Recovering from Surgery When You Live on a Boat

04/21/25 • 6 min

Preparing for surgery when you live on a boat? Then we have some tips to help from when my husband Dave had a hip replacement while we were living aboard Barefoot Gal.

Summary

So how do you make arrangements when you live on a boat full time and have to schedule a surgical procedure?

There are three components important to consider:

1) How long will it take for you to recover from your procedure? You need to get a realistic assessment from your doctor. And remember, when you're asking questions, they may not understand what it's like to live on a boat.

2) Where is the safest place to keep the boat during recovery. Dave's surgery fell right during hurricane season. So hauling the boat and putting it on the hard was the best choice for us.

3) Can your emergency plan handle all the expenses? For us, this meant hauling and storing the boat. We also rented an apartment for several months (3 months longer than the doctor predicted). And we had to put items in storage.

Luckily, we had time to make a plan for Dave's surgery. But if you have a large enough emergency fund, even an emergency should be okay.

Listen to the complete podcast for more details or check out Managing Surgery When You Live on a Boat.

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Links:

Quick Reference Cruising Guides - https://products.theboatgalley.com/collections/quick-reference-guides

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig

Preparing for surgery when you live on a boat? Then we have some tips to help from when my husband Dave had a hip replacement while we were living aboard Barefoot Gal.

Summary

So how do you make arrangements when you live on a boat full time and have to schedule a surgical procedure?

There are three components important to consider:

2) Where is the safest place to keep the boat during recovery. Dave's surgery fell right during hurricane season. So hauling the boat and putting it on the hard was the best choice for us.

Luckily, we had time to make a plan for Dave's surgery. But if you have a large enough emergency fund, even an emergency should be okay.

Listen to the complete podcast for more details or check out Managing Surgery When You Live on a Boat.

Subscribe to the Boat Galley Newsletter! - https://theboatgalley.com/newsletter-signup-2

Links:

Quick Reference Cruising Guides - https://products.theboatgalley.com/collections/quick-reference-guides

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig

Previous Episode

Pacific Passage Highlights

Distilling a 4200-mile Pacific passage into memorable sound bites isn’t easy. But certain experiences definitely stand out. Here are some favorite moments from our 33 days at sea.

Summary

Sitting in a rolling anchorage is a great time to review Pacific passage highlights. After 32 days at sea and 8 hours heaving to so we could anchor during daylight there are so many epic experiences to reflect on.

On our passage, I wrote daily emails. Follow the link below for access to all of them. They include observations of conditions and the moon and stars. But here, I'm just focusing on the highlights.

One major highlight was crossing the Equator. Why should crossing an imaginary line feel so momentous? I don't know. But talking to other cruisers, I know we're not alone.

We also saw an epic pod of commuting dolphins. I say commuting because they didn't play in the bow but kept moving. Other wildlife included a visiting bird, determined to be a swallowtail gull.

Near the equator, the moon rises as the sun is setting. So we could see the sun going down over our bow as the moon rose over our transom.

Before the seas became rough, we caught a large mahi-mahi that kept us fed for two days.

While not a highlight, the chafe of our main halyard added some excitement to the passage. Using the topping lift to carry the main was a temporary fix until we used it as a messenger line to secure a replacement halyard.

Other highlights included ticking off milestones--our first 1000 miles and crossing the equator. I enjoyed watching our self-steering unit (we called it Larry) do its work.

Of course, even routines are momentous underway, including our traditional Sunday pancake breakfast. With 30 knots of wind, it was exciting. But it was a good reminder of how we're adjusting our ideas about acceptable conditions.

We completed our passage of over 3000 miles at 5.5 knots on average, faster than many cruisers on boats longer than our 28-foot Calypso.

In the end, we were generally comfortable, ate well, and got enough rest. I hope to see you in an anchorage. Look for Calypso. And check out the links to find pictures and more details of our passage.

Subscribe to the Boat Galley Newsletter! - https://theboatgalley.com/newsletter-signup-2

Links:

The Boat Galley Cruising Guides - https://products.theboatgalley.com/collections/quick-reference-guides

Daily Emails - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ffv_dDmAQiqo013OHaZPhUpQJbkQx5b3?usp=sharing

More Details & Photos - https://www.fit2sail.com/countdown-to-cruising/2025/4/11/highlights-from-a-pacific-passage

Nica email - [email protected]

Carolyn email - [email protected]

Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7

Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig