Its's a lifestyle

It is quite amazing to us the reaction we get when people learn for the first time about our plans. It is understandable that people who have not had exposure to the live-aboard cruising life style have no basis to form a picture of what this really means. In fairness, like anything else there is a wide range of options.

For us, this is our home and we wanted the conveniences to which we have grown accustomed. Our last boat by comparison was more akin to camping, which was acceptable for weekends and the one or two week vacation cruises. We decided to outfit Ariel to be as comfortable as we could possibly make it. We decided that if something was a minor irritant at the marina or at a weekend anchorage, it would become a major annoyance as living aboard full time.

We have heat and air-conditioning which functions exactly like any home. We set the thermostat or program it and forget about it. We have both hot and cold pressure water, with a double bowl sink in the galley. Okay, the sinks are much smaller than can be found in most homes we do not have an automatic dishwasher. We do have three burner propane stove with a thermostat controlled oven which bakes very well. Rounding out the galley we have a freezer and a refrigerator.

We have a single head (toilet) and a spacious shower. The head area includes a full length mirror. Out berth is about queen sized and is extremely comfortable. The guest berth is full sized.

We have comfortable dinning in both the main cabin and in the cockpit. We also have a gas grill we can use off the stern rail.

Yes, of course there are tradeoffs as compared living in a house. One is that while we have adequate storage, things are often not at your finger tips. It usually requires removing a cushion to gain access and may require some digging around. It is also important to put things away immediately. Our space is very limited so it can become cluttered very quickly. If something is left out, it will invariably be in the way of accessing the next needed item. Everything must be secured before we get underway so it is just easier to keep things that way as much as possible.

We do not have a clothes washer and dryer. Just think about how much space, water and power these would consume. The other big adjustment from the life on land is that we do not have a car. Shopping has to be well planned as everything needs to be schlepped back to the boat by whatever means is available.

All in all we think Ariel is very comfortable. We have spent enough time on boats that we know how to respect each others space. It is not hard to find a quiet place to read, or work on the computer or to just take in the natural surroundings. We split the work load pretty evenly so we both have a comparable amount of leisure time. It helps that we have many common interest and have long enjoyed doing things together.

The real reward is that no matter where we travel, we have our home with us