This post is from the Wet Blanket Department.
I encourage people who are interested in cruising to follow their dreams, however, I also hope that they'll be realistic about what could be in store for them. Whereas there are many aspects of cruising that hit the over-the-top/fantastic/unbelievable ends of the scale, there are also times that force many people to say, "I'm never going near the
water again. What was I thinking?"
Some cruisers call the
Sea of Cortez the Sea of Broken Dreams. I've
lost count of how many people we met there who had every intention of sailing around the world, got to the Sea and never left. Not that there's anything wrong with that - we love the
Sea of Cortez and are looking forward to returning - but I've seen many people outfit a
boat for rigorous
water sailing">blue water sailing only to
wind up motoring up and down the Sea, spending lots of time in
marinas and only experiencing Mexican culture from a very limited perspective. You can take a look at the Marina Seca in
San Carlos to see it is chock full of cruising boats that look like they'll never make it back into the water.
Don't get me wrong - I think that sailing around the world is a very worthwhile dream to pursue. I also think that someone should be aware that at any time during the process of acquiring a boat, fitting it out, shaking it down,
learning to live in a confined space, dealing with
weather, boredom, Immigration and
Customs officials, cost of
repairs, etc, that they might decide that it's not for them. There is no shame in that.
Blue water cruising isn't for everyone who dreams of doing it. But how will you know unless you try?
Fair winds and calm seas.