How do you use your boat?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

This question could have been, "Do you ride a bus to work or pack your lunch?"

I like lunch

[gulfcoastsailor]

Given the question, this is my best answer: Yes

[OneKoolCat]

I used the criteria sailing/motoring vs sitting on anchor/Mooring/dock.

I am in Massachusetts, USA so until I start wintering in the south I spend 6 months on the hard. I didn't count that time.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by OneKoolCat

I used the criteria sailing/motoring vs sitting on anchor/Mooring/dock.

I am in Massachusetts, USA so until I start wintering in the south I spend 6 months on the hard. I didn't count that time.

But what side of the island are you on?

[LauraleeG]

Sailing is to cruising as driving is to traveling.

[Svsumurun]

I really don't know how to answer... are the Great Lakes 'protected waters' ? If not, then what if I'm on both the windward and leeward side of islands?
If sitting a marina is cruising , then are the thousands of boats that never move ' full time cruisers'?

[OneKoolCat]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

But what side of the island are you on?

I am always on the right side, even if I am wrong

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by jlcnuke

I wanted to get an informal survey of how cruisers here are actually utilizing their boats. For the purpose of the poll, sailing is considered any sailing not in "protected water" (i.e. open ocean, between islands, on the windward side of an island etc.), and "cruising" is considered any sailing on the leeward side of an island (or similar conditions), time at anchor or on a mooring ball or in a marina, or hauled out.

That is a bit broad as a question.

[Dave_S]

You left out the one where you just work on it when you can and that's it.

[jlcnuke]

For the purpose of the poll, sailing is considered any sailing not in "protected water" (i.e. open ocean, between islands, on the windward side of an island etc.), and "cruising" is considered any sailing on the leeward side of an island (or similar conditions), time at anchor or on a mooring ball or in a marina, or hauled out.

I honestly thought that defining how I was using the terms, in the initial post, and stating that was just how I was using them for this poll, would make it clear what I was calling "sailing" and what I was calling "cruising". As I'm not really sure how to expand beyond using specific examples of scenarios to define what I was calling each, I'm not really sure how to rewrite the question to get the answers I was looking for. Maybe I shouldn't have included the words sailing or cruising at all, then perhaps people would have tried to understand what I was asking instead of assuming what they call sailing/cruising is exactly what I should be calling it for the purpose of this poll.

Thanks for those that did try to help me understand how people here actually use their boats though.

[PineyWoodsPete]

So do you actually have a sailboat, and sail it either on nearby Lake Allatoona (tricky winds, as I recall from the 50's), much larger Lake Lanier, or on the coast somewhere? How do you think your poll will help you?

Was your question really just about about how much time one is under way by sail "sailing", vs."cruising" you define as pretty much everything else?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by jlcnuke

I honestly thought that defining how I was using the terms, in the initial post, and stating that was just how I was using them for this poll, would make it clear what I was calling "sailing" and what I was calling "cruising". As I'm not really sure how to expand beyond using specific examples of scenarios to define what I was calling each, I'm not really sure how to rewrite the question to get the answers I was looking for. Maybe I shouldn't have included the words sailing or cruising at all, then perhaps people would have tried to understand what I was asking instead of assuming what they call sailing/cruising is exactly what I should be calling it for the purpose of this poll.

Thanks for those that did try to help me understand how people here actually use their boats though.

You went awry by using terms that typically mean something else to most people, and defining them how you wanted them to be used. Then you set some ridiculous constraints onto those that don’t fit the bast majority of boat owners.

[Asmodeane]

This must be the most bizarre definition of both sailing and cruising I've ever come across.



But I'll try to select an option nonetheless. Our season is short, only about 5 - 6 months, and out of those the boat was under way for 45 days. This year we didn't do any longer trips that I would consider proper cruising, other than a couple of passages across the gulf to Estonia, most of the time was spent just sailing around in the archipelago.

[GrowleyMonster]

How I use my boat? As a highly absorbent money and labor sponge, to sop up all the irksome excesses that I have of each, apparently.

I have had so little time to fit out the boat for what I need for more than just circling around in Lake Pontchartrain that I have no idea when I can actually GO somewhere in her. So far, for me, the delivery trip from Gulfport has been our longest "passage". I think I may be too old and too busy before I ever get her ready for go-anywhere cruising.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

For me, cruising means living on the boat for extended periods while traveling over longish distances and longish times. Sailing is simply the act of moving a sailboat via sail. It has nothing to do with being in "protected water", or on which side of islands one sails.

The OP's definitions are just weird, the "windward" and "leeward" distinctions hurt my brain and I have no idea where I fit in his survey.

I agree with Mike and proudly identify as a Cruiser who lives on the hook and travels extensively on my boat, as opposed to an "Anchor Out" who lives on the hook in one place and a "Liveaboard" who lives on their boat in a marina or dock.

People who keep their boat in a marina but go out on weekends and such call themselves "Cruisers," but they are not "full time" or live on their boat, an important distinction for a poll.

I have a sailboat but rarely "sail" here in PNW. There is a broader definition of "sail" to mean simply being underway in a boat, which I do a lot.

So I'm really confused about the terms in this poll and find it interesting but not ready for prime time.