Tips and tricks for minimalist cruising

[goboatingnow]

I have a vacuum cleaner that uses the same battery system as all my other on board power tools.

I have a simple boat. Good electronics some I designed myself

I fix all my own stuff to the greatest extent possible sometimes to save money , mainly cause i don’t trust the workmanship.

We eat out but like quite cheaply (€10-12 a head ) our biggest expense is the annual marina contract. But that’s what my partner likes for the winter social scene. We get away from the marina for 6-8 weeks at a time and tend to eat out about 30%

We shower every day sometimes twice ( we carry about 8 days water at that rate ) generally after swimming off the boat. Washing takes place in the sea.

Diesel added up to about €120 since may Covid lockdown ended

I think not washing for a week or forcing one form of clothing is rather pushing things too far. Laundry for us is about €8 a fortnight , we hand wash light items on board.

The fridge makes ice for the g&t and is about the only major consumer of power. Solar PV does all the work. We start the engine for 20 minutes if were multi days on anchor or on the dock.

We don’t use shore power away from the home marina.

We stock the boat well , spirits wine beer coke fizzy water etc.

We buy the vast majority of day to day clothes in a second hand or “Chinese “ shop you know cotton tee shirts for €2 etc. I have 8 identical ones !!!

But we make no assertions this is some minimalist lifestyle. It’s a budget driven one.

It’s been extremely good fun so far.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Na Mara

My wife and I are getting into the whole minimalism thing and as on land, so at sea. Thus we are actively looking for ways to do with less aboard and I thought maybe others here have some good ideas for us.

Well as has been pointed out and addressed, minimalize can mean different things in different contexts.

In my case I do try to minimize impact on the environment. Part of that means avoiding prepackaged, prepared and processed foods. This reduces waste and is generally much healthier. The we try to recycle everything we can. Yes I know a lot of it, especially plastics, end up in the landfill anyway but all we can do is try.

Also cook most of our own meals, buy local whenever possible, spend most of the time at anchor and dock only when necessary for fuel, water, supplies.

Originally Posted by Na Mara

1 merino wool clothing: we discovered this wonderful material a while ago. I’m a big guy who sweats when hot or exerting myself. On a warm day sailing I used to go through at least 3 T-shirts, 1-2 pairs of underwear, 1 pair of socks a day. That created a mountain of laundry that forced us into port every week or so to use a launderette. It was so bad I even tried to figure out where I could put a washing machine on board.

Then we discovered merino wool and it changed our lives. Merino wool does not smell of BO after you sweat into it. This means that a single T-shirt can be worn hard for a week or two without committing any olfactory sins against fellow crew. Underwear last for a couple of days. This drastically reduces the amount of laundry onboard to the extent that it can easily be done by hand. Only when bedding needs cleaning do we need to visit a launderette these days.

Interesting. My connection with wool clothing was more for cold weather where minimally processed wool that retains the natural oils from the sheep, will keep you warm even when wet. Never considered wool for warm weather clothing. Is it not a bit scratchy for t-shirts and underwear?

Originally Posted by Na Mara

2 Stanley thermos mugs. One of these will keep a large mug of coffee, tea or juice hot for hours, and cold drinks cold for an hour or so. After bringing one of these onboard for each crew person we went from boiling a kettle 4-5 times a day to boiling it twice. This drastically reduced our gas usage aboard (by something like a third). We also reduced the amount of water we were chilling in the fridge and so a little electricity consumption there. The mugs are also excellent as you can carry them in your pocket without them leaking: a great feature when sailing.

Have used thermoses for years on board. Fill a thermos with coffee in the evening and it's good for watches all night. Recent tests and reviews indicate the Thermos brand holds heat slightly longer but some thought it wasn't as well made as the Stanley brand.

Originally Posted by Na Mara

3 chrome book and or pad instead of laptop: they use about half the power.

Have looked vaguely at Chrome book computers but I need something is a fully functional computer and able to do word processing and spreadsheets even off line. Can the Chrome Book do this?

Another option, a laptop with a solid state drive instead of a mechanical hard drive uses a lot less power but costs a bit more.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Well as has been pointed out and addressed, minimalize can mean different things in different contexts.



In my case I do try to minimize impact on the environment. Part of that means avoiding prepackaged, prepared and processed foods. This reduces waste and is generally much healthier. The we try to recycle everything we can. Yes I know a lot of it, especially plastics, end up in the landfill anyway but all we can do is try.



Also cook most of our own meals, buy local whenever possible, spend most of the time at anchor and dock only when necessary for fuel, water, supplies.







Interesting. My connection with wool clothing was more for cold weather where minimally processed wool that retains the natural oils from the sheep, will keep you warm even when wet. Never considered wool for warm weather clothing. Is it not a bit scratchy for t-shirts and underwear?











Have used thermoses for years on board. Fill a thermos with coffee in the evening and it's good for watches all night. Recent tests and reviews indicate the Thermos brand holds heat slightly longer but some thought it wasn't as well made as the Stanley brand.









Have looked vaguely at Chrome book computers but I need something is a fully functional computer and able to do word processing and spreadsheets even off line. Can the Chrome Book do this?



Another option, a laptop with a solid state drive instead of a mechanical hard drive uses a lot less power but costs a bit more.

We run a windows laptop with SSD , Two iPads , two iPhones , a kindle the whole thing uses so little power compared to the fridge I’ve stopped monitoring it any more the modest PV panel has no issue keeping up.

( oh and a HP deskjet thingy with scanner )

I can’t stand wool against my skin so it’s all cotton for me.

We plan 8 months on the boat 4 checking up on the house seeing the kids visiting relative etc.

I do all the cooking , I don’t obsess on fresh local , I get and buy what makes sense , what I can store and what we like to eat. Quantities are small are we get older , often one cook up lasts us three days.

Food ingredients costing us about €60 a week but varies quite a lot. That includes spirits wine and fake Lidl Bailey’s ( brilliant in coffee on a watch !!)

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

We run a windows laptop with SSD , Two iPads , two iPhones , a kindle the whole thing uses so little power compared to the fridge I’ve stopped monitoring it any more the modest PV panel has no issue keeping up.

( oh and a HP deskjet thingy with scanner )

I can’t stand wool against my skin so it’s all cotton for me.

We plan 8 months on the boat 4 checking up on the house seeing the kids visiting relative etc.

I do all the cooking , I don’t obsess on fresh local , I get and buy what makes sense , what I can store and what we like to eat. Quantities are small are we get older , often one cook up lasts us three days.

Food ingredients costing us about €60 a week but varies quite a lot. That includes spirits wine and fake Lidl Bailey’s ( brilliant in coffee on a watch !!)

That’s how I end up doing my electrical also. There’s a freezer on my boat that’s electric, and everything else is a rounding error.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Chotu

That’s how I end up doing my electrical also. There’s a freezer on my boat that’s electric, and everything else is a rounding error.

Exactly. I actually designed and installed quite sophisticated current monitors. In the end it really confirmed what I suspected 24x7 loads are the killers. Everything else is in the noise.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Food ingredients costing us about €60 a week but varies quite a lot. That includes spirits wine and fake Lidl Bailey’s ( brilliant in coffee on a watch !!)

I have a nicer option.. (IMO)
Strong black coffee, condensed milk and Soberano or brandy of choice... A Belmonte.. tastes like Baileys but with a kick..
Quite popular in Andalusia with early start manual workers..

[TrentePieds]

Well, since you are sailing a Vindö 43 out of Malmõ, you've pretty well aced it, haven't you :-)?

The standard outfit of a Vindö 43 "off the rack" is surely more than you NEED? If you are wanting to be a "minimalist", then what you want, clearly, is to minimalize your WANTS!

In terms of minimalist navigation outta Malmö: Turn left coming out of there, follow the shore and you'll be in Ystad before you know. Carry on along the shore overnight, then turn right and you'll be in Färjestaden. But remember to keep yer tongue straight as you come in twixt Õland and "the mainland". It's only about 5 NM from one to the other. With a draft of a piddling 6 feet you don't even need a fish-finder. You can see bottom in 30 feet of water. And you do carry a good ol'fashioned sounding lead, don't you :-)

'Course, you could be wanting the fleshpots of Nyhavn. Then just steer about 310 out of Malmö so as to leave Saltholmen to port. You don't actually need a compass to do that. You remember from you boy-scout days how to use a "minimalist" analogue wristwatch as a compass, don't you? Even an old-fashioned alarm clock will do :-)

Be a bit careful as you come down the harbour and turn right into Nyhavn just before the Indre Havnebro. The fairway in Nyhavn is narrow. Narrow enuff that you can see shore without using binoculars. You can't get past Nyhavnsbroen, but from there it is a five minute walk to Hotel d'Angleterre, anyway. Hotel d'A used to be the best eatery in town. Though the music at the Vitex was better. I think that place is gone now. So is Café Shanghai in Nyhavn, I'm sure. That was the place to go if loose women were on your shopping list. So you see there is no need for refrigerators, or diesel generators or any of that sort of stuff if you sail Vindõ 43 out of Malmõ :-)!

Ha det så så trevligt :-)!

TrentePieds (FDP)

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I have a nicer option.. (IMO)

Strong black coffee, condensed milk and Soberano or brandy of choice... A Belmonte.. tastes like Baileys but with a kick..

Quite popular in Andalusia with early start manual workers..

Hmm , is it sensitive to the type of brandy. Here the cheap stuff is Metaxa

But sounds good. I struggle keeping condensed milk once it’s opened and the cans are useless as storage.

I see it’s a drink from the Murcia area of Spain the only thing is based on expresso I use a French press. Will give it a try.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Boating is a luxury item

Not if you live aboard!
It's your home.
SV Cloud Duster

[wolfgal]

whether one is frugal or wants to keep it minimal, it is all good.

but what interests me (as a still hopeful boat-owner and cruiser - this is taking forever!) is finding ways to decrease my boat's/my lifestyle's carbon footprint before some legislative body (that hasn't a clue) starts making up and imposing impossible rules.

wouldn't it would be great if our community came up with tricks and tips on our own?

please don't tell me to start a thread: although i seriously recycle, get most clothing from used-clothing stores, quit buying/cooking meat/fish/dairy for the planet (long ago), never needed a car (mass transport and a bike), cut my own hair, and am now getting rid of the fridge in my very small bolthole, etc., i don't have my boat yet and don't cruise yet.


so if folks out there have good ideas on greening the sailing lifestyle more, they could prove useful



wolfie

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by wolfgal

whether one is frugal or wants to keep it minimal, it is all good.

but what interests me (as a still hopeful boat-owner and cruiser - this is taking forever!) is finding ways to decrease my boat's/my lifestyle's carbon footprint before some legislative body (that hasn't a clue) starts making up and imposing impossible rules.

wouldn't it would be great if our community came up with tricks and tips on our own?

please don't tell me to start a thread: although i seriously recycle, get most clothing from used-clothing stores, quit buying/cooking meat/fish/dairy for the planet (long ago), never needed a car (mass transport and a bike), cut my own hair, and am now getting rid of the fridge in my very small bolthole, etc., i don't have my boat yet and don't cruise yet.


so if folks out there have good ideas on greening the sailing lifestyle more, they could prove useful



wolfie

Sounds like you have already hit all the big targets. Can't see too many ways you can improve on that.

However, I really like having a fridge. It sure is nice to keep fresh veggies, cheese and such for a while when away from civilization.

[wolfgal]

Originally Posted by skipmac

However, I really like having a fridge. It sure is nice to keep fresh veggies, cheese and such for a while when away from civilization.

thanks. yes, figure that i'd opt for the fridge in the boat as it is likely to be more of a needed item than in the bolthole (one is enough).

but i think there are likely quite a few things we can do with the sailboat and/or while sailing

off the top of my head:

-keep the engine tip-topped tuned to burn fuel effectively. use it when necessary as opposed to when frustrated

-switch to electric engine... possibly if.when battery banks/range justifies it (i do not know how far along this is)

-see if anti-fouling can be replaced with none...? nothing but scratching her belly quite often (read about folks doing this and finding it works just fine - does it? any experience?)

-cut up plastic into tiny bits and put in one container that finds its way into a recycling bin

-pick up trash (as we can) underway, on beaches.

-the way we provision could surely improve...

- vinegar works just as well as many more "chemical" products

-composting head perhaps?

do not know but am curious...

[Scaramanga F25]

Get a smaller boat

[Lake-Effect]

A minimalist small-boat thing: every item aboard should have at least two uses.


That one is from a good friend and fellow micro-cruiser owner.

[Benz]

I guess I'm a minimalist but only from budgetary and space constraints. In my world, that means carrying everything I need, and adjusting my needs so they don't overrun my space. My boat has no inboard engine nor electrical system, which saves huge amounts of space and money. Enough bedding for each person with no extras; a limited amount of clothes (by the way, for those not in the know, Merino is the softest, least-scratchy, most luxurious wool out there. I wear merino next to my skin in cold weather exclusively. Cotton is for the tropics.); cooking pots and utensils that have multiple uses (for instance, the steamer attachment that fits above a pot of boiling rice, so you cook both rice and veggies at once). No dive gear, limited fishing gear (some lures and handlines), no water tanks, a sun shower. Manual bilge pumps, manual toilet, battery VHF and GPS, rowing dinghy.
We often cruise places where eating street food is cheaper than buying groceries to cook, but don't mind sitting down in a restaurant from time to time.
Laundry is done with rainwater caught in tubs, rivers ashore, or laundry facilities if they're to be found.
Marinas less than 5% of the time: special occasions, severe weather, mandatory check-in.
There's a lot of little things that add up over time. Still, I'd rather be loaded, stay at marinas at will, and eat out all the time. So, not a minimalist by choice.