What the..? How the heck do you live on a boat!? Like...it's your home? These are usually the first reactions I get when people learn that I'm living on a boat. Since a lot of people are interested about life on a boat, I've decided that the best way to describe my life is to set up a blog about it. It might even be the little push that sends some looking for their very own sailboat, to finally live their dreams of becoming a pirate. Aaaarrrr....
So...how do I live on boat? The same way that everyone else does living on land, really, except my house floats on water, I kayak to get on land from the boat (since the boat can't be parked on shallow waters), and I can relocate anytime, anywhere. Aaah, gotta love the freedom of not having to be stuck in any particular place, I have to say! It just suits my itchy traveling feet. That's the perk of living afloat.
Of course, you've gotta have the stomach to endure the constant rocking, especially on windy and wavy days, but you get used to it after awhile. The land might feel wobbly to you (ironically) after having been on the boat for a few days, and you'll look like some drunken idiot zigzagging across an otherwise stable shore as you walk, but hey, it could be a fun thing too. Personally, since I've been on the boat for more than a year now, I really can't tell the difference anymore between being on water and being on land. It just becomes second-nature, like anything else you do constantly. Occasionally, we do run into storms, but they're never a cause for panic. In fact, panic and you might find yourself overboard, drowning! It's best to keep calm, focused, and in the present moment during these times. You can even harness yourself to the boat, if you're really that scared about the wind blowing you overboard. Have faith that the boat won't just sink anytime it's faced with storms and big waves. Sailboats are designed to weather storms. They stay afloat as long as you don't crash them into some iceberg, like the Titanic did. I speak about storms from experience, so you can take my word for it. And by the way, I learned to drive the boat during a storm, because my partner had to attend to the sails and other such things that need attention during a storm. But it's probably best to get Sailing 101, for good measure. I'm just saying that experience is not a requirement; it comes in time.
Anyway, everything else about my life, as I've said, is pretty much the same as living on land. In the mornings, I water my plants, do some yoga if I'm up to it (although my yoga practices are a bit more limited, due to balancing issues from the boat's rocking), do some house/boat-keeping chores, go into town to do the market if needed, and then I'm off on the Internet. My partner and I both work on the Internet as a source of income, which makes spontaneous traveling feasible for us. We make sure to park the boat in places where signal is available, but on some days, we have to forfeit this, like when we're sailing or have to stop for the night at some deserted island in the middle of nowhere. The physical freedom of your job is important if you wanna live on a boat and are not yet retired...unless you just plan to park your boat on a pier year-round, that is. But..whatever floats your boat, right? Hehe, thought that was a good pun.
In the early mornings I purposely get up to watch the sunrise. These are wonderful times for me, as I sit on top of the boat, taking in the sleepy silence, the gentle warmth of the first rays of the sun, and the clear waters that allow me to see everything at the bottom, including schools of fish hunting for their morning meal. Occasionally, I even spot an eagle spanning over the waters until in one swift movement, it dips its head into the sea, and a fish is squirming about in its mouth. Majestic! In the afternoons, my partner and I sit out on the deck to enjoy the beautiful sunsets that living in nature provides each day. I hardly ever take pictures, because the outcome just never fully captures what I can see with my own eyes, and feel with my own senses. Either that or I'm just not a good photographer.
Life is truly an adventure when you live on a boat. Where else can you explore the shores and forests of the most virgin islands, pass through a sea of literally a hundred dolphins catching their meals for the day, watch giant sea turtles bobbing their heads in and out of the water, or even have reef sharks take refuge under your boat for shade? Yes, I've experienced all this. And I'm happy to say that it never, ever gets old. When you live in nature, you live in constant wonderment for the treasures it beholds. And you realize that you have always been a part of it, and that it has, in fact, always been our true home...until we disconnected with it through the industrial revolution, which gave rise to the materialism that has made us dependent on societal structures.
Nature requires no money to be surviving in it. If you happen to have run out of canned goods, or any other food in stock, or can't catch a fish and you're in some deserted island, there are other alternatives easily available. How about roasted sea urchins, boiled seaweed, or snail soup? You can be a sloth, and you would still catch these things. They're just...stationary! But remember to always give thanks for the life they offer, to keep you alive and healthy. We are, after all, part of the circle of life – it's always a give-and-take. Give what you can, and take only what you need. Or how about having a handy vegetable garden on your boat? I have pots of kangkong on our boat, just because they grow ridiculously easily, and I have the pleasure of having fresh greens anytime. We basically leave our canned goods in stock for emergency. I have a stock of beans that can last months and months, and by curing fish, I can keep these in stock too for months. Dried fish is available in virtually any town though, so why cure your own, you may ask. Well, it's just knowledge that can come in handy.
Okay, so maybe it sounds a little bit stone-age for you. But to know that you can survive anywhere, with or without money...that, for me, is the ultimate freedom. Of course, my partner and I do need the money to pay for the vessel that brings us places, but hey, if the need ever arises, we can just as easily build a house from sticks and stones, or find refuge in a cave. Believe me, I have no problem with that. But since we do have jobs that provide us money to have a boat and buy food delicacies at stop-over towns, we use the cash gratefully. But the point is, survival is not an issue.
So now, we are currently in Boracay, Philippines, and as the boat needs repairs, we've been pretty much stuck here for 4 months. I often complain, because my itchy feet are longing to set sail for the great wide ocean and those serene islands again, but unfortunately, that's one of the things about living on a boat...it does need a bit more maintenance than a house on land. But if you're willing to sacrifice a small amount of your time and energy for consistent maintenance, the rewards will be great, I assure you. Most of our finances do go to maintaining the boat, but then again, this is the lifestyle we chose... can't complain about that, now! And anyway, there's not much else we need, except to be living a life in Mother Nature's embrace, and to explore its wonders with full hearts. It's a blessing in itself to be reconnected with our deepest roots.
As for how I came to live on a boat, I'll save that for the next blog (along with pictures, from time-to-time). I hope this answers a few of your questions anyhow, about how it is to live at sea. It's not such a radical idea, really, is it? There are thousands of people around the world like my partner and me, as I speak, living the same kind of life we do. So if it's been in your heart, or if my blog has by chance stirred any forgotten passions in you about living in nature, I say now is the time to go for it! Take survival classes, learn to plant and be self-sufficient, start saving that money to have that boat, or that house in the forest, field, or mountain, or by the sea. If your needs are simple, it's not such a hard task. Believe me, I've been there. Don't worry about loneliness either, or becoming a hermit. We have human neighbors in little villages, and meet new people all the time during our travels. And we connect with friends and family through Internet. How do you think it was possible for me to write this blog while on a boat? You gotta give thanks to technology too, for that. We don't have to be totally stone-age!
I say if your heart is calling you back to Mother Nature, just go for it. It's not something you can regret because, trust me...ultimately, it will be your homecoming. And I'll be here, showing you the abundance and pure, simple joys that it provides, just to keep you motivated!
