Living Aboard With Storage Anchors

[Nausikaa]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Last night we were down to the unit to retrieve some things for Melanie. As she was poking around I said to her. That's a lot of stuff. She looked up at everything, and then ignored me. I said nothing else, but I will keep dropping hints.

You're in trouble if she reads this

Aye / Stephen

[imagine2frolic]

Stephen,

A friend once called her St. Melanie. I am beginning to believe it is true!!!!!!!!!!LOLOLOLOLOL

[RoaringGirl]

Hi,

it seems to me there are two different conversations here.

one is about stuff. My partner is a kiwi who left NZ about a dozen years ago with one box and a small rusksack and hasn't travelled much heavier since. We're about to (leave (by plane) for 3 months back in NZ and have three small bags, which is only 3 because of the Xmas pressies from the UK for her family. So most of our stuff is mine really. I was the one with a house, clothes, 3000 books and an art collection!

When we moved on board (4.5 years ago) we agreed that we would stop paying for storage asap. We have done this, through the kind use of a couple of lofts. This would be even less but we do have to get back to the UK to earn money every now and then, and so boring work papers and clothes sit in lofts for months on end, beside three boxes of precious photos and the like. The books were sold and the art collection is fostered onto walls across England, Wales and France for if we ever move back to a dwelling with walls.

Even so we go through every locker 1-2 times a year and throw things out. And taking everything of RG raises her about 3" in the water. As omeone else said this getsw easier and easier the longer you live aboard.

There's a different conversation about your partner's comfort with the choices you are making. Maybe she's not fully 'there' yet with the living on a boat, travelling, leaving all the ties etc. And maybe you have to bear the literal and emotional cost of that while she gradually eases into the life. And find all the ways which will make her happier with it at the same time (all those things about short sails, flat seas, even shares of laundry, cooking, navigation, sail handling ....)

While you're havng the second conversation and waiting for the other one to work through the system, can you reduce the cost of storage by amalgamating anything?

Best of luck to both of you with this one!

Sarah

s/v Roaring Girl

She's in Provence, we're in Wales)

[maxiswede]

@ 'RoaringGirl'

Good post!

well expressed and makes a lot of sense. On a boat as on shore, I reckon in n´most relations there is one person pushing and the other perhaps not quite at the same pace.

To dance, it's sooo much easier if both do it to the same tune...

all the best

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Trim50

This weekend Lori and I packed-up our 1 bedroom apartment and moved it down to a cargo container located in the not-so-nice parts of Long Beach. We are now officially living on board our boat.

..................

Does anybody out there have some suggestions for dealing with storage? Should we keep a storage unit while cruising? It seems like a waste of money to me.

Congrats! for getting onboard the boat! All that much closer to taking off for your trip. This is exciting !!!

Regarding the storage, the clothes go out of style fairly quickly--I would chuck things that aren't truly special/lasting and keep those that are. e.g. keep the designer gown that will work for formal parties for years to come, chuck the designer suit that will be out of style next year.

Regarding the other "stuff"--if you have precious and/or priceless antiques and art collected over many years--face it, if its high value, you're better off storing it in a conditioned storage locker than getting rid of it or farming things out to friends/family, especially if you're only planning on being gone 2 years. I believe that's your goal, right, a couple years around the world sailing? Then, back home? If you're planning on sailing "forever", well then, probably no need for all the home furnishings for many years to come. Sell them, farm them out, whatever if no money for storing them.

I know I've made a lengthy post of this before and won't repeat all that I said there--it really comes down to finances. If one does have enough money that $300-$400/month fits in without a problem, then one won't worry about spending it on storage. If it makes other things for your trip "too tight" then, well, the conversation has to be had about chucking things, seriously.

We did a HUGE downsize getting rid of everything "ordinary" only keeping the "hard or expensive to replace" things. Clothes were not our issue! Furniture, art, antiques, crystal, family heirlooms, rugs, specialized tools, etc were the things we kept. We're spending $394/mo for conditioned storage for an indefinite period of time. We also have a safety deposit box that runs $200/year for important records, jewelry, etc. The only thing farmed out to a friend is a grand piano we own (all the friends/relatives offered to babysit that, for sure ). We'll re-evaluate the whole situation in a couple years. Even if living aboard we'll likely have a small home somewhere and have our stuff there eventually.

I hope your partner is able to go through all her stuff and consolidate since this seems to be what will make you happiest. I also hope that if its not dire situation, you can go-with-the-flow and let her deal with this as she needs to.

Best of luck! in your new adventures.