You Know you Live on a Boat When…

Annie Gardner, who has competed in the Olympics and America’s Cup, now a days she can be found cruising the Caribbean with husband Eric Witte on their Catana 472 catamaran. Here she shares some of what she has learned.

You know you live on a boat when…
• you see someone letting the tap run while they brush teeth, or shave, rinse dishes, and you want to scream “stop it!” whether on boat or land!
• you feel like you are on a roller coaster but in reality you are trying to take a shower
• to get to the sewing machine you have to dismantle the couch
• you have to do downward dog to find something in the refrigerator. You know it’s there, but can’t see it.
• you throw your used toilet paper in the trash in a restaurant bathroom.
• you have to ride your bike or walk to purchase only what you can put in your basket and on your back.
• it takes all day to wash the equivalent of one load of wash on land.
• drying clothes is a sport.
• you see your neighbors naked, or in undies, and it doesn’t seem weird that they are outside and possibly even taking a shower on their back porch.
• hanging your undies on your front or back porch when the neighbors are 20’ away is no big deal.
• you write a new list everyday that includes what needs to be fixed, written, bought, cleaned, cooked, and searched.
• your neighbors and friends are constantly moving away from you and you never know when, or if you will see them again.
• the next good grocery store could be several weeks to a month away so stocking up and keeping things fresh, frozen, and stored is never taken for granted.
• leaving all the lights on could risk not having any at all
• your life depends on your best friend and every day you are reminded of it.
• your favorite shoes are no shoes at all.
• listening to the news on tv is depressing and reminds you how nice to not be exposed to such fear based reality horror shows.
• you have no idea what day it is but you know the time and distance to the next island.
• getting fast internet is almost as good as great sex. Almost.
• you call your bedroom your cocoon.
• all your friends want to come visit.
• top of your reading list is either a how to, or a where to.
• the exact same food tastes better than it does on land.
• meeting new people of different cultures is an every day occurrence, and breaking into a different accent comes naturally.
• your car is a dinghy.
• you flip a coin to see who makes the bed(s) this time. PITA!
• Your friends become closer because you are together 24/7, and you cherish every minute of it. All 1,440 minutes/day.
• your family visits and even if they’ve known you their whole life, they finally see you in your element, doing what you love, with the risks and rewards presenting themselves in snapshots.
• you pinch yourself for following through and making your dreams come true!

Follow their adventure here.