Between our YouTube Channel and our blog, we share a lot of our life on the water. However, there are always things that go undocumented. Over the years, we have met plenty of new liveaboards who feel like they were “duped” into this lifestyle by its romanticized portrayal on social media. In our experience, living full-time on a boat is expensive, it is hard work, and it is time-consuming. Is it worth it? For us, yes. Is it worth it for you? I’m not sure!

So, in an effort to paint a more realistic picture of boat life, here is a bullet-point list of things we dealt with in July 2024:

• We noticed salt water around our head. The gasket for the base was leaking. Ray was able to tighten down the brackets, stopping the leak. We do have a spare toilet base on board if needed.

• So far, anchoring in French Polynesia has been a humbling experience as most anchorages are deep and full of coral and rocks. We dragged anchor twice this month. One was our fault, as we pulled in a portion of chain to be polite when someone anchored too close to us. A squall came through and we did not have enough scope out, so we dragged. The second time was in an anchorage too deep and murky to see the bottom. The wind rapidly shifted 180°, and there must not have been a patch of sand large enough to allow our anchor to reset. 
• Our chartplotter is rapidly failing. During an overnight sail, it froze several times, once while we were jibing. It has become a safety hazard, and we are arranging a replacement for it now. A  company in Tahiti quoted us twice the price it should be, so we are looking into shipping options or flying elsewhere to purchase one. 
• I used 303 Protectant to treat our white vinyl helm seat. This helps protect against UV rays, prevent cracking and fading, and repel dirt and stains. We’ve used this product every few months since upgrading our helm seat, and it still looks excellent nearly three years later! 

• We purchased fuel in Fakarava. They will not honor a duty-free fuel certificate unless you bring the big boat to their dock. Conditions were bad, so we paid the tax and refueled via two very bouncy and wet dinghy trips with our jerry jugs. It cost ~$600.00 for just under 400 liters. 
• While motoring from one end of an atoll to the other, we saw two bommies that were not on satellite images and a strand of ~15 navy/black pearl farm floats. This reaffirmed our decision to always have someone keeping watch on the bow and someone at the helm when moving inside the lagoons. 

• We bought groceries in Makemo and Fakarava this month. If you go to the shops on the same day the supply ship arrives, you can usually find some fresh fruit and vegetables. We haven’t seen any eggs, but frozen meat options are typically available. If you want bread, you need to order it ahead of time. Beware of shelf-stable packaged food—no telling how long it’s been there! We bought some cookies and found a worm in them. 
• We ate at our first restaurant since Hiva Oa! It was $50.00 for a burger and fries + a chicken wrap and fries. I don’t think the meal itself was worth the money, but not having to cook or clean for the first time in months was a wonderful treat!