Boat Yard Observations

Behind this beautiful view and peaceful sunset lies a typical DIY boatyard. For my non-boater audience, boats are put "on the hard" for various reasons, but mainly to do underwater repairs, store the boat safely for hurricane season, or just to put on a new coat of antifouling paint.

We've hauled out lots of times in various places and it's always an interesting experience. Since our latest haulout we've acquainted ourselves with the yard and the other boaters, and we've discovered that this yard has all the usual characters and quirks.

There's always a small percentage of forgotten dreams slowly rotting away. Sad.

There's also a few full-time-liveaboard-never-going-anywhere boaters. Seriously, I've lived on boats for extended periods of time, and living aboard at a dock is unpleasant enough; why would anyone want to climb a ladder several times a day, share the communal restrooms, and never feel the boat move beneath their feet?

Speaking of restrooms, these are typical. A little grubby, the drains are slow and there's always a puddle in the shower room. People leave their belongings scattered around and there's often a waiting line. (Yesterday a black bra with pink bows was hanging in the unisex shower room. It was still there this morning.)

And the shower heads are weird. They are these large square things with a random spray pattern, but the worst part is, one shower has it mounted on the ceiling! Its like trying to take a shower in the rain. Don't laugh, but as a cruiser, I've done that, and it doesn't work too well. I wonder who thought this would be cool? 

However, there are some bright spots here. The weather is perfect: sunny, warm, and no rain. There is a little laundry room, a kitchen area with endless coffee, a book exchange, and a large dumpster for the junk I've culled out. And lots of folks have cars and offer rides into town.

The best part though, is the other cruisers we've met. There are two boats from Germany, several from up and down the East Coast, and a few from the West Coast too. These boats are owned by people who are actively cruising or dreaming of cruising. The boats come out, get worked on diligently, and go right back in. The owners have a checklist and a plan, and they want to get cruising as quickly as possible.

New sails are being bent on, solar panels are being installed, fresh bottom paint is being applied, and soon those boats will sail south for the winter to pursue their dreams.

As boatyards go, this one isn't too bad. Just be careful who you start a conversation with. I made the mistake of asking a man at the laundry room this morning, "So, which boat is yours?"

A half hour later I knew way too much about him, including his money woes, employment history, political views, and his conspiracy theories. Since I never got a word in, he knows nothing about me. And that's okay with me; sometimes it's better that way.