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I need my 💤
To be honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on the boat. I’m not sure if it’s because I couldn’t sleep well for the 4 days we took on our journey home, and it brought back bad memories … Or if it was because we bought a ‘new to us’, but definitely used sailboat that needs some love and attention. It smells – as most boats that are 20+ years old do!
Even though this was our first season with our sailboat, we still had a lot of commitments with family and friends off the water, so we really didn’t have an opportunity to stay on the boat until mid-August. I finally ran out of excuses … And I loved it!
We have a real bed
Since mid-August, we have spent the night – even if it’s just 1 night, but sometimes up to 3 nights – every week! It’s like camping, but without the tent and blow up mattress – instead we have a real queen mattress, but it’s customized and cut specifically to fit the boat. While it doesn’t compare to our king bed at home, it is still much more comfortable than tent camping – especially when we wash the sheets and comforter regularly.
We had an old queen comforter that I hadn’t washed for several years so it made our eyes itch after using it. But once I washed it, no more itchy eyes and we slept better!
And our own bathrooms
While we try to use the bathrooms on the boat as little as possible, it’s still nice to be able to wake up and go without climbing out of the boat (or tent) and walking to the common bathrooms in the middle of the night. I don’t want to keep too much at the boat because everything we brought this spring, must come off this fall when we put it away.
But I do keep a bag of toiletries stored on the boat, and of course, I have chapstick and eight-hour cream for chapped lips – especially in the middle of the night! I rigged up a “nightstand” tied to the mast that holds my kindle, my phone, eight-hour cream with a plastic bin that we already had and a bungee cord!
Keep Cool and Stay Warm
Our boat has air conditioning and propane heat, but we try not to use them and make do with open windows and less (or now more) blankets as needed. Because we’re sleeping while tied up at the dock, we use shore power so there’s a fridge and even a freezer for food. Our fridge is so deep that I haven’t figured out a way to clean all the way to the bottom. In addition to completely cleaning it out this winter, the doors don’t close properly and it leaks air, which makes the counters wet with condensate. Also, the right side fridge door broke when I was giving a tour to someone earlier this summer, but it keeps food cold enough and works good enough for the summer. Yes, we have a lot of projects to do this winter!
More Winter Projects
The boat also has a propane stove and oven so we have used it to heat up dinners and the percolator for coffee, but our latest purchase was an RV friendly coffee maker, which just means that it is smaller and uses less power to make the coffee.
This was a game-changer for us!
Also, Kyle found that our propane stove is leaking so this is now one of our first planned winter projects, and it now means that we will eat out for dinner in New Buffalo, stop for ice cream at Oinks and not worry about cooking meals on the boat until we can get it fixed.
Morning Wellness Walks
One of our favorite activities – besides swimming at the marina pool after a long day sailing – is to take a morning walk to check out the New Buffalo harbor entrance. We’ll bring a travel coffee mug full of coffee, stop for breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks and walk over the bridge to the public beach access in New Buffalo and watch for boats coming and going. We’ll check the weather and decide if we want to go out as well.
I love our ‘cottage in the woods’, but there’s also something about staying overnight at the marina, rocking to sleep with the gentle motion of the boat in the wind, waking up to water lapping against the boat, the birds chirping and other boaters starting their day.
Tell us What You Think
Have you ever slept on a boat? What do you love about the experience? Please share your feedback in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
– Kara from Zeke Life
Live like Zeke
You’re such a good boy!
