The “Before”

Because I can’t wait to share this any longer…

Here is an introduction to the boat. I still don’t know if it is officially mine but the shipyard owner lets me hang out on it. I apologize for coming across so naively, I’m still learning!

The Waiting Game

 

This is me, waiting to find out about the boat, with apples.

Some things are worth waiting for. Over the past month I’ve been anxiously awaiting to find out if a boat, currently named Captain’s Quarters, will be mine. In case you don’t know me, I’m kind of an immediate gratification type of person. Like, I wanted to know if the boat was mine 6 months ago, and I didn’t even know the boat existed yet. The longer I wait though, the better the situation seems to get. In the two weeks that it took to get a surveyor to look the boat over and then the one week it took me to track down the shipyard owner to find out what the status was I went from getting the boat for free, to potentially getting paid to take the boat. You heard me right. I might get paid, by the insurance company, to take the boat. 

You might be wondering why. At least that’s what I was wondering when the shipyard owner told me that I should ask for money to take it. To make a long story short, it would cost the insurance company upwards of six thousand dollars to get the boat out of the shipyard. Due to things like the height of the boat and the height of the bridges in the Boston Harbor, it can’t be taken out via harbor which means the insurance company would either have to pay to get the top part of the boat taken off (can we say expensive?) or pay to have a truck driver move the boat from the yard to wherever, also not cheap. But you know what is cheap? Paying someone less than that to take the boat off of their hands. And by someone I mean me.

Now I’m just waiting for the Progressive guy to call me back and fingers crossed he will say, why yes Ali that is a brilliant idea here is your dream boat and five thousand dollars to fix it up with. Hey- a girl can dream can’t she?

Gratitude 11/2/2012

*This isn’t directly related to the boat but gratitude is universal so I thought I would share. Namaste.

Today I am grateful for:

Being alive.

I just saw on Facebook that my old friend Matt Sayles passed away one year ago on the 10th of November. While he and I weren’t very close, I still hung out with him and I feel this overwhelming sadness that he died one year ago and I had no idea. I didn’t know he had been diagnosed with cancer, was battling cancer, or that he had died from cancer. I started reading about his experience and found that he had kept a blog throughout his battle. I read every entry. Here is a link to the blog: http://saylesmd.com/blog/. Originally I was going to keep this gratuity journal private. After reading about Matt’s experience, and how hearing other people’s stories helped him– and from my own experience, seeing how other people sharing their experiences has helped me, I’ve decided to share what I am grateful for today. Not only am I grateful to be alive, I am grateful to be healthy, I am grateful to be breathing, I am grateful that I am not in pain. I am so, so, grateful. In honor of Matt, stop what you are doing for a moment, and just be grateful that you are here.

Climate Change

While we were arguing whether or not climate chang was real…climate changed.

First beer on the boat and a hurricane.

It’s starting to rain a little bit here and I’m beginning to wonder if I should start preparing for ‘Sandy.’ It seems like my friends are all stocking up and hunkering down- at least that’s what they are saying on Facebook. My top 3 favorite hurricane related statuses:

1. Dear Friends in the Northeast,

   1.) 90% of the time the storm is not even half as bad as they say
   2.) Think of this as a free vacation. Get work done and enjoy falling asleep to the sound of rain. 
   3.) Work in teams! Down here we call them Hurricantion parties! Huddle up with a couple bottles of Jack around some candles and do it up! 

   4.) Eat all the meat in your freezer! Trust me, you will never forget the smell if you don’t.
   5.) Lots of people get pregnant during hurricanes! Lock it up

   Love,
   A girl from New Orleans 

    
   2. ‎”Drink early, drink often, wear a bathing suit.” – best advice on preparing for a hurricane ever
    
   3.  Preparing for Sandy —
   
    
    
   So from these posts I’ve gathered that I should stock up on booze. Start drinking. Put on a bathing suit and eat meat. Sounds like the perfect way to spend my Sunday.
    
   Okay, enough about the hurricane and more on the boat! I’m still not 100% sure the boat is mine, but I can’t help thinking like it is and acting like it is. Yesterday Ben and I bought a six pack and headed over to the shipyard to visit my girl. As soon as I see the boat my worries subside and I’m smiling from ear to ear. It is crazy how excited and happy this makes me. Not to get too Jerry Maguire on you but it’s like the boat completes me. At least it completes my lifestyle. I’m so looking forward to fixing her up, putting her in the water, and learning all about her. Here’s to the first beer on the boat, cheers!
   
    

Less Than a Week

So, it is less than a week until I will know for sure whether or not I can claim the boat. I’m not going to lie, I’m starting to get some nerves. Not that I won’t get the boat but that I will. In the past I’ve been known to come up with awesome ideas but not follow through and so I’m determined to follow through with this. Plus- my bed broke last night so I’m going to have to get rid of it anyways. 🙂 

In preparation for the big move I’ve started to come up with a list of some of the tougher things I have to do before I make the leap.

• Tell my mom. I can’t quite figure out what to do about this. I know I’m going to have to tell her, she comes to visit me frequently so she’s bound to find out. I think I am going to wait until it is absolutely imperative that she knows though…otherwise it will be just one more thing she will worry about.
• Tell my roommates. I love my roommates. This is another aspect of moving that I’m a little wary of. I’ve lived alone before and enjoyed it but the past few months with these ladies have been awesome and I’m going to miss coming home to them. That said, I know I have to do this anyways. Plus they can come hang out on my boat. I’m also going to wait to tell them until I’m sure I have the boat though and I need to give my landlord my 30 days notice.
• Throw shit out. Aka downsize. I’ve been getting better at this but I know I’m very far away from actually trimming my belongings down to the essentials. There are some things I’m going to have to put in storage but luckily my office and my boyfriend are going to relieve me of having to pay for one.
• Learn about boats. Okay stop laughing. I have spent a lot of time on boats but I know very little about them. I’ve been reading up on the liveaboard lifestyle but I know I need to have a little bit more than basic knowledge so that is another thing I need to prepare.

I guess those aren’t that bad. It’s crazy how you can be 27 though and still be terrified of your mother. I guess some things never change.

The Boat is Almost Mine

After a lovely conversation with Dan, the shipyard owner, I was informed that the boat is 99% mine. I will know for sure Nov. 2nd. I’m a little bit freaked out because the closer it gets to me having to positively say that I am taking the boat the closer I get to actually doing it. I’m going to move onto a boat. There is this pull from somewhere deep inside of me that tells me I have to do this. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and all of the details are figuring themselves out. It’s still kind of scary though. Like, really? I’m really doing this? Yes, I am. It’s time to take that step, make a move, live up to my potential and follow my dream. Hopefully I’ll be able to see the boat over the weekend so I’m aiming to post pre-renovation (yes I’m “renovating”) it photos.

The Shipyard

My Calling

You know how people say “when you know you know.” I never got that. I was like…well how? How do I know? And they were like…”you just do.” That pissed me off. As someone who changes their mind about things frequently; jobs, relationships, living situations, circles of people…I’ve never felt really sure about anything. Life is change right? You’re supposed to go with the flow. 

There were times that I thought I was sure. I thought I knew who I was going to marry, where I was going to settle down, what I would do for the rest of my life. And then things would fall apart and I began to doubt my ability to tell fantasy from reality. I found that my strong desire to tie everything down, superglue it in place, and then beg that it sticks so that I don’t have to experience change and everything that comes with it for the umpteenth time, wasn’t working.

I turned 27 in August and something shifted. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was but I know that it had something to do with the ending of my 3 year relationship, quitting my job, and moving (after living in a hotel for a week because I was “homeless”). I was suddenly back at square one and everything happened so quickly I barely knew how I had gotten there.

As I started to pick up the pieces I found them falling into place before I even touched them. I found an awesome, cheap, and centrally located apartment that would let me move in with my two cats. I got 3 new roommates who are like my long lost sisters. I got a job at a beautiful coworking loft on Newbury Street. I found a therapist that I actually like (trust me, if you’ve been in therapy before you know that it can be difficult to find a therapist that you mesh with). I fell in love. Wait, what is happening. Are things actually coming together this smoothly? Something must be wrong. As I realized that my life was coming together before my eyes I did what any normal 27 year old girl would do. I decided that it was now time to move onto a boat.

I haven’t told my mom yet. It’s one of those things where you know what your mom will say if you call her and you’re like, “So, everything is going like really great. Ben and I are happy and in love. Henry and Lily [my cats] are doing well. My job is awesome and my apartment is great but, I decided that this winter I’m going to move…onto a boat…in the Boston Harbor.”

We all know that the outcome of that conversation will not be a good one. I did tell my dad and he was like, “Al, just…chill. You need to stay still, you need to let your mind rest for a bit, you need to be bored for a little bit.” I found it extremely ironic that he said that I need to be “bored” because at a networking event that I was at a couple of days before they had an icebreaker question and this is what I wrote: 

I’m sorry but I’m not bored. I can’t help it, I’m just not. I have a lot of things going on. There is a lot I want to do and sitting still just won’t work for me.

So, back to things falling into place. They have. My boyfriend happens to live around the corner from the shipyard at the Boston Harbor. One thing lead to another and I became involved with Harbor Arts, a non-profit organization that is run out of the shipyard. Through Matt, the executive director of Harbor Arts I met Dan the shipyard owner. I told Dan I wanted to move onto a boat but I have no money. He told me he had a boat he was looking to get rid of. I asked him how much? He said, it’s free.

Hi, I’m Ali

Hi,

My name is Ali. I’m 27 and in the preparation steps of moving from my apartment onto a boat. Yes, it’s October. You might think I’m crazy, you’re probably right. Who in their right mind would want to move onto a boat right before winter, in Boston no less? I would. I will. I am. I like to test the limits and get outside of my comfort zone. I invite you to join me on this journey. I will be documenting everything from getting the boat to living on the boat.

Why am I doing this?

I’ve loved boats since I was a small child. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no captain, but I’ve always enjoyed the ride. My grandparents had a boat, she was called Praxis. Definition: “Practical application or exercise of a branch of learning.” I spent a lot of time with Praxis, I even had my 11th birthday party on her.

Besides my love of boats there is a practical side to this. Let me break it down:

Rent: Much much cheaper.

Well-Being: I’m in the process of de-cluttering my life. I wouldn’t consider myself a hoarder (other people might) but I’ve reached a point where I’ve realized that the accumulation of things doesn’t make me happy. In fact, the opposite is appealing to me. I love the idea of selling my furniture, cutting down my closet to only things I actually wear, and letting go of the things that I don’t use that just make my life more complicated and make me feel…heavier.

Amenities: Laundry, gym, and showers at the marina.

Community: The liveaboard community is a tight one. I love meeting new people and community is vital to me. We’re not alone so why not do it together?

Cool Factor: Needs no explanation.