Hobbies Boating Took From You

Ok... So now we know what everyone's hobbies are now, let's see what hobbies boating took from you.

I lost a 22-year love affair with sim racing. From the 1989 title 'Indy 500:The Simulation' I was hooked on computer simulated racing. Once iRacing came along and absolutely changed the game to an online racing community just a few years ago, I was really enjoying racing people around the world in real-time almost daily. You should see my tubular racing chassis and my $1000 steering wheel and pedal rig. It now collects dust.

I was also looking forward to restoring our 1966 Pontiac LeMans convertible. Now it just sits in the driveway. I drive it now and then, but otherwise, I haven't touched it with the intent to upgrade it since Skinny Dippin' came along. \

Tom-

Interesting topic. For me it was model railroading and fly fishing. I do still go fly-fishing for steelhead on occasion but not nearly as much as I did before we got the boat. Model railroading has become a "one of these days" hobbies that I intend to get back to eventually.

Of course I sort of have two careers, Boeing and writing. The addition of writing put a big dent in my pursuit of hobbies way before the boat came along. At least I can write on the boat


-- Edited by Marin on Friday 30th of September 2011 01:22:53 PM

(And your extensive forum postings have to keep you a little bit busy there too, Marin. Now that I know you are a writer, things are clearer now. :-D )

Working on my Jeep 1976 CJ5 My moose hunting buggy.

I like to call it my JC Whitny project because most of the things I have done to it came from The catalog.

SD

GonzoF1 wrote:
(And your extensive forum postings have to keep you a little bit busy there too, Marin. Now that I know you are a writer, things are clearer now. :-D )

Click to expand...

*As you say, I'm a fast writer and both my day job (when I'm editing) and writing give me short gaps to peruse things like TF and perhaps zip off a post.

Work. I retired and got a boat.

Motorcycles, I toured the US 25 years ago and put over 80,000 miles on a Yamaha XS750 after college. Use to ride all the time. There is a great run from San Diego to San Francisco out to Denver then down to Albuquerque then back to San Diego. Plus being in California you cold always drive through Yosemite and Sequioa Nation Park, just alot or great road to work a bike out here. but wife and kids brought changes..no regets but lots of memories

Our MGBs are not being washed, waxed, or exercised much.

If I had been able to solidly hit a golf ball I never would have bought a boat. I would have a heck of a lot more money now.

Metal detecting. That's actually how I got into boating. I wanted to search for old coins, rings, etc. on the beaches of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay where there had been casinos up until the 1960s but access was blocked from shore. I bought a 12' PortaBote and started going by water. After a while, I realized that I was enjoying the boat trip more than the metal detecting at the destination.

long distance backpacking. Back in my college years I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine (2,160 miles) not once but twice. I loved long distance travel in the wilderness. Also used to be into hunting...pretty much anything outdoors. Now- it's just boating.

WORK.

Boating is the best hobby I've ever had since ****ing with computers was the first one and then became my JOB.

I sold my ultralight airplane with the idea I was going to buy another. The money ended up going into the boat. I think that made my wife happy.

Maybe boating takes over because so many other hobbies are more like wannabees - eg, Gonzo and his motor race simulator - whereas in boating you are doing the real thing. Incidentally Gonz, if you really enjoy simulation driving, the nearest you can get to the real thing is to pop in to Ferrari World if you are in the vicinity of Abu Dhabi, and have a go on the full size F1 simulator - what a blast..! Then go on the roller coaster - fastest in the world, I can vouch for that, it's vicious.
As for the motorbiking Dswizzler, all I can say is boating is safer. Several spin-offs on wet surfaces convinced me 4 wheels are better, tho I won't deny the 'buzz' of a good bike ride It sort of tempers one's enthusiasm a bit when you have attended several motorbike fatalities on the roadside, however, and just the other day, a middle-aged patient who loooves his 'hog', limped in with his arm in a sling, having had an across Australia ride brought to an abrupt halt when a kangaroo leaped out in front of his bike, but I guess he's lucky to be alive...he's only facing a shoulder reconstruction..

Reading , when we are not out on a cruise.

Tom knows my answers, but I'll add them anyway.*

** Cycling...another great hobby for the totally obsessive

** Yoga...

** Gardening..we once had a fabulous garden surrounding the pool...now we have low maintenance plants and weeds

** home improvements...we were always fixing up our little homestead.* Now we dust it and leave it.

But...as you can see...the cycling, yoga and gardening (sim racing too)*were all hobbies that Tom and I did without each other.* The boating is something we share.*

Sharing is better.*

Gourmet cooking. With a tiny galley and oven, I can't do anything close to what I used to do at the house, and I miss it. I also used to grow my own herbs, tomatoes, etc.

Flying...

About 8 years ago I had to pick between boats and planes, boats were something I could share with the family.. The Admiral would fly but she didnt like it.

I still fly a few times a year with friends.. I do not* regret the decision one bit.

There is still time for a few other hobbies.. but they can all be parked in the barn and covered up when not in use.

HOLLYWOOD

Conrad wrote:
Work. I retired and got a boat.

Click to expand...

*Post of the year right there!!!

*

It was golf and camping for me. *I still surf whenever I can and that will always be the case....

Didn't stop because of the boat but the boat gets alot more attention now!

MY EX-WIFE !!

She always disliked boating and one day she remarked ,

"I think you love that boat better than me?"*

*

W - e - l - l, *I guess she was right, I've still got the boat! *

Edelweiss wrote:
MY EX-WIFE !!

She always disliked boating and one day she remarked ,

"I think you love that boat better than me?"*

*

W - e - l - l, *I guess she was right, I've still got the boat! *

Click to expand...

*Hahaha....okay...second best post of the year!!!!!

I named my 90/90 "SEA GYPSY ", after reading Peter Tanbgvald's book of the same name ,where he described the departure of Wife # 3 .

Wasn't married yet , but I liked his attitude.

Being an obsessive , compulsive type my hobbies came and went in 5 to 10 year cycles, rugby, marathon running, cycling etc.
Boating, fishing and free diving have never diminished so really I havn't lost much at all.
Still love my boat and working on it, cruising as much as I can and that involves fishing and free diving (spear fishing).
Fly fishing (salt water) is an obsession that doesn't die, started in early 70s and I refer to my local fly fishing shop owner as my dealer as he supports my addiction.

Woodworking.

I've made a good amount of the furniture in our house, but I haven't done anything but a little cabinet making for the boat. With new grad kids I should be making toys.

Building and flying Radio Controlled sailplanes.

Have a few planes and radios lying around. Prolly never to be flown again

this is very amusing, especially how so many blatantly not only admit they lost interest in one thing or another but also that they dont think their passion of yesterday is going to get much attention in the future.

my golf game surely have suffered but also general house upkeep and improvements.
i know there are full set of drawings and supply list for a new back yard deck laying around somewhere.
but heck since we spend most of our free time on the boat anyways, we would be on that deck and would probably even feel guilty for not using the (unbuilt) deck.