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The Boat Galley

making boat life better

Nica Waters

🎧Love Letter to New England Cruising

Published on October 26, 2021; last updated on May 25, 2023 by Nica Waters

We thought getting to Maine was the only way to enjoy New England. We were so wrong!

🎧Homemade Propane Box

Published on October 19, 2021; last updated on May 17, 2023 by Nica Waters

Details of building our custom propane box, to fit perfectly on Calypso’s deck

🎧Freedom from Overwhelm

Published on October 12, 2021; last updated on April 2, 2024 by Nica Waters

We went cruising to slow down. Why, then, were we so bent on rushing past all the cool places nobody told us about?

🎧(Re)Learning Weather Lessons

Published on October 5, 2021; last updated on May 25, 2023 by Nica Waters

It’s easy to try to read what you want to in a weather forecast. It’s better not to.

🎧Registering an EPIRB

Published on September 28, 2021; last updated on May 23, 2023 by Nica Waters

When we realized we needed confirmation from the former owners to be able to register the new-to-us EPIRB, we thought we’d be out of luck. We were wrong.

🎧Get Her Seaworthy!

Published on September 21, 2021; last updated on May 23, 2023 by Nica Waters

A description of what projects needed to be done before we could head off – and why those were critical

🎧Unexpectedly Essential Cruising Gear

Published on September 14, 2021; last updated on May 25, 2023 by Nica Waters

A trip along the Connecticut Coast revealed the importance of having many fly swatters aboard!

🎧Document? State Title? Which Do I Need?

Published on September 7, 2021; last updated on July 28, 2024 by Nica Waters

Details about the differences between documentation and registration, and why you might choose to title your boat one way or another.

🎧Last Frantic Push

Published on August 31, 2021; last updated on September 29, 2024 by Nica Waters

No matter how well prepared you think you are, it always comes down to the wire when you’re getting ready to splash!

🎧A Place to Call Home

Published on August 24, 2021; last updated on May 28, 2023 by Nica Waters

Musings on hailing ports, past and present

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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.

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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.

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