Monday, November 12, 2012

Reasons To Live Aboard a Sailboat


This is a work-in-progress list, I expect it to grow over time.

1. The Sea
2. Nature
3. Wildlife
4. The sounds of waves crashing on shore
5. The smell of the ocean
6. Gulls
7. The night sky
8. The moon reflected on the water
9. Harbor seals
10. Whales
11. Dolphins
12. Minimalism
13. Independence
14. Freedom
15. Self-Sufficiancy
16. Nautical Traditions
17. The Seafaring Community of fellow sailors
18. A moveable home
19. Sunrise at sea
20. Sunset at sea
21. Constant learning
22. Developing seamanship skills
23. Being the captain of your own ship
24. Being responsible for the maintenance of your own ship
25. Nautical knots
26. Oceanography
27. Travel
28. Adventure
29. The broader nautical community of all those who go to sea in all manner of ships
30. Economical
31. Conservation
32. Good stewardship
33. Finding my 'center'
34. Zen'ish simplicity
35. Vitality
36. Exercise
37. Challenges
38. Fixing things = joy
39. Testing my limits
40. Exploring
41. Testing my creativity
42. Testing my resourcefulness
43. MacGyver factor ("...solve...problems with everyday materials")
44. Dock Neighbors
45. Convenience of funky shops within the marina complex
46. De-cluttering your life
47. Convenience of restaurants within the marina complex
48. Visiting nearby islands
49. Visiting far away islands (!)
50. Entertainment value for yourself
51. Entertainment value for your friends
52. As a well-spring of creativity
53. As a reminder of what is essential, by forcing you to strip away the non-essential
54. Principles of the small-house movement
55. Peter Pan
56. Jimmy Buffett
57. Treasure Island
58. No better way to see Tahiti
59. No more worrying about a place to sleep when you travel
60. Anchoring is [usually] free (or at least cheaper than a hotel)
61. Rowing your own dinghy is good exercise
62. Sailing your own dingy to shore
63. Better access to diving areas
64. Fish On!
65. The Green Flash
66. Captain Ron
67. Sailboat Races / Regattas / 'Beer Can' Races
68. Being a member of a yacht club
69. Sundowners
70. Visiting a distant yacht club
71. Collecting Sea Tales of others
72. Creating your own new Sea Tales
73. Surfing Safaris
74. The connection to ancient mariners through the traditions of the sea
75. The spirit of Odysseus [also see Tennyson's poem, Ulysses]
76. Buccaneer Days at Catalina Island's Two Harbors
77, Reading Latitude38.com
78. Getting one of your adventures mentioned in Latitude38.com
79. That special silence of a marina after midnight
80. The sound of raindrops on the deck as you lay safe in your bunk, tied to the dock
81. The sound of water rushing along the hull as you lay safe in your bunk on a passage
82. The sound of the wind moaning in the rigging during a winter storm [hopefully while tied to the dock]
83. Feeling the sunshine warm you bones after a cold night at the helm while on a passage
84. Coming home to a cozy cabin that has enough creature comforts for all your needs
85. Being debt free, without a mortgage, and owning a boat, free-and-clear, that you paid for in cash
86. Being able to easily relocate to a 'better' neighborhood
87. The proximity of the Harbor Patrol