Cruising Can Be Boring

[JPA Cate]

thomm225,

I really like the pic you got of the storm cloud coming between you and the sun. How well I know the feeling, "I wonder how much wind is there in that?" How could someone possibly be bored?

Ann

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I have nothing for this question. We spent the last fifteen years just poking around on our boat and never thought of myself as in a search due to boredom or bored by the search. We were just having fun and doing what we enjoyed.

Maybe there's something innate about the capability to be bored and there is little in shared experiences that can be understood by others. Maybe I don't understand boredom. I can remember whining to my mother on summers afternoon as a child, "What can I do?", but that's a long faded memory.

Thanks for saying this far better than I ever could HF. I too have a hard time grasping this state of being described by funjohnson. I guess it comes down to our own internal needs, and perhaps what we need to feel engaged — to be 'not bored.'

The best I can come up with is the understanding that some folks require more external stimuli in their life, while others are content with more internal engagement. We roughly delineate these folks as extroverts and introverts, but it is far more complicated than that. Neither is right. Neither is better. It’s just one way of describing the range of human nature.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Thanks for saying this far better than I ever could HF. I too have a hard time grasping this state of being described by funjohnson. I guess it comes down to our own internal needs, and perhaps what we need to feel engaged — to be 'not bored.'

I think it really comes down to expectations. To me, if some activity is so thoughtless that its only mental reward is to allow your mind to drift to other topics, that's boredom. Other's definition seems to be just thinking about anything is an action and excitement. If your expectation is that low, how could you ever be board?

Matt

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

I think it really comes down to expectations. To me, if some activity is so thoughtless that its only mental reward is to allow your mind to drift to other topics, that's boredom. Other's definition seems to be just thinking about anything is an action and excitement. If your expectation is that low, how could you ever be board?

Some people, equally referred to as wise or foolish, might say you are missing the point of the activity Matt. Maybe you need to spend more time contemplating shimmers on the water

But you’re right … if our expectations for cruising are one thing, and the reality turns out to be something different, then boredom is a possibility. In those cases, I guess you need to examine your expectations.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Some people, equally referred to as wise or foolish, might say you are missing the point of the activity Matt. Maybe you need to spend more time contemplating shimmers on the water

But you’re right … if our expectations for cruising are one thing, and the reality turns out to be something different, then boredom is a possibility. In those cases, I guess you need to examine your expectations.

I'm not talking about the expectations of cruising in general... I had a pretty good idea of what it was and what it wasn't going in. But, sometimes sitting in an anchorage, the lack of challenges and accomplishments like we had in the business world left me bored. Some are better at relaxing than others.

Some posted smaller mundane task (to me) as time fillers they do to keep boredom away. Again, I think this is just semantics here, but If I have to find something to do to fill time, boredom has already set in.


Matt

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

thomm225,

I really like the pic you got of the storm cloud coming between you and the sun. How well I know the feeling, "I wonder how much wind is there in that?" How could someone possibly be bored?

Ann

Thanks Ann,

I was lucky to get that shot and I was also fortunate that I decided to find a spot to anchor early.

Not sure of the exact wind speed, but a couple nearby reports were in the 40's range.

The waves sure did build up pretty good though with me being that close to shore, and the wind still blowing the tops off them

It didn't look that bad when I first anchored although you could see the possibility on the horizon. The storm came up pretty quickly.....

Tom

This video shows a bit more on the wind as the storm went over....but you cannot see the wind lines/streaks on the water after moving the video to youtube (with this camera anyway)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okRZs6os5Eo

[sailorboy1]

why does there need to be an argument over the topic, it's getting boring

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

.........................
.................
Some posted smaller mundane task (to me) as time fillers they do to keep boredom away. ......................... Matt

Maybe there's an answer with what we perceive to be a mundane task. I'm going to take the risk of being labelled simple minded by admitting my deep involvement in what may be described as a mundane task.

Yesterday, I began rejuvenating a $30 bicycle that I bought on Craigslist. It has quick release fore & aft wheels and I removed the rear wheel. I wrote in pencil at the base of three spokes, "SP...RC...PO" to represent the test of Sand Paper (400 grit); Rubbing Compound & Polish for stainless steel. After determining the best method I cleaned and polished each spoke as well as the rim. Today I'm considering sealing the spokes with a lacquer, but not too fast. I might first experiment with some tint derived from the huge array of colors available among the racks of the ladies' fingernail polishes. I also took a stiff brush to rub in a silicone treatment on the tire. 'exciting times!

[a64pilot]

B careful with the silicone tire treatment, I Put Armorall on a motorcycle tires, once. Armorall is wonderful at reducing adhesion of tire to pavement.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

...sometimes sitting in an anchorage, the lack of challenges and accomplishments like we had in the business world left me bored.

This sounds utterly boring to me Matt … I guess we're just different. And that’s OK.

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Some are better at relaxing than others.

I do think you’re on to something here. As I wrote a while back, some people have a hard time when they are not engaged in a task or a plan. I have friends and family who simply can’t be still for very long. After a short while they get all fidgety, and are soon off seeking “something to do."

Me? I can be content to stay on my boat for days or weeks at a time, just enjoying the life. There’s always things to do. And yes, sometimes it involves mundane tasks — but that’s just life.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Maybe there's an answer with what we perceive to be a mundane task. I'm going to take the risk of being labelled simple minded by admitting my deep involvement in what may be described as a mundane task.

Yesterday, I began rejuvenating a $30 bicycle that I bought on Craigslist. It has quick release fore & aft wheels and I removed the rear wheel. I wrote in pencil at the base of three spokes, "SP...RC...PO" to represent the test of Sand Paper (400 grit); Rubbing Compound & Polish for stainless steel. After determining the best method I cleaned and polished each spoke as well as the rim. Today I'm considering sealing the spokes with a lacquer, but not too fast. I might first experiment with some tint derived from the huge array of colors available among the racks of the ladies' fingernail polishes. I also took a stiff brush to rub in a silicone treatment on the tire. 'exciting times!

Don't worry, productive activities get a free pass

Matt

[dwedeking2]

I'm a recovering "gotta be doing something all the time" person. I think at least some of this are learned traits. Between an "old school" upbringing where work was paramount from an early age and the modern US society's marketing of not being fulfilled unless you are spending money on doing something it was difficult to just sit and observe the world around me. I've conciously worked on slowing myself down for the last 8 years. I took up photography because it meant I walked more places and at a slower pace so I could "see" the pictures before I took them.

I recently took a week off to do some work on a new (to me) boat in Fort Myers Beach. In reality I did about a full days work, but still struggled with not being entirely "productive" but looking back I really enjoyed the week just being on the boat.

Slightly related, I've lived in a number of "retirement" environments (mexico, hawai'i etc) and really see people struggle with retirement. They've stared at a postcard for 30 years from a beach vacation and not given any thought into how they will transistion from a super structured work environement to of not having the responsibility and deadlines to be somewhere/get something done. They usually start a committee and start making rules for everyone else.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Thanks for saying this far better than I ever could HF. I too have a hard time grasping this state of being described by funjohnson. I guess it comes down to our own internal needs, and perhaps what we need to feel engaged — to be 'not bored.'

The best I can come up with is the understanding that some folks require more external stimuli in their life, while others are content with more internal engagement. We roughly delineate these folks as extroverts and introverts, but it is far more complicated than that. Neither is right. Neither is better. It’s just one way of describing the range of human nature.

I'm going to jump in here and probably end up stepping in a pile of poop for having this opinion.

I completely understand the entire cruising thing and have no problem with just fussing around the boat, doing some site seeing or just taking a nap if I feel like it when I'm in cruising mode six months of the year. Or... wasting time here on CF.

BUT.... I do have another personal need that gets satisfied during the other six months per year when I work an entire years worth as a registered nurse. I really enjoy the giving back part instead of just looking to satisfy my own selfish personal need to hang around. Personally, I don't care what other people do with their spare time as long as they don't complain about things like not having enough money or spend their time looking down their noses at what I choose to do with my time and money.

There's something very rewarding in helping others as opposted to just helping one's self. I'm never bored.

I'm not picking on you Mike, it's just that your post got me to thinking... it could have just as well been any of the others.