Life on the Water: Sailboat Living

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The sunset view from Rubicon, at anchor in Key Biscayne, Fla.
The sunset view from Rubicon, at anchor in Key Biscayne, Fla.
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The Landrum's sailboat, Rubicon, at the Quarterdeck Marina in Boston Harbor.
The Landrum's sailboat, Rubicon, at the Quarterdeck Marina in Boston Harbor.
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Ellen and John Landrum.
Ellen and John Landrum.
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Ellen and John's
Ellen and John's "SUV," or Sailing Utility Vessel. They use this dinghy to make from the anchored Rubicon to shore.
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One of the two 85-watt solar panels that provide electricity for the boat.
One of the two 85-watt solar panels that provide electricity for the boat.
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John and Ellen Landrum's sailboat, Rubicon.
John and Ellen Landrum's sailboat, Rubicon.
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Just another dinner in the Florida Keys.
Just another dinner in the Florida Keys.
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Thanksgiving dinner cooked on the boat's two-burner stove.
Thanksgiving dinner cooked on the boat's two-burner stove.
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The sailboat's tiny kitchen.
The sailboat's tiny kitchen.

My husband, John, and I live aboard a sailboat currently anchored in Marathon, Fla. It’s easy to be self-sufficient on a small boat, and living on the water allows us to travel even with limited means. Like a turtle, we travel with our “shell,” which makes it possible for us to be at home anywhere.

John purchased this sailboat, called Rubicon, in 1999 for about $15,000. Rubicon was built 40 years ago in Ontario and is graceful in shape and forgiving when sailed. John is a boat captain, and he has worked on passenger ferries and on boats that service large tankers and other ships that come into port. He has responded to oil spills, ferried crews to and from larger boats, and transported supplies. He lived aboard Rubicon in Boston Harbor for several years before we met on Thompson Island, near Boston, where I was teaching sailing courses.

We both sailed as children — John on Cape Cod, and myself on Lake Lanier in Georgia. A few years ago, I also took a course with the National Outdoor Leadership School, where I learned to sail on a small, open boat in the Sea of Cortez. John and I both fell in love with sailboats because we think they are functional as well as beautiful. For a boat to sail well, it needs the long, classic lines we love in our own boat. A sailboat also can travel more cost effectively than a powerboat and make longer trips.

Sailboats come in many sizes and price ranges. We’ve read about young couples sailing around the world — with children — in boats smaller than ours. We’ve also encountered brand-new sailboats that have more amenities than many shore-side homes. Our Rubicon is 30 feet long and 8 feet wide, and falls toward the smaller, simpler end of the spectrum.

Anchored in Boston

  • Published on Oct 1, 2005
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