Things We Miss on Land

We've written so many times about things we miss when we're at sea, I thought it was about time to write about the things we miss when we're on land because despite all the things we tend to grouse and whinge about, now that we're on land, we really miss living aboard Nine of Cups. No, we don't miss anchor watch or the fear of dragging or worrying about wind gusts and nasty weather, but there's so much more to living aboard. Basic, snug and homey

Probably the #1 thing I miss when we're on land is the simple, compact life of living aboard Nine of Cups. Space is good in a house, I guess, but I like the snug feel of Cups. I can sit at the saloon table and clear the dishes into the sink. There's no wasted space, no furniture; everything is built-in and every nook and cranny is used. It's the tiny house movement ... afloat.

Energy awareness

I miss being more attuned to energy usage. I find myself wasting energy and water when we're on land. We leave the water running, so that it gets hot for a shower or until we finish brushing our teeth. We don't recycle water for washing the decks or the floors. We leave the fridge door open while making decisions on what to eat. We leave lights on and things plugged in that really don't need to be on when we're not using them, e.g. our computers. We don't plan our driving trips efficiently, so we waste fuel. We ride to the supermarket when it's less than a mile away. The worst part? We become oblivious to the waste until we return to Cups and have to start monitoring and conserving again.

Regular, Unplanned Exercise

We tend to drive everywhere because we can and it's more convenient and takes less time. We don't do much walking or exercise unless we make a concerted effort to do so. There's no winching or hauling or toting laundry or getting on and off boats. There's no ½ mile walk to the marina bathrooms. We keep busy, but there's nowhere near the activity we're used to.

Slower pace

We miss the slower pace of living on a sailboat and traveling slowly. If we're doing 7 knot (that equates to ~8 mph), we think we're really tooling along. More frequently, we're doing 5 knots or less and it's fine. We like watching the world go by. No rush, no hustle, no bustle.

Being on the move

We really love arriving in new ports … and leaving them. We enjoy being on the move, planning itineraries and exploring. On land, we find ourselves visiting the same places over and over because that's where family lives. Though we work at exploring all the nooks and crannies (and Las Vegas and Boston certainly have lots of them), we find ourselves being less adventurous and returning to places we've already visited.

Sea Senses

We miss the rock of the boat and the lap of the water against the hull when we're falling asleep at night. We miss the breath sounds of dolphins swimming past during night watches and day sails. We miss the snapping sound of shrimp beneath the boat in quiet anchorages. We miss the peace and quiet of being alone in an anchorage. We haven't gotten used to traffic sounds and sirens yet.

Sunrises and sunsets

Of course there are sunrises and sunsets where we are, but they're not events like they are on the boat. We miss sundowners in the evenings in the cockpit and morning cuppas watching the sunrise.

When we're on land we miss the boat. When we're on the boat, we miss land. I guess the moral of this story is … we're never satisfied. Fortunately, we have the chance to experience and appreciate both!