poll on cruising people

[beau]

I would like to see a poll done about, what makes people into cruisers etc.or is there a recurring attitude/character in cruisers.

For example I see in general, an aversion to authority by most cruisers.

i would like to have you guys submit a list of what it is that made you into a cruiser etc and lets submit that list to a poll.
I think we all all know in ourselves what attacts us to this life but I would like to see if their is a predominate theme.

I know age is also a factor.
What makes a 25 year old go to sea may be quite different from someone my age 58.

I don't particularly want to do the poll, anyone can take this up. I just think it would be of of interest to a lot of us out there.

[senormechanico]

You're right about aversion to authority.
You get to make your own decisions and live with the results.

If I had to use one word it would be independence.

Steve B.

[Pblais]

I would like to see a poll done about, what makes people into cruisers etc.or is there a recurring attitude/character in cruisers.

You could start one if you wanted to.

[PBzeer]

Actually, I wouldn't so much call it an aversion to authority, as a disdain for it. The sense of independence and self-sufficency that comes with being responsible for your own fate, leaves little room to suffer fools who deal in theory instead of reality.

I think there's also a much closer sense of community among cruisers, where you are judged not by the things you have, but on what kind of person you are.

[slomotion]

I don’t think ‘aversion to authority’ quite gets it. Some people have been sailing all their lives - uncle Joe owned a marina, or daddy was a member of a yacht club, or they just grew up at the shore and everyone had a boat. For those people, cruising may be the most natural thing in the world. For those who come late to the idea of cruising, it’s more a matter of unconventional thinking. Most people (I hope) find the idea of sailing away appealing and romantic. Of those, a few will explore the idea more seriously. And of those few, fewer still will buy and outfit a boat and really do it.

The people who do this are at least a little bit crazy. Just ask their relatives, land-based friends and neighbors. I think in the end it’s a willingness to accept risks and even deprivation in the search for paradise. Everyone loves the picture post-card image of the lone sailboat anchored off a tropical island with the palm trees, white sand beaches, and jungle forest in the background. And maybe, cruising is a quest for that picture. More than a few have found their paradise in Guatemala, Honduras, the Windward islands, etc. - they stayed, they quit, and they’re not going anywhere. For the rest it’s all about the journey, the people you meet, the places you see, and the never-ending adventure - the destination doesn’t matter, all that matters is the search, and the goal is just to do it.

[ssullivan]

For us it's about:

*Peaceful, nice lifestyle
*Theory - and testing that theory in real life
*Self reliance
*Aversion to authority and freedom
*Privacy and solitude
*Only way to afford a home in today's world


We're 35 and 27.

[Islandmike]

For us it is the lifestyle and self reliance. The reasons we want do it is one thing, the other is if we actual follow through with it. Many of us want to cruise and live that lifestyle but for whatever the reason never make it....

[Inthewind]

My boat means to me....Freedom, Independance, Adventure and a way to escape the general population and the rat race. I enjoy sailing and all that goes with it, diving, fishing and living off the ocean,exploring,meeting and socializing with other cruisers and helping them if I can. I am a self contained unit out there and off the grid. I enjoy the challenges including storms and adverse sea conditions. My boat is part of my lifestyle and it makes my life that much more exciting.

[northerncat]

if you are saying that people who become cruisers are the independent people of the world that leaves a lot of sheep

sean

[Pura Vida]

Personally I simply like to sail and got tired of racing. I would travel Central America and the Carribean on a private jet if I had the finances renting a boat locally if I felt like sailing. Unfortunately for me I am not wealthy enough to fly and my wife is a Hobby Farmer so my travels are curtailed some.

I ran a similar poll on a forum devoted to Hobby Farming after an alarming number of people set a tone of escapism in their posts. Sadly people cited aversion to regulation as the reason they moved to the woods. Only two people simply said that "I like it here". One guy actually admitted that he liked being able to pee off his porch and would get in trouble in town, well no kidding!

It may be why so many people swallow the hook after a few months away from the dock because they are looking for a place to be "free". They get out at sea and find a different set of regulations and regluators, different laws and customs, noisy anchorages, different problems. And it may be that they find changing scenery is not affecting their happiness.

Anyway I'm a cruiser because I like it more than the other things that I do. The wind, sea, fussing with the boat and seeing new places for the first time and old places anew. I wonder what Georgetown will be like the next time I go back. After reflecting on it some I must say that my most important cruising book was written by Matthieu Ricard.

[Benny]

I thought of replying in Spanish for Wheels benefit but like alot of things, I don't know diddly about it

Given that, I will try to put my opinions on why I thought I would be cruising by now and why alot of you have been able to.

Apart from all the esoteric reasons for it, I believe alot of cruisers are out there right now because alot of economic conditions occurred that either made it possible for many or sped up the process for others. Basically most countries economies have been on a 10 year positive track which means that most of us have been able to enjoy a real advantage to earn income and invest our savings and earn higher returns. The job markets have been relatively stable with low unemployment numbers so most of us have been able to stay employed during that period as well. This all adds up to many of us having the money to implement our plans which before this economic boom, may have been more uncertain.

For those of us who feel the establishment is something to get away from, please remember that it has allowed you to be able to pursue your dream with enough funds garnered through a lengthy prosperous period. Also most of us are able to live in countries that do not suppress our freedoms and we have the ability to choose to go voyaging whenever we want. Many countries are not like that. So let us consider ourselves lucky and priviledged to be leaving where we are and when we are.

As for my dream, maybe it will still come true but my bride is about 8 years younger than me and owns a thriving business that she loves. I don't see us going cruising in the near future and I have had some health problems that I hope don't incapacitate me when and if we are finally able to go.

Didn't mean to digress here and wish all of you fair winds.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

After reflecting on it some I must say that my most important cruising book was written by Matthieu Ricard.

. . . which one, PV? If I had to guess, I think I'd go with The Monk and the Philosopher, but there are other excellent possibilities.

TaoJones

[Paul Ouellette]

Beau :

A good thread...

There are as many reasons to justify untying the lines as there are people that do it, however, if you ask the question "why" the majority will respond by simply saying..."because of the freedom".

Our world is filled with a multitude of rules to be followed, & many of our freedoms are slowly being eroded.

Since modern society puts people into a cycle of "work hard...to have more...to keep up...to pay taxes" so that you can eventually die & be the richest guy in the graveyard...it's not too hard to understand that when a person considers their own mortality, they also often start to think of ways to maximize the enjoyment of the life they have left.

I very much agree with slomotion's comments as to the mental image of being able "to live" in beautiful tropical places where the majority can only escape to on vacations.

So if "cruising" is thought to deliver a life style that includes...

1) Surrounding you with an extended happy family of like minded souls who have also decided that living in a paradise on earth is a good idea...

2) "Thumbing your nose at a government" that seeks to control your actions & treats your assets like a dairy cow to be milked...by leaving & asserting your own independence...

3) Adventure, discovery & personal satisfaction from self reliance that's out there for the taking...and...

4) Being closer to nature & marvelling at sunsets & sunrises as a commonplace occurance...

Is it any wonder that some people decide to do this ??

As our plans are to cruise the Great Lakes (our home territory) the east coast, the Keys, the Bahamas, I'm hoping to strike a balance between the convieniences we're used to & the four points above.

Who says you can't have it all.

Now, if they'll just build a Walmart in Georgetown...

[TaoJones]

. . . I'm sure your tongue was firmly planted in your cheek, Paul - at least I hope so.

Originally Posted by Paul Ouellette

Now, if they'll just build a Walmart in Georgetown...

Apropos your Wal-Mart reference, I offer the following:

[Benny]

Here's Wikipedia's definition of freedom

• Freedom (philosophy), the ability to act consciously, in a well-balanced manner and with self control in a given constructive direction
• Freedom (political), the right or the capacity of self-determination as an expression of the individual will

Perhaps some of you think you can 'escape' and that it translates to freedom. To this, I offer the following:

Unless you can take enough supplies, spares and whatever else you will possibly need for the rest of your life on board, denounce your citizenship, give away all your money and other possesions before you leave and once having done so never touch land or sail into any country's territorial waters, speak to anyone else or need to resupply, replenish or need medical attention, you cannot escape.

While you are cruising, you will still have to draw on your funds held at some financial institution or investment both which are regulated by the government, still collect pensions from the government, still be a citizen of your country and subject to all it's laws - the government, be subject to the laws of any other country you cruise to - their governments, and also subject to fees and regulations of various marinas and equipment suppliers and a host of other companies you will buy things from - all regulated by some form of government.

The reason I would wish to go cruising is the joy of the experience of sailing my own vessel to another place - a sense of accomplishment and experiencing the discovery of new places, people and friends along the way. It is the fullfilment of a dream or urge to strike out and do something different and rewarding.

It would be delusional of me to expect that i would be able to escape or even lessen any government involvment in my affaitrs as I pointed out earlier. Believing so would be setting myself up for a big disappointment as I tried to escape the bonds of and responsibility of involvement in my life of many levels of government and beuracracy. Being well prepared on all levels before and during the cruising is the best 'cure' for troubles with the governments and other authorities and having my affairs in proper order at home will minimize frustrations to be dealt with while away voyaging like family matters, money, taxes, property mangement etc.

There is no escape from governments or bearacracy - we can only try to minimize their impact by preparing properly.

On an end note, those who wish to escape are dismissing the very process that could change things for the better for them while they are away - their vote and the democratic process.