Category Archives: FAQs

We did it! Now what? . . .

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One year, one week later and 1,500 miles later, we entered the Bocas del Drago channel at 1am on Monday, May 21st, and officially returned to Panama!  We did it!

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks hanging out with old friends, visiting our old haunts and generally getting back in the swing of things.  Believe it or not, we’ve been busy!

In these few short weeks, we visited three of the islands and the mainland, hosted guests from the States, said goodbye to D’s brother, Will, (who returned home after 2 1/2 months aboard) and got to work diagnosing and ordering parts to get Mother Jones back in shipshape.

Being “back” has been surreal, fantastic and curious all at once.

The main curiosity upon our return (other than us, of course) has been exploring answers to the question: “now what?”.

You see, our convenient four-part Panama plan was:

  1. Sell everything – check
  2. Buy a boat – check
  3. Sail to Panama – check
  4. Figure it out

Did you notice how there’s no “check” by item number 4???  (We’ve definitely noticed 🙂

Yay!  Off, to the drawing board.  The blank canvas of life.  What will we create?

Let’s start with the obvious: We need to refill the cruising kitty.

Given we’re not internet tycoons or trust-fund kids (not that there’s anything wrong with that) we always knew we’d have to figure this out one of three ways: generate income remotely, generate income locally or return to the States for a stretch.

We’re working on the remote income generation and thinking seriously about some possible local income sources, but in the mean time it’s easiest for us to return to the States to work for a stretch.

Bad news for fans of Laurie and Damon (together that is):  Because we have the dog and the boat to look after, we figure only one of us will return at a time.   This is kind of a bummer, but a price we’re willing to pay for full-time freedom and togetherness the other 10 months of the year.

Of course, we could always all fly back (K included or find him a local sitter) while we put the boat in a marina.  But, this is a less-appealing option for us for several reasons (expense, boats like to be used, and K is, well, K).

On this front, Damon has lined up a short-term contract with his old employer in Austin and will head back to the States later this summer for a couple of months.

I’m working on a couple of things remotely here but do need to kick it up a notch.  So, if you have an idea for me, do let me know . . .

So, that gets us through Fall, then what???

Well, we’re weighing some options, both short and long(er)-term. Here’s what’s on our minds:

  1. We take the long way back to Austin next cruising season (Dec-June), sailing Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico on our way back to the States (where we’d sell Mother Jones)
  2. We settle into life here in Bocas and open a super-fun local business (we have something specific in mind . . .)
  3. And, the fantasy plan de jour is replacing Mother Jones with a camper van and touring Europe (Damon’s never been!)

You might notice that (at least one of) the plans we’re exploring don’t include building long-term wealth, stocking our IRAs and generally looking more than a couple of years down the road.  We noticed that, too.

We’re clear that our ability to live this lifestyle is due to many reasons, first and foremost, due to building a solid financial foundation early in life (which we’ve since significantly chipped away at).   And, we’re clear we’ll likely need to return to building up a solid foundation once again – not just a cruising kitty.  We’ll get there.  Maybe sooner, maybe later.  Definitely after December 21, 2012 😉

For now, this is where we’re at: exploring, dreaming and pouring over budgets.

Just thought we’d clue you into what we’re thinking.

Love,

L, D and Mr. K

ps. re: big life plans, some folks have asked, so we thought we’d let you know that . . . no, we still don’t know whether we’ll choose to have any little Jones’ enter our life.   And, no, we don’t mind you asking.  We’re flattered 🙂

I’m ba-ack . . .

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Well, folks, I have a lot to say, but I’m tired so I’ll keep it skinny:

  1. I’m back in Austin for 2 weeks (starting yesterday and leaving on the 30th).  Re-entry is great and weird (more on this later, too).   Why am I back now?  Because my very dear friends just had a beautiful baby boy and they all are in need of some serious support.  In between visiting the little one in the NICU and doing whatever these two amazing people need, I’d love to catch up.  So, I’ll be a few places over the next two weeks and hope you can join me:  Bill’s Singer-Songwriter deal at The Crow Bar on 4/18, Eeyore’s bday party on the 28th, Early Voting on the 30th (you know I had to!) and Barton Springs, Lady Bird Lake and eating my way through Austin with *you* between now and then.  My phone is on, so give me a jingle, willya?
  2. D is continuing on with Will and I am so confident in their abilities to move from Inagua, The Bahamas to Port Antonio, Jamaica safe and sound.  It should be about a two-day trip, I’ll meet them there in two weeks and I look forward to a grand tour of ‘de Island, mon before heading south to Panama.  You can track their progress here.
  3. Last, but definitely not least:  I’m THRILLED to be a finalist for the Amble Resorts Island Intern contest.  So.excited.  There’s more to come on this front but for now let me just say: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who voted & shared in this adventure with me; your support means more than words can say.  Special thanks to Amble Resorts for believing in my potential and wanting to know more – the feeling is mutual 🙂

love, love, love

L

South of the Tropic of Cancer

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This week in Georgetown has been busy!

We’ve been doing the usual re-provisioning: fuel, water, food, laundry.

We’ve been excited to let everyone know about Amble Resorts and the possibility that I could be their 2012 Island Intern back in Panama (go vote!).

And, most importantly, we’ve been studying up for our big next legs south to Panama.  After tons of consideration and over a year’s worth of hemming and hawing, here’s what we have decided (and are open to feedback on):

How’d we get here?  In short, we wanted to take the 1) safest, and then, 2) most comfortable route.  Without going into too much detail (we’re happy to, just email us) it’s a big combination of studying the weather, charts, pet-entry req’s, clearing in fees and then, prioritizing what we want to see along the way.  Being willing to go “north to get south” (go out of your way to get a better sail) and waiting on the weather will serve you well on making big passages like this, or so we’ve been told.  And, that’s what we intend to do.

First thing’s first, as you can see we’re headed West, with the Trade Winds instead of beating East across the north coast of the Dominican Republic and then beating again across the north coast of Puerto Rico.  If we were to go that way, once we got to the USVI, we’d be set to follow little coastal jumps all the way down the chain.  But, each of the 20-odd countries “down the chain” between “here” (The Bahamas) and “there” (Panama) has different pet entry regulations and entry fees for the boat.  Turks and Caicos alone is $200 to enter (for a couple of days, no thanks) and some of the islands I really wanted to see (Dominica) don’t allow pets on shore.  So, we’d skip these anyway therefore the advantage of short day sails between islands was kind of muted.   Of all the things I’ll miss out on (this time) by not taking the Eastern route, I think I’ll miss the opportunity to see Saba the most: when told roads and an airport couldn’t be built, they did it themselves – my kind of folks!

Also, yes, Cuba (the forbidden zone) is on the way and the anchorage to check in at is just past Guantanamo Bay.  If we stop we’ll likely just anchor off the coast to rest but the coast is so steep that we’ll be really close to land.  So . . . we’ll keep you posted.

And, finally, yes, it’s a lot of open water after Jamaica, but we prefer the open water with the Trades over beating against the wind.  And, we discovered there are a ton of little atolls along the way, which could break up the 3-day trip to San Andres (off the coast of Nicaragua), which is supposed to be great!

From there, it’s a “short” jump from San Andres to Bocas – from 36 hours to 72 depending on the weather.

We estimate the total sailing time on these legs to be about 1.5 weeks, which will be broken up with time ashore and time patiently waiting on the weather.  So, just like that, we’re well on track to be in Panama by June, just as planned.  Famous.last.words. 😉

I’m not sure what internet options will be available between here and Jamaica so stayed tuned on Spot and we’ll catch up on the flip side.

xoxox,

Laurie

ps.  If you haven’t yet taken a second to vote for me for the Amble Resorts 2012 Island Intern contest, what in the world are you waiting for??? 😉  Click here.


Island Intern? Vote & see . . .

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“Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be.” -Kurt Vonnegut

Hey y’all,

I have a confession to make: I have been applying for a job. I know, I know, it’s a real buzz-kill to the care-free, jobless, shoeless lifestyle fantasy you think I live. But, before you go being all “aww, geez, that Laurie is such a slave to The Man,” keep reading.

Or, if you’re not much of a “reader” but more of a blog “skimmer”, click here to Vote for Me in the 2012 Amble Resorts Island Intern contest. Thanks a ton!!!

OK, for all you “readers” out there, here’s the scoop:

In February I was dorking around on facebook and The Professional Hobo (of course I follow her) posted this interesting link to a resort company advertising an “Island Intern” position/contest. Of course, I clicked. More out of curiosity than anything. And then I got to thinking . . .

The “Island Intern” would travel to Panama (which we love and where we’re already headed) for a month this summer (when we’ll be arriving) get set up Amble Resort’s private island, travel around and share their experiences online through sites like Facebook and the companies’ own blog, The Ambler.

While I’m definitely a bit older that your average intern*, I thought, “I have been wondering what I’d do next, you know, since leaving work full time in November of 2010 and embarking on a transformational sabbatical to Panama”. You know, that whole thing.

The “what next” thoughts have spurred me into trying things on and seeing how they fit. At first, the idea of becoming an Island Intern just seemed like a “sounds like fun, why not?” kinda thing. But, the more I dug into it, the more I started to get excited about the real possibility of combining what I love to do – and am already doing – with my professional skills in a whole new way: as a Travel Host. After all, I already love to travel, meet new folks, go on exploring adventures and tell all y’all about it on the interwebs. Plus, I think my past experience as a political organizer (fearless relationship building, grassroots marketing and online outreach) would be a huge asset in this arena.

But, what’s a Travel Host, you say? And, what’s this Island Intern deal got to do with it? Well, here-ya-go:

1) Travel Host is something I’ve totally made up. For me. I suppose there are tons of folks out there with this “official” title and it can mean many things depending on who you talk to. But, for me, it expresses how I’d love to be able to greet folks coming off a plane, from their (busy?) lives back “home” and give them an amazing experience on their visit – you know like when you visit a friend in their hometown and get the “inside scoop” on all the best stuff.

1-a) How’d I do that? Well, you gotta get in there and get to know a place. Take for example, Austin. Sure, I grew up there, but I also make it a point to get off the beaten path, visit small businesses and ask – like really ask – how someone’s day is. It’s part of the reason I can never just run up to the MiniMart in be back in 5 minutes (because of Abdel) and and why I love going to see Denny at the amazing Arturo’s Underground Cafe (because we’re friends, and his salads are killer!). Having grown up in Austin, I’ve shown a lot of new folks around and I love it. I love thinking of what flavor of Austin they’d really savor and building an itinerary just for them. And, I love seeing them fall in love with the City, I love, too.***

2) So, what’s this Island Intern deal all about and how will it help me become a Travel Host? Well, the Island Intern position is a starting point; they know it and I know it. In fact, they’ve been very forthcoming about how some of their finalists last year who were selected as their 2011 Island Interns have, in fact, parlayed the experience into another, professional experience in the field. And, for the record, I know that changing careers is rarely easy and those with who legitimately sport the Travel Host title have worked their tushies off to make a living – away from friends and family.

Also, I’d like to take a moment to talk about Amble Resorts, “the company behind the contest” (I made that up ;). From my research, Amble Resorts and their founder Ben Loomis are different. And, I like different. I like that the island is being developed in an environmentally responsible way: with passive cooling systems, 95% of the island is NOT being developed, and that an emphasis is being placed on immersive experiences.

You can click here to read all about Amble Resorts straight from the source.  

So, this all leads us to something really important which I mentioned briefly above (to all of those busy blog “skimmers”): the selection process for becoming an Island Intern is, in part, a CONTEST where YOU can VOTE for ME (sorry for yelling but I’m a little excited). I’ve been posting shameless-self-promotions on Facebook and even joined Twitter (swoon) prompting y’all to vote and really wanted to take my time here on the blog to give more of an explanation about Amble Resorts (“the company behind the contest”), the Island Intern contest and why I’m interested. But, all that aside, if you haven’t voted yet, DO IT NOW (please and thank you :). Click here to vote.

And, of course, if you feel so inclined to post/share/invite your friends to vote, too, I’d love that!

Finally, you might be wondering: what about Damon, the dog, the boat? All important questions which we have made up answers for: since we’re headed to Panama anyway, and are so familiar with Bocas, we figure we could leave the boat and Kemah in Bocas with Will (D’s brother who’s joined us for a while) and D could come with me – or not. We’ll see.

So, that’s that. Like I said, I’m trying things on, this feels like an awesome fit for the both of us (me and my new BFF Amble Resorts) and I’d love your help. So many of y’all have been so supportive already and I appreciate it more than you know.

Thanks so much for your help and you can bet your behind I’ll keep you posted with the latest news from this aspiring Travel Host!

Xoxox,

Laurie

*Over the years, I’ve worked with a ton of interns and volunteers: young and not-so-young but always life-saving! The best interns I’ve worked with always share similar traits: they’re hungry to learn (to do it “your way”**), eager to sink their teeth into a meaningful project for which they can be responsible and posses the humility and realism to do the grunt work, which is part of every job.

**When I say “your way”, I don’t mean “my way”, I mean the “company way”. Being able to adapt to the style of the team will always get your far (or cause you to find a more natural fit).

***Shameless-yet-super-cool plug: I was absolutely thrilled to have my feature on Austin included in National Geographic Intelligent Traveler’s I Heart My City blog.  Check it out!

FAQ’s

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We get asked a lot of questions about our new-found lifestyle, so here are some FAQ’s, answered. If you have others, just ask and we’ll do our best to get your pondering answered!

Q: Why?

A: Well, simply, because we want to.  We love the water, traveling, seeing new things, stretching ourselves and living simply.  We figured moving aboard would be a good way to do what we love.

Q: How? (short-ish/inspirational answer)

A: You know how you make New Year’s Resolutions and dream big?  Well that’s what we did: in 2007.  Of course, the best laid plans include action-able steps and, for us, that included aggressively paying off debt, squirreling away money and increasing income by taking on extra projects.   

In 2007 we set out to take a 3-6 month sabbatical from “the real world” and in 2010 we left the States to travel in Central America (with a very good friend hanging out with Kemah in our house in Austin).  Because we knew we already enjoyed the water so much, and living on a sailboat was one of those “yeah, right, but why not?” dreams, we tried to find as many opportunities to be on the water and on boats as possible.  Often times this meant hanging out in sailor bars like it was our job: a tough, tough job.

We ended up spending the majority of our 6 month trip in Panama, which we loved!  In Panama, we had the opportunity to be on many boats as crew:  we helped S/V Santorini through the Panama Canal with some new friends Capt. Tom and Dawn-dee; we joined Capt. Greg aboard S/V Sweet Dreams to make a 9-day leisurely passage from Portobelo to Bocas del Toro; and then lucked out house-sitting in Dolphin Bay (8 miles from town by boat) for a couple of months next to some amazing cruisers from North Carolina.  Needless to say, we were hooked!

But, while all these fun backpacking adventures were going on, we still had the security of “home” and the perpetual questions of “what next (when this is over)?” looming. We eventually braved up and announced to ourselves (and later to our friends and family) that we didn’t want to do anything else:  we wanted to become cruisers.  And, not “someday” but as soon as possible.

Now, to just do some cocktail-napkin-math . . .

You know that saying “a long journey begins with a single step”?   Well, our first page in this chapter began with just deciding to do it.  And, then working out the logistics as we went, and as we go, along.

Q: How do you (financially) do it?

A: Sometimes in life the question of “how’d you do that?” is answered best by examining a series of events.  This trip is no different. Damon and I have always been interested in traveling so that initial desire has always been present.  It seems that we all align our priorities with our finances (intentionally or not) and so we have, for a long time.

Growing up, travel was important to my family and so went our priorities:  we didn’t eat out much, I wore a lot of my sister’s hand-me-downs (hers made or from the thrift store), my parents drove used cars and I was working as soon as I was legally able to.  I was fortunate enough to have no debt after graduating from a state school (Hook ’em!).  At 23, I got a loan  and bought a house, a modest fixer-upper in a fabulous neighborhood in Austin (remember how the mortgage co’s were loaning anyone money???).  For the next seven years, D and I did one project a month and in 2011, after over 60 projects, we had enough equity to sell the house and buy our boat outright.

It should also be mentioned that over those seven years, we also worked our butts off: often working 70+ hours per week to pay off debt (car loan, credit cards, etc), sock away money for a rainy day fund and build up a travel fund (it’s amazing what you can save when you have debt).

It’s not that we didn’t have any fun during those seven years: we had a whole lot of fun!  We got married, went on trips, ate out on special occasions and otherwise enjoyed ourselves.  But, we didn’t really spend much on clothes, shared a car and otherwise aligned our finances and priorities.

So, when we sat in Panama in 2011 wondering “can we actually become cruisers, like now?”, given a lot of research on boats, live-aboard expenses (we budgeted $1,000-1,500 per month) and a hard-look current state of assets, our past (financial) choices made it possible.  Yes, we’d have to sell the house and give up a lot of security.  Yes, we’d have to look far and wide for a boat we could afford.  Yes, we’d have to continue working along the way.  But, most importantly, yes, we could do it!!!  For at least, a while.

Q: What about money?

As in making it.  Most folks know how it’s spent 😉

People love to ask:  “how will you make money aboard?  Are you trust-fund kids?”.  Alas, we are not.  But, if you asked me how would I make money for the rest of my life in Austin, I’d have the same answer:  “I’ll figure it out”.  Perhaps it’s my personality and perhaps it’s that I’ve spent my entire career as an independent contractor, but I feel comfortable with uncertainty (most of the time) and feel trapped by security.

D and I have both been grateful for opportunities our previous employers have extended to come back on contract from time to time.   We’ll likely take them up on that as we travel back to the States for a couple of months apart (one works, one minds the boat) to fill up the cruising kitty and visit family and friends.

We’re also very open to finding work from the boat.  Laurie works online sometimes to help people with data, social networking, blogging, writing and photographing.  D makes music and is working with some game developers and a film-maker on their projects.  And, we’ll happily talk about working where we’re docked at many a fine establishment.  Just ask.

Q: How much does it cost to take off? 

This is the question I asked folks before we left (and the question I’m still asking folks) and the answer is always  . . .

A:  Short anwer: It depends, of course, but really, everything you’ve got (I know that’s annoying).  But seriously, it depends on how you like to live (travel/sleep/eat/drink/recreate) and what your financial obligations are back “home”.

We are budgeting about $1,000-1,500 per month and it’s been tight when we are forced into a marina for weather or repairs and easy when we’re out in the boonies where there is literally no place to spend money.

To get an idea of how much it costs a lot of seasoned cruisers, click here to view a survey of these old salts.

A: Long answer: Damon and I are pretty thrifty when we want to be.  And, we live to enjoy life.  Before we left that meant not saying “no” to night’s out on the town with friends, but with a financial goal in mind for our trip, we often picked our nights out carefully (birthdays and special occasions), split meals or used coupons or specials to “afford” this luxury – it is a luxury.

This is not to say that we ate tuna fish and crackers for years before we left – we did not – and we don’t eat tuna fish and crackers for every meal on our travels, either.  Somedays we do, because I happen to like tuna fish, but I’m not going to pass up opportunities to support a local restaurant by enjoying a native dish or miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime excursion because it costs money.

I track our expenses in a spreadsheet (shocker, I know) and will happily share it when we have a couple months under our belt.

Q: Where ya headed? 

If you know us or have spent some time on the blog you may have discovered by now, that we love Panama.  We fell in love with Bocas del Toro in 2011 and are planning on heading back down to this hurricane-free-zone by June of 2012.

To get there from Florida, we plan on first visiting The Bahamas and perhaps going “down the chain” of Caribbean islands to the east or perhaps crossing over from Jamaica, either straight to Panama (a long time at sea) or over to Honduras and down the coast (against the wind and waves the whole way).  We have a lot of thinking to do about which way we want to go – and which way will be best in our boat.  So, if you have advice for us, shoot!

A few places I’d love to visit along the way(s) include Cuba, Saba and the Rio Dulce.  Hmmmm . . . .

Q. How long are you doing this for?

A. “The next chapter”, or, “until further notice”.  It may be long, it may be short.  It is unwritten.  We’ll let you know when we’re “done” with it.   And, thanks so much for reading it with us!

On Guns

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To have and to hold?  That is the question.

A lot of folks have asked us about whether we are “packin’”. And, the short answer is that we are not.

The long answer is, well, long. And, here goes:

There is a great debate among the sailing community of whether or not to have guns on boats. At the top of the list to consider is whether or not guns are legal in the country or countries you are likely to visit. Here in the Bahamas, guns are legal aboard but, and I think rightly so, they are very restricted. You must declare your gun as well as all of your ammunition (as in the exact number you have aboard) when you clear in. If, when you clear out, you have less ammunition as when you cleared in, you better have a great explanation for why – and where – you discharged your gun.

In a lot of other countries, guns simply don’t fly. If you are caught with a gun onboard, your boat can be confiscated and you’ll be put in jail – no bueno.

And, we feel, why do you need a gun? Pirates, maybe?

On the subject of pirates and at the risk of tempting fate, they are truly far and few between. And, generally, they’re not after cruisers. You hear about pirates attacking huge cargo ships in the Red Sea (a real problem) because of the political unrest (editorial: a fancy term for people having no economic opportunities while big oil takes their resources) and because cargo ships generally pay the ransom rather than fight.

And, while we’re on the subject of people boarding your boat with guns, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not sure I’d use mine if I had one (danger, Will Robinson!) and it’s generally true that if someone is pulling a weapon on you, you’ll probably out-gunned, so to speak.

In the Caribbean, there is crime “against cruisers” but generally it’s the same old crimes of opportunity you see on land: goods left out and then swiped, not locking your dinghy up, being shithouse drunk in the wee hours with tons of flashy jewelry, buying drugs, etc. So, we take precautions: locking everything we care about up and getting shithouse drunk in the daytime (just kidding, Mom).

Also, we’ve heard a couple of great stories which give us no reason to feel we need a gun aboard. Here goes:

1. There was a single-handling cruiser who was passing from the west coast of Panama to either the Galapagos or Hawaii (I can’t remember which but either way it’s a month on your own). He started being trailed by another boat: a clear sign of hijinks. Fortunately for this guy, he had thought ahead and instead of having a gun aboard, he made “one”. That is to say he had previously carved an “M-16” out of plywood, made it about 1.5x the normal size and spray-painted it black. Through some binocular scopes, the sight of this crazy dude on the back of his boat with a HUGE gun caused his “visitors” to turn away. Was it the gun or the craziness? Who knows and who cares, right?

2. We recently came across a cruiser who, upon seeing our Texas flag flying proudly, this fellow Texan asked if we really were from Texas. “Um, duh. Why else would we fly a Texas flag?,” we asked. He spun us a yarn about how he ran into two other boats who tried to buy his Texas flag off him when he was cruising in Central America. “Why?” you might ask? He found that these Texas-flag-shoppers had learned that thieves avoid boats flying the Texas flag ‘cause they figure we’re crazy-ass-Texas-mo-fo’s certainly packing heat. He even ran into a European boat with a HUGE Texas flag (is there any other kind?) draped over the boat. This, I find, hilarious – and awesome.

Our final thought on having guns aboard and why we don’t is that we have Kemah, our Chief Security Officer. Yes, sometimes he protects us from buoys and those menacing pelicans but the point is, he always barks and looks like, well, a crazy ass Texas mo-fo who ain’t messin’ around.

So, there you have it: the skinny on guns and why we don’t have one aboard. And, if you’re a thieve who’s reading this, just because we don’t have a gun doesn’t mean we won’t launch Kemah and some flares at you if you’re desperate enough to take the chance of messin’ with Mother Jones and her Texas crew.

You’re welcome! A word about guests

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We love guests!  And, we love it when our guests are well-prepared to have a great time aboard Mother Jones.  There are a few things you should know before you come, so I thought I’d list a couple for you in advance, below.  If you have additional questions, shoot.

  1. When should I come/where will you be?

Great question!  Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest questions to answer.  So much of living aboard is dictated by the weather and sailors who get into trouble forgo the weather to be somewhere “on time”.  So, most seasoned salts say you get to pick 1: where or when. I, like you, love to plan my trips months in advance based on cheap airfare, days off, etc.  But, this can be tricky for meeting up with Mother Jones.   The best way to deal with this is to stay flexible and count on the unfortunate scenario that we may not be “there” when you are: requiring an extra drive, puddle jump or stay in a hotel as we wait for the weather to bring us together.

Of course, this is the worst case scenario.  We are planning to be in the Bahamas through April and in Panama for some time starting in June, so that is a great time to plan for a visit – or book a refundable ticket.  Along the way,  I’m afraid it may be hard to plan more than a week in advance, so get your Kayak alerts on “last-minute deals” for islands in the Caribe del Mar and roll the dice, my friends!

  1. Can I stay with you?

Of course!  But, know that space is at a premium and privacy is an illusion so consider that when you come.  Check out this video walk-through of Mother Jones to get an idea of how much (little) space is aboard and be honest with yourself about whether you are up for this.  If staying with us isn’t your bag (“I love cable, AC, hot showers, restaurants and a closed door”), no worries!  There are plenty of places where you can stay ashore, join us during the day and retire your comfy hotel room in the evening – aw shucks, you may even have us join you for some room-service and pay-per-view!

  1. What can I bring you?

I’m so glad you asked!  You’re so thoughtful.  While my Mom maintains a healthy list of things-to-be-Sherpa’d, we’re always in the need for some hard-to-find stateside items.  Check in with us before you come and we’ll set you off on a Whole Foods-West Marine mini shopping spree.  Did we mention how thoughtful you are?  You are so thoughtful.  Thank you, seriously.

  1. What to pack?

A great attitude!  And, very little – in a soft-sided bag (no rolly bags, please).   We have everything you could *need* aboard and space is at a premium.  The perfect guest would bring:

  1. Stuff my Mother has collected for us in our “pile” in Austin (for which you will be a Sherpa – thank you!!!)
  2. A (waterproof if you have one) camera, swimsuit, shorts, shoes that have a soft bottom and can get wet (you won’t need heels), a hat, long-sleeve light-weight shirt to cover yourself from the sun and depending on the time of year, a sweatshirt (it can get windy-cold on the water).   And, if you want, a nice sun dress or button up shirt with slacks for a night out on the town.  Bug spray, sunscreen, towels, sheets, an extra laptop, etc; we have it all so don’t lug it with you.
  1. What will we do/can we go for a sail/snorkel/1,000 things before I leave?

Hmmm, much like everything on a boat: it depends.  The weather is our guide, or rather, we are her guest – is that a saying yet?  Anywho, paramount of the myriad reasons we live aboard is that you get to slow down.  And, if you don’t adopt this perspective, you will find yourself frustrated.  Geez, even using the head (for #1) takes twice as long as usual (cause you are the flusher).

So, relax, enjoy the islands, mon.  We’ll try and give you the best of what we’ve experienced – weather permitting.    And, if you don’t get to do the 1,000 things you thought you’d do on your relaxing Caribbean vacation hey, at least you’re not on a conference call.

  1. What do you eat?

Wow.  We eat well.  We provisioned tons of supplies before we left the States and we try and mix these goods with fresh produce and fish wherever we go.  We don’t eat out a lot because Laurie loves to cook and loves the freedom of eating delicious food without asking if something is gluten or dairy free (the occasional bacon cheeseburger and queso are exceptions, of course).  We don’t keep a lot of meat on board only because we don’t have a big fridge but we love seafood and try to catch as much of it as we can.  Also, we’re on a budge so eating at home works most often for us.  But, we don’t mind joining you out for a nice meal every once and a while, especially if you’re feeling generous J

  1. Showering, pooping and other issues of daily hygiene

The illusion of privacy on a boat is just that, an illusion.  There is just one door on Mother Jones – and that keeps the ocean out.  Inside, we all know what you’re doing – and you know what we’re doing.  Get over it.

Showering

Showering is done as needed (and you generally don’t need to shower everyday) in the cockpit from a shower bag.  What’s a shower bag, you say?  Well, it’s basically a heavy-duty plastic bag with a hose on it that we fill with water, put out in the sun (aww, warm showers) and then let rip!  Showers last about 5 minutes and that’s about all you need.  If you want a bath, I know of a great salt-water tub just overboard J

Pooping

A good friend asked: “how do you, ya know . . . go?  Is it like an outhouse or like a port-o-potty?” And, this is an understandable wondering, so here goes:

We have a ‘marine head’, which is the correct term for a combo outhouse/port-o-potty (for you landlubbers :).  You sit down on (or boys stand in front of) the toilet just like normal but it’s a manual flushing – pumping, really – for #1 or #2 (before #2 you pump water into the bowl so the solids flow down).  The process of pumping breaks up solids which either go 1) into a holding tank (port-o-potty style) when we’re in places where you can’t flush out directly or 2) directly into the ocean (out-house style) when you are 3 miles or more off-shore.  You can either get you holding tank pumped out if you’re close to land all the time or if you’re on the move like us, you can fertilize the ocean, as I like to view it.    Keeping in mind always, that some aren’t always as diligent as to where you’re not allowed to “direct discharge”, you get picky as to where you swim around a lot of anchored boats J

And, on the Mr. K front, he goes (#1 & #2) on the bow of the boat and then we dip a bucket into the ocean and use the sea water to simply wash it overboard.  We do like to try to get him on shore at least once a day (or every other day) so he can get some exercise.  After all, when he’s not busy holding down pillows, Kemah likes to burn off steamah!

  1. Safety

We like it!

As a guest of Mother Jones, we need you to like it, too.  There will be times when we need to you do something and please do it (what, me, bossy? never ;).  There’s a great reason we’re asking you to move this way or that or hang on to this or that, so trust us, willya?

When you come aboard, before we offer you a rum and punch (wait a minute, will ya?) we’ll run down where and where not to step or hold on as well as where the fire extinguishers, life jackets, radios and other safety equipment is.

As a guest of Mother Jones you will probably never experience anything that causes you concern, but if your gut tells you to tell us something, don’t hesitate to tell us!  One of the awesome things on being on a boat is being self-reliant, but that also means being proactive, alert and trusting your instincts (and your senior crew’s) should anything worrisome arise.

  1. Privacy or lack thereof

“Privacy” on a boat deserves the air-quotes I’d give it if we were talking to each other in person as well as the quite literal quotes I’m using here.  We definitely give ourselves time to do our own thing, either right in front of each other, in different parts of the boat, or away from the boat.  But, if we’re all on the boat together, get ready to “love thy neighbor” the Good Book has that one right, for sure.

  1. Do you charge?  Can I pay you?

Well, this is another tricky one.  We’re not licensed captains so we can’t legally charge to charter – nor, are we experienced enough to do so.  But, we are on a budge, do think this is a totally valuable experience and there is cost associated with what we’re doing (and what you’re coming to visit).  As long as you’re along for the ride for a couple of days, we’re happy to host.  But, keep in mind that a case of beer in the Bahamas is $50 and a tank of gas is upwards of $5 so, we’re definitely open to any offers to split reasonable costs and donations to our “boat maintenance fund” are very much appreciated.

What do you eat for 3 months?

4

uh.

geh.

yep.

On a boat, getting “stuff” is called “provisioning”.  In my experience, provisioning generally refers to food and drink “stuff” but can also  refer to mechanical, medical or other items needed for the boat.

Before we even headed out to Florida, we attempted to answer the most important questions:  how much Tito’s and TexMex is “enough”?  (update: “enough” is definitely not enough! And, of course, Tito’s we’d definitely consider a sponsorship 😉

Why yes, I am preparing for the TexMex Apocalypse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, here in Florida, having spent the last week itemizing needed boat “stuff”, I’m focusing on food and drink needed “stuff”, and a few extras you can get at Costco or a grocery (TP, cleaning supplies, etc).

How does one go about figuring out what and how to provision?  Well, here’s are some considerations I have considered in this endeavor (feel free, feel very free to add your 2 cents or $5 in, please and thank you):

  • Weight – It’s a major factor – insofaras how our boat performs/how fast we go/what weather we might get caught in if we are weighed-down slowpokes.  So, while the canned beans cost less than the dry beans (really!?! yes.), the weight and packaging may outweigh (heh – see how I did that? 😉 the cost.
  • Packaging – Everything that comes on the boat has to be dealt with, trash-wise.  This kind of life definitely makes you re-think your consumption and judgy-eyes of the granola-lady who brings in her own containers for bulk items; she’s still a weirdo – a weirdo with a reality check – but, now, “she” is me, yup.  All labels on tins/cans will come off with the moisture so we label and date everything.   All things that come in things, come out of their things aka packaging and these things stay on land less we carry it to the nearest port or burn, bury, or toss it overboard (organics, mostly).
  • What do I/we eat? – So, as a home-grown cook, I have a pretty good handle on what we eat regularly and what I stock my pantry with.  But . . . coming up with a list for our weekly run and of what should last us for three months was something entirely different.   So, I wrote down everything I could think of, categorized it by perishables and non, trying my best to get a balance of  proteins, grains,  fruits and veggies.  And, then there is snacks, desserts, and booze, of course.
  • Perishables – What will last?  Given the fridge on Mother Jones is similar to what you’d have in your dorm (and I filled mine in college up with beer and potato salad – not a helpful comparison to how I live now), I’ve had to re-consider what gets kept cold and what doesn’t.  I’ve learned a lot about what actually doesn’t need to be in the fridge (eggs, butter, a lot of condiments, etc).  And, I have some idea and am counting on that idea of what will likely be available to me in terms of fresh fruits and veggies (pineapple, coconut, fresh fish, yum, yum, yum!).
  • Cost – So, now I have a list but given I’m getting so much stuff and I’m on a budget, I want the best deal.  Here and abroad.  I recently heard that a regular jar of Peanut Butter in the Bahamas is $10 – ouch.  I don’t even like it that much!  But, it is the main ingredient in my beloved peanut sauce – but I digress.  Given we’re getting literally 24 cans of tuna, etc, I shopped around.  If you know me, you’re not surprised I made a spreadsheet, put it on a clipboard and went to the supermarket and wrote down the prize per ounce – tomorrow I compare with Costco and will re-post with the comparison (I know, you’re soooo welcome).
  • Where/how do I store it all?  Great!  Now, I’ve got all this “stuff”.   Where in the frik to I put it all?  Luckily, boats are full of hidey-holes and I plan to use every one of them.  Here’s my current challenge:  I’ve got complete meals (should I store these ingredients together?), snacks and desserts (should I put them in serving sizes and half away for later?), “ethnic foods” (first of all, “ethnic foods”, really?  but then in serio, do I put the TexMex and Asian in it’s respective sections or sparse them out for monthly rations) – 1st world problems, I know, ugg.
And, I’m very serious, please do share your thoughts on what I should be considering, and I’ll consider it.  You’re the best!
love,
L, D & Mr. K
ps.  Mr. K went to the vet today and he’s all set for his trip to the Bahamas.  Oh, that handsome, salty dog.
pps.  Here’s some fun pics from the post-provisioning run:

Costco provisioning

dockside label party