Liveaboard Boating Sensations

What's It Like To Liveaboard?

In a word, WONDERFUL!! ...it just takes a little getting used to. It makes for a fanciful, wondrous, and adventurous frame of mind. Living aboard a floating vessel is like being on vacation every day. Even when you go to work and finally get to return home every day of the week, it's like arriving at a vacation site. As you draw closer and closer to the vessel, you feel the hustle and bustle of the working world start to melt off of you and the resulting sensation is clean, light, and free. Anticipation starts to build, a smile pours across your face and vibrant energy fills that lifeless hulk of your body that just left the business world. By golly, you feel HAPPY! As you park your vehicle and grab your briefcase and head down the dock, you realize and reaffirm to your own "id"...this is my home!

All of your senses come alive and into play
	*fresh air, docks, and water*
	*the salt in the air and a healthy appetite*
	*nature, boating, and water sounds*
	*beautiful vessels, sea birds, sky, and water*
	*independent, free, alive, and healthy*

coast photo

SMELL

One of the first things I notice when I step out of the car upon arrival at the marina or step out of the boat into a new day is the smell of fresh air permeated with the ever evaporating saltwater around me. In my case, I owned a condominium boat slip on the West River off the Chesapeake Bay. Therefore salt was always present which is a little different than the aromas emanating from fresh water reservoirs and tributaries. Often, these locations will have a bog-like or swampy aroma emanating from them which is not bad, just different. Other odors include those emanating from the many different kinds of docks. The dock where I berthed my trawler was a fixed, as opposed to floating, dock and of course the timber it was constructed with was chemically treated for the application, as were the pilings. In an effort to reduce rotting, most wood products associated with boat docks are treated with creosote, an oil based agent, that has its own very distinctive aroma. Depending on the boating activity at the marina, sometimes you catch a whiff of fuel fumes from a boats exhaust signaling its approach or departure. All of these smells combine to express an aromatic adventure that is unattainable on terra firma. As a matter of fact, when you are fortunate enough to spend a good deal of time on the water you will find that the land has an aroma all its own. Much like the smell of an oncoming rain storm, as you approach land you experience its aroma unlike you ever experienced it before. In addition, most oft there is a boat yard associated with a marina that introduces a myriad of aromatic experiences as well. All part of boating. Some of the smells of a boat yard are directly attributed to the activity that happens to be prevalent at the time such as, bottom scraping and sanding, painting, bright work, teaking, repairing, canvassing, etc...

PROs	Unusual pleasant aromas not experienced by land dwellers Sinuses clear up as allergies diminish Heightened awareness of associated pleasurable relaxing experiences
CONs	Fuel fumes and exhaust associated with fuel docks Some smells associated with boat yards are sharp and pungent Mold and mildew found onboard your own vessel can be an annoyance

TASTE

Although fresh water boat dwellers can't particularly taste the salt in the air, they can experience the vivid taste of so many other everyday things like food and drink. Sometimes the senses are heightened if for no other reason but the shear experience in and of itself. You won't believe the taste of your first real dinner prepared onboard. Whether you are enjoying a good table wine with crackers and cheese snacks at anchor or a bagel and coffee breakfast on deck before work, your sense of taste seems to be much more acute while you are near water. Like any other romance of success, the taste of a successful liveaboard lifestyle is so sweet! Sometimes when the weather turns a little foul and seas are up you can taste the salt in the air. An experienced boater will take heed to this, as riding the waves during foul weather can get more than a little rough. Foul weather and associated high seas can quickly segue way into a white knuckle, dry mouth affair. It is at this point that even an experienced boater's mouth will be filled with that brassy taste of fear. However, fortunately for the prudent boater, these experiences are very limited and even the novice will quickly learn to check the weather before departure. Following an exciting day of cruising, a barbecue off the fantail in a quiet little anchorage will surely tantalize the taste buds. Since any kind of open flame is strictly frowned upon in and around marinas and boat docks, the boaters outdoor cooking is usually enjoyed while rafting up with other boats or in the seclusion of a quiet anchorage. It's the ambiance that heightens the taste buds beyond belief. Then there is the taste of some boater that decides striped or quilted canvass looks good on his vessel...but that's a horse of a different color and will be covered in another section of this web site.

PROs	Morning coffee on deck never tasted better Bursting flavor buds of your first dinner prepared onboard Cheese and crackers snack or barbecue at anchor or while rafted up
CONs	During rough weather fluids spill and you chase peas all over the plate Metallic taste of fear during your first storm at sea Sawdust blowing in the wind across the boat yard

HEAR

The many sounds associated with living aboard a vessel are mostly music to the ears. Unlike the pungent sounds that a landlubber must endure such as honking horns and sirens of never-ending traffic, people hustling to their destinations, construction endeavors, etc..., a liveaboarder looks forward to the serene sounds of water fowl, water lapping the shores and boat hulls, and breezes gently whisping through the rigging. Even during a spring thunderstorm, a liveaboarder is lulled to sleep by the sounds of rain pattering on the deck, the creaking dock lines resisting the gentle water swells, and the water lapping against the security of the hull. However, in addition to the soothing and comforting sounds to be experienced, a liveaboarder will also become keenly tuned in to the sounds of alarm and warning as a matter of survival. The sound of water running, dripping or sloshing is a real alarmer and is always checked out with great urgency. Any unusual sounds will automatically catch the attention of the experienced liveaboarder who will immediately try to locate and identify the source. The novice learns quickly. Because it is your home and almost everything you own is aboard her, a liveaboard vessel is usually well alarmed. There are alarms for the engine functions, navigation instrumentation, security and environment. The liveaboarder's ear will quickly become accustomed to the various kinds and sounds of alarms and associated danger possibilities. Most major problem areas will have an associated audible alarm. It's the little unusual sounds that make for interesting seek and search activities such as identifying the tap, tap, tap sound as emanating from the bill of a duck pecking at the marine growth around you water line on the hull. Some are really tough to find. Just follow your ear...

PROs	Water fowl chirps, quacks and calls Water lapping against the boat hulls and shores Soothing creak of the dock lines as she gently rocks you to sleep
CONs	Loud engine exhaust noises associated with marina boating traffic Fuel dock and boat yard maintenance and construction noises People sounds of neighboring boating activity and clanking loose halyards

SEE

The sight sense is probably the biggest contributor to a wondrous liveaboard experience. A morning sunrise over the water and evening sunsets on deck are more beautiful than the most colorful of posters. The sights of seagulls and ducks diving for their next meal is more than entertaining. Speaking of entertaining, watching your fellow boaters plying their nautical skills can provide hours of awe, chuckles and grins. To a liveaboarder, anyone else is either a transient or weekender. On Sunday afternoons, liveaboarders sit back on deck with a cool drink and snacks and are entertained by watching all the weekenders converge on the marina in an effort to dock their vessels, unpack and make the long trip back to their landlocked dwellings. Television was never this good! Since vessels come in different sizes and types along with captains of varying skill sets and experience, the resulting sights are something to behold. Varying weather conditions, and seasons of the year also provide for sights to remember. One of the most awesome sights to behold is a weather front moving in. The skies darken, the winds pick up and the seas develop white caps as the weather approaches. The entire mood of the day changes as the boats start rocking and you watch the edge of the rain curtain slide over you. Watching rain or snow through a porthole is just as beautiful as through a bay window and much more exciting. The sights that a liveaboarder enjoys are inspirational, relaxing and fulfilling. Whether at sea, at anchor or safely tucked away in home berth, liveaboarders enjoy the sights of boating every day and not just on weekends or vacations. After all, a liveaboarder is already at home!

PROs	The sights of beautiful vessels and boating activity Beautiful sunrises and sunsets viewed from the deck Viewing nature during weather and seasonal change
CONs	Viewing property damage caused by natures fury Viewing neglected vessels, docks and marina property Witnessing mans abuse of waterways and nature

FEEL

The FEEL sense is actually made up of two categories, the first being emotional, and the second being physical. When you think about it, this category really is a summation of, or at least biased by, the other senses. Generally speaking, society, now as in the past, dictates that the average general populace is to be housed in a three bedroom, two bath, two-car garage house on a lot in suburbia America. Society is comfortable with this arrangement and doesn't have much of a tolerance for mobile citizens, more commonly referred to as "vagabonds". Like it or not, this is the label that liveaboards are burdened with. Banks don't like it, the IRS flags it, and census counters miss it altogether. Sometimes the liveaboard lifestyle presents some real challenges and as previously stated, takes some getting used to. However, the feelings of independence and freedom far outweigh any hassles suffered from society. If society threatens to build a freeway too close to you or you don't like your neighbors or the view from your galley port, just cast off the dock lines and move your home whenever, to wherever you like. Now, that's freedom! As owner and captain of your vessel, the feeling of pride wells up within your chest as you pilot out of the marina and into the horizon. Being "Lord and Master" of a vessel also comes with a pile of responsibilities. Safety first for all soles onboard and the very decks you are standing on. The feelings of responsibility are far more acute for a liveaboarder than a landlubber. All good things come with a price. Physically speaking, it's a good way to stay in shape. Although there is no grass to mow or pool to clean, there are decks to swab, teak and chrome to polish, power plants to care for and rigging to adjust. Remember, there are no electricians, plumbers, or mechanics at sea. The captain does it all. Poor preparation, planning, or execution can lead to feelings of intense anxiety at sea. When the vessel rests safely at the dock, that pride thing comes into play again as your passengers thank you for their seagoing memories.

PROs	Pride in ownership and accomplishment Freedom to relocate any time to anywhere Feelings of heightened intensities of all the other senses
CONs	Justifying, explaining, and defending your existence to society Feelings of anxiety and the burden of responsibility can be heavy Feelings of motion sickness pending the development of sea legs

If you like what you see, or if you don't...
Write me at Capn' Jackster
capnjackster@yahoo.com

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Last Updated on 8/14/00
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