Here you find a logical drilldown from values to goals to principles down to rules.

Please let me explain (click here).

All these value, goals, principles and rules are connected. Every rule has a history or an obvious reason. Every rule supports a principle. Every principle helps to achieve a goal. Every goal supports a value.

This is an attempt of Rule Utilitarianism: to maximize our collective wellbeing and to make sustainable living possible¹. The rules may seem strict at first glance, but they’re designed to create the predictability, fairness, and resource efficiency that allow us all to thrive together in a challenging environment.

I recognize that living by explicit rules can feel rigid or unempathetic — but on a boat with limited resources, shared rules actually create more freedom and less conflict than everyone making individual calculations. That said, I encourage critical thinking and actively welcome suggestions for improvement, because the goal isn’t rigidity but finding the best guidelines for our shared flourishing.

Values

why we choose this journey

Goals

what we want to achieve or maintain - these are specific and measurable

Growth

we constantly learn and grow, personally and together, for a well functioning and satisfying, long lasting life on board
Zero Emissions

be it carbon, toxic or otherwise harmful for the environment
Zero Waste

no wasted food, minimal trash, responsible use of each and every resource

This is sustainable globally because we stay within our global fair share, and sustainable for the boat because we maximize autonomy via minimal resource consumption.
Stay in Good Health

I can continue to achieve my goals, and exercise my freedom, only in good health
Autonomy

the boat as a self-sufficient offgrid unit
Travel

changing location from time to time - not necessarily permanently
Go on Missions

render humanitarian assistance

Principles

how we achieve goals - abstract rules

we admire the wonders of nature

Admiration and deepest respect for nature is the ultimate reason for our sustainable life.

If you want a reason for it. You can also live in sustainable ways, intuitively.
we respect the mercilessness of nature

We are fully aware of nature’s supreme power.

Taking informed risks enables our freedom of movement.

Moving respectfully keeps us safe.
we respect each other
we create synergy by helping each other
we improve our skills

… so that we can perform our roles together, safely and happily.

Learning and improving skills means personal growth for each crew member.

Performing a greater set of roles supports the rest of the crew.
we respect the boat
we repair the boat

There is always something to repair or to improve on the boat.

Every member of the crew contributes some working time into these tasks, while we are not sailing.
we clean the boat

– like above –
we travel by wind, not by engine

The small electric engines are good for anchor- and harbour manoeuvres, and not sufficient for serious travel (not for opposing strong wind or current).

This is the trade-off for Zero Emissions. Actually larger engines and batteries are quite feasible, but these are not exactly sustainable either.
we cannot make reliable schedules for passages

see before: our passages totally depend on wind, which is not predictable
we anchor by default

We rarely use marinas and anchor instead … just because we can :-)

Also it saves operating costs.
we split costs for marinas

Should we choose to use a harbour for convenience or as shelter in hard weather, we split the costs.

The crew chooses a harbour consensually.

The skipper chooses a harbour for safety purposes.
we split costs for food on board

The boat carries food stocks for many weeks, which we rotate (consume in sequence of “best-before-date”) and re-supply.

We estimate the price of consumed food, e.g. 10 € / person / day.
we split costs for operating the boat

The standard share of operating costs is:
```
10    € / person / day
 +
 0.10 € / person /  NM
```
… travelled towards an agreed destination (e.g. 600 NM from Gibraltar to Fuerteventura = 60 €, no matter how much tacking)

Social pricing applies.
we seek efficient and safe procedures

We constantly improve our ways of doing things, so that they are safer or faster or more fun than yesterday.
we don’t create traps

examples: open hatches (in particular the “well”), small or large things in pathways which could be kicked accidentally or cause a person to trip; things that could fall into the water
we sort everything back into its place
we make best use of available space
we use water responsibly

We save water in our tanks and, at the same time, for the planet.
we use energy responsibly

Electric energy on board is limited by the capacity of our batteries and the daily harvest.

2 hours of baking crepes consumes the equivalent of 50 NM travelled by engine. When batteries are full, we can cook like nobody’s watching.
we source and consume food responsibly
we stock food that is vegan + organic

… and we can have fresh food of any diet for current crew on board.

Part of that logic is that we rotate stocks. You eat what we bought months earlier. So the food stocks shall serve anybody.

Plus, unrefrigerated vegan food keeps better and causes less food poisoning than animal-based food.
we follow rules until we improve them

We hold review meetings regularly, and we try to identify friction and tension. “What was good? What needs to be improved?” are the typical questions to ask. Then we implement changes.

Until that time: just follow the established rules.
we apply social pricing

In short: richer people can pay a larger contribution towards the operating cost.

People with less income or savings can benefit from reduced shares in operating costs.

In theory, social pricing could also fund the food for some crew members. However, I do not like the idea of a crew member who depends 100% on the boat and its social system, for all of their vital needs. They might be motivated or forced to stay with the boat, even if they disagree or otherwise do not enjoy their stay. I want adult crew members with a realistic exit strategy.

House Rules

specific rules and instructions

be sceptical long-term, and follow rules short-term

Be sceptical and critical about every rule, when we have time and capacity to think about them (see following rule).

Until such time, follow the existing rules on the boat. They are proven and safe.
speak your mind, challenge any rule and make a better suggestion

I do not claim to be always right. Everything can be improved. I am literally happy to receive feedback and suggestions for improvement.

The existing rules are proven and make sense in this system of values and goals.

If you don’t agree with a particular rule, then we probably disagree already in priority of values, goals or principles. That’s fine. It is just important that we discuss and identify such disagreement, so that we resolve it rather early than later.

It is unlikely that I will deviate from the existing values and goals. I might add some. Principles and rules, however, have a higher chance of improvement. Please convince me of better versions.
ask questions

Ask questions any time, and absolutely if you need more information to perform a duty.

In particular, always contact the skipper if something unusual happens during your watch.
crew must be able to set sails, lift anchor and climb on board

Just 3 examples for physical fitness, and probably representative enough for all the other tasks on board.

Setting sails and lifting anchor: obviously necessary to get the boat moving. I want all crew members to be skilled like a solo sailor on this boat, even when we are a larger crew than 1.

Yes, ultimately I am accountable for all results on the boat. But this is not a charter with skipper included. We share all responsiblities.
come on time for all appointments

Most notably for shifts, when the previous watchkeeper and stand-by people and the skipper are counting on a hand-over or briefing with you - and in general, for the respect for each other
no alcohol during passage

No alcohol during passage or other duties (e.g. anchor watch). Also not in “off shifts”: there is not enough time to fully recover before your next shift.

Same applies to other drugs.
clip in or move in safe places

The skipper will show you safe places and clip-in points on deck.
be ready to wear lifevest, gloves and helmet

Personal protective gear must be accessible at any time (if not already wearing it).

The boat has life vests for each crew member, and 2 helmets (which we can share between watchkeepers and oncall person).

Your life vest must be either on the bridge (watchkeeper) or in the same cabin with you. Situations at sea can change quickly, so we should not count on an extra trip to another cabin in an urgent situation.
bring all personal stuff for your shift to the bridge

Besides protective gear (previous rule): bring all your personal stuff (extra clothes, raingear, boots, drinks, snacks, camera…) for your shift to the bridge, where you have it accessible. No visit to your cabin should be necessary during your shift.

Avoiding unnecessary trips to the cabin, or asking the stand-by person for assistance, is a matter of efficiency.
start a shift with all your biological needs already served

No time for a wake-up coffe, meal in the galley, or toilet break shall be necessary during a typical 3-hour shift.

Snacking at the helm is OK.

When there is time, and the on-call person is awake, they will be happy to serve a hot drink for the helmsperson.
don’t step on ropes
coil ropes immediately

Typical candidates are halyards after hoisting sails. Also other long ropes such as rolling reef line or sheet must be coiled unless we expect to use them again immediately.
cook recipies that preserve resources (water, energy)

We have some unusual ways of cooking or preparing meals on board. The induction stove is one of the more conventional ones and draws a lot of energy, which is OK for short periods of time.

For longer periods of cooking, we either use a solar stove, or fusion stove on 12V, or the insulated pot.

We don’t cook paste in the classic way where liters of hot water go down the drain.

For boiling water we use immersion heaters and keep the hot water in thermos bottles (either one-pot pasta with no wasted water, or rice instead).

Most energy-efficient methods take a bit longer, require a bit more planning in advance, and perhaps require a change of habits.
cook for each other

Sharing meals is efficient and can be fun.

Everybody who prepares food must consider the whole crew.

For example when sailing in a crew of 3, the (temporary) cook shall aim at the end of a shift for the meal to be ready. This way, the previous off-shift person can enjoy the meal before their start of shift, and the previous helmsperson can eat immediately after their shift. Obviously this must be coordinated at least one shift in advance, so plan ahead.

Whoever takes the last hot water must boil more hot water.
rotate food stocks

Typically the boat carries a few weeks worth of food stocks - not only the bag of most recent groceries.

Use shortest best-before-date first, or use ‘package-free’ food before opening sealed containers. This requires knowing and checking the existing stock of food. If in doubt, ask whether we have more food of this type.
only one open container per food type

Open only one container per food type, at any time.

Check the galley before opening a new container.
buy only as much as we can consume

Be realistic how much fresh food (vegetables or refrigerated food) we can consume with certainty.

It can be confusing to buy dried food for many weeks, and limit the fresh products to a few days of consumption.
buy dry / dehydrated food

Buy dry / dehydrated food instead of equivalent liquid ones. Examples: chickpeas, lentils, beans can be easily soaked over night.

This saves weight and space and packaging, and allows us to store more calories at the same weight.
store food in the galley

No private food stashes.

We share everything on the boat. Food is no exception.

Also, I want to have an overview of existing supplies and the rate of consumption, to predict how long supplies will last.

If you want to make sure that you have enough of your faviourite food, then let’s discuss capacities together and buy enough.
eat in the galley

No eating in cabins.

I want to centralize the logistics of food in the galley (see previous rule) and I appreciate shared meals.

I do not want to clean a mess in your cabin.
clean dishes immediately

The galley shall be ready for preparing drinks or meals at any time. There is not enough space for used plus new dishes.
clean dishes with help of silicone spoon and hot water

You will be surprise how little food remains on plates, pots or pans after wiping them with a silicone spoon.

This has two positive effects at the same time: wasting less food, and simpler cleaning procedure. Actually we never have to fill the whole sink with soapy water.

Saving the extra spoonful of food is not so much about the absolute mass. We would still be within our fair share if we wasted that. It is more about the mindfulness towards precious resources.
ventilate cabins sufficiently

Depending on the climate, there will be condensation in the cabins. Ventilate accordingly.
wipe cabin walls clean from condensation

See above – remove all condensating humidity.
store mattress vertically

Keep mattresses vertically during the day, so that they can ventilate.
wipe cabin floor clean from water

This serves boat maintenance, safety and so that we can monitor water intake from waves, rain or leaks.
use outdoor toilet at sea, or use WC at land

We don’t pollute beaches or bays.

The in-suite toilet is only for absolute emergencies. I do not like to carry our shit around on the boat, with the smell being slowly released around our bedrooms.
exercise every day...
... in some way. This is not about olympic excellence. I suggest that you remain in contact with your body, keep it fit for your role as a sailor, and stay healthy. Hoisting sails, lifting anchor and climbing on board shall not only be possible but be well within your comfort zone. Active sailing counts as exercise. Swimming and cold exposure counts as exercise. Primal movement and contact improvisation count as exercise, for examples.
medidate, if you have time...

… and meditate even more if you don’t have time :-)

Appendix

Negatives, i.e. what we do not have on board:

no schedule (see wind)
no tourists (see schedule)
no fridge (but on wishlist)
no freezer (wishlist)
no shower
no pressurized water
no pesticides (per chosen values)
no fossil fuels (per chosen values)

Most notable limited resources on board:

Water
Food
Energy
Space

Most precious resource on board:

your life

Please note that this system of rules is designed for life at sea. While on anchor or moored, stress and risks are lower and we have more time available. Some rules might not be as relevant while moored, compared to sailing. Yet I want to keep the same standard rules for every situation.

Where is the fun? Not in the rules. The fun is in our individual creativity, be it shared or private, within the limits of our constraints. Accidents at sea are not fun. Scarcity or dependencies are not fun. That’s why we try to offload these stress factors, for more fun and happiness on board.

How rules, principles, goals and values are connected:

2026-01-14 Version 14

References

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_utilitarianism ↩
diagram source ↩