Why are you cruising?

[Hampus]

I'm just curious about what reasons you have for choosing or wanting to choose this particular lifestyle. Feel free to share as much or as little you like.

For myself, apart from loving the sea and sailing, I just feel I float along, going about my day, working from 8 to 5, eating sleeping etc. I hate it. The more I think about it, the more I hate it. It's not that I dislike my job, or any other part of my life for that matter, it's just the whole concept of living it the "normal" way, the way you're expected to. This and the ever decreasing amount of freedom in today's society makes me sick and I need to get away from it, if only for a while. Maybe I'm fooling myself, maybe I won't find any of the things I'm looking for, but it's the only way I can think of.

I guess my greatest fear is waking up on my 70th bithday, realizing that I never did what I wanted to do, when I had the chance to do it. As long as I havn't found out about the meaning of life, and i still havn't, I'll just do whatever i can to have fun.

We're planning a 6 month "test cruise" next year, in preparation for a longer escape Probably the Med. So if nothing unexpected happens, that's where we'll be.

/Hampus

[imagine2frolic]

My ex once said in another life I was an explorer. Sometimes I believe she is 100% correct. The love of the water is one thing. The accomplishment of getting to a destination is another. Meeting new people, and cultures is also a plus. Another is my ancestory. I am Portuguese, Italian, German, English, Hawaiian, and those are the one my family admits to. I don't know about German sailing as in history, but surly a country that is alongside the sea has some history.

I have not crossed an ocean yet, but that is coming. I look so forward to sailing tradewinds. It has to be a wonderful feeling to set sail, and go. Unlike coastal, and island hopping that I have so far done.

[Vasco]

It's too cold up here in the winter time. If I had a place down south I'd just sit in front of this damn monitor so on a boat I usually have a much nicer view that changes all the time and the occasional storm or squall keeps you hopping and young.

[speciald@ocens.]

Seven years ago I had a big scare - two heart attacks and heart failure because of a failing heart valve. At 54 I retired from a stressful occupation and havn't looked back. I am now enjoying a life many would envy - full time liveaboard for 5 years. We spend 6 months somewherein the US East Coast; 6 months in the Caribbean. Don't wait too long!

[Hampus]

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

Don't wait too long!

Thanks we won't! Not a minute longer than necessary. I'm 28, the li'll girl is 33 (you didn't hear that from me).

[chuckr]

always wanted to see what was on the other side of the hill - had an exwife that got me started in exploring - took up climbing and been to 18k and taught it - exwife and i canoed solo from the end of the road to james bay - (we had a kid and stayed married after that by the way) - member of mountain search and rescue and taught high angle rock rescue - but at age 55 got a bit long in the tooth for that and of course 2 knee surgeries and a couple of screws that hold my shoulder together did not help -
went to see the whitbread boats in baltimore and got hooked - now it is great to make a new harbor - to see what is over the horizon - meet new people and learn from them - it is a constant learning environment - sometimes if God only gives us so many heart beats i use them up very fast - but when the challenge is met and the anchor set in a new harbor - the sense of ackonwledgement - some days i wish i were a lot younger and take a few more chances as i am a very VERY conservative sailor - but gradually getting better each and everytime a difficult situtation arises like a sudden tstorm downdraft with 40+k winds as you are approaching new york harbor - and the way to think about how to handle it - and learn and learn and learn and of course seeing what is on the other side of the horizon (hill)
chuck and svsoulmates
ki4sry
on the hook sag harbor,ny

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Hampus,
Welcome aboard! My lifestyle is living at my self built house on retirement income and working on the boat when I can. I sail with my sailing club www.hilo-sailing.org on any or everything they have in their arsenal and wish to be cruising. Maybe someday I'll get back to it and the liveaboard style.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[henryk]

I'm going cruising before the retirement , when the kids are still small (9 and 13) but when I'm still healthy and on the move . Can't imagine to do that adventure without children.

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by henryk

I'm going cruising before the retirement , when the kids are still small (9 and 13) but when I'm still healthy and on the move . Can't imagine to do that adventure without children.

Doing it with the kids is a great idea. Our kids were in their mid-teens when we started our circumnavigation, and they really enjoyed the trip. The home schooling is a bit of a chore, but definitely can be done with a little organization and discipline.

I started out when I was 47, and I have no regrets. When we have resupplied our Freedom Chips, we'll go again.

You can always earn more money, but you only get one chance to cruise with your kids. An additional bonus is that your kids end up being your best friends, and you have memories of your adventures with them that will hold your family together for the rest of your life. At least, that's the way it worked for us.

[henryk]

Thanks a lot Dave for the encouragement . You were exactly my age when you started. We are going to supplement our cruising budget with line of credit, kind of like "retire now, work later" . Your children are only children once. Only five more weeks do D-day.
Henryk

[Liberty28]

Unless one is of a certain ilk, cruising is a PITA! My reading has indicated that many people choose to go cruising because their current situation in life sucks, ie. working 9 to 5, living for a brief respite on the weekends. I think "escapism" is the word. Some wish to trade this all to live in a very small, uncomfortable house that is in constant need of repair. Great view though!

I think a lot of people cruise just to explore themselves and their possibilities, sometimes by design and sometimes by accident. Either way, it's all part of life's progression. I think that it's very interesting that the activity of cruising is one of the few activities out there that generates so much philosophical discussion. I think that is a good thing

Soooooo, having waxed philosophic myself here, I like cruising because I dislike being around most of the people I encounter who have settled for the "ordinary" life. They don't want to hear about my adventures from all over this world, and I sure as hell don't want to hear about the current shafting their company is giving them in terms of wages and benefits. There's nothing better than being off-shore of a great metropolis thinking of all the little primates on shore busily living their lives of "quiet desperation"! Nuff said!!!!

Cheers,
Steve