For us, cruising is exploration by water.
It's seeing all we can, some new, some again. Experiencing as much as we can of different places, but all by water. Typically it's a day on the water and then one or two at the next port. Sometimes long days to get there, sometimes short. Sometimes staying longer but generally we don't stay so long as to not want to return and look forward to more.
We love being on the water and covering as much of it as possible. We do like to move at reasonable speed which varies from 12 to 15 knots to 20 to 35 knots, depending on situation and boat.
We love the serenity of the water but also the excitement of new places. We like the smallest of Alaskan villages and the middle on NYC on the 4th of July. We love seeing the different people and cultures of the places we visit.
While we sometimes anchor during the day and drop our tender and take off exploring, we seldom anchor at night, almost always staying at a marina. We do use our Rib's more than any others supposedly, but we'll get out and explore in them all day, often having to refuel once or twice during the day. We don't fish much and when we do it's generally on a charter with a professional fishing captain or at home with friends on their boat. The same with sailing. A charter for the day or friends.
Today it's just the two of us on a one day trip. Probably about 150 nm today. More typically there are more aboard, often many more.
We have more future cruising plans than can be accomplished in a lifetime. Always dreaming and having mapped out several years of plans ahead. Were we ever to complete all the destinations then it would just be the second, third, fourth visits there.
We love inland and coastal boating. Love small bodies of water and oceans. We typically cruise for 4 to 8 weeks at a time and then spend 3 to 4 weeks at home. Even when home we'll get on the water at least two days a week. Six weeks away from home seems to be the point where we're ready for home a bit. Three to four weeks at home seems to be the time when we're very anxious to get back cruising. We only found those lengths of time through experimentation.
In 50,000 miles of boating so far (not counting all we did before on a lake) we've not been anywhere yet we didn't enjoy and find a pleasant place to visit. We embrace each port for what it is, not focusing on what it isn't.
We love beaches, lighthouse, historical sites. Love to ride horses along the beaches when possible. Love to see the art and crafts of each area and talk to those actually making it.
We always have our keyboard and background music on board so we can sing. Always our tennis rackets and a basketball so we can play. Yes, we've found a single tennis court in the smallest of Alaskan villages and nearly every town at least has a high school basketball court. We love to walk as well. We do find after a day or so on the boat, it's essential to be active when on shore.
We love boats. All types of boats. We even love those that personally are not right for us. We do the same things those with slower boats do, we just do it faster. A good example is as we go up and down the east coast. While some cruisers may cover 50 miles in a day and then spend time at the next town, we tend to cover 100 miles or more, often up to 200 and skip to our next destination. Then we catch a place we skipped on the way back by and another place we skipped next time. We always have it in mind we'll be returning even if that may not always materialize.
We find the world so much more beautiful when viewed from the water. We try to avoid auto and air travel when possible. They're only means to get somewhere. Water is a joy by itself.
We never stay at any one place we visit beyond a week and seldom that long. We don't want to see it all in one time. That way we long to return.
We don't try to financially or logically justify any of it or anything related to our cruising. It's not financially justifiable and not logical, it's just for pleasure. We know we could travel faster and cheaper by other means and we don't care. They're not fun to us.
Boats to us are our vacation homes as well. Meant to provide the comforts of home. Yes, we're spoiled. We've never camped out on land, never been on an RV trip. One day we do intend to camp out just to say we have. Maybe on an island somewhere.
We also are set up to be able to communicate readily with those at home, to be able to conduct any necessary business. We're accessible wherever we are so never feel we must be anywhere at a given time. I remember last winter making a presentation to an executive group of a company I occasionally consult for. They were in 0 degrees with snow, we were in 80 degrees and on the water.
We're very lucky and very happy people. So we're happy when we reach a port and happy when we leave. We refuse to allow the problems we encounter to change that. We don't let one rude person reflect on a locale nor take us down. It's about pleasure and we are not going to be denied by others or by ourselves.
We understand and enjoy boats from 10' to I think we'd enjoy up to 160' or so. We don't understand beyond that at all. Don't share one member's love of cruise ships but glad he has it. Boats are simply a vehicle or means to enjoy the water to us and bring us closer to it.
If it can safely be explored by water, it's in our plans. That's really it....
Cruising=Exploring by Water.
