Cruisers: how long do you stay?

[jlcnuke]

When you're cruising, how long do you stay in one place. I ask because the VLogs seem to all follow the same pattern at most places - stay a day, maybe 2, then move on to another place unless they're "stuck" somewhere for a particular reason (waiting on shipment of something, getting work done, etc).

I recall when Delos would seem to stay no less than a week or two somewhere, but it seems every episode from every sailing VLog these days includes moving to another place. Don't get me wrong, I like to see sailing, but it seems to me that when I eventually get to start cruising I'd want to do/see everything I could/would like to at each place I visited and I can't imagine that would be just do one or two things and head out. I understand moving to a protected anchorage etc due to weather, or to leave because you've reached your max stay allowed in that place, but the constant moving and little time spent in any given place seems kinda rushed/hectic to me.

Or maybe it's just they don't show/talk about what they do the rest of the time off-camera?

[Paul L]

How long is a piece of string? You should try watching the YouTube stars who anchor at one spot for months at a time
Sometimes we anchor for a few hours, other times we stay for months.

[gmakhs]

There are different kind of cruisers , the ones who visit a place like tourists , see what is to see and move on , and the others who want to embrace the culture and staying longer , i am more on the second part , but everybody have their rhythm and responsibilities.

[Mike OReilly]

I’m a full-timer, for about 7 months each year. This year we’ve sat in one place for 38 days and counting. It varies widely from season to season for me. Last season three days was the tops. Prior to that I think we sat in one place for two weeks. Prior to that a week.

So as with most things in cruising, the answer is: it depends .

[travellerw]

I'm in %100 agreement with gmakhs.. There are different types of cruisers. Slow cruisers and fast cruisers.

I think most Vlogs are not a good representation of typical cruising life. They usually fall into the camp of sightseeing and moving on. Personally I would say that only makes up %10-%20 of cruisers.

Of course location and weather play a part as well.

[AiniA]

It depends would be a good answer. You can a circumnavigation in two years or even a bit less. Three year ones are very common, we did five years. We have friends who did a 21 year rtw. How long you stay somewhere depends on a bunch of things - obviously how much you like a place but very importantly, when do you need to be somewhere else because of weather. We had two such considerations, being in Oz (or NZ) for cyclone season and going around South Africa when the weather was agreeable (a fairly short window there). We would have liked to spend more time in Indonesia which was a place we very much enjoyed but we had to get to Richards Bay to minimize cyclone risk and to let us get to Cape Town during summer. In this case you can't just say we will spend a couple of more months in Indonesia because that gets you to South Africa in the fall with enhanced cyclone exposure on the way. Your choice is effectively to keep moving or spend an extra year somewhere until the next favourable season. Our friends who used 21 years just stayed somewhere until they were bored with it (seven years in the Med) and moved on. On a macro scale I half kiddingly would tell me wife it was time to leave a place when I got to know it well - how the buses worked, where the best stores and restaurants were, etc.

[sailon46]

When I bought the boat in 2012 Bene 51.4 she was in charter with Moorings in Tortolla. I moved her to St Martin Marigot, and kept her there for hurricane season. Moved down the chain St Barts a day or two, Antigua 2 days, Guadeloupe Point a Pitre stayed almost a year. Obviously I like the French. Then went down the chain Dominica a day or two. Martinique 4 days. St Lucia a week. By passed St Vincent bad experiences from the past there, Bequia my beloved stayed for a week in Admiralty Bay. Tobago Cays and Union island just for a night stopover. Canouan for lunch and Internet work. Cariacou Tiller Bay 3-4 days. Grenada Hurricane season. Left going North the chain and tied the boat for another season in Guadeloupe, The Saints, Marie Gallant etc.The following Hurricane season approaching sailed to Bonaire and Curacao for the whole H-season. Sailed by Christmas of 2015 up to St Croix and Mary Jane is still there. I go down there every few months and run up to BVI or USVI or SVI for weeks at a time. Bottom of the story is go out there and let it happen to you as it did to me.
Ernie on the Mary Jane

[salfarina]

I haven't begun long term cruising yet, but I do view and enjoy many of the YouTube Vlogs, especially the "how to" ones related to repair/restoration. Also, the ones of cruisers, especially the Caribbean, which I am planning to do soon. This being said, I've observed that many of the "cruisers" perceive themselves as video producers rather than pleasure yachtsmen. Regular release days, splashy opening scenes, thoughtful theme and background music synchronization, special effects, drone views, etc. all seem to indicate the entertainment aspect of sharing their cruising experiences. Nonetheless I find these enjoyable as travelogues but I imagine the principals feel obligated to change the scenery as much as possible in order to provide fresh material with each release.


Personally, we plan to begin our long term cruising within the next 6 months and being retired and in reasonably good health, we'll stay in any given location as long as we need to absorb it's benefits.

[taxwizz]

Stay until someone comes around trying to collect docking or anchoring fees.

[nhschneider]

I tend to prefer to move pretty fast, however, our circumnavigation is approaching 8 years and we're not done yet.

We spent a year in Thailand and a year in Trinidad. Five months in New Zealand and even longer in Australia. Four months in South Africa but only ninety days in French Polynesia (French Immigration refused to extend our visas). Chagos, in the British Indian Ocean Territory, we were limited to thirty days.

While we were in Richards Bay in South Africa, the ARC Round the World Rally came by and they were on track to complete their circumnavigations in eighteen months. When I asked one skipper what they had seen, his reply was 'everything'.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[sailcrazy]

We've cruised Asia, the Medd, and now the NE Caribb. The ONLY place we felt compelled to move was in the Medd....and that was because the Shengen Treaty only (legally) gave us 90 days in the EU before we were obligated to leave for a day. Not all cruisers, including us on occasion, chose to follow that rigorously....but that's a choice you make at the time. When you're in a neat place...stop and see it! If the wx sucks, plan to be in a safe and secure place. The best schedule....is NO schedule, just some loose idea. Let the spirit move you. Sailboats and schedules do not go well together. Sometimes, an afternoon is more than enough in one place. Other places....a month or 2 is not enough! We try not to make a movement decision until that morning!

[conachair]

Somewhere between a few hours and a few years

[Time2Go]

[QUOTE=salfarina;2703154
I've observed that many of the "cruisers" perceive themselves as video producers rather than pleasure yachtsmen. Regular release days, splashy opening scenes, thoughtful theme and background music synchronization, special effects, drone views, etc. all seem to indicate the entertainment aspect of sharing their cruising experiences. Nonetheless I find these enjoyable as travelogues but I imagine the principals feel obligated to change the scenery as much as possible in order to provide fresh material with each release.
[/QUOTE]

This is correct
One of the very well known bloggers
has stated her occupation as a
“Travel Vloger” not a sailor sharing her
sailing adventure.
Put being a retired video/film producer
I can say that
putting out a good 15 minute piece every
week, with the same basics becomes real
dull real quick
Digital Slaves to Their Patroens
Good for them if it’s their thing
Cheers
Neil

[valhalla360]

The blog/vlog tend to give a distorted view.

We hung out and did minor maintenance on the boat today...doesn't make a very interesting post.

I suspect most cruisers move a ways then spend a week or month or longer before moving on. Lots find a nice place and never move on.

[old pirate]

We spent a year (season) cruising the eastern Caribbean, then 8 years Virgin Islands, one year South Pacific and so far 18 years Australia !