Why do cruisers quit cruising?

[sailorboy1]

Like I wrote

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Most folks have a different definition of "cruising" than weekend jaunts on the bay.

That's fine.

When I retire I may sail further afield, but for now while I'm working and running a project it's somewhat hard to be gone more than a week or so.

I have 15 flight and tactical simulators to keep working at a 95% rate so I have to stay on top of it. We do hardware, software, and cyber security.

My main worry will be the slow pace of cruising. I'll give it a shot but also plan to get a small power boat for when I get bored with sailing/cruising.

I'm thinking 1-2 weeks at a time on the sailboat to start.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thomm225

That's fine.

When I retire I may sail further afield, but for now while I'm working and running a project it's somewhat hard to be gone more than a week or so.

I have 15 flight and tactical simulators to keep working at a 95% rate so I have to stay on top of it. We do hardware, software, and cyber security.

My main worry will be the slow pace of cruising. I'll give it a shot but also plan to get a small power boat for when I get bored with sailing/cruising.

I'm thinking 1-2 weeks at a time on the sailboat to start.

If cruising on a slow sailboat doesn't do it for you, you can always get a powerboat to cruise on instead. Just remember that speed gets expensive (in terms of fuel).

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

If cruising on a slow sailboat doesn't do it for you, you can always get a powerboat to cruise on instead. Just remember that speed gets expensive (in terms of fuel).

I would never cruise on a powerboat.

Just couldn't deal with the fuel expense. Seems like such a waste to me when I can sail mostly for free.

I have about 5 gallons of fuel max onboard for the last 12 years, but if I cruise a bit further, I'll buy another couple 2.5 gallon plastic jugs giving me a total of near 10 gallons.

My idea of a powerboat is something like a Lowe to explore the nearby creeks on the Chesapeake Bay and the barrier Islands on the oceanside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmvlnpCKOvU

[Mike OReilly]

I've never understood people who get into cruising on a sailboat, and then complain about how slow the boat moves. Sailing is pretty much the slowest way to go anywhere. If you haven't done even this modicum of research before getting into sailing, well... I just don't get it.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

If cruising on a slow sailboat doesn't do it for you, you can always get a powerboat to cruise on instead. Just remember that speed gets expensive (in terms of fuel).

Also remember: "Nothing goes to windward like a 747".

[Benz]

Originally Posted by thomm225

That's strange since all monohulls are extremely slow.

You just have to learn to enjoy the slow pace like the nice view, the wildlife, the other boats if you can see any, etc, etc.

After racing beach cats for many years which are fast, it's nice at times not to have to worry where the competition is, when and where to tack on the next mark especially if you have the lead, and all the rest that goes into racing.

Not all monohulls, unless you're setting the bar unreasonably high. I just took a Pogo 40 to the Bahamas that averaged between 9 and 14 knots as long as there was any wind.
Not my kind of boat....I simply don't mind a comfy five knots in a well-found boat, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.

[sailorboy1]

Cruisers stop cruising for lots of reasons.

But it all starts by having ...............cruised!

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Benz

Not all monohulls, unless you're setting the bar unreasonably high. I just took a Pogo 40 to the Bahamas that averaged between 9 and 14 knots as long as there was any wind.
Not my kind of boat....I simply don't mind a comfy five knots in a well-found boat, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.

Okay then, most all monohulls.

It does take a while to adjust to the 5 knot thing, but once you do you can just relax and enjoy the ride.

It's not like sailing on the edge like I did while racing beach cats, but after 15 years of that, this slow monohull sailing can be quite enjoyable.

Also, maintaining a good old boat is part of the enjoyment I have found.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by thomm225

.

It does take a while to adjust to the 5 knot thing, but once you do you can just relax and enjoy the ride....

.

This hints at an undercurrent for cruisers who stop: they either never adopted the lifestyle in the first place, or didn't like it once they did (probably due to financial reasons of got tired of making repairs).

5-6 kts sounds slow. 125-150 nms per day gets you somewhere so it's the right tool for the job. If the goal is exhilarating sailing vs adventure travel, I don't think cruising is a good fit no matter the boat.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I've never understood people who get into cruising on a sailboat, and then complain about how slow the boat moves. Sailing is pretty much the slowest way to go anywhere. If you haven't done even this modicum of research before getting into sailing, well... I just don't get it.

Exactly.

I like faster monohulls, a matter o personal taste, but we are comparing average speeds of 6 vs. 8 knots (multihulls can go faster, but they don't average that on a cruise because they are no faster up wind and high speeds are nerve wracking and rough). For comparison, 12-15 knots is reasonable on a bicycle, and driving a car to a motel is cheaper, faster, and the shower is bigger.

It's the journey, whether for a hour or a week or a year.

What defines "cruising?" For me, a trip of more than a few days, that requires reprovisioning and a change from land-based mindset to boat-centric thinking. I don't think defining a time span is useful. For example, one could argue that many marina-hoppers are not really cruising, because they never let go of the motel-hopping mindset. They are traveling, using a boat instead of a car. And there is nothing wrong with that.

[GordMay]

For speed, I'd revert to canoeing. [radar gun clocked @ 69MPH]

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I like faster monohulls, a matter o personal taste, but we are comparing average speeds of 6 vs. 8 knots ... It's the journey, whether for a hour or a week or a year.

I really don't get people who spend all that time, and money, on a cruising sailboat, and then use it like a motorboat with a stick. Sailing is about the journey, and about living with what Momma Nature gives us. By most standards, it's always slow. So if you just want to get somewhere, then buy a motorboat (or a plane ticket).

And yes, motoring is required at times, but the demand some people have of never going less than x-knots, has always baffled me.

Originally Posted by thinwater

What defines "cruising?" For me, a trip of more than a few days, that requires reprovisioning and a change from land-based mindset to boat-centric thinking. I don't think defining a time span is useful. For example, one could argue that many marina-hoppers are not really cruising, because they never let go of the motel-hopping mindset. They are traveling, using a boat instead of a car. And there is nothing wrong with that.

I don't get hung up on defining who a "cruiser" is. Generally, if you tell me you're one of us, then I'm happy to agree.

For me personally, cruising is being off the dock for many days, usually weeks or months. I don't call marina hopping "cruising", but if someone else does, I won't argue.

Funny about the reprovisioning requirement, because we rarely do so. We stock our boat for the time we plan to be gone (and then some), so usually two months, but often three or four. Once we leave, we almost never touch another dock.

Originally Posted by mvweebles

This hints at an undercurrent for cruisers who stop: they either never adopted the lifestyle in the first place, or didn't like it once they did (probably due to financial reasons of got tired of making repairs).

[Kettlewell]

What defines "cruising?" For me, a trip of more than a few days, that requires reprovisioning and a change from land-based mindset to boat-centric thinking. I don't think defining a time span is useful.

Agree. There isn't an official definition of "cruising." To me it's boating with the intent to go someplace and stay overnight, with the destination as important as the getting there. It could be one overnight or hundreds--it's all cruising, as opposed to day sailing or racing. I've run into people "cruising" on open boats, sleeping under a cockpit tent, with no "down below." Our first cruising was in a 17-foot bilge keeler with a tiny cabin, barely sitting headroom, and no engine. Still, we went out cruising around New England for two weeks or more. At one point we lived aboard a boat for 12 years straight, but for a couple of years of that time we weren't cruising--we were living aboard at a marina mostly, with the occasional weekend cruise. Going from your home marina or mooring someplace and then returning home at night to me is day sailing. But, there is no authority determining whether or not you are cruising!

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

This hints at an undercurrent for cruisers who stop: they either never adopted the lifestyle in the first place, or didn't like it once they did (probably due to financial reasons of got tired of making repairs).

5-6 kts sounds slow. 125-150 nms per day gets you somewhere so it's the right tool for the job. If the goal is exhilarating sailing vs adventure travel, I don't think cruising is a good fit no matter the boat.

I have hit speeds of 7.7 knots in the Chesapeake Bay on my Bristol 27 (theoretical speed 5.97) with winds around 12-14 knots.

Most of the lower Bay is arounds 25'-35' deep, but there are deep spots. I caught a strong outgoing tide in an area where it's 135' deep.

The current provided a nice boost getting home.

I was anchored overnight about 55-60 miles to the North, and this was about a third of the way back.

Winds were pretty light most of the way home, and I had only about 1.5 gallons of gas which I used part of early before the wind came up.