Getting ready to move aboard

It is Monday evening - in about a week we should have our new home in the water here and getting ready to move aboard.  It is exciting and scary all at the same time.  I keep thinking about the 1 million things that need to be done first.

Today I went into the iMac store at the mall and had a long conversation with one of the sales people about how we can change our 'electronic' life so that it will mesh well with living on a boat.  I feel like technology has gone through about 30 generations since the last time I put any real thought or effort into how I was going to communicate with the world.  I think, maybe, just maybe, in a few weeks we are going to own a smart phone (or two), have a data plan, drop the land line, and go flying into the future.  It is really scary.  I am sure a number of you reading this post are thinking 'about time already'.  I know the kids are excited, they are already begging for an iPad after being in the store for the 20 minutes it took for the guy to try and explain how a phone can power the internet for a laptop to me.

I have also been working on downsizing the various components of our lives.  Today a friend came over and got some of the homeschooling items that I am no longer using.  It feels really freeing to know that the 'things' in my life are going to people who will be able to use them and gain enjoyment out of them.

The living room furniture is also gone.  The kids were playing several board games on the floor and using up all of the available space.  It was sweet to see how they just adopted to not having a sofa in the space and are totally cool with it.  They almost seemed to like it better.  I can't wait to see the changes in adopting to having very little space.  I am hoping it will help to make them more mindful of how their actions affect other people.

Signing off to go de-clutter.

Purchased a sailboat

After looking at quite a few sailboats we have finally settled on the one that we want to buy.  We ended up getting a Cal 29 with 2 quarter berths on either side.  It has already been being used as a live aboard and has had a few upgrades/changes already completed to have it work out nicely for us.  One of the big changes is that the inboard diesel engine  has been taken out and a gas outboard put on.  Where the engine used to be has been transformed into extra storage space.  There is also a heating system and a real fridge in the boat as well which were two things we have been concerned about.  And it is all ours.

Now we just need to get it were we need it to be.  Moving it via the water will take sailing experience grater then what we have available.  We have been toying with the idea of hiring a captain and having them sail it and teaching us as we go, but it seems like their availability and our availability are not going to line up. So we will probably put it on a trailer and move it over the land to it's new home.