Until you do it, it’s tough to imagine what full-time cruising will be like. You may have done a bareboat charter before, but is that really what it’s like when it’s your full-time life? Or it is really just a series of “fixing your boat in exotic places?”
Will you like it? Will you be bored?
We’ve been cruising almost ten years now, and I have to admit that no two days are alike. But listen in to hear how a fairly typical day at anchor in the Bahamas went this summer.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Anonymous says
Tyrone Gilbert
John Green says
I guess the background noise is small waves against the hulls. Does that make it difficult to sleep? Seems a little loud.
Carolyn Shearlock says
The Gemini is a coastal cruiser, and as such is certainly thinner-hulled than a true bluewater boat like our Tayana 37. It’s definitely noisier. Some people are really bothered by it, we aren’t. Every boat is a compromise and we’ll take the noise in exchange for the very shallow draft and great living space in an affordable package.