I could manage cruising and working much easier with a full-time chores concierge. Back when we took a sabbatical and didn’t have to work for money (oh, heavenly days!), I could afford the time to do laundry in a bucket or walk to the store every few days for fresh groceries. Now that we are working full-time jobs and cruising, I try to make these chores as efficient as possible.
Here are some tips and tricks we’ve learned to minimize the pain factor of boat chores and maximize the fun factor of living on a boat!
The Big Three Boat Chores — Laundry, Groceries, Propane
The key to getting chores done while living on a boat is planning. You’ve probably heard that everything takes longer when you live on a boat. Simple chores are just one example.
We’ll usually plan ahead by at least a week, looking at the next few ports where we might stop and picking ones with easy access to laundromats and groceries when needed.
Doing Laundry on a Boat
Most boats don’t have a practical washer or dryer. Our boat is really, truly, a very small 38-footer. We don’t have space, power, or spare water for a washing machine. I don’t have time or energy to hand wash my items. My best bet is to plan stops at marinas or laundromats.
Most small boats are the same way. Many boats, especially larger monohulls and catamarans, now have small combination washers/dryers on board. But even these appliances aren’t capable of washing your blankets and sheets. So, while they cut down on your trips to the laundromat, they won’t eliminate them.
Cruisers on No Foreign Land often add walking distance laundromats to the app. We usually plan a chore evening or weekend day and try to complete all our chores simultaneously.
Not all laundromats are terrible. My favorite one is in Black Point Settlement, Exumas, Bahamas. You can’t beat a view like this while spinning your knickers! (But most are pretty terrible.)
Getting Groceries on a Boat (aka Provisioning)
Many cruisers we meet are obsessed with walking to get groceries. We walk to get groceries sometimes, too. But we do it for light items, like eggs and milk. Most grocery stores are at least a mile from the marina area.
We believe Instacart and Walmart delivery are the best ways to get groceries while cruising the United States. Walmart is our preferred choice because we just pay a delivery fee instead of an overall percentage. We simply log in, add an address near a boat ramp or dinghy dock, add our items to the cart, and then accept the delivery. We have never had a driver question our bizarre locations, but once, a driver didn’t believe we could fit so many items into four large IKEA bags.
We awkwardly organize the groceries before packing them in the dinghy. Walmart usually packs groceries three items per bag, which equates to about a million tiny bags. We get rid of packaging, organize groceries into large IKEA bags, and then transfer the groceries to the dinghy and onto the boat.
Be warned, not all grocery stores will (gasp!) deliver alcohol. We had to (oh, the humanity) walk to liquor stores in Maine since we never could get anyone to deliver wine.
Instacart is another convenient delivery service. However, they charge a percentage-based “service fee,” which makes a big provisioning trip pricey. But it’s still cheaper than getting an Uber both ways, and saves you all the hours of wandering around the store. We love getting Aldi delivered as their prices are good, they use minimal packaging, and the drivers use boxes, which are easier to manage than Walmart’s 10 million tiny and not earth-friendly bags.
We rely heavily on delivery service, but if there is a walking distance store, we usually pick up eggs, bread, and other oft-used perishables. These quick trips help us extend the time between big provisioning runs. We have it down, so we only need one big trip every 3 or 4 weeks.
Getting Propane while Cruising
Getting propane can be challenging. Our boat uses propane only for cooking and has two small aluminum tanks. Since the tanks are special, you can’t use a propane exchange. You have to seek out propane fill stations instead.
Thankfully, each tank lasts eight weeks, so we only need a fill every four months. We usually find a marina offering a courtesy car to handle this chore.
Tractor Supply is our favorite U.S. stop to get propane refills as they charge by the gallon, have extended hours (past 5 p.m.!), and have many locations. Some U-Haul locations and grill stores fill tanks, too. Ask the dockmaster for local options.
Where To Be To Get Chores Done Fast — Marina Dock, On a Mooring, Or At Anchor
While traveling, we try to keep looking ahead so that we can plan to get things done. Life is completely different once you don’t have easy access to a car, and ride-share costs can pile up. And renting a car at every port is neither fun nor practical.
Using a Marina Dock or Mooring for Chores
We often pay for a night at a marina or mooring to finish many chores quickly. Courtesy cars, hot unlimited showers, and big washers and dryers can make the cost of a mooring seem like a bargain. If you’re renting a car, having a slip or mooring usually ensures you’ll have a parking space. That’s another thing that’s problematic with being at anchor–parking.
Staying on a dock for the evening removes the dinghy from the equation, which can speed things up.
Most marinas that have moorings offer the same facilities to mooring customers. For example, Lyman-Morse in Camden, Maine, offers mooring customers three washers and three dryers. I did six loads of laundry in 1.5 hours while having a hot shower between loads and then doing a taste test at the next-door distillery. We then filled our jerries with diesel at the fuel dock, placed and received an Instacart grocery order, and picked up some Amazon packages we had delivered in advance.
Our next chore frenzy was a few weeks later at Safe Harbor Rockland, Maine, where we picked up another mooring, used their courtesy car to get propane, picked up Amazon packages, and had a big Walmart grocery delivered. We were able to get so much accomplished in just two evening hours and celebrated with a take-out pizza.
We try to plan our marina stays a week in advance so that we can get items shipped there. We call or use Dockwa to confirm that we can use their address for packages and confirm any amenities we need, such as laundry and courtesy cars. It’s a real bummer to arrive and find out the washing machine is out of service or the courtesy car is only available at certain times (or doesn’t exist).
Getting Boat Chores Done at Anchor
You can also do chores efficiently at anchor, but finding the perfect anchorage may take more planning.
In Port Washington, NY, we found a laundromat within a 10-minute walk and carried eight loads (including all our bedding) to the laundromat. Between cycles, we walked to Target and West Marine. We dumped the dry laundry in the dinghy before walking to the grocery store and picking up Chinese takeout. Again, we could do a host of chores in just a few hours after work (while the dog wondered why we were the most boring people on the planet).
The beauty of Port Washington is not just that there are places nearby to get all this done. The real beauty is that the city has provided a nice dinghy dock where you can land, and it’s near all these amenities.
We have found a few rare marinas that welcome anchored boaters to use their facilities. You usually have to pay a dinghy dock or facility fee, but it’s usually $5 a day or so. This works out great if it gets you access to the laundry and address for deliveries. However, if the marina has moorings, they probably only offer this for mooring customers. For example, Jackson Creek Marina in Deltaville and the Hampton Maritime Center in Virginia welcome anchored boaters and let them use their facility.
We like to check the No Foreign Land app, as cruisers often list walking distance laundromats and grocery stores.
Renting a Car to Get Chores Done While Cruising
We will rent a car every once in a while. Renting a car means you can provision at multiple grocery stores, check out any retail stores you need, make medical appointments, get propane, and go to the laundromat. It can be expensive, however, so we try to do this as infrequently as possible. It seems the days of the $20-a-day rental car are long gone.
Enterprise is still the company “that will pick you up.” But there are many caveats with this. Only community locations will give rides, not airport locations. And their rates are often more than airport locations. And, of course, they’re not going to drive hours to pick you up–they have a limited service area and might not have any drivers on the days you need the ride.
So, if you need to rent a car, you might need to plan to be in a spot with an Enterprise that will get you or frequent ride-share service from Uber or Lyft.
Boat Chores Can Be…Fun?
No, they can’t! They’re chores, and even though the view is spectacular and you get to explore new towns and ports of call, the laundromat is likely the last place you want to check out. But, sometimes, you get lucky, and there’s a great bar or restaurant next to it!
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