Why do cruisers quit cruising?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

There has been some sticker shock recently.

I went out to price some trucks capable of pulling a camper, y'know, yer typical V-8 beast.
It would be miracle to walk out the door for under $60K. Used trucks not much better.

Campers can get get quite pricey too, new one's hovering around $30K. Used one's, 10-15K.

Fuel consumption, while towing a camper is not for the faint of heart either.

I'm starting to lean towards a tent strapped to a m'bike

Or....

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I'm starting to lean towards a tent strapped to a m'bike

I feel your pain on the price shock for decent camper setups. I've looked around enough to know I can only afford something pretty old -- kinda like my boat I guess .

But on this note, a few years ago my spouse and I took a motorcycle trip across Canada (Ontario to BC), then down the west coast to California, through the deserts to the Gulf of Mexico, and then back up through the mid-states back to Ontario. Something like 20,000 km over six months.

We tented most of the way (with the occasional motel to warm and clean up). It was great, and pretty cheap. And we got innumerable invites for dinners in fancy RV. People took pity on us when they learned we were sleeping in a tent .

Originally Posted by DragonflyBob

Nice insights Mike. I think the mistakes a lot of people make is either they buy a boat that has poor sailing qualities to begin with or they did not take the time to really learn how to sail and to be able to get the most from the rig and sails. I listened to Bob Perry on a recent podcast and he made the statement that too many cruisers cannot properly trim their sails or tune their rigs as they spend too much time invested in other priorities.

Interesting point. I'm sure this is true. I know as a cruiser I'm nowhere near what I'd call a 'great sailor.' But I do know how to move my boat reasonably efficiently. It's not that hard to become a decent sailor. It might take a lifetime to be a master, but most people can get reasonably proficient in a short time. I equate it to chess; it pretty easy to learn to play, but you can spend a lifetime mastering the game.

My earlier point is that there is no boat that requires "20 knots of wind" to get moving well. Any decently-designed boat that has adequate sails can get to their max. speed (dependant on point of sail, and sea conditions, of course) in far less wind; even old slugs like mine. My top speed is nowhere near yours Bob (very nice boat ), but I certainly understood that when buying my boat.

There's no good excuse for anyone to find out their chosen sailboat "moves too slow." People may discover they don't like to travel by wind, but that's different -- and also something one should learn BEFORE buying into the cruising lifestyle.

[hanschristian38]

Everyone has their own reasons -

For us - Elderly parent to take care of and a grandson to take care of. Oh, and skiing too.

[jbar]

Originally Posted by Benz

Sometimes you've seen as much as you need to just then, and want to do other things. When my family outgrew the boat (children get bigger; bunks don't), we moved ashore so the wife and kids could have the garden and chickens and bees they've always desired.
I still get out a lot on deliveries and expeditions, and not living aboard has given me time for a nice refit, so the boat will be ready for the next mission (hopefully next summer, if a million variables all click together).
Part of me would love to still be full-time cruising, but then again part of me would like to still be a climbing bum living in a cave in Yosemite, and another part of me would like to build airplanes as a hobby: there's simply too many things to do with life to do them all at once.
So you do what's most important at the time, and work toward what will be important later.

Well said. Just because you quit/move-on doesn't mean you won't come back to sailing in one capacity or another.

[MicHughV]

I don't have my Harley anymore, but while I did, I put plenty of miles on it. I loved that thang....put the missus on the back, and off we'd go. Lovely machine. Made for the open road.

I've tried to add up all the continents, countries, islands, etc, I've visited, and it's a whopper of a number. In that time, I've worn out three sailboats and two fishing boats.

For whatever reason, I have lived an extraordinary blessed life. I have no complaints. None at all.

So, the camper it shall be for now. Not forever, but for now, and if I have to dig deep to get my "big" truck, so be it

[Ceryan]

This is just for fun. Besides most of the reasons given are quite similar. Money, age, health issues, repair etc.

[Messing About]

Great thread. Read every post. For me, there’s enough info here to help confirm my decision to buy the IP and go write my final chapters, once my job of caring for my ill wife is done.

I will sell the house to pay for the boat but I will keep the 2017 5th wheel RV and truck behind at my son-in-law’s property, so that I have a back-up plan or a place to take a break from the boat, if needed.

Terrapin’s story and other similar tales of the spouse not caring for the cruising lifestyle make me happy I’m going to do this alone. Although we’ve owned 5 boats, she would have never gone cruising and, as such, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity.

Also glad I quit drinking (now 11 months +). Going to need a clear head and healthy body to solo sail.

The thing I fear most is dealing with issues without a second set of hands and eyes. But many who have done it alone, before me, gives me confidence that I can over come the challenges. When it becomes impossible to do something alone, I will hopefully be able to rely on a fellow cruiser to give a hand, as I will for them.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Yes, but there's slow and then there's slow. A boat that's can make a long passage a day or 2 faster (and potentially with less time getting beat up by weather) or one that feels faster can make a big difference to how longer trips feel.

Slow is also relative to where you are. Out of sight of anything, you have a different sensation of speed. Close to land where it's obvious that you're moving along, slow doesn't feel so bad. It's in the middle state seen on many coastal trips (far enough from land that it doesn't really look like you're moving, but you can still see it) where the feeling of slow starts to really bother some people.

And yes, unfortunately some are forced to cruise on at least somewhat of a schedule. Depending on what else is going on in their lives, sometimes it's "we have 1 week to get to X, otherwise we can't go until some other time and we'll have to go somewhere closer".

All monohulls are still slow for those of us that raced beach cats for years.

We finish our first 100 mile race on a sloop rigged Nacra 6.0 (no spinnaker) in 1997 in 12 hours.
The course was basically an elongated circle. Race start 0700 and you had to be at the line by that time or be late for the start. In 1997 there were 82 boats on the starting line off Leeside Park Ft Walton Beach, FL

All my boats Hobie 16's, Nacra 6.0, Nacra 17 could reach speeds in the mid 20's. With spinnaker up you had to watch slightly behind for the gusts of wind in order to head down a bit to avoid a pitchpole on strong wind race days.

I have been trying to adjust to slow boat monohull sailing/cruising for 11 years now.

I'm thinking after I retire I'll spend the first Summer sailing up and down the entire Chesapeake Bay and staying on the boat to make the final adjustment to staying onboard more than 5-6 days

If that works out, then I'll restock and head out on leg number one to Oriental NC thru the Dismal Swamp heading South

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Wilyum

This is one of the biggest considerations I need to figure out, while I agree on every point you make here, ex. going fast and sailing in light wind, comfort that comes with a heavy full keeled boat is going to have to be my highest priority. Nothing will put an end to the dream faster than the wife not being comfortable on passage or at anchor.

After 15 years, the admiral lost her nerve.

The end, full stop.

Not a thing wrong with the boat or the crew. Fear conquers all.

Sigh....

[MicHughV]

Too true, if one has an Admiral in the wings, certain decisions going forward will be made for you.

[Sandy0101]

Cruised over 30000nm late eighties as a 25yo on a catamaran I built and going to do it again: definitely on a performance oriented monohull yacht, I’m still very fit and want to do it before I get decrepit.
I won’t do the Pacific again, other than for a Fiji surf then prefer cruising Tassie or lower lats of NZed and Aussie.
I stopped because I went into a full-on IT career through the 90’s boom, was just too good to resist that call. Have cruised and raced though, since.

[wsmurdoch]

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

After 15 years, the admiral lost her nerve.

The end, full stop.

Not a thing wrong with the boat or the crew. Fear conquers all.

Sigh....

I need to add "loss of nerve, conquered by fear" to my list.

In the edges of the Gulf Stream off Georgia last June coming home to North Carolina from the Bahamas at night with me asleep below and my wife watching in the cockpit, a wave hit us from the side soaking her, knocking her about, and leaving water in the cockpit. I awoke to a wet, trembling, and crying 71 y.o. wife. We have dealt with much worse in the past, but this time was somehow different. I don't know how it will work out, but this winter we will "cruise" in a cruise ship after thirteen trips to the Bahamas in our boat.

[skipgundlach]

I was at the helm of my experience, but it was essentially the same.

I expect you're toast, as I am, now (a CLOD today, and for a year).

Sigh....

[hpeer]

Skip and WSMurdock,

I am sorry to hear those stories. I fear something similar with my Wife who has been a very reluctantly sailor. She bitches and moans but when I ask "So where DO you want to live?" she just bitches and moans more with no answer. When she has an answer I am toast.

We have had a couple of incidents where I thought she would quit.

Falling out of the dink into cold water, where she could not deploy the emergency ladder to get out was one.

On passage last year, days of 8'ers on the beam, her seasick, then she got food poisoning or something. For 2 days the only sign of life was if I poked her she said "F÷=k you."

We broached our 44'er, layed her over pretty good. Another time I fell asleep at the helm crossing the Gulf Stream, exhaustion. She took over and did well.

Each time she has surprised me and risen to the occasion, shook herself off and continued.

I try to not test her or her limits for one day she may quit, then I will be done.

In the meantime we stumble on in our fashion.

Thanks for sharing your stories.

[Chotu]

with the spouses quitting, was it the traveling by boat you enjoyed? Or was it the sailing you enjoyed?

I always figured if I couldn’t or didn’t want to be traveling by boat, I would get some small trailerable awesome trimaran or something. I would use it around lakes and maybe the ocean here and there as well. Domestically. does that appeal to any of you that are missing it?

to me, just sailing 100 miles to a different town is pretty fun actually.

maybe you could do something like that?

Or is it that you truly like to go to other countries by boat? Because airplanes and apartments are much cheaper and easier to deal with for that task if all you were enjoying was the travel.

Could a trailerable boat bring you the happiness still?