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Although I post regularly on our cost of cruising and living aboard Tickety Boo, our Moody 346 sailboat {see our How Much It Costs page} I thought it would be useful to do a recap of how much we spent during all of 2018. That way you can see the total picture including yearly spend and average monthly spend by category. So let's cut to the chase - we spent $20,567 during 2018 , which comes out to a monthly average of $1,714 . That's around $4,000 less than what we spent the previous year . If you want to see the breakdown behind those numbers, have a read below. Be warned, it's a long post so I'll throw some random pictures in to jazz things up. By the way, you'll notice that I titled this post, "Cost of Living Aboard a Sailboat and NOT Going Anywhere." That's because our boat didn't move out of her slip in 2018. Well, actually she did, but it was just to go to the other side of the marina to be hauled out. We had hoped to be in the Bahamas ...

Clockwise from upper left: (1) Bob the Pirate Dog; (2) I read 100 books in 2018 as part of the Goodreads challenge!; (3) Having German food and beer in Portland; (4) The annual good luck New Year's pig gifts from my mom; (5) the line-up at the Christmas Eve potluck at the marina; and (6) Tickety Boo being moved into the workyard. What can I say about December. It was a month of highs and lows. I got to visit my family in Portland for a week - that was a high. We hauled our boat out of the water to assess the crack in our hull - that was a real low. It's bad. We had some cool weather in Florida - a high. I had freezing weather in Portland - a low. My sister has adorable cats that I got to play with - a high. .  .well, let's just leave it there with a crazy cat lady high, shall we? Okay, so onto the recap of last month in numbers. Basically, the really random numbers that pop into my head as I write these monthly posts. 4 - How many quarts my slow cooker holds. I made baked b...

We used to live on a sailboat in the water. Now, we live in a tree house. Well, not exactly a tree house. We still live on our sailboat, except now it's on land and you have to clamber up a ladder to get onto it. So it feels like a tree house, except it's a lot less fun. My mom is going to have a heart attack when she sees this picture. Yes, mom, we climb up and down this several times a day. So far, no broken limbs. We had always planned on hauling Tickety Boo out of the water and into the boatyard to do the bottom paint and take care of a few other things. But the plan was to do that after this season in the Bahamas. Not before. We were busy getting ready to head off. Boat projects were coming along nicely, provisioning had begun in earnest, and I dug out my swimsuits. Then we discovered a crack in our hull. No bueno . Could it be that my latest book, Bodies in the Boatyard, is coming to life ? Finding a leak on their boat is exactly what happened to Mollie and Scooter. Let...

Things have been crazy since my last Life Lately post . Let's see. . .when I last left you it was the end of November. What's happened lately since? After all of the Thanksgiving festivities, we tried to cut back on pigging out so much, but then we went for Ethiopian food in West Palm Beach. How can you not pig out when you're eating delicious sambusa , doro wat and miser wat ? We took a bunch of people with us who had never eaten Ethiopian before. Thankfully, they loved it. Or, at least they said they did. Then I took off for Portland, Oregon to visit my family (mom, sister, and two nieces). I made it out of the Charlotte airport in the nick of time before everything shut down due to a winter storm. Thankfully, I had packed lots of socks, mittens, and a hat. Once you get out of southern Florida, it's pretty darn cold. We went on several fun excursions, including one to the Mt Angel Abbey and Seminary . If you're ever in that neck of the woods, definitely go pay th...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day. Every month there ' s an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say. This month's question is: "What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?" Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here . You can see how I answered the question below. * * * Hmm...what can I say about my writing space? Right now it's very, very messy. We have so many projects going on at the moment, that our entire sailboa...

It's been ages since I've done a "Life Lately..." post. I'd say it's about time we had one, wouldn't you? so here's a few pictures and a few words about what's been happening lately at Indiantown Marina. We had a fun Women Who Sail get-together on Halloween (the guys joined later). I was in awe of the culinary creativity of the ladies. Why yes, that pumpkin really is vomiting guacamole. The bats on these deviled eggs are adorable. Just make sure you don't think they're edible. A couple of people made that mistake. Our marine toilet is broken and we've been trying to decide whether to switch over to a composting one. Our friend Sandy on s/v Ragtime Gal built one and gave us a demonstration of their system. Yes, this is the kind of thing cruisers talk about. Just normal chit-chat about pee and poo. Boat projects are in full swing. We've in the process of redoing our portlights (three down, one to go). Goodbye leaky boat. This guy'...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - A boat caught on fire at Indiantown Marina. There were several fire trucks, ambulances, a HazMat team, and sheriff's deputies in full force. 2 - The word on the street is that the guy was working with epoxy and using acetone to clean up. A halogen bulb fell in the area he was working in causing the boat to go up in flames. 3 - Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the boat is a total loss. 4 - The fumes from the fire smelled awful and were probably quite toxic. What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi! The latest Mollie McGhie cozy sailing mystery is now available for pre-order! Pick up a copy of >>Bodies in the Boatyard<< at: Amazon (US) | ...

In addition to the usual blog posts on Mondays and Wednesdays (and the occasional Friday) about life on a sailboat and other oddities, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up. * * * Today, I'm featuring Deb Akey's wonderful book, >>The Essence: Short Vignettes on Moments that Define my Life with the Sea<< . I found The Essence to be a really unique book full of beautiful photographs accompanied by short vignettes about the author's reflections of her life living on a boat and her relationship with the sea. Deb has a lovely way with words - her honesty, sense of adventure, and wonder and curiosity about the world shine through. Deb dreamed of escaping a life of unsatisfying work by selling everything and sailing off into the sunset. It'...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - It's always a celebration at the marina when someone splashes their boat after working on it for ages in the boatyard. It's even more of a celebration when she floats. 2 - This adorable tugboat is our new neighbor. I love the little round window on the door. 3 - Her owner calls her Big Tow and his dinghy is fittingly named Little Tow. What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi! Murder at the Marina - a lighthearted & humorous cozy sailing mystery - available in ebook and paperback format at: Amazon (US) | Amazon (CA) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (AU) | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBooks | Google Play | Book Depository | Books-A-Million ...