Invisible we...

Boat ownership is a whole different world, and living on your boat full-time and making it your primary residence brings many new challenges.  We’ll be introducing you to some of these as we progress, but one of the odd, and highly irritating things, we have noticed since owning this boat is that we have become invisible.  Now in some ways that is waaay cool and part of the raison d’etre of doing what we are doing – to disappear off the grid and dance to the beat of our own drum.  But in a practical sense, when we need things from the real world, it is a huge pain.

We started to notice this in Fort Lauderdale, arguably the East Coast epicenter of super and mega yacht ownership.  Because we hadn’t spent at least a million dollars on our vessel, we were a VERY small fish in a large sea of voracious appetites.  That meant that when we needed someone to do something, we didn’t have all the code words to deserve even a call back sometimes.  Seriously, we get it that ‘stuff’ on a boat is just very expensive, often the same item you would buy on terra firma, but with a nought, maybe two, tacked on the end of the price tag.  It has to endure a harsh environment, and sometimes be engineered to fit small spaces and all that, and we fortunately have the budget and cash to do what we need to do, but even so we have the hardest time finding good reliable vendors to work with, that call you back when they promise, even turn up when they said they would.  They are used to doing jobs that have a six figure invoice value on just another mega-yacht….and we in the meantime, pale into insignificance.

 

That somewhat explains the several weeks delay we encountered in completing our refit plans – flaky vendors and contractors, and missed schedules.  For example, our standing rigging replacement (all the stainless-steel lines and fixtures that keep the mast in place and driving the boat forward) – this was quoted to be done in three days.  But as the small fish in that pool, what that meant was three days of time spread out over as many days as needed to squeeze you in between the six-figure jobs, since you are only bringing in five figures.  So, it took almost three weeks to complete.  Same with the air conditioning installation, the sail making, the electrics etc.  Hell, we almost felt embarrassed with our little 45 foot catamaran, biting at the ankles of the big guys.

Nevertheless we endured.  

And overcame.  

To an extent.

We completed our refit work, and sailed east toward the Caribbean.  But we had a couple of unexpected problems.  The watermaker needed a new circuit board, and our main head (toilet) blocked and needed a new hose.  Then the new VHF radio at the helm stopped working.  So we were only a couple of days out of the US and we needed some deliveries.  The only urgent thing was the watermaker circuit board and we had our supplier send one Fedex Priority to one of our intended destinations, Marsh Harbour in the Abacos.  But it sat at the customs facility in Nassau for a few days, because they rejected the accompanying commercial invoice for ‘technical’ reasons.  So we spent a good amount of time today on the phone with fedex trying to resolve the issue so we could have our watermaker running again.  Then we are trying to book a short marina stay, just two days, for later in the week at Marsh Harbour so we can accomplish a couple of things that are better done tied to a dock rather than at anchor  - namely fitting our brand spanking new mainsail.  So, I must have called the Dockmaster at least five times to book us in, but hey – I forgot, we are invisible!!  No callbacks, no messages, nothing.  I guess we’ll just turn up in our insignificant catamaran and see what space they have available….

But I want to leave you with the positive.  Most nights now we are anchored in beautiful turquoise blue bays, where we can see the sand on the bottom, we swim to shore when we wake (not when the alarm rings!) for exercise, drink our coffee watching the clouds scud across the deep blue sky, and plan our day based around our ability to be insignificant and off the grid.  We planned well and we have 95% of what we need right here, right now. What we don’t have we can obtain from the local groceries, chandlers and stored where we choose to anchor.  Our faithful Tuk-Tuk takes us where we need to go when we want to touch reality and walk with the land-lubbers.  This life does not suck.  I just wish we could be seen when we want to be seen!!!

A usual sunset, this one in Treasure cay,,,,

india is looking lovely these days

anchored in Green Turtle Cay

Am I invisible people!!!???!!!!