Avast ye!

This sailboat (yacht in NZ speak) was beached here at our primary swimming beach for a couple of weeks. Not sure exactly how the skipper managed to do that… there was no weather or other obvious excuse. But however it happened, the keel was well and truly stuck in the sand.

The owner lives aboard. Nothing wrong with that at high tide when the boat was upright. But by low tide (every 12 hours and 25 minutes) the boat was heeled over to about 30 degrees or more and bounced up and down by every little wave… not great for sleeping, or anything else!

The owner is well known in the community and to the authorities: the sort of person referred to as a “colorful character” until he does something that gets him in real trouble. We saw him a couple of times waist deep in the water fooling around with a shovel, but that boat wasn’t going anywhere without a tow. Finally the harbormaster came along and dragged him off the beach.

The whole episode caused all of us swimmers to engage in some good discussion about life choices. Living on a sailboat sounds like the most romantic thing in the world… until something like this happens. We all agreed that — at least at our stage of life — a fixed address was a good thing.

3 thoughts on “Avast ye!”

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  1. Let me see, less expensive than a trailer, a world of new views available, low-or-no taxes, living on a boat can be a good option if your finances are severely limited. Lots more room than a van!

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  2. For many it has become a very low cost, arguably dignified, living arrangement due to a conflagration of factors:

    1. Fiberglass boats are quite durable and their hulls last forever, though functionality may suffer with lack of investment – here in the southeast USA you can buy a ten meter boat with sleeping, cooking, and toileting facilities for $10,000. No beauty queen, but it works, and with low cost solar it is possible to listen to music and read at night.
    2. In many places it is quite expensive to tie up to a dock, and this is lowering value of these hulls when you think about them as something you do for fun a couple of weekends a month. But to live aboard (where marinas will allow you to do it,) $400-$500 per month will also give you on-shore hot water showers, a cable tv/internet hookup, access to laundry facilities, and something of a community of like-minded people.
    3. So, you made less-than-advantageous life choices – drank your career away, beat the tax man and everyone else urging you to prepare for a secure retirement. Your life partner who has been supporting you left you, or changed your key; you have stars in your eyes about seeing the world; have very limited capital to build a home, a meagre income from social security, alcohol on your breath, and are one step away from homeless: living on a sailboat starts looking pretty sweet!

      I have known many of these folks, some who I have called friends. All were colorful, full of stories – true and enhanced…

      Hope this finds you well!

      Steve Kimmel
      516 Utsonati Lane
      Brevard, NC, 28712
      828-877-3975 (Landline)
      843-813-1011 (C)

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