Things whose value we didn’t understand two months ago

Our Bimini

I mean, we knew a bimini was an important feature; sun protection is a priority, and you almost never see a cruising boat without one. When we were getting the mast down in Buffalo, one of the yard guys was super-insistent: You HAVE to get your bimini up under that mast. Make sure there’s room for the bimini. Bimini, bimini, bimini. Ok, guy, we get it…but we really didn’t. Holy cow, do we need that shade; there are frequently days where everyone on the boat is huddled in the back, hogging the last pieces of shade and gasping for any kind of zephyr. Our brains would be lasagna without the bimini.

Binoculars

It is maybe possible that, when Michu bought these binoculars on sale at West Marine, I might have made fun of him for “unnecessary impulse purchases.” It is also maybe possible that Michu has the opportunity to remind me of that every day, since we use these binoculars every. single. day. To see if the lock is open. To see if that boat over there is actually moving. To find the harbor entrance. To watch the Coast Guard do some kind of helicopter rescue on Lake St. Claire at dusk. Every. Single. Day.

Deck of cards

We have so many games on board. I spent a whole day sorting through—storing some, selling some, eliminating superfluous packaging—but the thing that sees the most use BY FAR is this deck of cards. Michu taught everyone gin rummy the first week we were on the boat, and since then, the tournaments have been epic.

Paper towels (You know what these look like, right? Because I don’t have a picture…)

In our land life, we rarely used paper towels. Some deep frying, some window cleaning, picking up something really gross; but mostly, we used rags and dishtowels in our day-to-day lives. Here on the boat, though, there’s a need: checking the engine oil alone has used up an entire roll over the course of the trip. We are no longer snobs about paper towel use.

Smartphone

I love you, smartphone. I admit it. You are the one with the power to locate the grocery store, keep the family up to date via Facebook, let me check my email in the middle of nowhere. You pick up the wifi before anything else, and take pretty decent pictures. You keep me up to date on the election insanity, and let me approve blog comments. You help me locate friends who want to meet up on the Canal, and can always find the library. We knew the iPad would be great for navigation, and the laptop would be important for the blog, but we underestimated your intrinsic value, smartphone. Thank you for being there for us.