Why do cruisers quit cruising?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

"Yeah but many don't know the difference."

Does that matter ?

Only thing that matters is that this guy got the ball.

And he is proud of it!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by MVDarlin

I had a "Why am I doing this?" moment this year. A hurricane passed near my bost on the Baja and trashed the canvas, broke a window and thoroughly upset my deck storage. 100 mph wind blown water invaded every orifice, tool box and storage bin I was initially overwhelmed by the anticipated work needed to get back on the water. After five weeks on the hard It looks like I will return to the water next week with many upgrades and nagging problems resolved. My observation: Many folks decide they no longer want to deal with boat maintenance commitments and expense.

I now feel much better with the work behind me. Oh, and you can't just decide to pay others to do the work. For many items it is not practical to try and have someone else fix it, especially if it requires your level of knowledge about the boat. I have often hired soneone to do something and regretted it when I had to finish or redo the job nyself. Fortunately my boat responds well to a little TLC and rewards my efforts.
MVDarlin

I don't know exactly why we decided we wanted to live aboard and cruise. For me the idea just appealed to me when I looked around the interior of one of the boats I had and thought, "It would be cool to live here." Then I met Judy and she had come to that same conclusion after cruising with some friends. Wow! that's serendipity. LOL

So we bought a boat and moved aboard. It felt so natural. The hassles many have mentioned seemed not too tough to deal with, (and were better than mowing lawns, etc). We still have all the difficulties that Ya'll talk about, but they don't faze us. Why? I dunno.

Maybe it's because we love the sailing part and the exploring part. We both love to sail. We HAVE to sail, often. And the exploring part: What will that next port be like? We have to get going so we can see it. It is addictive. Thinking about the next port is ADDICTIVE. We became addicted.

Then there is racing. We were racers before we met. We like the camaraderie of the team, and of course there is the thrill of victory (and the pain of defeat). We've lived aboard this boat for over 35 years, cruised around the world, and raced in over 450 races. We are addicted to that too.

Now this life is completely ingrained within us.

I still don't know why it has this hold on us, but neither of us have any interest in getting off and we cherish these years and adventures and would never have had any of them without the boat.

I think we're very lucky.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by wingssail

I don't know exactly why we decided we wanted to live aboard and cruise. For me the idea just appealed to me when I looked around the interior of one of the boats I had and thought, "It would be cool to live here." Then I met Judy and she had come to that same conclusion after cruising with some friends. Wow! that's serendipity. LOL

So we bought a boat and moved aboard. It felt so natural. The hassles many have mentioned seemed not too tough to deal with, (and were better than mowing lawns, etc). We still have all the difficulties that Ya'll talk about, but they don't faze us. Why? I dunno.

Maybe it's because we love the sailing part and the exploring part. We both love to sail. We HAVE to sail, often. And the exploring part: What will that next port be like? We have to get going so we can see it. It is addictive. Thinking about the next port is ADDICTIVE. We became addicted.

Then there is racing. We were racers before we met. We like the camaraderie of the team, and of course there is the thrill of victory (and the pain of defeat). We've lived aboard this boat for over 35 years, cruised around the world, and raced in over 450 races. We are addicted to that too.

Now this life is completely ingrained within us.

I still don't know why it has this hold on us, but neither of us have any interest in getting off and we cherish these years and adventures and would never have had any of them without the boat.

I think we're very lucky.

Sharon and I agree completely

[Jim Cate]

Sharon and I agree completely

As do Ann and I!

Jim

[RaymondR]

"100 mph wind blown water invaded every orifice"

My wet weather gear is a bit leaky at times but if it ever gets that bad I'll probably give up cruising.

[thomm225]

I think many that begin cruising that end up quitting don't get any experience first with what cruising is.

Those that start off with a smaller boat say a monohull of some sort say around 20' or so that they can day sail, race, and do some overnighters on is key

You don't just go out and buy a cruising boat and go cruising. I'm sure it's been done but unless you have done it with others you have no idea what you are getting yourself into.

After having boats all my life, this cruising thing is a totally different beast.

I was a sailboat (beach cat) racer having completed around 450 races mostly buoy racing with 6-8 distance races also per year. 20, 30, and 100 mile races some taking us 15-16 miles of shore.

Before that 5-6 power boats for fishing and skiing and exploring both Bayside and Seaside (Atlantic Ocean side) near here off the Eastern Shore and North Carolina

With cruising though it's just different. I have almost quit it several times first due to seasickness. Then old diesel engines. also the slow pace. Boredom. Life changes.

I think the actual sailing part plus the newer technology kept me interested. (Plus I just love the look of my Good Old Boat) Technology being solar, solar controllers, GPS/AIS, New Gen Anchors, among other things and also fixing up my boat a bit by repainting and replacing the dodger, mainsail cover, sails as needed

Also in heavy weather with winds to 35 knots and breaking waves my old boat has really impressed me

With cruising sometimes you are stuck at an anchorage due to weather. I hate that but have had to do it a few times.

Then there's the anchoring "overnight."

I have been lucky with this having anchored in some terrible spots at first where the wind would pickup and blow onshore all night with my boat 70 yards off the beach being held by an ancient CQR anchor.

Then there's the awful slowness of it. Most cruising boats can't even sail 10 knots! That is slow.

With my boat the Bristol 27 I have now, I'm pretty happy with anything over 5 knots. At 5.5-6.5 knots I feel like I'm really making progress

But this took years to learn/accept. I've been at this now with this boat for 11 years.

The other thing is time not having to do with speed. Cruising is a slow lifestyle and it's hard to get away from.

You can't just go get in your car and go for a ride, to the store, or out for dinner. You are stuck on that boat.

Then there's the weather which can change on you in minutes especially in Summer with the squalls.

I have known a few that started the cruising lifestyle and quit. Mostly when I was in Florida. One was a liveaboard

He had a beautiful Cape Dory 30 with stern mounted wheel but sold to move up to a Tayana.

He tried cruising sold everything including his car, moved out of his apartment, and headed South. He was back in a few months and restarted shore life. Then lost the Tayana in Hurricane Ivan.

As for me, I'm starting to get the hang of local cruising meaning with 100 miles of my dock. It still gets very slow for me though.

Usually I'm leaving an anchorage by Sun up

To prep for distance cruising, I plan to do a sort of boot camp where I sail up and down the Chesapeake Bay from bottom to top over at least a two week period and try to adapt to life aboard with stops so I can hike etc but staying on the boat the entire time. No queen size bed at home with hot shower etc

It just takes a while to adjust to the cruising life slower pace.

And that period is different for everyone

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I think many that begin cruising that end up quitting don't get any experience first with what cruising is.

With no experience of cruising and a low opinion of cruisers (from dozens of previous posts) you make it sound very unappealing.
Why are you planning on doing it ?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

With no experience of cruising and a low opinion of cruisers (from dozens of previous posts) you make it sound very unappealing.
Why are you planning on doing it ?

Before I start, I will say I have 11 years experience cruising within 100 miles of my marinas but my "cruises" are usually less than 6 days

It started with a book I read as a child. Actually I couldn't read then but looked at this book a lot.

First time I crossed the low Chesapeake Bay was on the Ferry my dad worked on after he quit farming. I was 5 years old or so. The bridge (CBBT) was not built yet.

Then there were Robin Lee Graham's Books and the National Geographic Magazine articles with him not only sailing but chasing a very pretty and young Patti around the world.

But life got in the way time and time again so here I am nearing 70 and still preparing.

So now it's more about not wanting to just hang around the house in retirement.

Plus I wouldn't mind taking a trip back down to Pensacola and possibly a run over to the Bahamas first along the way.

When I got to Pensacola which to me was getting back to the coast I had two Hobie 16's that I raced. This in 1996.

I was thinking then to get a monohull for cruising but a broker asked "how much time do you have to cruise?" Answer almost none.

I was running a project that would grow to 44 employees and a single parent of a 16 year old so I bought a new Nacra 6.0 Beach Cat and continued the racing.

That Broker gave me some very good advice

When I did finally get an old cruising boat to begin with in 2011 it was not quite what I thought it would be.

Then just when I was about to get a 35' sailboat we had some very serious family health problems to deal with

But that said another boat wouldn't have made cruising instantly better.

The things that made it better as I said before is the sailing and the technology plus........the Sun high you get after being out there a few days

The technology is something I know but only really used at work until now. I enjoyed building a chart plotter with a Raspberry Pi Computer. I also like the solar technology, also AIS/GPS and the new gen anchors.

I was for a few years an IFF Tech on the ground side which is the Interrogator which triggers the Transponder in the aircraft

An AIS Transceiver is similar to IFF with it's display which I have either via Raspberry Pi computer or Laptop on may OpenCPN Display with my AIS Receiver. I'll get an AIS Transceiver soon

I also enjoy hooking up the various internet receivers/hotspots and cannot wait to get InReach or something similar for offshore Comms/tracking

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

With no experience of cruising and a low opinion of cruisers (from dozens of previous posts) you make it sound very unappealing.
Why are you planning on doing it ?

And as far as me having a low opinion of cruisers that is incorrect.

I think you are confusing some rather intense CF discussions with like and dislike

In all the years I spent in and around Pensacola racing, I always hung out with the cruising sailors.

Racers too but it was more relaxed with the cruisers. Plus since the ultimate goal was to cruise that was where the knowledge was.

Plus it was enjoyable at the dock. I was late 30's when I got down there

We had several old salts at my dock where I lived for 5 years before moving over near the college which was lucky due to Hurricane Ivan which destroyed that dock and it's apartment complex

The dock was the hangout in the evening when the weather was nice and those old guys talked sailing and cruising which is probably why I have an old full keel sailboat.

Also I walked all the docks constantly from 1996 through about 2008 and enjoyed checking out all the boats.

I also got to observe the cruisers on the water, at the dock, and at the various restaurants/festivals around the area

You see and learn a lot that way

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by Eder

You can always replace a house if you sell it.



We pretty much traded our house for our Island Packet 9 years ago. Got the boat i wanted and never need to worry about tenants or termites while I'm out enjoying myself.

Sailboats can get termites.


Anyone out there run into this?

[Mike OReilly]

It's really hard for me to understand how "going slow" can be a reason for quitting cruising. If sailboat speeds really are a revelation to someone, then this person was doomed from the beginning. They clearly haven't done even a modicum of research.

As I have said, cruising is probably the slowest way to go anywhere. You have to know this before you sell everything and buy that dream boat.

I do think that lack of experience with the whole lifestyle can be the cause for people quitting. Sailing small boats, or chartering a couple of weeks per year, are no substitutes for actual cruising experience. The former is great for the sailing part, but sailing is the easiest thing about cruising. And the latter is just a vacation. You might learn a little about a boat, and the area, but it's superficial. Cruising is a whole lifestyle. It can't be learned from watching Tuber-cruisers, or reading glossy magazines. It has to be learned by doing.

This is why I always suggest people new to the life actually get out there ASAP with an inexpensive cruiser-level boat. Something in the 26 to 32 foot range. It has to be big enough to contain all the normal systems, and it needs to be functional enough so people can be off the dock for weeks.

I can't imagine how people can be bored while cruising. I've sat for months at a time in the same anchorage, and never been bored. I suppose it comes down to temperament. Some people are just better suited to this lifestyle than others. It's best to learn this early, hence the "do it now" (but go slow) approach.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It's really hard for me to understand how "going slow" can be a reason for quitting cruising. If sailboat speeds really are a revelation to someone, then this person was doomed from the beginning. They clearly haven't done even a modicum of research.

As I have said, cruising is probably the slowest way to go anywhere. You have to know this before you sell everything and buy that dream boat.

I do think that lack of experience with the whole lifestyle can be the cause for people quitting. Sailing small boats, or chartering a couple of weeks per year, are no substitutes for actual cruising experience. The former is great for the sailing part, but sailing is the easiest thing about cruising. And the latter is just a vacation. You might learn a little about a boat, and the area, but it's superficial. Cruising is a whole lifestyle. It can't be learned from watching Tuber-cruisers, or reading glossy magazines. It has to be learned by doing.

This is why I always suggest people new to the life actually get out there ASAP with an inexpensive cruiser-level boat. Something in the 26 to 32 foot range. It has to be big enough to contain all the normal systems, and it needs to be functional enough so people can be off the dock for weeks.

I can't imagine how people can be bored while cruising. I've sat for months at a time in the same anchorage, and never been bored. I suppose it comes down to temperament. Some people are just better suited to this lifestyle than others. It's best to learn this early, hence the "do it now" (but go slow) approach.

The boredom thing isn't necessarily about the cruising, it's more about the person and what they are used to.

Some folks lead a hyperactive lifestyle while others are more sedentary

I'm a site/project manager and handle everything from the day to day employee schedules (30-44 employees), to maintaining inventory for 14 flight and tactical simulators, to health insurance, to deaths in the family, and jury duty plus sometimes troubleshooting complex system problems while at the same time staying qualified as a computer tech. (maintaining the Certification although I rarely get to enjoy it these days except maybe on my boat and at home)

I also try to do a 3 mile walk/run/jog weekly to include push ups and pull ups then maybe weights on other days.

Besides that maintaining 4 Jeeps GC's, a house and an apartment plus reading books and playing chess and sometimes even doing maintenance on my boat

So when I suddenly find myself at anchor in the middle of nowhere ......yeah life can get too slow and sometimes boring depending on my energy level as in how long I spent getting there and how much sleep I have had

Lots of folks are similar especially with the fast paced lifestyle many of us have these days

Now that is not saying we cannot adjust to the cruising lifestyle but for some it takes more time which is why I have now been at it for 11 years ........getting used to it

I'm also hoping aging will help. I have slowed down quite a bit since I raced beach cats and did distance cycling with the bike racers and triathletes

Also coming from a racing background where the boats can hit speeds in the mid 20 knot range doesn't help the transition any.

I do like nice, protected anchorages though over rough, unprotected ones

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by GreenWave

Sailboats can get termites.


Anyone out there run into this?

There is a very well sailed plywood race boat in Antigua named "Caccia a la Volpe" and sailed by the Falcone family.

Crew on this boat reported to me that termites were present and had to be aggressively dealt with each season. However it was also observed that the boat was lighter each season which benefited them on the race course.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by wingssail

There is a very well sailed plywood race boat in Antigua named "Caccia a la Volpe" and sailed by the Falcone family.

Crew on this boat reported to me that termites were present and had to be aggressively dealt with each season. However it was also observed that the boat was lighter each season which benefited them on the race course.

I had termites. In my Catalac. They were there when I got it. They fly in in Florida. Fantastic little creatures.

I was able to kill them by wintering over in the north. That got every last one of them.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by thomm225

The boredom thing isn't necessarily about the cruising, it's more about the person and what they are used to.

Some folks lead a hyperactive lifestyle while others are more sedentary
...
Lots of folks are similar especially with the fast paced lifestyle many of us have these days

Now that is not saying we cannot adjust to the cruising lifestyle but for some it takes more time which is why I have now been at it for 11 years ........getting used to it

You really illustrated the issue well Thomm. I guess that's my point; not everyone is suited to the cruising lifestyle. Just like not everyone is suited to your frenetic lifestyle (it made me tired just reading ).

To me, there's never been a dull moment while in the middle of nowhere. In fact, getting to "the middle of nowhere" is one of the major attractions for how I cruise. Once I leave the dock for the season, I'm happy if I see no one and no human development for months.

Nature, to me, is endlessly fascinating. There's nothing dull about watching the gannets or whales, the eagles and loons, the caribou and moose, or finding that wonderful waterfall, or isolated anchorage. I can revel in the beauty of it all, and be completely content.

I'm definitely not saying my way is right or better. I'm just suggesting that my temperament is well suited to this lifestyle. And this is something I learned early on by moving slowly into this cruising life.

People can, and do, change. But big changes in temperament and general approach to life rarely happens easy. If you a high-energy, always-gotta-be-going, kinda person, then perhaps the cruising life is not for you. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's better to learn it before jumping into the deep end, only to be disappointed six months into this new life.