What happens after the circumnavigation ...

[GafferMate]

Originally Posted by captmikem

after two circumnavigations, and a lifetime of working at sea, I am happy to pretty much enjoy time ashore. (although I live on an island..) The truth is, I get tired of customs and immigration, dealing with officials, having to "secure" items I consider necessary for my peace of mind that some countries ban.

I like to be comfortable.

I like my shore things, my plane, tractor, etc.

I have a few boats, a 38 ft trawler in Puget Sound and a 50ft ketch that I rarely use but hope to get one of them up to Alaska next summer (beautiful place).

I take a holiday occasionally and go to Oz, NZ or Europe, but I am happy not to have to cross an ocean with a boat to get there.

I like to have the space to work on things. I like having more than one dog.

But I do not like traffic, crowds etc. The entire county I live in has a total of zero stop lights, the town near me never has more than a few cars moving on Maine st. during the day, little to none at night.

I am happy to have seen a good part of the world, but now I am happy to wake up in the same place I went to sleep.

M

Though our boat building years (16) were longer than our cruising experience (9) I still live aboard (37yrs) and still love even the maintenance, but living and contributing within a foreign culture (not being a Tourist) has been an equally rewarding adventure as cruising, and just as challenging.

[C420sailor]

Human psychology sucks, eh?

There’s a great deal of happiness and satisfaction that comes from the journey of achieving a goal—the process. I can’t even tell you how many great achievements I’ve had, only to feel empty and lost on the back side. You feel like you should be happy, thrilled even. But you aren’t. In some cases, you may even be met with depression. Weird. The thrill of the chase is very real.

The solution, at least for me, is to find that next journey, grind, etc. Gotta get back into the thick of it.

Buzz Aldrin dealt with some very serious depression and alcoholism after returning from the Moon.

“And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept...for there were no more worlds to conquer.” -Hans Gruber

[GafferMate]

I agree with C420 that it's the process, not the goal, that is important but what gives Value to the process is crucial. Broadly, something bigger than self-gratification tends to provide greater, longer-lasting, personal satisfaction.



Think of it as bringing your one grain of sand the the building site. Oddly, I've found it enhances rather than diminishes my sense of well-being.

[David B]

Originally Posted by GafferMate

I agree with C420 that it's the process, not the goal, that is important but what gives Value to the process is crucial. Broadly, something bigger than self-gratification tends to provide greater, longer-lasting, personal satisfaction.



Think of it as bringing your one grain of sand the the building site. Oddly, I've found it enhances rather than diminishes my sense of well-being.

Hmm - I like that. Yes, to explore and experience this amazing world as much as possible (bearing in mind quality over quantity ....) is a great endeavour, but 'this amazing world' is also its people, and to experience, interact, and leave people feeling the better for your having passed by, is I feel a worthwhile endeavour indeed!

We can't all change the world, but we can try to make it a better place - one person at a time.

[piloto]

Originally Posted by C420sailor

Human psychology sucks, eh?

There’s a great deal of happiness and satisfaction that comes from the journey of achieving a goal—the process. I can’t even tell you how many great achievements I’ve had, only to feel empty and lost on the back side. You feel like you should be happy, thrilled even. But you aren’t. In some cases, you may even be met with depression. Weird. The thrill of the chase is very real.


The solution, at least for me, is to find that next journey, grind, etc. Gotta get back into the thick of it.

Buzz Aldrin dealt with some very serious depression and alcoholism after returning from the Moon.

“And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept...for there were no more worlds to conquer.” -Hans Gruber

Even if you don't like the genre or the singer, the song rings true- Like this:Round and Round - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com › watch

[Jeannius]

AiniA... Like you, my wife and I completed a circumnavigation - also in Grenada - then hung around the Caribbean for a while not deriving any real satisfaction from it. Decided we needed a bigger trip so decided to head to Maine and then cruise down the east coast visiting all the American friends we'd made over the years. The trip to Maine was fun but all the lobster pots were horrible so started to head south. By the time we'd got to Florida we'd worked out coastal cruising wasn't for us any more. Sold the boat in Florida 7 years ago and haven't sailed since. Occasionally get a hankering to go buy a boat but then I just drag out the old pile of horrendously large bills for getting stuff fixed and that removes the desire.

Spent a month doing the Canal du Midi on a hire boat which was fun but not something I think I'll repeat.

So, sometimes, after you've done something epic, you lose interest in the more mundane. It happened for us and maybe for you as well.

[MicHughV]

I took up fishing....it keeps me on the water.....it's a boat...it has engines, I can come and go as I please without worrying about the wind....I can take my mates along...and we actually catch fish....and maybe drink a beer or two...as long as I can still see the horizon, I'll keep on going......I'm only slightly behind you, age wise, and I'm damned if I'm gonna die in a rocking chair...but that's me......

[Na Mara]

This whole thread is making me kinda bummed. I can’t imagine not wanting to sail anymore, and the idea of selling my boat gives me palpitations. That I might one day be on the backside of many adventures with a whole different mindset where I am happy sell up and move on just sounds horrible. But then I’m sure many felt this way before their rtw or similar and then find themselves a different person on the backside, a person that on the frontside they couldn’t relate to. Maybe a person that they in their younger years they wouldn’t ever want to be.

[donradcliffe]

We sold the RTW boat 10 years ago after we brought it to our home port in Santa Cruz. The next adventure was the Great Loop, but we were done motoring after two seasons. The local sailing scene is great on other peoples boats, and we race 2-3 times a week. Wee bought an RV and did a lap of the USA last year, and still have Alaska and Mexico on our list of land traveling destinations. Still do the occasional blue water delivery. I still want to do another lap of the South Pacific, but the admiral is getting less mobile.

[argonauta1]

We completed a circumnavigation back in 2008. You might be interested to read our final episode of Memories of a Circumnavigation. We wrote for Sail-World. Incidentally, my wife and I are now 82.
The link is: https://www.sailworldcruising.com/ne...nama-to-Canada

[MicHughV]

While I was bopping around, I used to always drag some fishing lines behind the boat, fitted with an assortment of cheap lures I picked up here and there. Fishing back then, was a pure luck thing. I did catch fish...but only sporadically. My knowledge about fish species was basically non-existent.

Not so long ago, I lucked into some really good and knowledgeable fishermen. My fishing rod collection has swelled from 2 into 17. Some are used for casting, some for trolling and other for bottom fishing. I never realized that there was such an art to catching fish. I actually catch fish these days and know what I'm catching. I've learned how to properly clean them and prepare them for a variety of dishes.

I am explaining this, as it is an enthralling hobby, worth consideration for a retired sailor. I don't fish every day, but surely do enjoy when I go. Like others have posted above, I still get to enjoy the sea, but still sleep in my own bed every night and from time to time enjoy freshly caught fish dinners.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Na Mara

This whole thread is making me kinda bummed. I can’t imagine not wanting to sail anymore, and the idea of selling my boat gives me palpitations. That I might one day be on the backside of many adventures with a whole different mindset where I am happy sell up and move on just sounds horrible. But then I’m sure many felt this way before their rtw or similar and then find themselves a different person on the backside, a person that on the frontside they couldn’t relate to. Maybe a person that they in their younger years they wouldn’t ever want to be.

Please don't get too bummed. Keep in mind that this thread appeals mostly to those who have been there, done it, and now are satisfied and ready to do something slightly or completely different. There is nothing wrong with this.

At the same time, there are huge numbers of those who wish to continue on with the cruising. It is just that we are not hearing from them anywhere near as much as the first group. I know, and know of, a number of those who are not spring chickens anymore, yet they are still going, thus proving they are still young at heart and mind. A few have had to make adjustments due to various changes over the years, but they are still going.

I am sure that you will keep on sailing!

[brianmorris]

Buy a J24, great day sailer and you can sleep on it if you really like each other.

[Dave9111]

It sounds like you want to be on the water, so buy a small boat when you find the right one. I wouldn't wait for perfect market conditions. You just sold your Catalina for a good price.

I don't know if you have traveled all over Canada, but you have a lot in your backyard. Personally, if I was able, I would get a small power boat, like 18 ft and a vehicle to pull it that you can sleep in and go to Hudson Bay, Newfoundland, Thousand Islands, etc. A small boat on a trailer and you can get you to a lot of places and quickly. Canada has some pretty amazing things to see and do that are well off the beaten path. Also, if you don't fish and you live in Canada, you need to start.

[MicHughV]

I don't know much about Canada, but have spent some time around Vancouver Island and British Columbia. To say that the place has spectacular scenery is simply an understatement. The area is magnificent beyond description. It's remarkably popular with the cruising folk, and I can see why. The islands have their own charm, but this area stands out as a cruising destination on it's own. You can easily charter there. You could easily spend several years here and not see it all. It's popular with the seaplane aviators too. South of Vancouver is yet another cruising area.
You want to live in an area with little traffic, etc...look no more...

And then there is Europe....I spent three years traipsing around there.......

At the end of the day, your options are unlimited !