Adjusting to our new lifestyle
It would be a lie to pretend that living aboard has been only fun and games so far. As a family newly living on a 35 ft sailboat, we are facing different issues and this post is dedicated to these.
First, as we are all adjusting to living in a limited space together, the kids argue a lot. For pretty much anything. Fighting instinctively for their own living space I guess! No actual fight yet, apart from the accidental kick in the face while playing in their bed or the not so accidental pintch while arguing about the harmonica. 😂 They just keep on picking at each other all the time and to be honest, it's driving me insane. It probably doesn't help that Sam and I are both still spending a lot more time working on the boat than usual, to be prepared for September 14th (date when we will finally sell the car and leave the marina).
We're working on that issue by finding activities that the kids both enjoy, so that there is no competition between them. Greg, the broker that sold us the boat, was nice enough to lend us two paddle boards for us to try. Definitively a must for the rest of the trip!
We're also making new friends along the way, for the kids but also for us because it's nice to discuss with other adults!
Another challenge, at least for me, was to adapt to the limited storage space for food, and the cooking tools that we have onboard. How much can I buy at the grocey store? Where should I put each item once onboard? How should I place all the food in the fridge to keep the temperature right? When should I use the oven to avoid making the boat inhabitable? So many questions I never asked myself before... Here's one creative idea that we came up with. 😀
We're also adjusting our use of drinkable water, even though it has always been good practice at home to avoid wasting water. And we're still at the marina!! We bought two 5-galons UV resistant cans, that we'll use to fill up our water tank from ashore. Apparently it takes quite a few dinghy rides to complete the task! I'm sure Romain will be happy to help with that.
Finally, I just want to add that we consider important to give each kids some responsabilities. So far, Julianne likes helping me with all of the chores. She comes with me to the laundromat, she helps with the dishes and puts the clothes on the boat to dry. But she also loves driving the dinghy and helping when we arrive at the marina! Romain loves helping Sam with the cords to put the sails up, washing the anchor, driving the dinghy, but also helps with the cleaning and the bread making. Here's our latest creation!!
Once school is over (because yes we had our own first day of second grade for Romain!) and all the chores are taken care of, that's when the fun begins!!!
First, as we are all adjusting to living in a limited space together, the kids argue a lot. For pretty much anything. Fighting instinctively for their own living space I guess! No actual fight yet, apart from the accidental kick in the face while playing in their bed or the not so accidental pintch while arguing about the harmonica. 😂 They just keep on picking at each other all the time and to be honest, it's driving me insane. It probably doesn't help that Sam and I are both still spending a lot more time working on the boat than usual, to be prepared for September 14th (date when we will finally sell the car and leave the marina).
We're working on that issue by finding activities that the kids both enjoy, so that there is no competition between them. Greg, the broker that sold us the boat, was nice enough to lend us two paddle boards for us to try. Definitively a must for the rest of the trip!
We're also making new friends along the way, for the kids but also for us because it's nice to discuss with other adults!
Another challenge, at least for me, was to adapt to the limited storage space for food, and the cooking tools that we have onboard. How much can I buy at the grocey store? Where should I put each item once onboard? How should I place all the food in the fridge to keep the temperature right? When should I use the oven to avoid making the boat inhabitable? So many questions I never asked myself before... Here's one creative idea that we came up with. 😀
We're also adjusting our use of drinkable water, even though it has always been good practice at home to avoid wasting water. And we're still at the marina!! We bought two 5-galons UV resistant cans, that we'll use to fill up our water tank from ashore. Apparently it takes quite a few dinghy rides to complete the task! I'm sure Romain will be happy to help with that.
Finally, I just want to add that we consider important to give each kids some responsabilities. So far, Julianne likes helping me with all of the chores. She comes with me to the laundromat, she helps with the dishes and puts the clothes on the boat to dry. But she also loves driving the dinghy and helping when we arrive at the marina! Romain loves helping Sam with the cords to put the sails up, washing the anchor, driving the dinghy, but also helps with the cleaning and the bread making. Here's our latest creation!!
Once school is over (because yes we had our own first day of second grade for Romain!) and all the chores are taken care of, that's when the fun begins!!!
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