So what do we pack?

 

So exactly how do you pack for 6 months in Europe on a boat you don’t own yet?

This is the big question we have pondering for the last few weeks because it’s pretty important that a) we maximise our 30-kilo luggage allowance each and b) because we are well aware that some things are easier and of better quality here so it’s worthwhile buying it now.  That said as we don’t actually have the boat yet we don’t know what type of tool kit it will have on it, if any.  So, Rick has been gathering up and buying a range of things he thinks he will need and /or which might be difficult to find wherever we buy the boat.  He’s done a bit of research and done a bit of memory mining to remind himself of what was particularly good last time we were live-aboards.

I also have a bit of experience after 5 years of living in Saudi where many odd things were not available and I now know what I need that is often hard to find away from home.  Things like the shampoo I use, socks, undies, shoes, vitamins and coffee pots. But how many hats and sunglasses, swim goggles and ear plugs do you actually need? Honestly, it’s all a bit arbitrary and an educated guess. 

I have spent or wasted (depending on how you look at it) 2 days trying to sort out how to take my extensive repertoire of recipes along with me and after a few false starts and some excellent advice on a ‘cooking on a boat’ online forum I have realised I do not have enough time to figure it out now so I have just taken 300 photos to get to in the future. So much for being organised!

That said I do know that this little Puffin painted by the talented Charlotte Murphy (also lover of puffins) will be coming along.

Now the time has come to go beyond the list making stage and into the packing phase as we leave our little home on the beach in just 4 days. So not only are we planning for the future but attending to the present by getting the sandtemple ready to be locked up for the next 6 months whilst we are in Europe.  Cupboards cleaned, tents put away, maintenance done, food finished up or given away.  Oh, and we have a shipment arriving from up North where our old home is.  This will need to be packed away as well but should be pretty easy as the space is already allocated in our rapidly filling 20-foot container. Parties and farewells and the hairdresser and the camping store will be fitted in amongst it all.

So, for now questions of do I need to take my yoghurt maker (answer is no as we plan to be in Greece and Turkey where yoghurt is very good) or our kefir baby (yes, we are going to give it a try) need to be put aside to focus on what is right in front of us.