Life Aboard Astraia

We’ve been ‘live aboards’ now for almost 2 months, and the time has just flown – and we’re still speaking to each other!  Life on board is surprisingly busy, but varies depending if we’re in port, in a canal or making a sea passage.

If we’re making a sea passage there is navigation to do and checking our position as we’re going along, other boats and ships to look out for and avoid, and sails to set and trim according to the wind.

Then there’s making cups of tea and meals – from a ‘cup-a-soup’ if it’s rough to a proper dinner if it’s calmer.  Sometimes, if it’s not too rough, the autopilot can steer which gives us a bit of free time – we would probably take turns at keeping ‘watches’ so one person can read, relax or do the washing up!!  Sometimes the autopilot can’t cope with strong wind and waves, so one person steers most of the time while the other one does everything else!

Astraia’s galley …

When we were in the Dutch canals someone had to steer all the time really as they’re quite narrow, and there are many locks and bridges to negotiate.  The locks involve going alongside, getting ropes ready and fenders out …

The bridges vary – sometimes they open at specific times, so you may have to tie up and wait.  Sometimes they open on demand between certain hours, often excluding rush hours as the roads and railways have to be closed so that we can get through with a mast.  If they open on demand, you just have to wait until the bridge keeper sees you (sometimes via remote camera) and decides that he/she can close the road or railway and open up for you.  Sometimes you have to call them on the boat’s VHF radio and ask for passage.

All this is published in an almanac issued annually with up-to-date information and operating times, but all in Dutch!!  So a considerable amount of our time is spent on translation!!!  Often, pleasure craft must give way to commercial vessels entering a lock, but can go in after them if there’s room – this is called ‘piggybacking’ – one word I’ve learned in Dutch!

There are bridges in Denmark, too, as all the main islands are joined by bridges.  However, not so many have to be opened as most of them are high enough for us to get under – but this one in Sønderborg opened every half hour …

If we’re in port then the day passes very quickly too – exploring the place we’ve just arrived at and doing a bit of sightseeing or going to the beach, as well as catching up with the ‘domestic drudgery’ – laundry, shopping, cleaning the boat inside and out, hoovering, dusting, cleaning windows, bathrooms, cookers etc – just like at home!

We have a ‘saloon’ which is multi-purpose – sometimes we use it as an office – we even have a printer and scanner …

… or it becomes a lounge or dining room …

… or even somewhere to play the boat’s roll-up piano!  (I’m not very good!)

There are 3 sleeping cabins – this is our cabin …

… which has an en suite bathroom and shower …

… and there are two guest cabins, which can accommodate up to 5 people …

Astraia is 13 metres long and 4 metres wide.  If we lived in a flat this size I think we would feel quite crowded.  It’s odd but because we’re always on the move and out in the open air living in a small space doesn’t feel constraining – it’s the freedom of the nomadic life!