Summer is ending. With it, another season on Vagabond is wrapping up.
From endless horizons to cramped cabins, boat life has its ups and downs.
I started thinking about what I love about living on a boat… and the things I definitely won’t miss.
My absolute favorites :
– Waking up at some bay and just gazing around. But no deliberate thinking please. Thinking ruins it.
– First morning swim.
– Late-night swim.
– Actually, every swim in between.
– First morning coffee — ok, that’s universal.
– That first sip of rakı/ouzo at the very first seaside tavern of the season. Nothing ever tastes better.
– The absolute sense of freedom that sea brings.
– The wind in my hair, sun in my face, salt on my skin.
– Spending the summer with a few bikinis, t-shirts and shorts.
– The sound full sails make when Vagabond is in her element.
– The beauty that surrounds us, even on bad days.
– Cruising at first light when the world is still sleeping.
– The sea breeze carrying scents — especially flowers and pine.
– Tiny fish darting around… and the occasional turtle or duck.
– The morning hunt of the fish. Nature at its true self.
– Golden Hour. And drinks at Golden Hour. This one is non-negotiable.
– The crazy colour palette of nature.
– Stargazing at night. Finding the constellations. Watching the moon ascend and descend.
– Long dinners and apéro time with friends.
– Laughter drifting over from nearby boats.
– Seasonal friends: the marina crew, tavern hosts, your neighbor boat.
– Finding one small thing to be grateful for each day.
– Watching nature shift, little by little, every single day.
What I can live without :
– Mosquitos (spawn of evil).
– Bees — especially when in my hair or drinks.
– Cleaning and general house keeping. Unpleasant at home, nightmare on a boat.
– Cramped cupboards, cramped everything.
– Trying to play MasterChef in the galley when it’s boiling hot when the next tavern/grocery store is miles away.
– Those days of oven-level heat, when the wind feels like it’s straight out of a hair dryer.
– Storm after storm after storm- this season was especially brutal and a bit tedious.
– Awful karaoke and questionable playlists from nearby boats.
– Pointless bureaucracy dreamed up by land people.
I’ll close with a few quotes from someone whose words first sparked my love for the sea, back when I was a little girl growing up far from the coast.
The sea calls one to freedom; it races with the waves, it flies with the wind – Aganta Burina Burinata .
The sea breaks chains; it sets the soul free to the vastness. – Blue Exile .
Both by Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı
CherryPicks 