New to the forum seeking help

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by islanpacktgirl

Thanks for your reply.
I'm nervous and glad to hear it can be so cheap. I keep seeing marinas opening and high costs for slips. We want to anchor but see places filling up. We need to have a plan. We are also intimidated by the stories of crime - bars on companionway doors, etc.
Any advice on that?

Deb,

I think you may be over-reacting to what you read. Believe me, if you just do it, it will work out better than you can imagine. The hardest part will be simply getting here.

There are plenty of safe places to anchor in the eastern Caribbean, and serious crime is negligible. It's so rare that it gets the headlines.

You don't need a detailed "plan". In fact, it's more fun when you don't plan too much, and just go where you want, when you want. On our first Caribbean cruise, Lynne and I island-hopped from the Virgin Islands down to Grenada over a period of about five weeks. Our "plan" was to do that in order to decide which islands we liked the best, so we could spend more time there on our way back north. You can read about our Caribbean experiences at The Belle of Virginia in the Caribbean 2004-2005

[henryk]

Where about are you in Spain Jim?

[Jim Thomsen]

We are spending the winter in Almerimar Marina, near Malaga & Almeria.

[annegibsonwaco]

Jim - just curious, what is it like to live in a marina in Southern Spain? The idea just sounds so wonderful, I cannot imagine what your daily lives must be like. Are you doing daysails, simply enjoying Spain, or both? My husband and I will be taking the plunge as soon as we find and buy our boat, so I'm trying to ask a lot of questions. What part of your day is spent on boat maintenance?

Anne

[Jim Thomsen]

Anne,
It's really pretty wonderful! When working I always had full days, with meetings, apointments, travel, etc. now when people ask what we do all day it doesn't sound like much.
We should do more day sails! The weather is nice and we could just pick the good wind days. But we were going to be gone for awhile, so I took down the sails to protect them from the sun (I know it's easy to put them back on, but I guess I have become lazy).
We usually go for either a long walk or a bike ride (small folding bikes) along the beach. Even thought it's warm enough to wear shorts the tourists don't come in winter, so the beaches and bike trails are almost empty. Getting enough exercise has been one of our biggest challenges living on board.
Food and cooking has become more important and we will visit the local markets and try making new things.
We have a list of maintenance items and will do at least one each day (no rush, we have a couple of months), but we have a new boat so there is not a lot of big projects, but since almost every one is new to us it seems to takes longer.
We have internet access here, so that wastes some time each day! We will talk with people on other boats, often going over in the evenings for drinks or dinner.
We have rented cars and toured the cities of southern spain and plan to do much more. We have also be taking Spainish lessons. There's time to read (there is a local book exchange amoung the yotties once a month).
Really, it doesn't sound like much. For us a big change is being together. Working we were very often apart for days or even weeks (my job required a lot of international travel) and now we are together all the time and after having a large home we are on a 40 foot boat. But it has been wonderful!
I hope this gives you some idea what we do. Others probably get a lot more done than us!
Jim

[slomotion]

Beware - In the Bahamas/Caribbean (and probably everwhere that cruisers like to go) there is a phenomenon called island time. For an entertaining example of how this works, go here:

Instalment 20 - February 9th 1997 - George Town Bahamas

[annegibsonwaco]

Jim - your days are spent exactly like I envision ours will be. I cannot wait to get out of this rat race. We looked at 5 different boats today and were excited by 2. My husband will be 60 this year, so we don't have a lot of time to waste. Needless to say, we are anxious to get going.

Slomotion - This "island time" concept sounds fantastic! I don't think my husband will have as much trouble as I will adjusting to that time "zone". I have been labeled a Type A personality, so I'm going to have to learn to channel my energies or I might drive him crazy. We run a business together and have worked side by side for the last 12 years, plus we lived in a small travel trailer for 2 years, so I'm not too worried about the "togetherness" issue on the boat. Sounds like a great life!

Anne

[slomotion]

Island time is infectious, addictive, and wonderful. When you go cruising, your life revolves around weather, food, and fun. Somewhere in between you fix stuff. Due to health issues we are temporarily (I hope) taking a break from cruising. More than anything we miss island time. These people get it:

http://old.cruisingworld.com/ithaka/articles/042_all_day/

[slomotion]

For more island time and people who get it, go here:

BoatUS Cruising Logs

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by slomotion

go here:

Instalment 20 - February 9th 1997 - George Town Bahamas

I am there now and am starting from the beginning and LMAO.

This guy is hilarious.

[GordMay]

All great essays. As stated, they "get it".

I found Douglas Bernon’s description (“It Takes all Day”) to be optimistic, and exclusive of the planning aspects of project management afloat.
Ie: Prior to beginning construction of his project, I’m certain Douglas invested many hours of thoughtful rumination: did he want to install lashing boards, where, how long, and modified for what other supplemental purpose?

I budgeted a total 3 days to refill the dinghy gas jerry cans, if I bought it at the dock, 4 days if I bought it up the hill*.

* Fuel is often “drier” and cheaper at inland gas stations, which are always located up a hill (both directions, even in the typically flat Bahamas).

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by GordMay

I found Douglas Bernon’s description (“It Takes all Day”) to be optimistic, .

I found it infuriating. There are some jobs that are good left to when you have a bit of marina time.
Instead of helping the missus with a heavy, uncomfortable job that needs lots of hands - the shopping - he just screws her day up more.

Bet the jerry cans deep sixed with the first wave and he lost half his lifelines.



Mark

[slomotion]

Mark,

I think you are partly right. Obviously, Douglas was not fully acclimated to island time. Island time dictates that on-the-hook boat work should be confined to necessary repairs, not make-the-boat-better projects.

The ‘missus’ however also forgot about island time. She got off to a good enough start. As soon as Douglas showed up with the 2x4, she immediately recognized the look: "I’m gonna build something; it will make a mess; and there will be lots of loud swearing." At that point Bernadette wisely invented errands elsewhere. But, she agreed to come back too soon, foolishly thinking that it would all be over in just a few hours.

Why you in a hurry, mon? It’s just island time.