Signs You Live on a Boat - Part 4

You've waited patiently and here it is - the fourth and final installment (for now) of Signs You Live on Boat.

As with Parts 1, 2, and 3, the original list comes from another site. Unfortunately, since I've started posting, that site has gone down and I can no longer link to it. If anyone finds it in a new location, please let me know.

I liked the list so much that I had to repost it with my own comments in red.

52. You measure the length of a shower in terms of quarters. I measure laundry this way. Our marina showers are free. I'm sure we will discover more about this quarter shower idea sometime in our travels. I'm also hoping that there comes a time when we can just jump in crystal clear water with a bar of soap.

 

53. You now consider a freezer the ultimate luxury. My freezer is small but I understand the sentiment behind this one having talked with friends that have an ice box. My boat may be more luxurious than I thought.

 

54. You have to strap a bag full of water to your boom & wait a few hours before you can take a shower. I love our hot water heater. However, on a previous boat, I liked to take advantage of the fact that the heat from the engine would warm up the water in the heater while we were cruising. 

 

55. You’ve sincerely wondered if there are any companies that make triangular bed sheets. There are companies that make custom boat sheets (where else would the hotels in the Poconos get sheets for their odd-shaped beds?). For example, the company we bought our new mattress from also makes custom boat sheets. We are still making do with regular sheets but they are an odd fit.

 

56. You know that styrofoam was invented by satan, duct tape by God.

 

57. When trying to register a new bank account or anything to do with government, their computer won’t accept the fact that you don’t have a residential address. Luckily this seems to be changing, at least in Maryland. Even my license has my slip number on it. This isn't the case in every state so people need to look into this carefully. Of course, this is easier for us because we stay put. We will have a lot to learn before we go cruising.

 

58. All of your neighbors have your cellphone number, but only call when they want a weather report or for you to check on their boat. We have had "weekend warriors" ask for boat updates but we are happy to help.

 

59. You realize previously asinine Jimmy Buffet songs have started to carry a deep philosophical significance. Jimmy has ALWAYS had deep philosophical significance.

 

60. You only bring out the clear plastic Dixie cups for fancy occasions. I do have a set of eight Christmas plates that came out for our New Year's Eve celebration. I also hate throwing things away so I try to avoid disposable plates, glasses, and silverware.

 

61. You visit a friend’s house and worry that everything on the shelves will come crashing down when the boat heels. I'm more worried about the fact that we have spread out over winter and will need to "spring clean" before the boat moves again. I'm sure there will be a post about that sometime soon.

 

62. Getting the “heat” question for the 1,000th time drives you mad.

 

63. Trying to find someone to sail away with you isn’t being romantic, it’s practical. So happy I found this person before moving onto the boat.

 

64. Your first iPhone app was the Weather Channel. I was super late to the smart phone craze and my first app was from the free Charm City Circulator. I guess that's a sign of my combination boat/city life.  

 

65. Your second was Tides app. I need to get this one pronto.

 

66. Your homepage is the NOAA National Weather Service. Wow, I'm seriously slacking in the electronic parts of my boat life.

 

67. You’ve spent mornings standing in your underwear on the deck of someone else’s boat, adjusting halyards, lashing lines & freezing your ass off. I've spent an hour-and-a-half being pelted by rain and hail during a derecho. Friends have worked to reset an anchor wearing nothing but a bedsheet. Besides, boat life is a bit more casual. Many of us walk outside in our PJs while anchored out.

 

68. You have given up trying to defend your lifestyle and are content with smugly thinking…..they don’t have a clue what they are missing. I can't count the number of times I've said "Why doesn't everyone do this?" I also think it's funny that people think we are nuts but they also tell lots of people about their "cool friends that live on a boat"

 

69. You have a clue what any of this means. :)