Definition of 'Cruising'

[Bill Lee]

I agree with mbianka. Anytime you leave the dock you're cruising. Personally, I prefer longer cruises, but sometimes I only have a few hours, a day or a weekend. Of course, I take the whole summer off and that's my REAL cruising!
Cheers,
Bill

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Bash

when I first called myself a "cruiser," all it meant was that I no longer considered myself a "racer."

When I am in front of another boat I am racing. When behind I am cruising.

As far as exotic places, I went to Long Beach once...

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by ShipShape

Here I am cruising in the Florida Keys - see how easy it is?

Attachment 19856

Florida Keys a generic location. Substitute with Polynesia, Australia, Mediterranean...

;-)))

[Herbseesmoore]

Why is the sky blue?

if you are not racing you must be cruuuuuuuuuuuuising.
We are tied to the dock getting ready to cruise. We will be "cruising" the San Juan Islands next week. Damn dock!

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I don't like the term cruising to be honest and rarely use it. I like sailing and living on board our boat full time..........

'Well said for those in California, but those of us in Florida have more anchoring rights if we are calling ourselves "Fulltime Cruisers" instead of "Living Aboard" . Yes, here we are painting the roses red!

[IdoraKeeper]

I strive for "yachtness" and am reduced to "boatness" by time constraints but nothing can stop me from being a cruiser. Anytime I leave the dock it is hard to return even if it's just a day sail. Someday I will just keep going.

[cfarrar]

I agree with Bash. If your obsession is beating other boats, spending lots of money on broken gear, and winning the party, then you're probably racing. If you've learned to slow down, enjoy the sail and the destination, and focus on good food and good company, then you're probably cruising.

[sweetsailing]

Cruising is not a verb but a frame of mind

[ShipShape]

Cruising is when you have to provision, and before you stow the food you remove the excess packaging and look at the pile of it with amazement and sadness thinking, "wow, what a waste." Cruising is when you are eating out of the frying pan because the water tank is low, the trash area is smelling rather ripe, and you couldn't decide whether to use water to wash a dish or use a paper plate and make more trash - so you decided to do neither. Cruising is when the holding tank level becomes a real concern. Cruising is when you are staring at the battery monitor calculating what you can turn on now and still have enough power for the refrigerator to run the rest of the night. Cruising is when a fresh water shower and washing your hair is luxurious.

Cruising is going to new places and meeting new people, and your shared problems, experiences and dreams give you so much in common you instantly feel like old friends. Cruising is knowing that we are all "in the same boat", and you can ask anyone for a 12-10 AWG butt connector, or advice on what anchor to use, and you will get it. Cruising is dinner, drinks and laughing with people you met two hours ago, and finding out that you have mutual friends. Cruising is exchanging boat cards.

And then there are the uber-cruisers, the Voyagers...

[bill good]

"CRUISING" travel from port to port picking up pre ordered spare parts.

[skipgundlach]

Cruising is meeting the others you've met someplace else, doing the same thing you are, on the water.

It's also all of the preceding! One of my frequent log themes is "Cruising is... ...Boat repair in exotic locations" - but they don't have to be exotic to qualify. If you're working on the boat while you're on the water, between "here" and "there" you're likely a cruiser!

L8R

Skip, aboard Morgan 461 #2, SV Flying Pig KI4MPC - currently in Hopetown, Abaco Bahamas

[nautical62]

I view cruising as expedition travel using a sail driven or motor driven boat as your means of transport.

As with any other outdoor expedition travel, the length of time which is required to define is very subjective.

[MarkJ]

To me its affordably seeing the world.



Mark

[ShipShape]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

To me its affordably seeing the world.

Mark

Affordably?? Mark, we are talking about seeing the world on a BOAT. Break Out Another Thousand ....

[Roaring Girl]

Best of many defs that we heard from an Oz boat this year in Italy:

cruising is meeting complete strangers and inviting them to your home for a drink.

Plus the fixing things thing, and the swapping gruesome stories thing, and the only nature-driven schedules thing.