Quote:
Originally Posted by sab30
Living full time in close quarters for a year plus? Sometimes I question how thats possible without killing each other (not literally  ) Im interested in hearing how others have worked through this.... |
Married 26 years, starting our 8th year living aboard, here's the magic secret we learned: when you're never more than arm's length from each other, you have to redefine "privacy." There's no such thing so you give each other virtual privacy. That means, you're going to overhear each other's bathroom noises. Pretend you didn't. You'll overhear each other's cellphone conversations. Don't comment unless invited. If one is on the computer, No shoulder surfing by the other! Don't read of look at anything the other is writing, sketching (insert your hobby here) until invited, etc. That respect for us has been key.
Also, each of us has given each other the right to define their own non-negotiables. Accept without discussion. Our rule is "whatever makes you feel like you're camping out" is a non-starter. You don't have to justify your quirks, and the other isn't allowed to question the quirk. None of this is really any different than how you'd live together on land - it's just magnified in the tiny boat space.
Oh yeah, and in any sailing situation, the one with the more conservative take always wins. If I want to reef and he doesn't - we reef. If he wants to stop early and I hoped to press on - we stop.
I dunno, works for us.
