4 Reasons To Live Aboard

When I say that I plan on living on a boat, the most common reaction is, "ARE YOU CRAZY?"

My answer most of the time is to say yes, I have always been a little crazy. But honestly, there are a lot of exciting reasons to living aboard. Here are 4:

#1: LIVING SIMPLY
I don't think that most people understand this one. The point of possessions is to make you more comfortable, but I find that possessions end up weighing you down (and this is coming from a natural-born hoarder mind you).

I spent two summers in high school working at a camp in New Hampshire. During that time I lived in a cabin with 21 girls. The only space I had for my things were two small cubbies, a small shelf by my bunk and the space under my matress that I could keep my clothes. I stayed at camp for almost three months and never needed more space than I had. I had the essentials and never missed all my stuff which barely fit in my room.

I want to live like this again. As Americans we have too many possessions that just clutter our space and weigh us down. And you need a light load to be able to sail away to where the wind wants to take you ;)

#2: AT HOME ACTIVITIES
Sam (my fiance) and I are introverted for the most part (a common side effect to years of homeschooling I guess). We like to spend a lot of time just the two of us and do things at home.

Living aboard sounds perfect for us. I can just see us fishing off the side of our home on an early Saturday morning or after work. Or maybe we could sail down the coast for a few days together and see the sights--without all the packing and cramped car rides. Or we could just go for an afternoon picnic on the deck, by the Statue of Liberty. Possibilities are endless...

#3: BUILT-IN OCEAN VIEW VACATIONS
I kind of already mentioned this in the last point, but vacations are going to be spectacular! Imagine being able to sail away when ever you want.  Yes, we still have responsibilities that will tie us down, but we are young and I guarentee you our home will not always be tied down ;) My dream is to save up enough money to be able to sail away for a few months.  We'll have to wait and see when that can happen...

#4: SAVES MONEY
Okay,  this one I have to admit is not true for everyone. If all goes according to plan, Sam and I will be at a nice marina across the water from NYC. It's going to cost us around $700-$800 in housing expenses per month (or should I say boating expenses?). A one bedroom apartment in NJ averages around $1500/month. We will also save money on small things like electricity and water.

Expenses can really go either way. There are as lot of factors: size of your boat, amenities, location...ect. Be sure to keep these in mind if you are thinking about living aboard.

Comment the reasons why you would want to or chose to live aboard!!!

Contact Me

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments!

Lauren Nash
Laurenn242@gmail.com

Beware the Internet!

There is almost no limit to how much someone can embellish and exaggerate on ads. Just let me tell you about my first horrible experience going to see a boat.

My fiance and I found an ad on craigslist for an Irwin 37. I already know what you are thinking: of course craigslist isn't that reliable and I am just another of the hundreds of craigslist horror stories. Okay, maybe "horror" is a bit of an exaggeration, but you understand what I mean.

Anyway, we found this boat. It was listed as a project boat, well loved by the last owners and in need of only some cosmetic work from old water damage. We requested some pictures and the boat looked fine in them. There was a little water damage visible on a board or two, but it looked like it was in decent shape and nothing we couldn't handle.

We went to a showing of the boat 3 hours, $30 bucks in tolls, and a tank of gas away from our home. We were probably 15 minutes early when we walked up to the boat and called out to see if anyone was aboard. A man with a burning cigarette hanging from his lips sticks his head out the hatch to greet us. I don't really have anything against cigarettes per say, but being in an enclosed area talking about a possible $10,000 deal is not a place I would suggest smoking. 

Anyway, we get into the boat, where we find that we interrupted them wiping the mold off the ceilings and walls. Apparently "a little old water damage" was not so little and not so old. We could stick our fingers through almost every piece of wood on the boat. Between the mold and the cigarettes, it turned my stomach to even breath. When I asked questions about the appliances, water system and engine, I was told that they worked the last time they were used...at an undisclosed time...too long ago to remember. 

Apparently, a little bit of cosmetic work means "NEEDS GUTTING, its possible that some stuff might still work. Have fun finding out!"

Needless to say, the first stop on our hunt for our dream boat was not so dreamy. Beware the internet!! 

**Picture provided by: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/34/5d/ee/345dee41dcd7b1a2efd45ae9b8dd9f35.jpg

Give Your Trashcan A Nautical Makeover

Give that old trash can a makeover by hot gluing some rope around the outside. For finishing touches I recommend gluing a thick ribbon a couple inches from the top rim, maybe navy blue to go with the nautical theme. You can always add detail with an anchor emblem or whatever you like!

Enjoy and happy crafting!

**Picture provided by http://www.hometalk.com/2169587/100-bathroom-makeover-reveal

Spice Holder Project

Keeping things ship shape is always important and little spice containers are hard to keep organized in tight places. I came across this picture in my internet travels and thought it was ingenious!

You can make this neat spice holder in several different ways. But in my opinion the best way is to start from scratch.

• Using whichever wood best goes with your galley (kitchen), make a frame for your box. (I am not including dimensions because they will vary from person to person).
• Next fit a bottom to your frame and finish the wood. When making the bottom piece, size it to fit inside the frame you already built (as opposed to your frame sitting on top of the base). This will create a more finished look.
• Now comes the hanging. This is easiest using hinges from your local hardware store. Make sure the hinges are large enough to support the size of your box. Line up the box open like you see in the picture (you do not want to go flat against the wall because you will not be able to open it.
•    Once you screw in your hinges, add a chain in the corners for additional support. To keep a clean finish make sure to screw the chain in on the inside of the box.
•  Lastly you need a latch to keep the box up. There are many different options and looks for latches. Choose which ever one you think looks good in your galley (kitchen). But make sure that it is strong enough to support the box without breaking or bending. Don’t skimp out to save a few bucks, your supports need to be strong, especially for when the waves start coming!

And that’s it! Good luck!

For the more adventurous DIYers, try giving it a more finished look with small molding pieces that you can buy from any hardware store.

Send me pictures of your finished projects and you might see them up on the site!

**Pictures provided by http://lumberjocks.com/projects/2706

About Me

My name is Lauren Nash. I am a 21-year-old college student studying at The Kings College in the wonderful city of New York. I currently live in New Jersey and commute to the city.

This coming summer there are going to be some major changes in my life. Come August, I am marrying my boyfriend of four years, the ever-so-wonderful Samuel Holmes, and moving onto a sailboat in Jersey City. Yes, you heard me, MOVING ONTO A SAILBOAT!!! Yes, I am utterly aware of how crazy that sounds. But are you aware of how crazy cool that sounds too?!

I have always thought that I wanted to get married young so that I can have a bunch of adventures with my partner, and boy is Sam getting right on board with that (pun intended). Within only a few weeks of getting engaged, Sam randomly asked me “Hey, want to live on a boat?” I think my answer was somewhere along the lines of “HA HECK NO!”

But within two days, I was the one scouring the internet for sailboats every chance a got and texting Sam every time I found something interesting. My internet browser filled with bookmarks of possibilities in only a week. I’m hooked on this crazy idea and find myself reading other boat-dwellers blogs and articles constantly. While, I have grown up sailing, I honestly have little idea of what I am getting myself into. But I know this, it is going to be an adventure. 

Stay tuned into the blog and follow my journey as I discover my path to this adventure!