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Old 11-27-2021, 11:15 AM   #1
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Sometimes Liveaboard life is not so easy

​Sometimes Liveaboard Live is not so easy. Today is one of those days.

I am in Seward Alaska chuckling at my misfortune.

I returned to the boat last night after having a great Thanksgiving with my son and his family. It is 13F outside, and the wind is blowing with 40 mph gusts.

That cold wind sucks all the heat out of my uninsulated boat. I have all three furnaces going, as well as the generator and the built in electric heaters in the Master and the Salon. With all these going I can keep the inside temps in the mid to high 60's. Without the electric the boat would be in the high 40's to low 50's right now.

If I wern't already traveling in December I would be on Alaska Airlines site looking for a cheap ticket to someplace warm. Actually I might just do that anyway, we'll see how my morning goes.

I'm not complaining mind you, just pointing out that Liveaboard life is not all sunshine and sand between your toes.

At least not this winter. Next winter is another story. Next winter I will either be on the Baja or will have died trying.​
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Old 11-27-2021, 11:32 AM   #2
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And yet I envy you and your adventure. A balmy, windy, rainy 43 degrees in LaConner this morning!
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Old 11-27-2021, 11:44 AM   #3
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That's ridiculously cold

Hi Kevin:


Thirteen degrees Farenheit... that is painfully cold. Even the sixty degrees inside your boat is uncomfortably chilly.


Pray tell, what is keeping you there in Alaska? If a job, I hope it pays well.


Hubby Dan (who is from Cleveland, and married me, a Floridian) has an expression regarding the cruise/migration from cold climes to warmer climes:


"From North to South, its all downhill."


Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley
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Old 11-27-2021, 12:09 PM   #4
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Hi Kevin:


Thirteen degrees Farenheit... that is painfully cold. Even the sixty degrees inside your boat is uncomfortably chilly.


Pray tell, what is keeping you there in Alaska? If a job, I hope it pays well.


Hubby Dan (who is from Cleveland, and married me, a Floridian) has an expression regarding the cruise/migration from cold climes to warmer climes:


"From North to South, its all downhill."


Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley
Alaska is a gorgeous place in the summer! Winter not so much.

This winter I am just running out the clock on a 40 year career. Retirement is May 1st and as of this morning I have 39 twelve hour shifts to work between now and then.

Leaving my working years behind represents a freedom that I have never experienced as an adult. Like many I went to work right after tech school/college, raised my family, did what I thought was expected of me and thankfully never missed even one paycheck in all that time.

Now I am free with zero responsibility, and no worries. I have my boat, and a bit of money, and a good safe retirement income. I am almost 60 and if I can keep my health and mobility for the next hopefully two decades life will end up being quite the adventure.

Things could be worse, except for the wind and cold...
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Old 11-27-2021, 12:10 PM   #5
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i grew up in sitka and miss it dearly, but i'd not want to spend the winter aboard up there any more.
puget sound is bad enough. my old boat was pretty well insulated, i could keep it mid 70'5 easy with forced air heat.
new boat, not insulated, not sure how the hydronic heat will do yet. so far it's good, but it's not freezing yet either.
i'm surprised you're not running a dickinson cook stove. we had those running all winter long on the fishing boats. did a great job keeping the cabin warm.
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Old 11-27-2021, 12:13 PM   #6
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The only thing worst than cold is cold and wet. Feel your pain.
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Old 11-27-2021, 12:34 PM   #7
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“Next year will be in Baja, or have died trying”.

I like that. [emoji57]
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Old 11-27-2021, 12:40 PM   #8
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Liveaboard is a lot of things but "easy" is not something I ever assumed! Good luck with the winter and your upcoming retirement. I'm probably looking at retiring next year as well. I would have already except they keep paying me to stay home and do very little. I'm kind of practicing at retirement now. My life was very similar in some respects. Worked hard all my life, as many hours as possible to earn as much as possible, night school to earn degrees, etc. My son's generation has different priorities, but maybe they are right!
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Old 11-27-2021, 01:23 PM   #9
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I once met a guy who was on the verge of retiring from his Alaskan job. When asked where he was going to retire to he said he would strap a snow shovel to the top of his car, drive south and stop when some one asked "what's that?". 😁
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Old 11-27-2021, 01:26 PM   #10
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I once met a guy who was on the verge of retiring from his Alaskan job. When asked where he was going to retire to he said he would strap a snow shovel to the top of his car, drive south and stop when some one asked "what's that?". 😁
heard the same story about an ice scraper hanging from the rigging...
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Old 11-27-2021, 01:28 PM   #11
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“Next year will be in Baja, or have died trying”.

I like that. [emoji57]

Me, too.

Hi Kevin:

Delighted - actually tickled pink - to hear of your impending retirement! Big Congrats!

I'll bet that being 39 twelve-hour shifts away from a financially well-planned retirement makes tolerating the present blustery COLD a bit easier.

I love reading here about our members' cruising adventures in the PNW, having never boated there. On your way to Baja, please take lots of photos and share them with us.

Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley
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Old 11-27-2021, 02:13 PM   #12
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Yes Kevin, living aboard can be hard. I say this as I find myself stuck in Anacortes un able to make it home to Seattle due to heavy winds all because I thought I would take my home for a Thanksgiving spin to the San Juan Islands. Life would be so much easier if I was just sitting in a house watching football all week like everyone else.
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Old 11-27-2021, 02:38 PM   #13
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heard the same story about an ice scraper hanging from the rigging...



...electric plug hanging out the car grill.
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Old 11-27-2021, 02:49 PM   #14
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...electric plug hanging out the car grill.
lol, like yours better.
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Old 11-27-2021, 03:07 PM   #15
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Yes Kevin, living aboard can be hard. I say this as I find myself stuck in Anacortes un able to make it home to Seattle due to heavy winds all because I thought I would take my home for a Thanksgiving spin to the San Juan Islands. Life would be so much easier if I was just sitting in a house watching football all week like everyone else.
LOL!!! Yep!
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Old 11-27-2021, 08:50 PM   #16
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Wifey B: It's turned cold here now. We came inside the house as it's dropped to 65 degrees. Of course, almost 10:00 PM. Today and tomorrow mid to upper 70's and out boating in open boats.

I loved our trip to Alaska, but it was summer and our winter temps. I've found people nice everywhere and could live anywhere except for climate. Lived in NC and boated as much as possible, but once you hit year round boating, you can't imagine giving it up.

I laugh when Floridians don't know what a diesel heater is and then again when PNW'ers don't understand why all our boats in FL have A/C.
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Old 11-28-2021, 05:50 AM   #17
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Although we’d rather not, we’re spending the winter in the northeast this year. Uncharacteristically I put a positive spin on it. It’s quiet and serene, we will get to visit friends and family more often and our dog will be able to play in the snow. I have a shovel and broom for the deck and I’ll get a snow shovel for the dock. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it with rabid anticipation but, not dreading it either.

It might violate one of our two liveaboard rules- no more winter coats. But if we layer with what we have, we will remain in technical compliance.
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Old 11-28-2021, 08:39 AM   #18
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Although we’d rather not, we’re spending the winter in the northeast this year. Uncharacteristically I put a positive spin on it. It’s quiet and serene, we will get to visit friends and family more often and our dog will be able to play in the snow. I have a shovel and broom for the deck and I’ll get a snow shovel for the dock. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it with rabid anticipation but, not dreading it either.

It might violate one of our two liveaboard rules- no more winter coats. But if we layer with what we have, we will remain in technical compliance.
Wifey B: I strongly advise a trip to Academy Sports or similar and ski jackets like Columbia or their house brand. Best purchases we ever made as good for movement and amazing for warmth. Plus get headgear and gloves. The house brand is far less expensive than you'd expect.
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Old 11-28-2021, 09:07 AM   #19
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We’re good. Lived up this way until we retired. Spend most winters in Charleston where it does get a cold snap now and then, even snow one year there. Have been in Key West where it didn’t crack 70 for a few days and I thought that was cold. Acclimation to weather is a weird thing.
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Old 11-28-2021, 10:01 AM   #20
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Hey Kevin,

When you head south, make sure your AC is in great shape before you cross the border….Summers are brutal in the Sea of Cortez. But, I miss the shorts and flip flops. Started wearing shoes and socks again….boy does that feel weird!
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