The Downside of Cruising

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i truly didnt realize there WAS a downside to cruising-----i have read this thread and i still donot know what the down side to cruising could possibly be.......

Waking up next to w1651???

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Waking up next to w1651???

Really cruel! But you may have a point.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i truly didnt realize there WAS a downside to cruising-----i have read this thread and i still donot know what the down side to cruising could possibly be.......

I think that the downside has more to do with incompatible defintions of cruising. If one partner wants to go do long ocean passages and the other wants to do Marina to marina crusies there is a problem.

Keeping the boat working with all of the different systems is a problem too.

Comfort -- I remember in my twenties racing sailboats in the ocean and sleeping on top of sails because there were no more berths on the high side of the boat. I don't think I would do that any more. I like my comfy berth.

Zeehag you have the advantage since there are more men who like the dream then women.

[zeehag]

since i wake up in my own boat, same place i go to sleep , i believe that isnt going to be an issue--i donot do marinas so that is not a problem--i could well be safe from that ... whatever fate..(as re--waking next to 1651 whatever--lol-)----

my boat is comfy---cozy with the teak and oil lamps and character ..... i am looking forward to sailing her...

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by w1651

I'll read Hawthorn, Poe, Thurough, and Melville. I'll see the stars no one else sees like the southern cross at night and shake Moby Dicks Flipper if I want to. (He's still alive you know)

1) I'll read Hawthorn, Poe, Thurough, and Melville... I doubt it. They'll be way too dry for your own scriber's talent.

2) I'll see the stars no one else sees like the southern cross at night... I don't want to burst your bubble, but we look at it every night.

3) (He's still alive you know)... Not if the Japs keep going the way they are.

Hey if your sailing's half as good as your writing you'll have a good time... just let us know your boat's name when you get it... so those of us who love the serenity can anchor at least a couple of bays away

[DannySt]

Down side to cruising - my two cents:
its a love - hate relationship all the way.
You will love your boat because you will spend so much time redoing and maintaining it.
You will hate your boat because you will spend so much time redoing and maintaining it.

I go with Mark on the boredom. Another deserted anchorage and than another and another... In the beginning it will all look so new and exciting. after a while you will start to consider if you have the willpower to get the dinghy and go ashore or just stay on the boat and read a book while you wait for the weather to clear.

Each village will look the same, but the food is always new and the best you ever had.

I will add loneliness, you will have no one to talk too, if you are cruising with a life partner or a crew, after 4 or 5 months you will hear all their stories and know them by heart. you will learn to love the loneliness.

The graveyard watch -
you will sit in 4 in the morning in the cockpit sleep deprived, in pitch black, you will not be able to see 3 ft in front apart from a dim green light to the right of the boat and red to port, you will not be able to read a book or do anything involving light because you will loose your night vision, and that is in good weather.
To the graveyard watch in bad weather will add to all of the above, being soaking wet and shivering from cold.
You will learn to love the graveyard watch because of the amazing sunrises and the little things like finding the BBC radio playing that favorite song you haven't heard for years. looking at the clear sky full of stars like you never seen before. You will relish every cup of coffee.

You will be on your tows and wakeup from every little noise and know them all, always in stress that something might be wrong with the boat. you will love the sound of the water on your hull while sailing in 6 knots and above, and the halyards banging the masts at anchorage saying the wind is picking up.

You will hate water tanks, they are never full enough, and you will count every drop hoping it will last till the next place where the water are cheep or free. You will always think there is a leak in one of them, or that the pressure pump is not working well, or that the water are not clean. You will enjoy every hot long shower like you have never before, shaving will be a delight. A clean shirt will make your day.

If you are going at it with a soul mate or friends, you will know them inwards out, you will know every story they ever had or told, after a while you will start looking for topics to talk about because you all ready talked about everything, and you had never spent so much time together before. You will love them because they will share the most intense moments of your life.

[VirtualVagabond]

w1651, I'd like you to meet my wise old friend, DannySt.

DannySt, I'd like you to meet my new best friend, w1651...

[DannySt]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

w1651, I'd like you to meet my wise old friend, DannySt.

DannySt, I'd like you to meet my new best friend, w1651...

Sorry, its getting late here.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by w1651

I'll read Hawthorn, Poe, Thurough, and Melville. I'll see the stars no one else sees like the southern cross at night and shake Moby Dicks Flipper if I want to. (He's still alive you know)

And don't forget to talk to the mermaids. They're real you know.

[EllanVannin]

Originally Posted by Therapy

There, I fixed it for you.

Teee Heee so simple Thanks


The more I think about it who you are waking up next to is probably one of the most important things to have right in this gamble!

[MarkJ]

X1651, Yours is a wonderful post!

You are gong to bound into it and have fun! But let me point out a few home truths and then at the bottom give you a suggestion or 2

Originally Posted by w1651

walking the islands I go to and seeing the highest point of each. I will bring a tank,mask,fins, and regulator to dive the reefs or just to see what's down there.

You won't scuba dive in Turkey, its illegal.
The higest point on 1,000 islands without being able to differentiate between any (see below)
Coral all looks the same (see below)

Originally Posted by w1651

Hmmmm maybe get some dinner while Im there too.

No you won't its illegal to spear fish in many parts, or even fish off the boat in a lot of areas.

Originally Posted by w1651

I'll read Hawthorn, Poe, Thurough, and Melville.

Take Cosmo, Cleo, Womans Weekly and all the girly celeb mags or your Missus will bebunk. They are good fun to read too!

Originally Posted by w1651

I'm gonna hop skip and jump across the world at a whim

No you won't. You'll be dictated to by the hurricane seasons, the weather and your visas.

Originally Posted by w1651

. Freedom is my ultimate goal. Forget the job and the government and the electric bill from now on.

Your Government might suck but you will find NONE as good as the one you grew up with. The Government here has banned YouTube, Google Earth and Google Translate. Plus they will hit you for fees that make bills at home look fun. And yes, you pay for electricity and water

Oh, by the way, SCUBA diving is banned in Turkey unless you are on a tourist dive boat as they are worried you will steal antiquities.

OK now lets look at some of those points and see how you can do them and not get bored.
Your profile says you haven’t got a boat yet. This is good as it means you still have time!

* The sailing will be more fun if you have done a mechanics course

*"walking the islands" do some sort of biology course, or horticulture or some sort of course so you can identify more plants and animals and can notice the differences in each island across the world

*Photography course so you can put really great photos on your website (web designers course)

*"mask,fins, and regulator to dive the reefs or just to see what's down there" marine bilogy course of some sort so you can *really* see whats down there. Did I ever tell you about the Sea Cucumber and the Perl fish? The Sea Cucumber breaths through its ass. The Perl Fish waits for the Sea Cucumber to breath (the Sea Cucumber sees this and tries to hold its breath) and when it opens its ass to take a breath the Pearl fish swims up fast and lives in the sea cucumbers bum.
If you didn't know this you wouldn't look at a sea cucumber like I do

* "I'll read Hawthorn, Poe, Thurough, and Melville" yes, but read the history and geography books of the areas you are in too, or going to. As well, read some of the historical novels and romances set in the areas you're sailing. But life is not all classics... get some trash and current magazines too or you will be cut off from the world.
We have met many cruisers who have been cruising the pacific since before 9/11. They really don't know how the world has changed since. So keep up with current affairs

* "maybe get some dinner while Im there" Do a cooking course so you can prepare food in a zillion different ways and you can begin to identify some of the weird and truly wonderful foods not found at home (Pomplemouses!!!!!!)


* "Freedom is my ultimate goal. Forget the job and the government and the electric bill from now on." Many people, particularly high achievers just can't turn their minds off. They need things to keep them stimulated. Think how many IQ points you have. Each one likes to be tickled. Sure they also like having a little sleep occasionally too, but if for too long they get restless.

*** If you do all these courses before you leave home (or the ones that interest you) you will be the the most excited of all the cruisers because you will be able to scream: "LOOK its a Pearl fish!!!!! I bet he's lookin' for some ass!"


Mark

[mintyspilot]

MarkJ - well, you've convinced me. Strike Turkey off the list.

[Vasco]

The biggest downside of cruising that I've seen is having a spouse that does not like cruising, sailing, or even being on a boat. And I've seen lots of these cases. Usually, in these cases, (not always though) it's the male partner's lifelong dream and the spouse tolerates it (barely in many cases) or in some cases hates it. "She said she'd try it for a year" is heard fairly often. These boats are not happy. They have to go in marinas often to placate the unhappy partner. They have to ensure that the anchorage will be quiet whichever direction the wind might blow from. There's a long list of things that they cannot or will not do, such as sailing with a bit of heel.

If your partner loves the cruising life hang on to him/her!! If your partner doesn't like it, forget about it!

[nautilass]

Originally Posted by Vasco

The biggest downside of cruising that I've seen is having a spouse that does not like cruising, sailing, or even being on a boat. And I've seen lots of these cases. Usually, in these cases, (not always though) it's the male partner's lifelong dream and the spouse tolerates it (barely in many cases) or in some cases hates it. "She said she'd try it for a year" is heard fairly often. These boats are not happy. They have to go in marinas often to placate the unhappy partner. They have to ensure that the anchorage will be quiet whichever direction the wind might blow from. There's a long list of things that they cannot or will not do, such as sailing with a bit of heel.

If your partner loves the cruising life hang on to him/her!! If your partner doesn't like it, forget about it!

Spot on. Know four couples at present who are unlikely to make it into their second year of cruising; in each case, the liveaboard lifestyle is clearly the female partners' idea of hell.

[Mariness]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

*** If you do all these courses before you leave home (or the ones that interest you) you will be the the most excited of all the cruisers because you will be able to scream: "LOOK its a Pearl fish!!!!! I bet he's lookin' for some ass!"

I knew there was a good reason for majoring in Marine Bio!

Oh, by the way, SCUBA diving is banned in Turkey unless you are on a tourist dive boat as they are worried you will steal antiquities.

Not an unwarranted concern, I guess. But Greece isn't far away, and I'll bet the Greeks will let you dive, if only to annoy the Turks.