Solo Cruising

[Sailor of Fortune]

to everyone that doesnt want to be alone . i worked away all the time and people would say dont you miss home or your wife i would tell them as long as i keep one leg shaved i never get lonely at night

Huh? I don't get it...

 

[syjos]

My wife loves boating. We've been boating for almost the entire 43 year marriage. We cruise the PNW 2 to 3 months every summer. She is active in the management and operation of the boat. She does most of the driving on long runs while I putter around the boat finishing projects.

However, I drive the boat solo from our slip in Port Orchard to Des Moines Marina 4 - 5 times a year while my wife drives the car over. I have found cruising solo to be very enjoyable and look forward to the next one.

 

[menzies]

Huh? I don't get it...

Feels like he has a woman in bed with him!

 

[AlaskaProf]

Maybe you should not travel in dense fog.

Spoken like a Floridian.

 

[BandB]

From childhood until I was 30 years old, my boating was on an inland lake and the majority of it was solo. Once my wife came into the picture, I've not one time been on a boat again solo and don't ever intent to again.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Gonna do a few days of that next week.
Got a backlog of anchor evaluations to perform and I think Chris considers that too boring. She prefers weeding the garden.
Thinking about drag’in my dink along but that will take time. To get it to the water, mix gas ect.
Some boat maint to do too like replacing bilge pump sumps. Rust

 

[dhays]

Got a backlog of anchor evaluations to perform and I think Chris considers that too boring. She prefers weeding the garden.

I truly hate gardening, particularly pulling weeds. However, if the other option was anchor evaluations..... ;-)

 

[dwhatty]

Count me as one of the fortunate ones. My wife has always loved the boating, cruising and liveaboard life as much or more than me.

Definitely Ditto here.

 

[dwhatty]

I enjoy a few days without my wife (as can she without me), whether on the boat or wherever.

 

[BandB]

I truly hate gardening, particularly pulling weeds. However, if the other option was anchor evaluations..... ;-)

Wifey B: I can't imagine those being the best choices of things to do.

 

[JohnP]

Wow, Interesting thread! My wife will cruise we me on our boat for a month or even six weeks. Then she needs a break and likes to return to the house to recoup. With the boat traveling South for six months the back and forth trips add to the overall expense. However guess I am lucky she goes at all, and we seem to enjoy our time on the boat. I usually end up on my own for a month or so each Winter, can't seem to feel the need to break away from the boat and go home to shovel snow!

 

[Amadeus]

I met my wife 33 years ago after she had just finished sailing around the world. She was 23 at the time. I took her treasure hunting in the Philippines for 7 months and she never complained once about living in the jungle in Luzon. I figured she was pretty unique and I proposed, she agreed and we've been married 32 years. During that time we have owned a number of boats and she is always willing to go anywhere, anytime, at a moment's notice. As I transition into retirement we are making plans to fly a small airplane around the world (we are both pilots) and recently she has indicated she wants to do the great loop. We'll need a slightly smaller boat, which is fine.

Before we got married I told her I would always be faithful as long as we were never seperated for more than 14 days. She took me seriously; In the intervening 32 years we've never been apart more than 13 days. I consider myself to be a very lucky man...

 

[Evergreen1111]

 

[jeffnick]

I guess I'm in a slightly different category. I go with my handicapped wife, but essentially I'm still alone. I hqave to launch/retrieve alone and anchor and perform all chores by myself. I guess it all depends on your determination?
https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2015/06/big-duck-goes-back-to-lake-powell-2015.html

 

[RossWilson]

Well, this is a nice change. Not that exchanging info about the technical aspect of boats and sharing nautical adventures isn't really good. But men expressing themselves emotionally is special though.


We sold our Monk 42 last year for several reasons, including the lack of thrusters and heat/air. The main reason, however, was we needed something smaller and easier to handle. Why, you ask? Because in the not too distant future, I'll be handling a boat solo. Thus, the attraction of a Mainship 34T with bow and stern thrusters as well as reverse air. It's nice to know that I'll not be the only solitary boater.



You see, this will likely be my wife's final season of boating, frankly, her final season in this life. She has terminal cancer. I thought about postponing buying another boat. But being the completely selfless woman that she is, she encouraged me to acquire the new boat because it's my passion. She's even urged me to find a new first mate after she's gone. What a woman!



We've enjoyed over 27 years together and have had many terrific adventures, on and off the water. I wish to make this season as delightful as I can, and pray for calm seas and sunny skies.

 

[Brooksie]

New Wife. Problem solved.

 

[Estranger]

I have a feeling that is what is in store for me this year. We purchased a house with a commanding view of Tacoma and the Puget Sound last year. Our girl "Sofia" was in both WBF shows in Port Townsend and Seattle lasy year in September. Since then, my wife has been back to the boat only once.



This year she mentioned that we should have a car in Port Townsend in case of Emergency, meaning, she wants to drive up, and I have already found a willing crew for both shows. It will be interesting to see what pans out.



Happy Sailing

 

[Fletcher500]

Ross Wilson, that was a hard post to read. She sounds like an amazing woman.

 

[AusCan]

It seems everyone has a slightly different reason for boating alone, or not.
Some boat alone only because their partners won't join them.

As much as I enjoy my wife's company, I'd feel smothered if she joined me every time I went boating. I enjoy the solitude of boating alone on the big ocean. It's good for the soul.

 

[ctjstr]

Interesting topic. I've boated with my wife most of the time. But, also did lots of solo boating "between" wives.

 

[dhays]

You see, this will likely be my wife's final season of boating, frankly, her final season in this life. She has terminal cancer. I thought about postponing buying another boat. But being the completely selfless woman that she is, she encouraged me to acquire the new boat because it's my passion. She's even urged me to find a new first mate after she's gone. What a woman!

We've enjoyed over 27 years together and have had many terrific adventures, on and off the water. I wish to make this season as delightful as I can, and pray for calm seas and sunny skies.

I wish you the best Ross. I hope your season is a wonderful one.

 

[Rufus]

I cruise the boat. Spouse meets me at the next port with the car. She likes living on the boat in new places....hates droning along on the boat. So do I now that I think about it. Maybe I need to hire a captain to move the boat around like the big boys...but then we couldn't afford the boat..

 

[rgano]

Spoken like a Floridian.

Come on down here in the spring and I'll show you some fog!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,

Mr. R. Hire this captain and I'm SURE your spouse will be happy to join you "droning along".

 

[ben2go]

Being on the boat is my happy place. However the wife has had enough. She might meet me at a destination once in a while, if there is shore power and the boat doesn’t rock, but she is not into the cruising part.
I spent 4 months in the keys and Bahamas last year with occasional trips home. I loved it. We just sold our house near Savannah and bought a condo in NC to be near the grandkids. It’s a gated community with all maintainence done by the HOA. Wife is happy and I am free to cruise.
I just wonder how many other guys do that? Is it weird or creepy for a guy to enjoy the beauty and solitude as much as I do?
It can get lonesome. Maybe I’ll get a dog.

Mine decided that when I go, she is leaving and moving back to KY with her kids from her first marriage. They are grown with their own families. OK, I'll sell my properties to fund my adventures.

 

[Ken E.]

Ross, I wish you well in the future, if you're solo or with a co-pilot. We confronted a similar situation a few years ago when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. This changed our usual routine of taking the boat to Alaska in the summer,. But the following year, we were able to have chemo therapy in Alaska, which was a great solution. She is now in remission and feeling great. Best wishes for you in the future.

 

[Gulf Comanche]

Well, this is a nice change. Not that exchanging info about the technical aspect of boats and sharing nautical adventures isn't really good. But men expressing themselves emotionally is special though.


We sold our Monk 42 last year for several reasons, including the lack of thrusters and heat/air. The main reason, however, was we needed something smaller and easier to handle. Why, you ask? Because in the not too distant future, I'll be handling a boat solo. Thus, the attraction of a Mainship 34T with bow and stern thrusters as well as reverse air. It's nice to know that I'll not be the only solitary boater.



You see, this will likely be my wife's final season of boating, frankly, her final season in this life. She has terminal cancer. I thought about postponing buying another boat. But being the completely selfless woman that she is, she encouraged me to acquire the new boat because it's my passion. She's even urged me to find a new first mate after she's gone. What a woman!



We've enjoyed over 27 years together and have had many terrific adventures, on and off the water. I wish to make this season as delightful as I can, and pray for calm seas and sunny skies.

Now that’s a hell of a gal.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I haven’t been boating solo since I was a young man.
But I’m about to do just that for a few days.

 

[syjos]

You see, this will likely be my wife's final season of boating, frankly, her final season in this life. She has terminal cancer. I thought about postponing buying another boat. But being the completely selfless woman that she is, she encouraged me to acquire the new boat because it's my passion. She's even urged me to find a new first mate after she's gone. What a woman!



We've enjoyed over 27 years together and have had many terrific adventures, on and off the water. I wish to make this season as delightful as I can, and pray for calm seas and sunny skies.

Wow, RossWilson she is a selfless woman. I hope you and your wife have a great season together.

We are here for you.

 

[Imp]

You see, this will likely be my wife's final season of boating, frankly, her final season in this life. She has terminal cancer. I thought about postponing buying another boat. But being the completely selfless woman that she is, she encouraged me to acquire the new boat because it's my passion. She's even urged me to find a new first mate after she's gone. What a woman!
.

Fly Boy & I were both widowed when we met, & his late wife's photos, with great honor, still adorn the walls of our home. After she died, he found a letter from her encouraging him to find a new partner in life. I will always be grateful to a woman I've never met.

May this cruising season bring you fair winds & following seas--