Boat Life Reality New Mattress, Finding Mold and Marina Days as Liveaboard Sailors Episode 109

Hi and welcome aboard @SailingAstridTheWombat We are Gav and Shezz and two and a half years ago we bought our Beneteau Oceanis 430 sailboat with absolutely no sailing experience and jumped straight into the deep end of liveaboard sailing. Our very first passage was just over 700 nautical miles, launching us headfirst into the world of bluewater cruising, learning to sail, and real life at sea. Since that moment, we’ve been fully immersed in boat life, documenting the journey of turning a production cruising sailboat into a capable, self-sufficient home as we prepare for full-time liveaboard life. From major sailboat upgrades and off-grid power systems to everyday maintenance and skills building, we’re learning what it truly takes to own, sail, and live on a boat while working toward our goal of sailing around the world. If you’re into sailing adventures, beginner sailing, sailboat ownership, cruising lifestyle, and traveling the world by sailboat, our journey is all about real-time learning, ocean freedom, and building the confidence to chase long-term world cruising under sail. In this episode of our liveaboard sailing journey, we dive into the real side of boat life — improving comfort onboard, tackling unexpected problems, and sharing the experience with friends as we continue preparing our sailboat for sailing around the world. Life on a cruising sailboat is never just about sailing; it’s about constantly adapting, upgrading, and learning as full-time liveaboard sailors. One of the biggest projects in this episode is upgrading our onboard comfort by measuring and fitting a new mattress for our sailboat. When your boat is your full-time home, sleep matters, and creating a comfortable living space is a huge part of sustainable liveaboard life. We walk through the challenges of working with limited space, unusual boat shapes, and the practical realities of improving life aboard a cruising sailboat. But as every boat owner knows, one job often leads to another. While preparing the cabin, we uncover something many sailors eventually face — mould on a sailboat. Dealing with moisture, ventilation, and condensation is a constant challenge in liveaboard sailing, and discovering mould means turning the boat inside out to clean, investigate, and prevent bigger issues down the track. This episode shows the honest reality of sailboat maintenance, problem-solving, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a boat safe and comfortable for long-term cruising. Amid the projects and cleaning, we also welcome visitors onboard, sharing a glimpse into the social side of liveaboard cruising life. One of the best parts of living on a sailboat is the community — friends stopping by, sharing stories, and experiencing life afloat together, even while the boat is mid-project. If you’re interested in sailboat living, beginner sailing, boat ownership, or dreaming about traveling the world by sailboat, this episode highlights both the rewarding and challenging sides of the cruising lifestyle. From boat upgrades and maintenance to everyday moments onboard, this is real life at sea — not just the anchorages and sunsets, but the work that makes those moments possible. Follow along as we continue transforming our sailboat into a comfortable, self-sufficient home ready for bluewater cruising and long-term adventure. Every upgrade, every challenge, and every lesson brings us one step closer to our goal of liveaboard sailing around the world. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:33 Storm Update 02:52 Boat Mattress 05:35 Sketching the Angles 07:34 Mold on the Sail Boat 09:00 Repacking Clothes 10:04 Airfryer 11:11 Lazarette Shuffle 14:35 Boat Visitors 17:48 New Bed Update Please leave a comment, like and subscribe to follow our journey. Join us now as we settle into liveaboard life and get our boat ready to take off and sail around the world. As new sailors we want to share all of our learnings and keep it real in our videos. We want to show step by step what it takes to choose a boat, buy the boat and learn how to sail. Our sailing learning curve is steep so come along with us as we learn and grow as liveaboard sailors. We promise you will have a laugh! Welcome aboard Astrid The Wombat Gav and Shezz You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook: Sailing Astrid the Wombat #sailing #liveaboard #sailingaustralia #sailingadventures #sailboat