Are We Minimalists

Recently a friend said we were minimalists. I have to say that is a goal of mine in some form but not sure I have succeeded yet. So lets see….

On Saga Sea, Steve is the CEO, because he is the sailor, I am the admiral. Sailing and living on a sailboat has always been Steve’s dream so this made him in charge of all systems on the boat. The boat is mostly how he dreamed of it being. I am along for the adventures. 

In the very beginning of our marriage we bought an Alberg 30. Steve was convinced that it was the perfect boat to go cruising in once the kids were out of the nest. He thought this because he was a follower of Lin and Larry Pardey (landlpardey.com) and James Baldwin (www.atomvoyages.com)  . Go Small, Go Now! I thought of it as being a great weekend boat for overnight trips. 

Steve seemed to work on the boat more than sail it. He was working hard at making her “bullet proof”. He removed the diesel engine and installed an outboard motor. He closed up almost all of the seacocks. Removed the head, replaced it with a portapotty. That was a compromise, he wanted a bucket with a toilet seat. Yeah I had to pull rank in that situation. 

He installed a gravity water system which consisted of a big blue igloo that was at my feet in the Vbirth.  I wonder sometimes if he needed a short wife for times like these. Hahah. He didn't want the normal systems that could break down when you're  in the middle of nowhere. He wanted to keep things simple so he can do all the maintenance and repairs. 

Simple is good in my mind but after having the Alberg And living on it for a year, I realized I rather not “rough it” during this stage in my life, unless it is required because of a drastic situation. I was interested in finding some sort of middle ground. 

Steve took the challenge and scouted out the boat that would have the things on his list as well as mine. He wanted:

Full Keel - protects the rudder when grounding as well as no keel bolts to maintain or break 

Heavy Displacement - rides smoothly in bad weather, i'm sure for my comfort 

Double Ender - Stronger and he likes how they look

Cutter Design- easy to maintain proper balance with sail reduction 

So boats that were on his list that he felt we could afford with lots of discipline were boats made by Robert Perry, specifically a Tayana 37 since there were more of them made. I fell in love with them. I loved the warm teak cabinetry inside. I loved how beamy they are as well as the U shaped galley. 

After living on the Alberg for a year we ran across Saga Sea, a Union 36, a Robert Perry design. She had a Gammon Iron staysail stay attachment that gives forward mast support if we lose the bowsprit. She also has an Edson worm drive steering, which gives me the feel of a wheel without cable issue that Steve hates. He rather have a tiller anyday. She also has two 50 gallon fiberglass diesel tanks. 

I'm enjoying her pressure water pump. We did add a backup foot pump and a saltwater hand pump. She had refrigeration that Steve doesn't seem to mind. He did refigure the propane system for the stove. He liked the Pardey hand valve idea instead of using solenoid that is known to corrode and fail. 

So when answering the question if I think we are minimalist I have to say we are probably right in the middle somewhere on the scale. There are some cruisers out here with some very nice amenities. Such as watermakers, but I say I have one, Steve, powerful generators that run everything from air conditioning to coffee makers, water heaters, electric push button toilets, nice walk on transoms with pressured water rinse hoses and of course much more. The cruising life is no different than in a neighborhood. You have people that have less to those that have it all. 

We are very content with how Steve fitted Saga Sea. I am sure I will change small things the longer I am on her, but that is how women are… She seems to be a seaworthy vessel and the best looking in most anchorages, at least in our eyes.