October has arrived! Transition time in the ‘off-gridders’ calendar.
For sail boat off-grinders, October usually signifies the end of the season. Time to get tucked in somewhere safe and ride out winter.
Last winter I moved into a marina for six months. I thought I would enjoy plugging in to the system. Hibernating and hunkering down. Doing boat jobs. Researching new and exciting sailing grounds in prep for next years sailing season.
I didn’t. I plugged in and used a massive £5 of power. Yes, £5 for electric, for the whole six months. It wasn’t the marina, or the location. Both were fabulous. It was that I’d spent the summer afloat, enjoying total freedom. Learning to fish and gather oysters. Cooking on beach fires. I’d explored the boundaries of my solar panel and wind generator. I’d ridden out wild storms at anchor and deepened my trust in my ground tackle.
In truth, I got brave. I tested myself constantly. I absolutely loved discovering that I COULD be semi self sufficient!
Then six months over winter in a marina just sucked the buzz out of all that.
So here I sit. It is October 10th. I am in the cockpit, in the sunshine, in my shorts. It is 19 degrees. There is a warm south easterly blowing, occasionally gusting 26mph and kicking free power into my wind generator. I have plugged my new cordless drill into the inverter to see how long it will take for a full charge.
As the season end approaches this year, I am giddy! My winter will not be about hibernating in a marina waiting for next years sailing season. It will be about planting trees and exploring new territory on that slither of land in the sunshine I purchased back in February!
This summer has been a wonderful mix of sailing, freedom, making new friends and living afloat. It’s also been about collecting seeds, researching planting, and off-grid systems on land. I have plans to build a jetty, a composting loo and a geodesic dome home/greenhouse!
So come the end of October, when I put the boat to bed for the winter, I will be driving down to my little piece of land in the sun. I’ll be laying down roots and satisfying the other side of me. I’ll be learning to live on land.
Lucky for me, October also happens to be planting season in Portugal!
Here’s to new adventures this winter.
