What is sailboat living REALLY like?


HeyReader,

This might surprise you, but once again we are hauled out at Cabrales boatyard after just three weeks of cruising around the northern Sea of Cortez. Yes, our cruising season on the boat was SUPER SHORT this spring for a variety of reasons:

  • The impending heat
  • The fact that we just got new mountain bikes in the fall that we are very excited to go ride
  • We have tons of family and friends to see
  • The lack of exercise on a sailboat is hard

-----PAID AD-------

Ready to hit the open road with your furry co-pilot this summer? Waggle has your back with a pet temperature monitor!

Keeping your pup safe and happy shouldn't be a challenge. That’s where Waggle steps in. For just $99 (and save a whopping 60% with code WAYWARD60!), Waggle delivers real-time updates on temperature, humidity, and more directly to your phone. Say goodbye to worry and hello to happy tail wags!

Over 50,000+ RVing pet parents trust Waggle for its:

  • Instant Alerts: Keep tabs on your pet’s safety
  • GPS Tracking: Always know where they are
  • Geo-Fencing: Get notified if they wander off
  • Large Digital Display: Easy-to-read info
  • Reliable Verizon Network

Waggle isn't just a gadget; it's peace of mind for every mile. Make memories, not worries. Get Waggle today!

—–END PAID AD——

While traveling on the sailboat in Baja is beautiful and remote, it comes with its own set of challenges.

In some anchorages, the bugs were so intense that I couldn't even go on deck. This was very hard for me, as I like to sit out there for morning coffee, exercise outside, and enjoy the views.

And check out these views!!! The islands in the northern Sea are over 100 miles from cell signal, and you really feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, or even on a different planet.

After months of intense exercise, including biking and running in Puerto Penasco, the amount of sitting I did on the boat was hard. Yes, we did paddleboard, but I really need "land" exercise. This would have required going further south, where there are more hiking trails and long beaches for jogging, but with the impending heat, we decided to just leave instead and go north to cooler climates in our campervan.

The good news is this: after all the hard work Tom did on the boat's hull...it IS faster, at least one to two knots. That is an incredible achievement, and we're looking forward to sailing more next fall.

If you want more details about what sailing life is like, my writer Elena Manighetti wrote up an amazing article about what she wished she knew before moving aboard. I can relate to everything she wrote here:


19 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Lived on My Sailboat Full-Time


Before moving onto a sailboat in 2017, I watched countless YouTube videos and read as many books as possible. It was a significant change, so I wanted to prepare as best as possible for the realities of the boat life.

Looking at all that material was insightful. I had a good idea of what living on a boat full-time would be like, but there were many things I hadn’t figured out or fully understood.



What are you up to this weekend?

P.S. If you find my content helpful, you can support my work here. Thank you!

41 W Highway 14 #35, Spearfish, SD 57783

*This newsletter may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we use and companies we trust.*


UNSUBSCRIBE

Hey! Want to live a life of freedom and adventure? Whether that's van life, sailboat living, or RVing, I want to help!

I spend half the year in a DIY Sprinter van camper, and the other half on a sailboat. I want to help you achieve your nomadic living dreams. Join my email list for van life tips and advice, remote work ideas, personal stories and anecdotes, and more!

Read more from Hey! Want to live a life of freedom and adventure? Whether that's van life, sailboat living, or RVing, I want to help!

Hey Reader! This week saw a wild rescue out of the Pacific ocean from a sailor who left California on his way to Hawaii, and experienced a catastrophic failure. Two weeks into his trip, Kai Soto's mast snapped. His engine had no fuel. His phone was dead. What he had left: PVC pipe, kayak paddles, a bag of oatmeal, and whatever fish and squid landed on deck. So he built a sail out of the paddles and pipe, collected drinking water by sealing seawater in plastic bags and licking the...

Hey Reader! For the past number of days, we've been bumming around the San Francisco Bay area in our campervan visiting friends and family, mountain biking and sailing. This is a wonderful place to visit,.....but not when you're in a camper. Every day, I relentlessly check the area's few campgrounds for cancellations. Full and booked. Every time. The only available campsites are at privately owned RV parks that are basically a parking lot - no beauty, no views - and charging over $100 per...

Hey Reader! This morning I woke up to a crazy text alert on my phone: "High Humidity Detected: 86%" 86% humidity is a whopper. We're at the boatyard in Puerto Peñasco in June, when the sea temp rises and drags the humidity right along with it. Not exactly comfortable conditions. I'm monitoring all this from my phone using a small cellular device called the Necto 4G Multisensor. I set upper and lower limits for heat and humidity, and it texts me the moment things go beyond those limits. No...