Nautical, the sea camping
As soon as he opened his eyes, Nil felt he had had too much white wine. He also felt a terrible heat. He is sweating profusely. Pol lies unconscious on the cot nearby. Jan and Roc, in the other cabin, are also sleeping.
As best he could, after hitting his head while climbing the stairs, he went up on deck. The glare blinds him. He puts on his sunglasses. Jacobo is still sleeping on some cushions at the bow. Without a second thought, he throws himself into the sea. As he swims underwater, he feels himself cool off and the swell disappear, just like his glasses, towards the bottom. When he surfaces, a bit greasy with fuel, he suddenly sees the people on the other boats watching him as he has breakfast. Fortunately, they had managed to get a mooring. It's not ideal, but it's better than anchoring anywhere when a storm warning is issued. August is treacherous. They had arrived by the skin of their teeth, as the fog advanced, the mistral began to blow and the waves grew larger and larger.
This situation repeats itself time and time again when you sail. It is true that the pleasure of anchoring in a cove is practically unparalleled, but many times others have had the same idea and you find yourself with a full maritime parking lot or you simply have to enter port. That's when this exclusive activity becomes mundane. In fact, if we analyze it objectively, spending the night on a yacht is very similar to camping, a very expensive camping trip.
This "small life" is the same for the camper with a tent or caravan as it is for the sailor. Space is sacred. A sailboat that can cost the same as a flat in the city often offers fewer square meters than the entrance hall of one of those flats. Living on a boat is extreme minimalism, and you end up doing contortions to put on your underwear or boiling pasta on a small stove while praying that the wind doesn't change.
Arriving at port is like entering a water caravan park. The open sea can be infinite, but space on the pontoon is worth its weight in gold, in addition to the loss of privacy; the water transmits sounds perfectly, i.e., the rhythmic snores of the neighbor or the reggaeton from the party on the next crew. You can also feel like a lion in a zoo as you have dinner and people watch you from the dock as they stroll and peek.
In the end, the difference between someone who sets up a refuge in the Pyrenees and someone who anchors in Formentera is, mainly, the price of entry. The level of discomfort accepted by free will is exactly the same. The true privilege of boating consists of spending 80% of the time fixing things in exotic locations.
In any case, owning a boat is not always about status; it's about adventure. It's a wonderful exercise that allows us to feel like admirals in our own corner of the world. Perhaps the big secret is not the boat itself, but the ability to enjoy simplicity and to believe that living in ten square meters surrounded by the sea is the greatest gift on earth. Although, as has always been said, the two best moments of owning a boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. The secret to it all is to get invited on board, but on days with good seas.