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 August 2024:

• Ray changed the oil in both engines.
• I polished the stainless steel once. 
• We struggled to stay positive after a prolonged period of bad weather, failing equipment we were having trouble sourcing replacements for, health issues, and an un-warm welcome to Tahiti involving angry locals and vicious dogs. We took a brief break from social media as we worked to shift our perspective. I took a short trip back to the USA to get some supplies and see a doctor, while Ray stayed on Sabado to ensure she was safe during a strong southeast wind called a “Maramu” in Polynesia. I am happy to report that things are now looking up! Sabado and Crew are healthier and happier and will resume posting weekly. 
• Ray turned a $15 remote for off-road winches into a windlass remote for Sabado! Now, when raising and lowering the anchor, I do not have to open the generator compartment to access the wired remote. It also makes anchoring single-handed easier, if needed. This was a DIY alternative to the ~$250 the windlass manufacturer charges for something similar. 
• We replaced our rapidly failing B&G chartplotter for $4,340.88. 

• We like to use a VPN when connected to the internet on the boat. Our old router couldn’t match Starlink’s high speed, so we bought a new one for $159.00. This router provides high-speed internet through a VPN and has built-in ad blocking. 
• We found eggs at Carrefour in Tahiti for $5.52 per dozen. This was our first time seeing eggs since June! 
• Although our canned and dry goods inventory from Panama is still substantial, fresh produce and meat prices here are shockingly high! To make sure we are getting every penny’s worth from our provisions, I’ve started following low-waste recipes: using chicken bones and vegetable scraps to make nutritious broths, strawberry tops to make syrup, etc. 
• We purchased the new iPad Pro with a nanotextured screen for $2,000.00. The screen performs exponentially better in direct sunlight and will be much more usable when navigating the bommie-ridden waters of the Tuamotus. It will also serve as a backup if our chartplotter fails again. It’s hard to capture the difference in a photo, but we’ll be sure to show it in our next video.

• We did a complete, deep clean of the boat: Ray did the outside (including cushions, teak, and deck), and I did the inside (including floor, walls, and ceiling). 
• Our beloved Engel 12V chest freezer began vibrating/rattling. We feared it was giving up on us, but the rubber feet on the bottom had just worn away. We were able to put some rubber pieces we had on board underneath to stop it.