Jill, thanks for the information. The Valiant looks like a powerful sailing boat and the Ranger Tug would be wonderful for inshore cruising ..... enjoy.

We left New Zealand in our double ended 36 foot Lidgard sloop in 1976 for what was supposed to be a 3 year trip and finally made it back to NZ in 1996. We did of course have to work whilst we were away and ended up running charter  boats in the Mediterranean and in the Caribbean and I earned my Masters Certificate and spent time running freighters and tugs ... all good. Our two children became tired of waiting for us to get home and abandoned my wife and I about half way through the trip .... no loyalty!!

Enjoy your time away.

Rangers are really nice boats.  I spent six weeks tripping parts of the Caribbean in a Ranger 41 as Chef for the owner. wife and adult daughter.  Nice blue water boat. 

HI Robin! I bet we're the same height. Good point about the chair - I might just sit in the cockpit on a seat/bench, cross my legs, and play with the dulcimer on my lap that way. Not sure yet, but thanks (I have a nice, low, armless chair that I got at REI but I doubt I'll be taking it along - used it for playing the dobro!) 

Re: HobbyHorse - we lived aboard our sailboat (a Valiant 39) for ages and had prepared to sail long-distances until our parents/in-laws needed help. I did sail from Hawai'i to Alaska, but that's about as far offshore as I got. Our current boat is a Ranger Tugs 31 - we purchased it in February with the intention of having it delivered in March (the boat is in WA, about 1200 miles from here!) - well, you can imagine that we have yet to take delivery - waiting to see if/when we should go there? Our plan is  to cruise the Pacific Northwest for a season or two, plus Canada. Well, we'll see. Thus the dulcimer is coming along with me!!!

I don't know your height, Jill, yet I'm short and prefer a short chair or stool to sit on while playing.  Even a very compact camp stool of some kind would work.  

Jill, tell us a little about the boat ..... we lived on ours for 20 years whilst doing a very slow circumnavigation.

EVERY good boat should have wirecutters in the basic tool box!  The jewelers screwdriver for tightening tuners is a good idea.

Thanks everyone! I forgot about string cutters, although we'll have (big) screwdrivers on the boat. We'll be on/in salt water so this is definitely a concern. We have de-humidifiers and also a generator for air conditioning (also helps to dry out the boat - I can't stand mildewy musty stuff) - yes, having di-silica (sp) gel/packets would be a good idea. I know on our sailboat for long distance sailing it was always best to keep tools coated with some kind of light oil before putting them in ziplocks. I just got some extra strings so I'll go but them in ziplocks and get some of those silica get thingys. Thanks!

ahhhhhhh, another good learning post thread.    THANKS LOADS.   and that screwdriver and wirecutters are both things that I've forgotten.  ahhhhhhhh, storing in cases our dulcimers.   Well, I can see that too....However, I've made all my cases and they are material with a thick lining on the inside.   Mostly for traveling and getting them on airplanes and such.   Never been turned down bringing my dulcimer....the scroll head pokes out.  Easy to see that's it's an instrument.  The last trip from Hawaii, it was stored in the same closet that the pilot puts his coat.   nice.  aloha, irene

Only 1 thing is necessary, an insatiable desire to play your dulcimer again and again and again and again and again. If that's the only extra thing you have, then you'll be living in dulcimer Heaven.

When I lived aboard full time, as well as living on a small island in the Pacific, keeping strings "good" was the hardest thing, after the first couple days while an instrument stabilized to the higher humidity. 

Do Not store the instrument(s) in cases -- hang them from the bulkheads or lay them on a spare berth or banquet where they can get plenty of air circulation.  Stored cases or tucked away in lockers they will definitely have humidity/mildew issues.  

To store your spare strings and not have them turn black from salt air, store them in a zip-top bag along with a couple of those de-humidifier 'pellets' or 'packets' or whatever they're called. 

For your 'on instrument' strings, light coat of molybdenum lubricant or even wiping them down with WD40 after you play, or at the end of the day, will help keep them corrosion-less.

I hope you have a case for your dulcimer as all that traveling in a car and then on the boat.  If it's an ocean you'll be living on.....stuff gets rusty and Dulcimer might swell a little being the humidity might be higher on the boat.   Where will you be going?   Not Hawaii?   (wishing)  aloha, irene

Yes, Thanks Ken. And a capo (maybe two in case I drop one overboard LOL!) 

Don't forget your tuner.... and spare batteries for your tuner.  

Hi friends, I've traveled a lot - but this time (C-virus permitting!) we'll be driving 1200 miles to spend 4 months on our boat - on the water 95% of the time. I know all the obvious things (don't leave your dulcimer in a hot car, etc.), but I don't want to be gone 4 months, away from stores or shipping, and then find out, "oh, shucks, I should have brought ________ with me" (insert item here). I'm bringing extra strings, extra picks, digital and print tunes to play, and a strap. That's all I can think of! If you were traveling with your dulcimer for an extended period, is there something else you would bring? Thanks! I think that's all I need. I think....