It´s fun, it´s addictive and the next best thing when I´m frozen in.

(To those of you that haven´t already tried it, check it out, it´s free but it requires some time to spare if you want to finish in good positions)

[KillerBoo]

Still all good aboard.
The snow just had a relapse along with the cold.
The small pump I use, to keep open water, just gave up on me. Since this is a budget solution instead of getting a real (and really expensive) de-icer I bought 2 of them. I´ve launched the spare now and will get the worked out one exchanged on a warranty claim
I must say tho, I paid less than 700SEK for the 2 pumps and never expected it to last this long, running more or less continously. A very cheap and very effective solution to the ice problem. The larger one has a power consumption of 750W and the smaller one is at 350W. The smallest availble is at 275W I think, and that would probably have done the job as well. No need to keep "half the marina" de-iced even tho some sport anglers have been happy to use it to put their fish traps in, to get bait for pike fishing. No fun to hack up holes at 1x1 metre through 60 cm of solid core ice

[KillerBoo]

Still snowing. 30 cm (10+ in) since last night. Grrr.. I HATE winter, but at least I don´t have a whole front yard to clear from snow.

Something went bad onthe SOL-race to Durban tonight. Went from top 50 down to 400-something. Fell asleep I guess.. and my track log looked like an EKG taken off a horny rat

[KillerBoo]

Yuck. Things have been great. The cold has been off and on with some major differences. Still not a single degree above freeze though. But it´s been climbing steadily and I thought.. "Yes, the worst is over" and then... a cold showeer in the shape of the local nespaper: The entire Lake Vänern is now covered with ice. Ice breakers been called up to assist freighters south bound for Gothenburg but the closest one is... yep, frozen in, somewhere along the Göta Älv. (This lake is -as I said earlier- pretty big and last time it was completely covered with ice was sometime in the late 80´s)

I´ve sure picked the right winter to try out liveaboard... Thanks to frequent use of both electric- and diesel heater I´ve managed to keep the boat warmer than most ordinary homes though, so I haven´t really suffered at all.

There´s an older gentleman that comes down every now and then. He brings freshly baked buns, cookies and things, and I make the coffee (or glögg) and we use to sit outside, on the pier, discussing life´s necessities and old memories from his and my own early days. not much beats sitting outside a cold evening, under a starry heaven and just dream away if you have the right company.

[KillerBoo]

No surprises, ugly or good, lately. Ice is still pretty thick and my friend just took his first swim.. but he CAME back wanting to get back inside the warmer cockpit.

EDIT:
Crap, oc I missed to translate the post related to the "friend". Oh well, here´s a summary:

I´ve got a tennant..

A poor bird that I found exhausted near my little swimming pool around the boat. A dopping (have no idea whatsoever what it might be called in english, but it lives on fish and since Vänern still is covered with ice, it can´t feed).

I took him in, placed him in a box in the cockpit and I´ve been feeding him tiny slices of fresh fish and he´s slowly recovering, feeding from my hand. I´ve tried to let him go a couple of times, but he´s showed no interest in leaving. I´ll attach e couple of pics in the next post

[KillerBoo]

The one wearing clothes isn´t the bird... that´s my youngest daughter

[mbianka]

Boo:

Like many others. I am enjoying your posts. Some people who have never lived on board may find it strange. But, those who have (like me) know what you are writing about. I agree best place to dine is on board. We always have a waterfront view! Really enjoying your experiences in Sweden and looking forward to your next experience.

[KillerBoo]

Always fun to be an inspiration. One of the guys following the original thread dropped a line telling me he just bought a Maxi77 and was planning to at least "semi" liveaboard. (From may through oct)

[KillerBoo]

And it didn´t take long until a reply post was made from another guy saying: "If this keeps up, we´ll soon see real estate taxes for Maxi-boats" haha

It´s not always been a bed of roses but so far I´m actually quite satisfied. During the harsh nights of a winter colder than noone remembers I´ve never been cold. I´ve slept better and woken up much more rested than ever before in a bed in a land based living. The project or what to call it (to see if it was possible or not to live in a small boat) is coming to an end, spring time is closing in and when the temperatures are constntly above freezing (wont be long now) there´s not much more of a challenge to be made. However, most things points towards continuing to live aboard. It´s cheap, it´s cosy and I am where I feel I want to be. The upsides are far more than the downsides and having a winter like this one behind me only makes it all the more likely that I will stay on board. For now, I just can´t wait to be able to set sails again.