Impure thoughts

Deb and I went to look at a Trawler the other day. It is for sale in the marina at Dinner Key, a short dink ride and walk to see how the other half lives.

We have had a lot of talks about the difference between what we thought being full time live-aboard cruisers would be, and what it turns such a life is really like. And so far, the "living-aboard" part outweighs the "cruising" part by a better then 10 to 1 margin, if one just compares days spent swinging on a hook, mooring ball, or at a pier to days underway. Kintala, as I have said before, doesn't really set the world on fire when it comes to living-aboard but flat lights up the waves when running under a full press of sail. Sadly, this last stretch of weeks on a mooring ball with family nearby has put a spotlight on her shortcomings. We all get together for our evening meal. Having six aboard for dinner is an exercise in getting in each other's way. The tiny cockpit and vertical companionway, which completely isolates the galley from the outside, are the main constraints to an otherwise pleasant gathering.

So, anyway, we thought we would take a short venture to see what we see. After all, having never been around boats until we started looking for a way to escape corporate America as soon as possible, Deb and I ended up as sailors kind of by default. I've never actually spent any time on a live-aboard power boat of any kind, and we have been thinking that might be some pretty good living for a lot of reasons. Reasons that this look-at confirmed.

First and foremost the thing was huge. Okay, it was 44' to start with, making it slightly longer than Kintala. But there was easily 4 times the living space inside the boat, and maybe 10 times more storage area. The engine room held more stuff, two engines, generator, huge battery bank, four fuel tanks, two water tanks, a holding tank, than would fit inside all of Kintala. There was a massive salon, two cabins, two heads, and an office. The outside usable deck area was again, easily 4 times that of Kintala. There was a back porch big enough for a table and chair set. And then there was a flying bridge big enough to seat 4, with another small table.  Kintala is a single living floor with a deck over it.  This trawler was split level with four different "floors".  Having lived on Kintala for most of the past year it was just an overwhelming amount of living space.

There was heat. There was air con. There was an inside steering station. There was a big 'fridge, a freezer with room for ice cream, and an ice maker. There was a microwave.

I couldn't get off the thing fast enough.

No, I don't think living on a trawler would cost that much more than living on Kintala. Sure it burns gas to go and has a big 'ol generator to make power. But the only reason one would ever be near a pier would be to fill the tanks, and that might be once a year. Other than that one could live almost completely independently, and do so comfortably. One would have to pick a Gulf Stream crossing day rather carefully, but we do that anyway. I don't think it would be as comfortable a ride while underway, but it would be fine swinging at anchor. In fact it would likely be more stable than the bowl-bottomed Kintala.

I still couldn't get off the thing fast enough.

It is no secret that I have had my disappointments with Kintala. It is no secret we picked the wrong boat for what we are doing.  But on the dink ride back I had to admit that she is, without a doubt, the best looking boat in the marina or on the mooring field. She is a capable, long distance cruiser with near perfect lines, even if we are not capable, long distance sailors. I like her interior, the feeling of being on a boat and not in a floating condo.  And really, just how much space does one need anyway?

There is much I don't like about her, but she is my boat after all. Being able to say that has come to be important to me. She is a total failure of a live-aboard when there are more than two people on her, but Deb and I are just two people.

I don't know. We are hoping to do this for many years, and there is much about living easier that appeals. We will be in Ft. Lauderdale for a couple of months more with plenty of opportunity to look around. Maybe some powerboat somewhere will fit the budget and the life better. Maybe a different sailboat is the answer.

And maybe we have the answer already, and she just needs a little more work.