What do you actually do While Cruising?

[Hudson Force]

We spent a lot of time at the docks before we retired 12 years ago, but we still cruised during the holidays or even for an afternoon out after work. We've never lived on land as adults, but I think I would have enjoyed myself and my family if I'd stayed ashore. We are usually out cruising for no more than eight months at a time without returning to a port where we have family. I don't believe that a cruising life would be a cure for someone who is disappointed with their life ashore.

We're likely doing the same things as people do ashore, but with more of our own energy expense and less expense of non-renewable energy.

[zeehag]

ye can always come here and help install my engine...rodlmffao... i dont do a thing allll day... ka lunk is in and being connected this week. then tanks and mizzen step. like i do something?? hellno-i am not working.... lol is allll fun.

[su2014]

shop,eat and drink in exotic locales is a first. then more shore excursions same as a cruise ship should satisfy the OPs original qustion. fairwinds aND godspeed.

[su2014]

hoping my GILD stock goes to 120 aqnd DUST goes to 45 right now. how about you. going swimming with the sharks later,.fairwinds and godspeed.

[Ex-Calif]

Well - I'll expose my sub-par cruising. I am a proud weekend warrior. Here is a typical "cruising weekend" Malaysia

Thursday
- Finish up provisioning

Friday
- Get to the boat around 8:00. Load the boat for 3-5 people worth of gear.
- ~09:00 - Launch and head to the immigration buoy
- ~10:30 - Wait for immigration. 30 minutes to an hour+
- 12PM-ish - Head up Johor river
- 4-ish - Arrive Sebana complete immigration
- Evening - sundowners, head to bar, dinner etc. Sebana used to do a special Friday night BBQ special for the yachties - Sit at a 12-6 person table of all the visiting yachts and swap stories - I think they stopped that for a while (haven't been in while)

Saturday
- daysail, chill by the pool, read a book etc. jibber jabber with other cruisers, go for a walk, walk the docks and boat perv...

Sunday
- 7-ish - 9-holes of golf
- 10-ish Breakfast at the restaurant
- 11-ish head back to immigration
- 12-ish launch
- 4-ish immigration
- 6-ish home

And yes (Gasp! The horror!) we will periodically motor sail to stay on schedule.

In summary
Two 5 hour+ sails, a lazy Saturday and nine holes of golf. Nongsa (Indonesia) is similar except we get to play Frogger crossing the Singapore straight with bi-directional ship traffic doing 20+ knots

Beats mowing grass and cleaning out rain gutters - LOL

[SV THIRD DAY]

What do you do all day now?
Sit around watching TV and surfing the net...because then that is what you will do while out cruising.

Hire people to work on your boat now....you will hire them while out cruising. Get envolved in the community now, then you will do that while out cruising. Be a self centered ass now....well....there is one or two in every anchorage!

Cruising doesn't change YOU and your habits...it just just changes your environment.

[zeehag]

exactly what rich said.

there is nothing magical about cruising. it is repairing your home in weird and wonderful and strange and turisty ripoff locations. it is YOUR job to keep your habits of awareness, your habits of choice and choosing and your own hapiness within you alive despite problems encountered and keeping your lifestyle your own.
no one can tell ye how awesome you will find it as you bring yourself into this mix. no one is same.
no one can tell you how much it will cost to do this as everyone of us is different.
you may try to be same, but no two souls are so.
moving from phoenix to albuquerque does not magically change your life, just as moving from cali to fla wont magically change your life..
buying a boat nor a ferrari will change who you are or how you are.
you are your life.
suck it up and get with it.
if you jockey desk, so be it, if you sail, que sera... todo esta mismo... all will be same as you have now, only in a different place whenever you wish instead of whenever you are told.

oh yes.
there is a lot more work , physically, involved with full time cruising than you believe.. i can assure you of that.
i have watched many quit because of that factor alone.
remember only 10 percent succeed, the rest fail sooner rather than later.

it is your choice and only your choice as to which you do--succeed or fail, continue or quit. and for what actual, not rationalized, factors.

[birds]

I plan to just sail, sail, sail.... than swim, swim, swim (granted the water is warm enough). <-- And this pretty much what I'm doing now...

[Palarran]

I host a lot of friends and spend a ton of time teaching them to sail, navigate, and operate the boat. This year in an 8 week period I had 22 friends and family join me, not counting my own family of 4. It was a lot of work to get them on and off the boat and manage the logistics. But I like seeing them in total awe of the cruising area we are in.

I'm fortunate that boat repairs don't take up too much time. Boat maintenance on the other hand does but everyone generally helps to varying degrees. Getting food and cooking it can take a few hours. Usually I explain to guests that if you sleep for 8 hours, there are 16 left to do something. Of those, 4 will be totally wasted and 4 will be spent on cleaning and eating, so we have 8 hours to either sail or explore.

We have scuba equipment on board and for certified divers that can take up a lot of time. The dingy is fantastic for loading up 6 people and exploring bays and caves. Hiking and swimming provides good exercise as does just the process of sailing. We listen to a lot of music and some people read but usually less then they where expecting.

I'm currently in the Mediterranean and it is easy to find different culture and sites to explore. The people I've met this year have been fantastic and provided assistance and advice when needed. About every port we visited provided a new opportunity to make a friend.

If all that cruising provided was beaches, bars, books, and boat maintenance, I wouldn't do it.

[sailorboy1]

At the moment I'm on a mooring, drinking coffee , reading CF. In a little while I'm going to make breakfast them do a rough 30 minutes of boat work. Since it doesn't look that there is going to be wind today I think I'll go ashore and walk to the movies. Then walk down to the beer place for a few and and early dinner. There we will slowly walk back to marina and just hang out. Then play a few games, so some reading, then go to bed.

Sounds like a rough day , I may need to sleep in some tomorrow :-)


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[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Palarran

If all that cruising provided was beaches, bars, books, and boat maintenance, I wouldn't do it.

Same here!

While the beauty of observing a location from the perspective of an anchorage varies.... it is the history, culture, music, art and people of a nation that attracts me.

The yacht gives me a familiar standard of living and the option to infuse as much or as little of the foreign culture as I am comfortable with.

Some argue that you must become totally infused in a location to appreciate it.

I prefer to have that choice and this is what the yacht offers.

[zeehag]

i get infued into a location when something breaks and i get stuck for bit. ... lol

i also use local talent. not imported gringo ripoff talentless..... makes a difference.

[Dulcesuenos]

I don't think floating around or anchored on a derelict is considered cruising. Maybe that's why its not "magical" for some, just a step up from a tent or a homeless shelter, or minivan in a Walmart parking lot.
For us we make sure we can keep things running and maintained our self's or afford to have it fixed properly regardless of the language they speak.
And for us everyday is magical, the places we go, the challenges we overcome, natures beauty everywhere, the moments we cherish.
If it ever became not magical, id move back ashore, unless of course all i could afford was a floating derelict,...

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[SimonV]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

I don't think floating around or anchored on a derelict is considered cruising. Maybe that's why its not "magical" for some, just a step up from a tent or a homeless shelter, or minivan in a Walmart parking lot.
For us we make sure we can keep things running and maintained our self's or afford to have it fixed properly regardless of the language they speak.
And for us everyday is magical, the places we go, the challenges we overcome, natures beauty everywhere, the moments we cherish.
If it ever became not magical, id move back ashore, unless of course all i could afford was a floating derelict,...

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

That's a bit harsh, I haven't met anyone cruising on a derelict boat. I have met lots of Cruisers with older boats and the longer you cruise the more things you need to fix or replace. It must be nice to sign a cheque and have someone else do the work, long term Cruisers tend to live to a budget and try to do the work themselves. One of the joys of being part of a cruising community is we tend to help each other out with tools, spares and experience. Wether a boat is old or new things do fail and if you cruise to the more remote places, your fellow cruiser can be a god send. Admittedly some sit on their million dollar condos and look down on the smaller less affluent Cruisers, but they are few and far between. You don't see them on the beach for the pot lucks and parties. There is a lot of knowledgeable people out there and the ones that fix their own boats can normally get things going with some tie wire and duct tape. Derelict boats are just that derelict, if a cruiser gets stuck it's short term til the issue is resolved but you make the most of every situation. Long term Cruisers are forever bumping into each other in some of the most beautiful places on this planet.

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[BandB]

One thing that we want to add after our most recent two month trip. Special time with friends and family. We had various "family" (yes, technically friends but the type you consider family) join us for two weeks at a time while others were along longer. Special people in our lives who we see often but we don't often get extended time to just enjoy together away from work and other things. With each of them we got to share special moments. We got to see the excitement as they'd see something for the first time and even if it wasn't new to us, that made it new.

I know many cruise mostly alone as a single or couple, but I'd think even for those of you who primarily do that, those occasions when invited guests join you are special. You can show them the beauty you see all the time and let them experience it. Maybe it brings alive again some of what you're taking for granted. You get to see things through the eyes of others. One thing I've found too is that when others get to experience some of these things with you, they're all almost child like in the excitement. Maybe you've seen dolphins swim along with you many times, but when someone else experiences it for the first time, it just brings it so alive to you again. Maybe you've enjoy the serenity of anchoring alone and just enjoying nature, but when your friends who just escaped from the city for a couple of weeks are swimming or lounging with you and you see it anew through their eyes, you appreciate it even more.

So for us much of cruising is others joining us and enjoying the experiences with them.