Why do you cruise?

[dwightsusan]

Only at the helm of my catamaran, or in the left seat of my Mooney, am I the Captain, the Master, the Pilot in Command; but most of all, I’m only truly happy when I’m wet.

[Happ]

I was on a friends boat and returned yesterday after 4 weeks of cruising. We took "the house" and lived on it as we went both boat shows in Annapolis. Then cruised south back to NC. We stopped and visited friends on the way back for Pot Luck Suppers with old friends. Other nights we would drop a hook and enjoy a peaceful night in an anchorage.

During the 4 weeks I made new friends. I met people who had actually sailed around the world. Visited one of them on their boat. We visited places we hadn't seen before. It's an adventure. If you like experiencing new things, new people, different foods and different sights give it a try.

[David Mathis]

Why do we cruise? Look at the options. Stay home, watch TV, mow the lawn, count the money you've saved. Maybe a vacation on land? You spend hours in traffic, finally arrive and unpack the car, a week or two later do it again. Fly to your vacation spot? That's always a wonderful experience with overbooked and cancelled flights then getting a ride to your vacation spot so you can do the unpack thing. Or . . you can cruise. A nice leisurely cruise with the journey being as good as the destination. With sufficient food on board, the trip to the restaurant of the grocery store is eliminated, so meal time is at your leisure. Hot day? Stop for a swim. It's the best vacation whether it's for a weekend or a decade.

[theDangerz]

Originally Posted by MountainStone

Every thread on this board discusses either the endless maintenance, ubiquitous hardships, inevitable tradeoffs, unavoidable sacrifices, high costs, injuries or sometimes deaths associated with cruising.

Despite all that, you are out there doing it anyway.

What's out there?

Complete freedom.
Distance from the job/stress of everyday living and from a society obsessed with buying more stuff and convincing you to be terrified of everything and everyone.

Oh... and I look back at my instagram/facebook feed over the last 10months since we started doing this and I feel like I'm looking at a brochure from club med despite the fact I'm spending less money a month than I did on a mortgage back home (not counting the boat obviously).

Honestly... I wake up everyday feeling like Im cheating or stole something. Its too good to be true but I'm not about to change anything!!

[Pinto]

Originally Posted by MountainStone

Every thread on this board discusses either the endless maintenance, ubiquitous hardships, inevitable tradeoffs, unavoidable sacrifices, high costs, injuries or sometimes deaths associated with cruising.

Despite all that, you are out there doing it anyway.

Why? What is worth all that? What is a lubber like me missing?

If I buy a bigger boat and cruise to an island anchorage, will I also not want to come back?

What's out there?

It depends on what type of cruising.
I am about to head off for several years cruising in Europe - the vast bulk of it internal Western Europe. I can think of no better way to have your own fuss free secure, comfortable, mobile space that allows freedom of travel. It can morph into a sea going vessel in a day and lope along the Med coast to explore places like Croatia etc.. No other land or air vehicle I have seen can do that as easily and travel via hotels and bnb’s don’t come close to it for ease. Also the cost is minuscule in comparison

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by MountainStone

Every thread on this board discusses either the endless maintenance, ubiquitous hardships, inevitable tradeoffs, unavoidable sacrifices, high costs, injuries or sometimes deaths associated with cruising.

Despite all that, you are out there doing it anyway.

Why? What is worth all that? What is a lubber like me missing?

If I buy a bigger boat and cruise to an island anchorage, will I also not want to come back?

What's out there?

Sounds like what you get living in a house.

[LauraleeG]

Your world is reduced to 38 ft ( in my case). Nothing else matters but the moment: the wind, the water the sail.
It gives me peace, and I am mindful of what is happening right now.
I dont get that on land.

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Agree soooo with everything stated.
Experiencing a new place, getting bored with it soon. Then the adrenaline of sailing to a new desination with many unknowns.

But it is said, not to convince anyone to take up sailing. Because much is euphoric, until (as said above) you hit it rough at an anchorace, squalls hit you, or any other peril crosses your path.

I sail, over and above all, to escape the violence and murders and political ineptness in South Africa, and having no idea where to flee to, not wanting to be anyone's "immigrant".

[Bunji]

Why ? Reality is most of us are muppets, we spend most of our lives doing what everybody else wants us to do, Gubermants ,councils, banks, insurance comps, telcos etc. For us and many others it’s an out, we want more from life away from the norms. Theres a satisfaction that comes with knowing that your in control, living off grid, sourcing your own food, fixing, maintaining things, being self sufficient and all the things others have mentioned, peace,solitude,stress free,healthy,constantly changing scenery oh did I mention it’s also a wonderful alternative to being around people cheers

[Sailmon]

For us it’s a mixture of several things. We enjoyed day sailing & taking 2 week sailing vacations on the Great Lakes for over 30 years. Every year when we came to the end of our vacation, we were left with the feeling we wanted more - that we weren’t ready for the experience to end. Coincidentally, I would disengage from my somewhat obsessive watching of TV news while on the boat - not worrying about situations & occurrences I was largely powerless to change.
Fast forward to retirement - we lived aboard & cruised our boat for the first full year after wrapping up our careers in non profit management. We now cruise Florida & the Bahamas 6 months out of every year, and no longer feel that sense of longing or being cut short in the late spring when we haul Her Diamond & lay her up for Hurricane season.
We also love the feeling of self reliance & the comfort of living in our 38’ cocoon. We love anchoring & using a dinghy as our taxi.
We love exploring new destinations, meeting new people, learning history, and volunteering & lending a hand in some of the communities we visit. We love tasting new foods. We never tire of amazing sunrises & sunsets. After 2 years of cruising we still get excited every time we see dolphins.
We have made cruising friends who we know will be in our lives for as long as we live. We have mentored those who are newer to boating & cruising & learned a tremendous amount from those who are more experienced than us. We use our time to craft & create. I have picked up my guitar for the he first time in 20 years - a luxury not possible during an intense career. I blow my conch every night at sunset. I make conch horns for friends & family.
Finally, the admiral & I get to spend significant amounts of quality time together.

[rstevens4816]

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing... about in boats — or with boats. In or out of ’em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

-"The Wind in the Willows", by Kenneth Grahame