Cruise planning - What do you do?

[Jeffrey S]

...you lead a perfect life. When I die I want to come back as you!

Next life, choose rich parents. It jump-starts the ability to live in certain ways you think you admire.

 

[Bigsfish]

Good idea Jeffery, I'll interview the sperm fighting its way to the egg. LOL

 

[Northern Spy]

Next life, choose rich parents. It jump-starts the ability to live in certain ways you think you admire.

My kids are screwed.

 

[Jeffrey S]

My kids are screwed.

Nah - they'll be better adjusted and realize the value of life. Working for what you have is never bad. Being given it all usually screws you up.

 

[BandB]

BandB

You wore me out with all your planning for all those trips, you lead a perfect life. When I die I want to come back as you!

We enjoy the planning part. We involve those going with us too as we'll look up a town or area and all talk about what we'd like or wouldn't like to do there.

Even so, a lot happens accidentally and we try to take advantage. We had no idea when we planned Panama and the canal that we'd be arriving for Carnival. And then no idea when we planned to go to Port Antonio, Jamaica that it was going to be Easter and that they celebrate Easter like we'd never imagined. As fans rooting for the Warriors, being in Cleveland for the seventh game of the NBA finals was bittersweet and unplanned.

Sometimes we find too that by letting everyone participate we have pleasant surprises. The young people with us have no interest in baseball but loved the Baseball Hall of Fame. They also enjoyed a Cubs game. Meanwhile they drag us to amusement parks and we have a great time and once every couple of weeks we even agree to and enjoy Pizza.

 

[BandB]

Next life, choose rich parents. It jump-starts the ability to live in certain ways you think you admire.

Wifey B: Well, neither of us knows about that. I know about growing up in abject poverty and he knows middle class, working parents.

 

[BandB]

Nah - they'll be better adjusted and realize the value of life. Working for what you have is never bad. Being given it all usually screws you up.

Wifey B: Your bitterness never ceases to amaze me. We have some extremely close friends who grew up in wealth we can't even comprehend, but are well adjusted, hard working, fully understand the value of life, are very caring people and look out for others in all sorts of ways. I've also met pretty screwed up people from all economic levels. I don't judge groups of people, just individuals.

 

[Jeffrey S]

...but are well adjusted, hard working, fully understand the value of life, are very caring people and look out for others in all sorts of ways.

That's a wonderful story that you should repeat in front of a mirror every night until it comes out silky smooth.

 

[cafesport]

Well back to the Lou's question before someone closes this thread.

We plan to cruise, but don't cruise to plan. As a matter of safety "no schedules" is rule number one on our boat. For us, cruising is like eating. We are pretty sure that we are going to be eating next Tuesday. The where, when and what just aren't worth the effort to plan. Plus my wife is always changing her mind. We prefer to enjoy the trip. For us the trip is the destination.

Now our friend Richard on Dauntless, he is an incessant planner. He actually arrived in the san Blas islands within 1 day of a plan he made two years ago. Don't get me started about all the cool things he missed while sticking to his schedule. We are going to have dinner with him sometime in the future. I don't know the specifics nor does Richard and but for a change he's actually fine with that.

 

[O C Diver]

We plan to cruise, but don't cruise to plan. As a matter of safety "no schedules" is rule number one on our boat. For us, cruising is like eating. We are pretty sure that we are going to be eating next Tuesday. The where, when and what just aren't worth the effort to plan.... We prefer to enjoy the trip. For us the trip is the destination.

I'm thinking that could be a plaque on my boat that could start with "Welcome to my world".

Ted

 

[BandB]

The where, when and what just aren't worth the effort to plan. Plus my wife is always changing her mind. We prefer to enjoy the trip. For us the trip is the destination.

.

Wifey B: Oh the trip is heaven but the destination is an additional present from the angels.

Maybe I'm just young and easily excited by seeing new things, going to new places. In the last 3+ years I've been to so many places I'd never been to and spent time at some I'd only been through or by and there's so much more to see still.

Prior to late 2012, I'd really only traveled a small part of the US. I hadn't even been to FL until June, 2012. I'd been to NYC only with hubby since he went there sometimes on business. Now, he'd been more places if you call airport to hotel to office to hotel to airport going. He had passed through more when changing planes. The only coastal areas we'd been to were the coasts of NC and SC and once when a child he'd been deep sea fishing off Port St. Joe and he'd visited a grandmother when he was 5 or younger in Lakeland and been to Disney once when about 10.

I fall in love with every place I go. My favorite, the latest. Small town, huge city. I love them all. Art in the NY Museum of Art or a local artist on the street of La Paz or the crafts of the Makah Indians. The history of some town I didn't know existed. What the locals do for fun.

I understand many of you find all this somewhat boring, but I'm a wide eyed kid just having fun with each new adventure. Today, was a brief trip to the Art Museum in West Palm. I've been there at least ten times and always something more to see. Two new exhibitions today. Now, I could drive to West Palm by car, but that's no fun at all.

 

[Ski in NC]

I jump in the boat and... GO. Got to have fuel, credit card, tools, phone and charger, some grub, and a basic idea of generally where to go. Important to know whether to turn left (north) or turn right (south) when I hit the ICW 500 feet from my dock.

Other than that, go with the flow.

Dreaming now as my boat is in the shed for heavy maintenance. Going nowhere for next few weeks.

Did I mention that sanding SUCKS??

 

[BandB]

I jump in the boat and... GO. Got to have fuel, credit card, tools, phone and charger, some grub, and a basic idea of generally where to go. Important to know whether to turn left (north) or turn right (south) when I hit the ICW 500 feet from my dock.

Other than that, go with the flow.

Dreaming now as my boat is in the shed for heavy maintenance. Going nowhere for next few weeks.

Did I mention that sanding SUCKS??

First, building house. Now, sanding boat. You need to get out on the water.

 

[kev_rm]

I have no idea where i'm going tomorrow. I like it that way.

 

[Ski in NC]

First, building house. Now, sanding boat. You need to get out on the water.

No kidding. May head south to the Keys or Bahamas after splash. Maybe May or June. Fortunately, the bottom is in pretty good shape and maintenance needed falls into the "normal" category.

I thought "brightwork" was cool when I built it. Looks great. Maintenance, though, sucks.

 

[Bigsfish]

Ski

Brightwork and teak looks great on everyone's boat except mine! LOL

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I would also state that planning is fun and part of the cruise. Kay and I have learned to do this:


IT'S NOT ABOUT THE DESTINATION, RATHER ITS ABOUT THE CRUISE

 

[rwidman]

I forgot this in my original post:


Check to see what spare parts I have on board and make sure I have filters and oil for changes along the way. Since my oil change interval is every 100 hours, I may have to make one or two changes before I get back. Oil can be pretty expensive in marinas and they might not have your favorite brand.

 

[Lou_tribal]

I would also state that planning is fun and part of the cruise. Kay and I have learned to do this:


IT'S NOT ABOUT THE DESTINATION, RATHER ITS ABOUT THE CRUISE

Totally agree, when I planned my first cruise ever last year it was very funny to try to establish my route with all my stops and see where it could be the best place for ths and that... of course as soon as we departed the plan totally changed and we needed to adapt to constraints, but it was fun

 

[Lou_tribal]

I forgot this in my original post:


Check to see what spare parts I have on board and make sure I have filters and oil for changes along the way. Since my oil change interval is every 100 hours, I may have to make one or two changes before I get back. Oil can be pretty expensive in marinas and they might not have your favorite brand.

As you said planning needed parts for extended cruise is a good part of avoiding headache.

 

[FF]

Lots of oil is a great insurance policy.

An engine full of seawater can happen from many failures.

All it takes perhaps is a quick patch job and a couple of oil changes.

The first flush can be diesel which will be on board but the next 1 or 2 need to be lube oil.

Had a friend that changed the oil in the second engine , and used it for the 1st flush oil on the first engine .

Just be sure to bag any on board oil filters as they are created to be installed , not stored , so will rust stored in a locker.

 

[Bigsfish]

Thanks FF

Every now and then I pick up a jewel of info that I had never considered before that makes perfect sense after you hear it. I had never considered flushing out an engine that sucked up water with Diesel fuel that many of us have extra gallons on board to save the extra motor oil which most of us don't carry an excessive amount. To me that is a jewel.