The Boat Galley

Getting ideas from other cruisers and experts is wonderful, but you have to temper the advice they give with knowing what you like and what you plan to do. For example, "everyone" told Carolyn Shearlock she needed a double sink when she was buying her first boat. And then there were those oven mitts . . . Listen to why you might want to think a bit before doing everything she -- or anyone else --...

When you decide to do one thing, you miss out on a million others. You have the choice: Lament what you don't have, or celebrate what you do. Lin's missed a lot in her decades of cruising, but the places she's been have been memorable. Links: Cook Islands map Scotland map Vanuatu map Chagos information New Zealand map Books telling of Lin's travels: As Long as It's Fun Taleisin's Tales Cruising in...

Trash can be a real source of bugs on a boat: ants, flies and cockroaches. We don't even want to think about the other critters - like mice - that might see your trash as an all you can eat buffet. With ten years of living aboard a boat in the tropics and near-tropics, Carolyn Shearlock knows a few things about handling trash to keep the bugs away. Here, you can learn in minutes what it took her y...

Burns and cuts can happen anytime you're cooking. Add in the movement of a boat — even in a calm anchorage, let alone at sea — and the chance of an accident increases. Some think the risk is greatest for monohull boats with their heeling and roll, but there's risk for multi-hullers, too, with the jerkier motion of waves hitting first one hull and then the other. Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Bo...

Nica Waters has been cruising and sailing on her family's 28' sailboat since 1992. She shares some insights about life on board, particularly what she means when she encourages you to be Fit 2 Sail. Links: When Does Cruising Really Start (blog) Old Calypso blog Article about meeting Osprey Sponsor: www.boataffair.com Music: "Slow Down" by Yvette Craig

Living on the boat while working on it can be tough. But a motel may not be practical . . . or in the budget. Carolyn Shearlock has lived through three multi-month stays in a boatyard, as well as numerous shorter stops. In this episode, she offers nine tips for surviving dirty, nasty boat work. Sponsor: Marmara Imports . Turkish towels and other fine hand-loomed, fair trade textiles from Turkey. S...

It's so easy to get trapped in the mindset of doing "just a couple more things" before heading out on an extended cruise. In ten years of cruising, Carolyn Shearlock has fought the urge to just keep getting ready many times . . . and had some great times as a result. Here, she gives you tips to get you out living the dream and not just preparing for it. Sponsor:   Fastseas.com Music: "Slow Down" b...

When you're living on a boat away from a dock, the dinghy is your car. You use it to go back and forth to shore, and also for fun little explorations. And just as with the big boat, it's important to have some basic safety and communication gear aboard in case of problems. In ten years of cruising and a lifetime of boating, Carolyn Shearlock has had a motor quit or tube punctured more than once. H...

Nica Waters has cruised extensively aboard her 28' boat, sometimes just with her husband, Jeremy, and sometimes with her 2 kids. Her perspective urging you to consider all the comforts of life aboard is based on solid experience, and it might make you rethink your answer to the question, "How big a boat do I need to go cruising?" Amazon links to book mentioned: Lin and Larry Pardey: Cruising In Se...

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? Carolyn Shearlock has been cruising almost ten years now, and admits that no two days are alike. Here, she...

Thinking of cruising further afield, where you'll have to do an overnight passage? Wonder what it will be like and how in the world you'll manage sleep and being on watch and everything else? As with so much in cruising, preparation is key. Listen in to what I've learned over the years. Music: "Slow Down" by Yvette Craig

Even amongst retired cruisers, Dave Shearlock is a bit of a rarity. At 76, he and his wife Carolyn bought theirsecond cruising boat. They've been aboard Barefoot Gal over three years now; a year and a half ago, they logged over 1,100 miles in the Bahamas. YES, you can cruise even as an older retiree. It's not just for the young folks. Carolyn explains how they're doing it and what they think are t...

Personal trainer and wellness motivation coach Nica Waters has been sailing and cruising her 28' cutter since 1992. She's passionate about helping people understand the health aspects of the cruising lifestyle – and how exercise can help it be even better. SPONSOR: www.boataffair.com Want to have Nica help you design your own program for use on board? Get in touch with her today! Nicawaters@gmail....

Living on your boat in summer — tropical or otherwise — can be hot. Really, really hot. Many boaters cope by staying in marinas and install air conditioning. But what about those of us who prefer to anchor out? Or don't have the budget for long stays in a marina and installing air conditioning? Improving your boat's ventilation will do a lot to cool it off. And it costs less than one month's stay...

Laundry rooms are a way of life when you're cruising for more than a few days. But space and machines are usually limited and everyone wants to get in and out as quickly as possible. There tend to be some generally accepted "laundry room etiquette" practices. Here, experienced cruiser Carolyn Shearlock lays out what you should and shouldn't do to make it as painless as possible for everyone! Spons...

There are tons of features to look at and think about when you're buying a boat. Some are personal preference and some are major safety considerations. Some can be changed, some would be almost impossible. Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley Cookbook, details three things to evaluate carefully in the galley design. Sponsor: Storing Food without Refrigeration ebook Coupon code: PODCAST - $...

Nica's cruised for years on her 28' cutter, with as many as 4 people living aboard full-time. She's learned some tricks about provisioning along the way, some of which can be put into practice long before you move aboard. You don't have to live aboard to get ready to cruise! SPONSOR: www.fastseas.com Links to things mentioned in the show: Care and Feeding of the Offshore Crew Tasty Thursday video...

If you're new to boating and cruising, you were probably startled the first time someone gave you a boat card or asked for yours. What's this? A business card for the boat? We're trying to get away from all that! Actually, it's a great way to easily exchange info. But what should you put on yours? Having seen thousands of boat cards in ten years of cruising, Carolyn Shearlock will answer your ques...

Go through any harbor or marina and you'll probably find a least a few boats sporting Turkish Evil Eyes. What are they and why do many people put them on their boats? Carolyn Shearlock had one on their first boat and three on their current boat, and explains why here.  Want one? Get it on Amazon: Turkish Evil Eye on Amazon Sponsor: Boataffair.com Special offer: BoatGalley18 – 5% off  Music: "Slow...

It's impossible to remember all the details of every bit of equipment on your boat! Yet, you need that info when you're buying parts, checking the warranty, downloading the owner's manual and so on. Carolyn Shearlock explains how to create a boat details document and always have the info you need at your fingertips -- you can print a copy or store one on your phone so you always have it with you....

Cruising is as personal as almost anything else in life, and this includes deciding what makes it really cruising in the first place. Nica Waters has been preparing for a cruise, coming back to "real life" after a cruise, or actively cruising for almost 30 years of her life, and she hopes she's learned a critical lesson along the way. Here, she shares that lesson with you. Don't wait to go cruisin...

When you get a new boat — brand new or new-to-you — you assume that the instruments are set up correctly. Ditto if you get new instruments, especially if they were professionally installed. But that might not always be the case, as Carolyn Shearlock learned. Listen in to her story of incorrect depth soundings, how they tested, and what the problem was. Then check yours! Sponsor: SeaTech Systems, o...

A few minutes spent organizing your provisions at the beginning of a bareboat charter will pay immense dividends over the course of the trip. It'll be quick to find ingredients for a meal and you won't discover items are missing when you're away from stores. Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley Cookbook and veteran of several charters, tells how to make sure you've got everything you want...

Choosing a boat name is a lot like choosing a name for a baby: it's a very personal decision. Carolyn Shearlock says, "With our first boat, we were just so excited to be embarking on our adventures that we didn't give much thought to the name. Our second time around, we knew that we were, in effect, choosing the name we'd be known by and we were a lot more careful." Listen to her story of what was...

Exercising on board is fraught with questions, most having to do with equipment and space. You don't have to take your entire personal gym with you when you move aboard, though there are some space-saving alternatives you may not have considered. Mostly, though, it's about using what you have and believing you can. Nica Waters, who cruises on a 29-foot Bristol Channel Cutter, offers plenty of opti...