Suburban Woman Learns to Live on a Boat - Part 1

This post took two weeks to write, see rule # 3. And please excuse the video quality, blogging has rules that I am learning...

Alison says:

As I left for work in the dark on Friday Kurt and I couldn’t agree on whether this was my second or third Friday. I had to remember things like which weekend I spent the night at my coworker’s house in order to get up and out early Saturday morning and which weekend was the weekend we did laundry. Forget about trying to remember when Thanksgiving happened. That was an entire life time ago. So it took three stoplights to finally realize that all I needed to do was pull up the calendar on my phone and look how many weeks it’d been since Thanksgiving. It has been three. Three short weeks have brought me to being able to breathe deeply enough to reflect. I live on a boat. I live on a boat with my husband. We live on a boat with HIS cat. And I survived the Laundromat.

Lesson #1: Just be tidy. 

There is no room to move, so there is even less room to leave stuff strewn about. My former ritual of trying on 3 -4 outfits each morning and leaving the rejects on the bed till tomorrow’s try-on is no longer a useful ritual. Decide what to wear and just wear it, seriously. It’s really not that big of a deal. No one at work really cares what you wear. Your students will entertain their bored brains better if what you put together really doesn’t make sense. And nothing is strewn, so no one on the boat has to trip over it. Wins all around! I do still need to figure out where to store everything that I use regularly. My shower backpack is settled in the back seat of my car for when I arrive home exhausted and smelly. I have no excuse to stop off at the boat to pick it up. I simply park outside the bathhouse and shower, now. It kind of takes the commute stress off my bones and I am kind of a nicer wife when I do finally step onto the boat. And I get to go to bed earlier.  The make up bag is a whole other story. Do I leave it under my desk at work, carry it in the car or haul it on and off the boat? That I haven’t settled. Regardless of where I leave it, I need it wherever it is not. No one at work has mentioned to me that I should wear more or less make up. It’s kind of not clear whether anyone really cares. And I save a bit of money and time not putting it on or having to take it off. Kind of revolutionary, really. And then there are the shoes. The plastic bins in the back of my car are working well to hold the bulky, but fashion forward boots and scarves. So shuffling to my car in the morning in whatever I have left on the boat allows me to change my shoes at some point in my commute. Almost every thing has a place and almost everything is in its place.

Lesson #2 – A boat can stand a bit of decoration.

Not sure if I have mentioned this before, but this world of Kurt’s can stand some changes and he welcomes all of them. When I brought on my pillows and blankets I was worried it would be a bit excessive, but it only makes this place feel more like home. There is great comfort in comfort especially when the nights are cold. So that bit of decorating has led to pulling out the Nativity scene, hanging a few stockings and taking out the candles for dinner each night. We’ll need to put up photos soon and frame that art I gave him for Christmas last year. And then there will be the reupholstering of the settees. Not sure what the fabric needs to be, so that will have to wait for more information. All of this on top of the renovating Kurt is still working on, mostly cosmetic at this point. He did make a killer countertop out of throwaway wood from my house. Doubled the counter space while looking right nice! That same brilliance will install some shelving to take care of the books and such that migrate here from school most weekends. There also is no place for the crocheting projects I have been putting off, but must be done this week! Oh, and where can we put those other blankets that we don’t use anymore now that my pretty blankets are aboard?

Lesson #3 - Everything takes longer

So breathe deeply. Getting dressed in the morning with two people in the space made for one takes a bit of maneuvering time. I haven’t gotten into the strict habit of setting out my clothes at night, so fumbling in the cold, dark while Kurt fumbles in the cold, dark means someone has to step aside while the other does what needs to be done. Just breathe.

The internet still isn’t figured out. Verizon is ridiculous and I can’t make my phone a hot spot until my new plan changes over January 1, so I have to use my data sparingly. Online shopping has been quick and productive for present purchases. Although most of that was done at Starbucks as we were both low on our data. Only one trip was needed to the Southern Maryland strip malls. Thank goodness. I miss movies and Jeopardy. But I am reading more. And sleeping a whole lot more. It gets dark early, but that changes today! Only more sunlight from now until June!

Lesson #4 – The Laundromat is a trip.

Luckily I have had a washer and dryer in my own home for the entire time I’ve been an adult. It was a necessity (first world) while raising three kids and then a necessary luxury that I grew into as they all started leaving the house. I honestly didn’t think I could return to Laundromat life and I’m still not sure we will ever get along.

Quick story – Kurt took me to his favorite Laundromat (I’ll have to share his life story one day and you’ll understand why he doesn’t care and why I am willing to go with him on this one) in the part of town that requires a security guard at Food Lion. It took a bit for me to get over the shame/pride of needing a public place to wash my unmentionables. I actually watched myself stay close to my man as he showed me the new, much improved washers. They weren’t anything like the ones I had used in college or San Francisco in the 1980’s. Three loads can go in at once! BUT NOT ALL CLOTHES CAN BE WASHED IN HOT WATER. In fact none of my clothes need to be washed in hot water, whimper, whimper. So we set up two – one cold and one warm, got them started and sat down to read. As it was 70 degrees outside, I sat on the bench outside facing the machines and Kurt took a walk. Just after he disappeared, one of the really nice folks inside quickly opened the door to tell me my washer was leaking water. Of course, of course, Kurt takes me to this part of town and abandons me to a malfunctioning washer. The masses point to my purple panties stuck in the door. The same purple panties that Kurt promised me would come unstuck once the washer started washing. That little bit of fabric allowed an opening for the water to leak out of the front-loading washer with a clear door. All my clothes were on display for all the people to see. Many solutions were offered and the only one that worked was to hit the red emergency stop button and wait patiently for the washer to drain all the water out. Then and only then was I able to carefully open the front-loading door, quickly reach in to catch my wet clothes and grab the purple panties and throw them all the way into the washer. I thanked all the kind people and restarted the washer. They all cheered. My introverted and first world self adjusted my attitude and cheered with them as I sat back down on the chair inside the Laundromat, just in case there was another problem. I stuck my little head back into my little book and the place quieted down. Then and only then did Kurt return from his walk and sit down next to me. He was kind of curious about my growling in his general direction. Yup, he laughed as I whispered the story. He laughed way too hard for my comfort. The others looked up from their folding and chuckled along with him. Grrrr. Maybe not all my clothes have to be washed in cold water. Maybe Kurt can hit the Laundromat on his way home from work like he always used to do. He could be done by the time I even cross the river into Maryland. Laundromats are not my happy place.

Hyperbole #1 - The commute sucks the living spirit out of my soul.

Home is the one with the lights

Week one odometer reading

The best candy ever

Living Aboard, Week 1 Spoiler alert: It’s all first world lessons here.

Alison says:

Spoiler alert: It’s all first world lessons here.

‘Twas more like “move into my car” week. My carbon footprint may not have been reduced by giving up the townhouse with its utilities and cable internet. Sharing the boat with Kurt truly was refreshing after having always lived apart, and he did good on his promise to have dinner ready for me when I returned from work. The new appliances in the “kitchen”  (what IS the marine word for that? I can’t remember, and apparently people care about correct vocabulary.) work quickly and efficiently. But most of the week was really just about jumping up at the alarm 5:00 AM, taking 11 minutes to get dressed, teeth brushed and rolling into the car. Pit stops at the well-lit bathhouse are easier now that I know where to turn in the predawn darkness. That took until Wednesday to get clear into my geographically challenged self. My average time to school this week was an hour and thirty minutes. Afternoons led into evenings quickly with racing out of school as soon as the last student leaves at 4:20ish which gets me back in time for dinner. Tuesday night’s math class was painful, but the trade off was zero traffic at 7:00 PM. And the darkness at 7:30 PM is really the same as the darkness at 5:30 PM this time of year. Pollyanna lives!

When I reset the odometer Monday morning my goal was just to figure out what an average week’s worth of gasoline would look like. I had absolutely no idea that it would turn 1,000 MILES in one week. ONE THOUSAND, FIFTY-TWO miles to be more precise. Pulling into the marina parking lot this afternoon after today’s staged reading gig in DC and a girls’ day near Charlottesville, Virginia yesterday, marked the end of a really long week of driving. Next week should be significantly less, but I had to refill my 13-gallon gas tank every other day. Grrr. Thank goodness for cheap gas averaging $2.00 a gallon these days. So this month of baseline budget data collection is going to be more complicated than I expected. I am sure there will be variations in my driving pattern and I am sure I’ll get used to it. But I’m not sure I can reconcile the fossil fuel consumption. Is this Tiny Living offsetting it and making the commute a less horrific impact on the earth? For now, I have to focus on getting this down payment savings started. The good news is the commute does cost less than renting in Arlington, so there will be significant savings this month. In fact I have paid off one outstanding debt and am ready to knock another out. Those are two goals I have been chipping away at for months, and now they are purged! Kurt and I will even have money for Christmas gifts without going into debt. So my decision to do this crazy live-aboard project IS like having a second job as Kurt has suggested. Only my second job isn’t like my colleagues’ moonlighting jobs of tutoring, babysitting, retailing, dog walking or marrying well. My moonlighting job is to drive long distances and live with my love. Sure wished Kurt and I lived in a country that actually cared about the people who care about the children. But we don’t live there. Looking on the bright side and ignoring the gasoline consumption, it was a good week.

Random things I learned this week:

It takes 10 miles driving in normal I-495 (Beltway) traffic to consume a peppermint Tootsie Pop.

“Tell the Bartender” is the preferred, story telling podcast in the morning, but “On Being” works well to unwind in the evening, with the grand exception of Krista Tippet’s interview with John O’Donoghue from 2008. I listened on Tuesday morning (when an accident extended my commute to two hours and fifteen minutes) and it inspired me to find one of his quotes as soon as I got to school and use it for my daily poetry inquiry with my sixth graders! An awesome conversation ensued.

The guy at Starbucks in Lusby thinks I don’t know that he filled my cup with regular coffee on Monday when I was still in shock for my first commute day. It took me until Thursday to figure that out. I ordered an Americano. I needed espresso. The Friday barista got the order correct, so I will continue to order Starbucks on the mornings I don’t need gas. Or maybe I’ll start experimenting with life the way my sister lives and not be so dependent on coffee. Not any time soon, Heidi.

On the mornings I do need gas, I have learned that Wawa coffee isn’t very good, but it can be doctored without too many calories. As a trade off to bad coffee, their sausage, egg and cheese croissant keeps me happy for at least 30 miles.

It’s very good to come home to my husband. 

Transition Thanksgiving

Alison says: 

I really should be unpacking right now as Kurt hangs a new reading light for me and a closet light for tomorrow morning. But now that the panic from yesterday has worn off a bit, the procrastination has set in. So the good and funny things must be recorded right now.

Last night I crashed on the boat after a very busy Thanksgiving weekend. Move out of the suburbs will be complete tomorrow after I pick up the last two piles from my soon to be former home. Sigh. One remaining pile got left behind when loading the truck and the other pile is just going to have to get stored/used at school. There is not enough room in my car or Kurt’s boat for stuff that isn’t needed.

Speaking of needed, this has been an exercise in all of that. From coats to socks, which ones are most necessary? Which ones have I never worn because I really don’t like them? I finally tossed the unwrapped 3-pack of panty hose that I pulled from my mother’s house after she died in 2005. I have never worn them. I will never wear them. It’s okay to put them in the bag for give away. It wasn’t easy, but it was no longer hard. I guess that's what I got from most of the purging. Being a teacher is hazardous and creates pack rats. I admit it. But it’s also true that you never know when you are going to need something. So often there are moments when having that box of 100 Popsicle sticks from years ago saves the lame turkey project and makes it into an awesome puppet project. Happened just last week with our first grade reading buddies. Good thing I didn’t pitch those sticks. So all that stuff at the house just isn’t ready to be released. It’s not yet easy AND is too hard to ponder life without. Besides, there’s tons of room in my brother’s garage.

Between rain showers today we managed to get all my essential hanging clothes into the closet. They fit with a bit of room for Kurt to hang some of his stuff! I found the bag with all my underwear and socks. Some one somewhere on one of the blogs I am following suggested putting all that in magazine files wedged in the skinny shelving along the vee berth (boat word!). We found just the right size at Staples, on clearance and buy 2 get 1 free! Total cost: $4.00. And now Kurt can have two of his drawers back.

All in all, the move was low key. My daughter was home for the Thanksgiving weekend and with her help, my nephew’s help and the very wonderful men-hired-through-U-Haul’s help, the move out to storage was not nearly as painful as I had predicted. The weather was amazing all weekend, sunny and mid-60’s. My brother’s garage was plenty roomy. He promised that if Kurt and I decide to escape to the Caribbean on the boat, he will share the proceeds from auctioning my things off with my three children. Total cost: about $500.00

           

Right now my precious daughter is stuck in I-95S traffic, but has invited us down to her place for Christmas.“Unless you want me to experience Christmas on the boat.” It’ll be a Carolina Christmas! So for the rest of today I need to figure out how to make my phone into a data hot spot. Or maybe just connect to Kurt’s till he runs out of data. Then the three suitcases on the vee berth (!) will be unpacked, organized and stowed somewhere before it gets dark on this rainy, chilly Sunday. I am a live aboard, for now!

Kurt says:

Moving from Arlington was surprisingly easy. Alison did well to reduce her possessions. That is not easy, especially when you have some life at your back. the boat easily absorbed those things that were essential and my worries of tripping over things was clearly unfounded. 

We now have the opportunity to rearrange and redesign the interior space to suit or needs which will help when we go sailing. I never bothered to make the boat a home.  I've never had a home just places where I went to get out of the cold, considering the world my home. I am looking forward to turtleing with Alison. So now I have both sweeties, wife and cat, living with me. All is good in the world. 

Move out weekend.

Words to follow.

Last Land Lubbing Weekend

It has arrived and I am sure that's why I can't bring myself to get out of bed this morning. Last weekend of suburban convenience. Last weekend of city water closet outside my bedroom door. Last weekend of cable t.v. Last weekend of private showers. Last weekend of in-unit laundry facilities. Last weekend of big refrigerator and gas stove with oven. Last weekend of home delivery of the Washington Post. Last weekend of my closet with just my clothes that all fit and don't have to be in part stored in the back of my car. I could go on and include the good restaurants and movie theaters and nearby Washington, DC with its phenomenal live theater, but with saving money these days all of that has been excluded from my weekends. It all just feels a bit tragic.

However, isn't the purpose of this blog to keep me focused on the good and the funny? So look! That must be a gratitude list above. That is good. All I need to do now is remind myself that the boat is just a temporary fix to refill my bank account so that by this time next year we will be preparing for a grand holiday season at our new and cozy Grandma house complete with lots of family and friends. How grateful can a wife be that her husband had the wisdom and foresight to buy a boat in the pretty part of Maryland that has the space for his wife and allows for a simpler way of living to make way for her visions? She can be beyond grateful, which makes her...unable to find an appropriate synonym that doesn't connect with "beholden". So thanks to Kurt, my dreams of Grandma house are in this year's plan.

AND the latest winter forecasts are leaning towards a mild, mild winter. Thank you, El Nino! I choose to be beholden to you provided you do your good El Nino thing.

So now I am ready to crawl out of bed, make coffee in my suburban coffee maker with my city water faucet. And with my cable internet I will order my bulk container of Poo Powder (way cheaper than the other product I posted!). Then I will finish packing the rest of the house that I have put off because I was still using all of it.  Tomorrow will be just any regular Sunday morning. Move out day is Black Friday. Still looking on the bright side with that scheduling detail. Thank goodness for choices that make me laugh! Good and funny, accomplished.

Discovery: Lots of People Live on Boats

Alison says: 

Just a quick post today to tell you that people on Pinterest post about living aboard boats. They have linked me to blogs about live aboards. Kurt isn't the only with the idea to live simply and save a whole lot of money. People with dogs, people who do yoga, people who DECORATE their interior space all live on boats. They smile a lot and often sail to where the water is really blue.

I spent my weekend with my last houseguests till my grandma house opens for business. Shelly, Katie and I walked all around Washington, DC while I quietly inventoried all that I will miss about this city. Living aboard Elizabeth is a temporary gig and I'll be back for plenty of wanderings. For now, thanks to Pinterest, I am a little bit inspired and just might go ahead and adopt a dog once school is out this summer.

In the meantime, I'll start here and continue to collect ideas here. Just give me a minute to get started.

Kurt Says: :)

Alison says: 

Not sure gloating was in the rules.

Weekend packing

Empty Nest Gets Emptier

With less than three weeks till move on date, purging is done, packing is midstream and there is not much of my usual moving melancholy to be found. It may be due to Kurt's decision to take Miss Kitty to the boat today(!) or maybe it's because I don't have as many boxes as I thought I'd have. Or maybe it's because I see the long-distance marriage arrangement coming to an end, finally! 

Remember that poetry book by Merritt Malloy, Beware of Older Men? Yes, no one else had heard of it. But it desperately helped me get over being dumped by my first love in 1984. I threw it in the actual recycle bin! And the jars and bottles I collected because I loved their shapes? Recycled! The holiday coffe cups, gone! My sisters would be proud.

The half gallon of Aunt Jemima's syrup is a whole other deal. Yes, I bought it at Costco when I still had three children in the house, at least 10 years ago. And yes, I have moved it three times. Help me, but I can't bring myself to throw it away. It is sitting on our courtyard's "freecycle" stand. The purple scarves are now in someone else's home as well as the butterfly lamp. The syrup remains. Seems there might be a bit of melancholy left or that would be in the trash, eh? Yes, I did look up recipes with massive amounts of syrup in the ingredients list. Couldn't find one I liked. I'll throw it out tonight. I promise.

This Just In: Snowy Winter Predicted

No, I didn't research the truth of this map. I found it on Facebook and that's really all I needed to view to know that this decision of mine is fraught with sloppy planning. I know that moving onto the boat is an adventure. I know that the commute is going to be horrific. I know that I will love my future house's bathroom so much that I just might host dinner parties in it for years to come. I get all that and I am okay with all of that.

However, I teach in a county of Virginia where snow days can be called for just the threat of snow. We get wicked ice storms that no one can drive on, but folks out of the area don't really get that. Even the president has mocked us for our lack of grit. The new schedule rolled out last year allows for 13 snow days with no repercussions. We used all or nearly all of those 13 days last year and we were happy. That was when I lived relatively close to my school. What happens now? From last year and Kurt's explanations, I know that Southern Maryland has it's own microclimate and snow is often chased away by the Bay. That will mean that he'll likely go to work on days when I get to do the snow day dance. But I also know from 20+ years of experience with my county that sometimes snow days aren't called until the teachers actually arrive at school. That means a really long and snowy drive back to the boat. Or dragging out the cot from the back of the car and sleeping in the classroom without tripping the motion sensors...

I'm not complaining. It just occurs to me that I'll need to create a rich folder marked "Snow Day Sub" filled with random and rigorous work for my sixth graders on days that I don't trust the callers of the snow days. Being at this job so long has built me up quite a bank of leave. It also occurs to me that I'll be shopping for some really comfy and stylish boots that will get me carefully on and off the finger pier no matter the weather. Or now that I have the bathroom issue all worked out, I may not have to leave for days! But cozy, new boots are a definite necessity.

Carry on. Panic has subsided.

Meet Miss Kitty

Commute Trial and Brilliant Yoga Solution

My school is about 65 miles away from Kurt's boat via roads. If I was a crow it'd be kind just across the Pax River and then a quick skip across the Potomac. I am not a crow, nor am I a monarch butterfly. So Wednesday just after the last student walked out the door, I walked quickly to my car and took off. Traffic hadn't started building up until I was in the great state of Maryland. Long and short I was to the boat in 2 hours. Urgh. No energy left to grade the math tests, good to know. I actually never had any energy ever to grade math tests at home. But it was good to have dinner with Kurt. We agreed he'll have dinner on the table for me every night starting December 1! With the new appliances going in it shouldn't be trouble. And since it will be dark before I really even leave school the commute won't feel like I am wasting daylight hours. Keep on the sunny side!

Bedtime was early as the alarm goes off at 5:00. Since the electric sockets are all in the main cabin, there is no snoozing. How to get up and out early is going to take serious practice. But I was on the road by 5:30 and the Starbucks in Lusby opens at 5:00! So with my venti Americano and chocolate croissant (food really is love!) I was off in the dark with my new podcast - Tell the Bartender. My usual On Being podcast is far too peaceful to keep me moving.

My big trouble to ponder on this drive what how I am going to keep my body from falling apart with so much driving and early dark. I used to be a great yoga student and still have some muscle memory, so it's my go to when my body really hurts. But where, oh, where does one roll out a mat and move on a 34' sail boat? Ha! One waits till one gets to school and sneaks in some stretching in the back corner before anyone arrives. Brilliant! Maybe someone at school would want to join me if I let out the secret.

So the drive will be dreadful, but after I run through all the 5 seasons of Bartender, there are multiple seasons of The Actors' Grind! Next problem to solve is wardrobe. Professional clothes that don't need to be washed a lot (I not even going there - a laundromat...) and don't take up much room. At least we'll have good food.

Renovations

Kurt says:

With Alison moving to the boat in a month I have to finish a whole lot of projects I started. I just finished pulling all the LP gas appliances from the galley and replacing them with electric alternatives. Gas scares me. My LP system has a leak in it somewhere so I have never used it. With Alison coming aboard it would be nice to be able to cook things other than pasta and soup. Food is love, so says Alison. I added a second 30 amp input and a new distribution panel with three circuits -- one for the convection oven, one for the microwave and another for an outlet. We will use a portable induction stovetop for our boiling and frying needs.

Before

Next on the list is repairing some of the leaks that I have lived with for the past four years. Condensation will be a major problem in the winter and I would like to limit the amount of moisture in teh boat as best I can. After that I will continue to remove the nasty old carpet that lines the hull and replace it with cedar slats. There are a couple of shelves to add and maybe a cabinet or two for good measure ... and extra storage.

I also have to finish replacing the oil pump on the engine so I can get rid of all the engine parts that are scattered about. Once the engine is running our alternative power source will be complete.

Almost Done. Just some trim work.

Paper and Poop: Discoveries on Columbus Day

Paper

No school today, so I had time to purge more! What rule do YOU follow about saving paperwork, especially tax papers? I have always done the 7 year deal, but never in my entire adult life has anyone every asked for saved papers. Now most everything is online, so shredder shredded and all I have to take onto the boat is one accordion folder of most important papers. Kurt will be shocked that I had the fortitude just as he was surprised that I transferred all my addresses from my address book into my phone. Yup, threw away the address book. Who really cares? Just feel a bit lighter now.

Poop

I really don't care that much about stuff. Since I sold the house where I raised my kids, I have moved twice significantly purging each time. I am really down to the most essential furniture and stuff. Tchotkes aren't my thing and I really have no grand art or wine collection. So don't listen to Kurt when he says I love my stuff.  Most of it will be just fine in storage without me. 

The biggest worry of mine has everything to do with where I will poop when the air temps freeze the water lines. Since I have known Kurt, this has  been a serious issue even without freezing temps. The bed sits on top of the poop tank and it can get mighty stinky. Plus I'm a girl who prefers her privacy before, during and after doing my duty. We call it the "shy sphincter" and this makes me extraordinarily grateful to return to my house with four walls and a toilet that flushes with city water. Kurt's personal solution is to use the portable toilet just a short walk from the boat. No thanks. Seriously, so stop asking. My solution has been to use the bath house provided by the marina. And since I'm really only there on the weekends, it hasn't been that much of a problem. Not so much when there's ice on the dock or it's late at night/early in the morning. Oh, and the marina closes the nearby bath house, which extends this leisurely walk by at least 15 minutes, my rough estimate.

The internet has a solution! It's called GO Anywhere Toilet Kit, formerly known as WAG bag. Why have I never heard of this? I grew up camping and camped with kids for years. Never once do I remember having such a convenient solution to far away bath houses or emergency potty needs. The product is sold all over the internet, but the cheapest so far is here.  You are very welcome. So as soon as my first order arrives, I may just move up the move in date. Yes, I will probably set up a 5 gallon bucket in the "head" and grab the bag in the morning as I shuffle out to work. I hope all my other worries get solved this easily!

The Purge Begins

Alison says:

In order for me to do this live on a boat thing, I need to decide what comes with me and what goes into storage. Yesterday I shred all my tax documents from before 2008. Yay! The rest goes into storage.  All my summer clothes are in three boxes in order of importance for collecting them out of storage once it gets hot again. Good clothes that fit now, box #1, great clothes that are too snug, box #2. Surely I'll lose weight between now and then.  Now I need to clear out my desk. Will I need stationery? a stapler? Oh, I'll need to go through the under bed boxes. Surely I won't need to bring wrapping paper, but is it worth hauling to storage? Which leads to my jewelry and make up. What if I have an audition that requires me to be fully camera ready? Definitely all the make up. And only a few bulky necklaces. No more than 5. The rest I'll purge? Maybe store.

Time for a nap.

Kurt says:

I too must purge stuff in order to make room for Alison. I went through a major purge when I first moved aboard almost a decade ago. For the most part it was not difficult as I am not attached to stuff, it is just stuff. I was, however, very attached to my library. I had collected almost 2500 titles on all subjects that were of interest to me --  philosophy, literature, science, nature. I had to give them all away. That was hard. I now have a kindle which takes up much less space and will, no doubt, eventually be as comprehensive as my old book library was.

My purge now will be simple. Mostly there is stuff that is associated with the boat itself that must be removed.