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The Boat Galley

making boat life better

Nica Waters

🎧Bring Home the Bounty

Published on January 4, 2022; last updated on January 31, 2026 by Nica Waters

You found the store. They had most of what you needed. Now how to get it home?

🎧 Provisioning for Coastal Cruising

Published on December 28, 2021; last updated on December 13, 2023 by Nica Waters

Provisioning along the coast taught me a lot about how to stock the boat successfully

🎧Other People’s Boats

Published on December 21, 2021; last updated on May 25, 2023 by Nica Waters

Why sailing a big boat affirmed our love of small boats

🎧Fitness Aboard: 3 Tips!

Published on December 14, 2021; last updated on September 7, 2025 by Nica Waters

Sharing some tips about exercising aboard, learned while cruising Calypso!

🎧Wrapping Up

Published on December 7, 2021; last updated on May 28, 2023 by Nica Waters

Trying to remind myself that hauling out isn’t the end of our cruise – it’s just part of it

🎧Annapolis by Water!

Published on November 30, 2021; last updated on May 25, 2023 by Nica Waters

Finally hitting the boat show on our own boat, and what we learned about Annapolis as a cruiser.

🎧Sundowner Etiquette

Published on November 23, 2021; last updated on May 19, 2023 by Nica Waters

Digging into why you bring your own drinks when invited to someone else’s boat

🎧Shakedown Success!

Published on November 16, 2021; last updated on May 28, 2023 by Nica Waters

Testing the systems was a great excuse to go sailing.

🎧We LOVE Newport!

Published on November 9, 2021; last updated on March 31, 2025 by Nica Waters

3 reasons we really, really loved Newport. It’s more cruiser-friendly than we’d expected!

🎧 Transiting NYC During a UN Session

Published on November 2, 2021; last updated on December 13, 2023 by Nica Waters

Our panic on hearing that the entire East River is closed to navigation during a UN session mellowed out when we realized that was a slight exaggeration.

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Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Carolyn Shearlock

Hi! I'm Carolyn Shearlock. My husband and I have been living on a boat and cruising over 17 years and 13,000 miles, first on a Tayana 37 monohull and then on a 34' Gemini catamaran. Along the way, we sold pretty much everything we owned (twice!), gained a great boat dog, had a bunch of wonderful times and some adventures . . . and learned a ton about what does and doesn't work!

How Can We Help You?

I'm curious about the cruising life What is it, who does it, and what's it really like day to day?
I'm tempted — but is it realistic for my situation? My budget, my health, my partner, my life, my skills (or lack thereof)
I'm getting ready to go Buying a boat, getting insurance, planning to move aboard
I'm aboard and navigating the learning curve How do I make it the life I dreamed of?

Latest Articles

A man and woman wearing 2Talk Bluetooth marine intercom headsets — known as "Marriage Savers" — on a boat in a marina, both with behind-the-neck headbands and boom microphones positioned at their mouths.

Boat Communication Headsets: The Marriage Savers

July 24, 2026

Good headsets transform the most stressful moments aboard. Here’s why they’re essential gear and what we actually use.

Doing the design and installation work on our DIY vinyl boat name lettering was easier than we expected and VERY cost-effective!

Why We DIY on the Boat

July 24, 2026

Saving money is just one of the reasons we do most work on our boat ourselves. Learn the other reasons we prefer to do things ourselves.

Boat hull on the hard showing ground-out area being filled in with fiberglass and epoxy

Filling In a Thru-Hull: What We Wish We’d Known

July 23, 2026

We filled in two thru-hulls and learned a lot the hard way. Here’s everything we wish someone had told us before we started.

Living on a boat

There's no shortage of sailing and navigation courses. But who teaches you how to provision, store everything, stay cool, prep for hurricanes, and actually live on a boat? We do.

Master Life Aboard with
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11 courses covering every aspect of life afloat — from deciding if cruising is right for you, to moving aboard, provisioning, storage, tiny fridges, VHF radio, hurricane prep, cruising the Bahamas, boat dogs, and more.

$519  $199  SAVE 62%

See the All-Access Pass →

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