Mornings

   I was never much of a morning person on land. My twenties and thirties were more often focused on staying up late in to the night, and mornings were more synonymous with hangovers than sunrises... Then came my forties and a different approach to life, and with that a sailboat, and with that... mornings. Mornings as I had never known them before.
   Pre-sailboat mornings were the alarm clock going off before dawn, and after a quick shower and coffee, a mad race on the interstate, along with all the other hundreds of thousands of people, all vieing to be the first person at the office, or on  the construction job site to outwork all the other men, for this is the metric upon which men are measured. Or it was the intrusion of a blaring sun on perfectly good sleep, neither of which were to be relished, they simply existed.
   On a boat, mornings are different.I generally leave the curtain off the window I sleep under, preferring to be awoke with the first gentle reddish-yellow light of the sunrise. A little frost on my breath making the covers seem all the warmer.. The smell of coffee and the feel of the beans crunching as I turn my hand grinder, and the welcome heat coming off the stove.
   I like my first cup off coffee in the cockpit, sipping as I watch the sun rising, and the harbor seals that come to investigate the boat.
   I have always loved sunsets. A time to relax and think on the day that has passed. But sunrise signals a new day, a new beginning. When on land it was time to contemplate work strategies, but on a boat it a whole different contemplation.. It is time to look at the clouds, feel the wind, and decide how to enjoy the day. A time of infinite possibilities and wonder, to contemplate what magic the new day will bring.

Some interrior pictures

   It has been a long time since I have made a post.. Since my last update I have been sailing my arse off. I had planned to take the boat out of the water at the end of summer, but instead have been having too much fun around the Puget Sound. I have put close to five hundred miles under my keel, and learned a vast amount about sailing. I will try to post excerpts from my ships log as I find the time. In the meantime I thought I would post a couple pictures of the inside of my vessel. The Aquarius (Later became the Balboa) 23 has been called the "biggest little boat on the water" for good reason. Not often do you find a 23' vessel with a galley, enclosed head and room to sleep five. It has been the perfect vessel for teaching myself how to single hand.

While I have not been truly "living aboard", I have come close, and spend more time in the boat than at my house. While sleeping five people is a bit of a stretch (you can do it, if you do not need to store much in the way of provisions) it is a perfect boat for one to two people for an extended trip, possibly even to live aboard if you are a fan of minimalist living.
   I generally sleep on the starboard bench. At 6'5" I can surprisingly sleep comfortably in the forward double berth in the bow, but find when by myself (the vast majority of the time) It is easier to use the double berth for provisions, and sleep aft where I am closer to the companion way and cockpit if something goes bump in the night.. LOTS of things go bump in the night on a sailboat.. and after a while you are in tune with your boat and the noises it makes. I have learned to get up to check any noise that is not familiar, because it is usually something that needs attention.. I almost lost my dinghy this way. Had I not gone to check on the "new" sound, it would have drifted off in to oblivion..