ADMIT IT!

[mogulskibum]

I grew up with a 3 million acre National Forest about 50 yards from my backyard. The ability to relatively quickly get away from people is something I didn't realize was so important until I went to college in Chicago.

Ugh. That was rough. I moved back to the mountains quickly.

I told my soon to be wife that the only way I could handle living in a city on the east coast was if we had sailboat so that I could get the *&#@ away from people when needed.

It's the only way I've been able to stay semi sane while living in Sodom on the Potomac.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by geoleo

That the main reason your into sailing is to 'get away'. From the crowds, nasty rules, nasty people, trash along the public areas, deteriorating society, air pollution, noise pollution, money madness. I do.

You're in for a big shock!

[Jim Cate]

An observation from many years of cruising experience:

Before we set out long term cruising, back when we were still employed in real jobs, we really enjoyed getting to an isolated anchorage with no other folks around. Great for decompressing and all that.

Fast forward to being out a couple of years... those empty anchorages are, well, kinda empty! When you have played upon a few pristine beaches with no other footprints in the sand, they all begin to look alike and the allure fades. We start enjoying the interesting people we meet, some locals, some other cruisers... but the occasional alone time is still very welcome.

Now, after thirty years afloat, we often seek out places where we are likely to find interesting companions with whom to interact. Alone time we have in plenty, simply by going below decks if the anchorage is crowded... and if too crowded, well, there's always another one nearby!

So, for the OP, NO! I won't admit "it", 'cause it ain't true!

Jim

[daletournier]

Yes and no. For me I enjoy being away from mainstream, I'm now a different creature than the 9-5er's with kids that visit bunnings on the weekend, not better or worse, just dfferent. But I very much enjoy meeting different people, nothing I like more than having several different nationalities and accents on the boat , chatting about all sorts of stuff.

[Hasbeen]

Agree Jim Cate. After 999 pretty little anchorages, number 1000 doesn't do all that much for you.


The first time I went "up the reef" there was no Alan Lucas bible. When you saw another boat anchored you would often go & anchor near it, even if your destination had been different. Swapping notes on good or rolly anchorages, good fishing or diving spots was part of the process.


The first time I saw Shute Harbour there were just 6 boats there, & just 2 at Airlie.


Up in the islands, when you had been out of any settlement for a couple of months you would sail miles to meet up with another yacht, if only to swap reading matter, or to try to see if they knew the nearest place you could buy cooking gas or outboard fuel.


You get some great surprises too. When a very plump local came paddling out to the boat in a very small canoe in the Shortland Islands, I had expected pigeon, not the cultured Oxford accent inviting me to dine with he & his wife that evening. The Solomons had a great policy back then. Public servants had to retire after 20 years. This meant they were effectively forced to go back to their village, taking their knowledge, education, experience & money with them.

[Mike OReilly]

The comments here all seem like the typical introvert/extrovert experiences that we see in ALL life, not just in the cruising life. IOW, we are who we are, and there’s no one right answer for everyone.

As the research shows, extroverts need people. They need external stimuli to remain centred and whole. They like their quiet alone time as well, but will start to go squirrelly if isolated for too long. External stimuli energizes extroverts.

On the flip side, introverts need quiet, personal time. We can manage exuberant crowds, but only for a while. The external stimuli runs us down, not charges us up. It’s why introverts will flee social gatherings early; it’s not that we don’t like being around people, it’s just that it is exhausting.

If you’re an introvert AND a cruiser, then it’s natural you’re going to seek places with fewer people and less of life’s cacophony. And the opposite is true for extroverts. And of course, since this is a spectrum, none of us is completely one side or the other.

Do what works for you.

[sailorboy1]

wait till the introverts find out the quiet places equal nothing there including internet, and cell coverage, and food, and water

they are good to visit, for a short time

[Madwand]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

wait till the introverts find out the quiet places equal nothing there including internet, and cell coverage, and food, and water

Sounds perfect.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

wait till the introverts find out the quiet places equal nothing there including internet, and cell coverage, and food, and water

they are good to visit, for a short time for an extrovert.

There, I fixed it for you

I guess this is why I’m headed to Newfoundland instead of the Carib/Bahamas. Like I say, we each seek what seems best for us. No right or wrong answer.

Originally Posted by Madwand

Sounds perfect.

Beat me to it

[Madwand]

At the risk of being labelled "anti-social," I AM trying to escape. Escape 1st world drama and materialism. Escape a culture where people think everything is owed to them with no effort required. Escape the incessant sound of "reality" TV and it's associated miserable culture. Escape a culture where minorities are enslaved by a welfare mentality which encourages violence and discourages family, morals and civility. Escape a culture where women are taught it's bad to be feminine and men are taught that it's shameful to expect that of a woman or to be masculine.

You glass half full people can pretend none of this exists or matters, but I'm personally sick of it. I would rather be alone than to ever deal with this sick whiney mentality again or to have to worry if I'm using the proper PC terms to talk about something without fear of offending some snowflake's "right" to not be offended. Sure, my glass is half full, after 30 years in law enforcement, it's only natural.

The good thing about escaping as a cruiser is that even if I find myself surrounded by people, at least they are more likely to be similar to me and we all have cruising in common. The element of society that I am escaping from generally doesn't have the fortitude to cruise.

Plus, zombies can't swim.

[barnakiel]

Cross posting double u find from another thread:

Cruising Blues and Their Cure by Robert M Pirsig

Very worth reading.

Cheers,
b.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

There, I fixed it for you

I guess this is why I’m headed to Newfoundland instead of the Carib/Bahamas. Like I say, we each seek what seems best for us. No right or wrong answer.



Beat me to it

If your goal is to be alone and have nothing to do, no cell coverage, no internet, no stores, no water, then you should rethink it as the Exumas in the Bahamas has all that. And when you are tried of not having those things you can move to "civilization" and then barely have them.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Madwand

At the risk of being labelled "anti-social," I AM trying to escape. Escape 1st world drama and materialism. Escape a culture where people think everything is owed to them with no effort required. Escape the incessant sound of "reality" TV and it's associated miserable culture. Escape a culture where minorities are enslaved by a welfare mentality which encourages violence and discourages family, morals and civility. Escape a culture where women are taught it's bad to be feminine and men are taught that it's shameful to expect that of a woman or to be masculine.

You glass half full people can pretend none of this exists or matters, but I'm personally sick of it. I would rather be alone than to ever deal with this sick whiney mentality again or to have to worry if I'm using the proper PC terms to talk about something without fear of offending some snowflake's "right" to not be offended. Sure, my glass is half full, after 30 years in law enforcement, it's only natural.

The good thing about escaping as a cruiser is that even if I find myself surrounded by people, at least they are more likely to be similar to me and we all have cruising in common. The element of society that I am escaping from generally doesn't have the fortitude to cruise.

Plus, zombies can't swim.

good thing you have the internet isn't it

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by SV Bacchus

I freely admit it. As I get older I find I like people less and less.

ditto!

[robert sailor]

Cruising is many things for different people. There are actually very few voyagers compared to cruisers who prefer to hang out in one geographic area plus not that many cruisers continue very long after 5 years unless they are only aboard their boat for 6 months out of every year. It's not an easy lifestyle for many, it can be a lot of work at times however it's also rewarding at times.