Selling our boat filled a room in our house with all manner
of things. From dishes, pots and flatware to downriggers, flotation devices,
fenders and tow ropes. It’s been a challenge to figure out how to downsize and
think as a camper instead of a boater.
As a boater, I always wanted to be prepared for just about
anything. Whether it was having six people sleeping on board for two weeks or
feeding a small army of marauding teenagers, I had the supplies to do so. The first aid kit was created for the amount of hours it might take the coast guard to get to you. There
was enough non-perishable food onboard to last us weeks. Every old towel for
the last ten years had been relegated to storage cupboards. I had no idea how much stuff had been stashed
in our boat until I started cleaning out all the drawers and cubbies.
It’s
pretty obvious that this little trailer of ours isn’t going to be pulling the
same kind of duty. Campgrounds just aren't that far off the beaten path and most towns have markets and fuel.
There are RV’s out there that rival the boat we had in luxury
and size – but that’s not what we’ve chosen for our land adventures. Picking a
trailer that is basically a glorified bed with some limited storage and a small
water tank is a running leap into a very different direction. As with boating, how you choose to be “out
there” dictates a particular style. Cruising and sailing are very different
styles of being on the water. Choosing a fifteen foot teardrop trailer over
anything larger – or smaller like a tent – was a choice on how we want to camp
and travel.
And so I’ve been picking through all of the boxes of supplies
from the years on the boat to see what can fit into much smaller spaces and
cabinets. What’s necessary, what’s overkill. Don’t need flatware for twenty or a
dozen wineglasses. I’ll keep the kettle and find a home for the small electric
drip coffee pot. We’ll be cooking on an
outdoor stove, sitting in a living room called a campsite. There are some
luxuries in this trailer that still feel odd. Who needs an air conditioner or a
DVD player? The solar panel plug seems pretty awesome though.
Andy’s spending a lot of time upgrading and customizing the
trailer. He knew our boat inside and
out, worked on most of the systems and understood how and why it all worked
together. I suspect its – dare I say – been fun to figure out the best ways to
manage the limited systems on the trailer even if I do think the 120 watt solar
panel is overkill.
To be continued…
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