For a while now I've been meaning to write about the flip side of living on a sailboat. The ability to sail off to an island like Catalina for just about any weekend, or wrap up work by 6:00pm and be sailing by 6:30 to beautiful sunsets, etc. is absolutely amazing. But there is a flip side that makes this a lifestyle ill-suited to most, no matter how nice the sails and how pretty the photos and how exciting the destinations.

I decided to write this today because one of those flip-side issues came up big today. Last weekend I had some problems with the engine. Turns out it's the cutlass bearing, which can't be replaced when the boat is in the water. And I can't live aboard while she is in dry-dock. So, I've got to pay to have her hauled out, and will be without my home for several days while a little bearing is replaced. There are few house repairs that require one to be without access to their home, and certainly none as small as a cutlass bearing.

The other flip side items are less dramatic, but very prevalent. The list I came up with over the last few weeks includes:

- Hand pump toilets. Every time, you have to lean over, grab the handle next to the bowl, and pump in some sea water, and pump out whatever went into the bowl. It all goes into a holding tank. In my instance, one is under my bunk. Keeping that smelling fresh is not always easy. Emptying it requires paying someone with a pump and the ability to dispose of it. It's sort of like having manual pump toilets that go to a septic tank that is inside your house.

- No dishwasher. Every single dish is hand washed. In a small sink. And hand dried. And put away in relatively small storage spaces.

- No washing machine. I walk about 100 yards to a set of washing machines and dryers shared by the people who have boats at the marina. They're fine, and are much less expensive than the ones at a normal pay laundry, but I still have to wash my laundry elsewhere.

- Showers. I have two on the boat. One is even a decent size. And I have a hot water heater that makes very hot water. 11 gallons of it. So, I take quick showers aboard, or longer showers in the marina showers. They're cleaned daily and very nice (and have all the hot water you could want). But they are also 100 yards away and are shared.

- Parking. My car is about 60 yards away, which is fine most days, but on the occasion it rains, it's not great. And hauling groceries, etc. is a bit of a chore.

- Storage. There is no storage, really. I have a small locker at my slip, but for the most part, my third cabin has become "the garage" for holding everything from my camera equipment to oars, to cockpit seat cushions, to the suitcases I need regularly for travel to wine. Lack of storage extends to the refrigerator that is about 3' X 2' X 3' with a small freezer space included in that. Regular grocery store trips are demanded. Same for limited pantry space. There just isn't much room.

- Mildew. Boats are simply mildew breeding grounds. I'm good with staying in front of mildew (and have been lucky). And I live-aboard, which means she's almost never closed for weeks on end, which is when mildew goes nuts. And Southern California is a fairly dry place for an ocean. But even with that, I've had my bouts with mildew. And it is not fun.

- Tiny stove and oven. Powered by propane (and propane accessories). Technically there are three burners, but only if you're using 3 small pots/pans can you use all three at once. The oven has temperature numbers that I am sure approximate some oven somewhere, but none I've ever come across. And it is tiny. I cook good stuff on it, but it isn't always easy.

I'm not complaining at all. I LOVE this lifestyle. I really love it. But, I'm sharing this experience, and wanted to give the people a sense of the entire experience, including the parts that are difficult. So, the next time you see photos of an amazing sail or sunset or mooring in a beautiful cove, remember, I likely just finished pumping my toilet and hand washing dishes before I posted the photo.

T