Eight years in as boat owners and we still make mistakes. That is not a failure. It is boat life.
On No Plans, the lessons keep showing up in small ways and expensive ways. Here are the ones we keep coming back to.
Always leave with a list
When you leave the dock, you need a list. Gas full. Oil checked. The little maintenance items done before lines come off.
Forget one piece and the trip starts sideways. Over the years we have left power on when we should not have, left food in the fridge, and once left the swim pad untied. Crossing over, we lost it.
That is why we built a Digital Boat Checklist for coming aboard and leaving the boat. Write it down so the boat does not teach you the same lesson twice.
Rough seas do not care about the app
We use an app for wave height. It helps. You still cannot count on it alone.
Be ready for rough water. Slow down. Turn around if you need to. We have lost gear over the top. One Catalina run we forgot the bird deterrent on the roof, that little whirly bird. It flew off, hit, and broke.
Salt water wins if you ignore maintenance
If your boat lives in seawater, maintenance is not optional.
About every five years, a lot of underwater parts need attention. Some work you can do yourself. Some needs a good mechanic. Skip it and salt water eats the boat.
Clean at least once a month. Wax about once a year before the gelcoat goes dull and the job gets harder. Scrape the bottom monthly. Stay ahead of it.
Own the time commitment
Owning a boat is a time commitment. We want to be on No Plans. Life gets in the way.
A home renovation took the focus for a long stretch. We missed the boat. We thought 2026 would be our big year on the water. It has not quite turned out that way.
We used to live about 20 minutes away. Now, it is about 35 minutes and that extra commute matters more than people admit when they buy a boat.
Batteries need use, not just shore power
We have house batteries and start batteries. House batteries do not like sitting unused, especially when they are not lithium.
When we will be away, we make a point to come down, unplug shore power, and let them work a bit. Sitting is hard on them and battery care is part of boat ownership.
Clean first, then enjoy the quiet
Vacuum. Dust. Clean the head. All the things that need to get done regularly need to be knocked out before the solitude part starts.
Hosting friends is the same story. We love having people aboard. Prep time and cleanup time are real.
A tip we learned: some guests help with docking and lines, and some should not. Huddle before you leave the dock. Pick the people who can actually handle ropes.
That guest chaos is why we built our Come Aboard Guest Pack on Etsy. Where to meet. Where to park. Boat rules. One rule we added after too many stains: we are not big fans of red wine aboard anymore.
The honest takeaway
Boat life is our hobby and we are still passionate about it. There is joy on one side and work on the other.
If you are considering a boat, give yourself an honest look at the lists, the maintenance, and the time.
If this kind of No Plans story helps, leave a comment and tell us what lesson boat life taught you.
Cheers,
Yvonne and John
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