GHA
Well-Known Member
from there author of Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance ...
http://www.moq.org/forum/Pirsig/cruisingblues.html
Close, I would say
http://www.moq.org/forum/Pirsig/cruisingblues.html
Close, I would say
what it's like to stop working and go cruising?
- Thread starter GHA
- Start date
michael_w
Well-Known Member
Interesting read. SWMBO and I on our two Atlantic Circuits found that having a "game plan" really helped. That and a dress rehearsal before casting off, for us it was a race from The Solent to Bayona.
The constant repairs gets annoying at times. It seems that a lot of equipment is just not up to continuous use. Fishing boat sized gear must be more reliable, but you need a boat big enough!
The constant repairs gets annoying at times. It seems that a lot of equipment is just not up to continuous use. Fishing boat sized gear must be more reliable, but you need a boat big enough!
BobPrell
Well-Known Member
I take it you mean that you had a firm objective and timetable for your cruise. If not please elaborate.
Erskine Cilders in Riddle of the Sands said that his friend's yacht had larger and heavier gear than would be expected on a gentleman's recreational yacht. We have been warned.
Last edited:
BobPrell
Well-Known Member
I started reading about cruising yachties in about 1975.
I thought Gee i'd like to do something like that one day.
To keep a long story short, the shallows and miseries of life got in the way. I resigned myself to the idea that it was not going to happen.
The sudden and unexpected death of my life partner recently, has put me in the position where it can happen, if I want to make it so. One of the last things she said to me was "Buy yourself a boat".
So the subject of this thread is not just of academic interest to me.
I thought Gee i'd like to do something like that one day.
To keep a long story short, the shallows and miseries of life got in the way. I resigned myself to the idea that it was not going to happen.
The sudden and unexpected death of my life partner recently, has put me in the position where it can happen, if I want to make it so. One of the last things she said to me was "Buy yourself a boat".
So the subject of this thread is not just of academic interest to me.
sailorgirl
Well-Known Member
Gosh that is quite a read and I am amazed how he describes exactly that time on the night watch when your brain starts chewing things over - I've taken to having a notebook with me and scribbling away in the dark. Its not always completely legible the next day but at least I capture some of my more creative thoughts either for our blog or to stow away for other writing projects.
And long term cruising is definitely not a holiday - mundane tasks like shopping & laundry take hours longer than on land but the sights the sounds and the people you meet make it so much richer than the 9 to 5.
S
And long term cruising is definitely not a holiday - mundane tasks like shopping & laundry take hours longer than on land but the sights the sounds and the people you meet make it so much richer than the 9 to 5.
S
Eyore
Well-Known Member
Fascinating read. Thanks.
Bertramdriver
Well-Known Member
I read the article with interest. We concluded early on that full time livaboard life was more than we could cope with, especially with an elderly relative to monitor. Our solution is roughly 6 or 7 months afloat (or slaving in the boatyard) and the winter in our home in the UK. Usually feeling miserable.
The author was right in pointing out that life afloat is a constant round of maintenance and replacement of stuff which is always in awkward places and costs an arm and a leg. Last summer cost us an electric toilet macerator ,£500, a new windlass £1500, a fresh water pump £300, a hydraulic passerelle upgrade £500, boat clean and polish £200 and on and on.
And then the servicing costs for the engines £2000 and they burn between one and five gallons per mile depending on how fast we need to go.
So to cut a long story short our time in the UK is focused on saving up funds to pay for the boat, so very little eating out, minimal socialising, and a wife who now lives with the year before last fashions.
Why do we do it? Because on the boat every day is an adventure, some good and some bad. Every place we visit is different with some interest, and we meet an endless stream of real characters. The heat keeps the arthritis at bay and navigation/ pilotage keeps the grey cells active.
We'll keep going until we become a hazard to shipping.
The author was right in pointing out that life afloat is a constant round of maintenance and replacement of stuff which is always in awkward places and costs an arm and a leg. Last summer cost us an electric toilet macerator ,£500, a new windlass £1500, a fresh water pump £300, a hydraulic passerelle upgrade £500, boat clean and polish £200 and on and on.
And then the servicing costs for the engines £2000 and they burn between one and five gallons per mile depending on how fast we need to go.
So to cut a long story short our time in the UK is focused on saving up funds to pay for the boat, so very little eating out, minimal socialising, and a wife who now lives with the year before last fashions.
Why do we do it? Because on the boat every day is an adventure, some good and some bad. Every place we visit is different with some interest, and we meet an endless stream of real characters. The heat keeps the arthritis at bay and navigation/ pilotage keeps the grey cells active.
We'll keep going until we become a hazard to shipping.
tri39
Well-Known Member
Despite having Pirsig's Zen… in my bookcase for thirty years I have never read more than a few pages!
However I did force myself to read Lila this summer. Altho I must confess to skipping more and more of the hippy philosophy.
Mainly I enjoyed going down the Hudson on his boat (possibly a tri!), visiting Noo Yawk and his open minded acceptance of what (poorly planned) cruising entails. Especially the maintenance which you must learn to enjoy. And the constant flexibility required.
By contrast, Lila herself was hardly an engaging character!
Like Bertram, family responsibilities have prevented full time liveaboarding, but I think deep down I accepted that I would prefer little and often anyway. Altho the little this summer was three months plus. And even an Atlantic circuit is not really full time liveaboard, our forum's title is misleading really.
However I did force myself to read Lila this summer. Altho I must confess to skipping more and more of the hippy philosophy.
Mainly I enjoyed going down the Hudson on his boat (possibly a tri!), visiting Noo Yawk and his open minded acceptance of what (poorly planned) cruising entails. Especially the maintenance which you must learn to enjoy. And the constant flexibility required.
By contrast, Lila herself was hardly an engaging character!
Like Bertram, family responsibilities have prevented full time liveaboarding, but I think deep down I accepted that I would prefer little and often anyway. Altho the little this summer was three months plus. And even an Atlantic circuit is not really full time liveaboard, our forum's title is misleading really.
Scillypete
Well-Known Member
What a read . . . feeling depressed now myself after wasting that time, think i shall just go slash my wrists now . . . . . . . .
ups and downers of cruising, nothing new there, you either deal with it or go back to the day job. Cruising is surely much easier on the mind now than when that piece was written in 1977 with modern comms, more reliable gear and many life enhancing gadgets or looking at it another way more things to go wrong.
ups and downers of cruising, nothing new there, you either deal with it or go back to the day job. Cruising is surely much easier on the mind now than when that piece was written in 1977 with modern comms, more reliable gear and many life enhancing gadgets or looking at it another way more things to go wrong.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
I have downloaded several cruising couple books for the Kindle, in which in most cases the couple divorced towards the end. I couldn't help observing that in most of them they didn't seem very happy before they set off, so moving into a far more stressful environment, for the inexperienced, was doomed from the start.
syfuga
Well-Known Member
Hard to say where that muddled article is coming from. The wind blows from one direction one moment, and from another the next. A bit like in the Mediterranean.
If this is a serious question, then I would say that for many people stopping work and going cruising is both extremely rewarding, and a relatively economical way of life. It will not suit everyone, and as the article says, it has its down sides as well as its upsides.
We stopped work in 2003, and recently returned to the UK. Our boat Fuga is up for sale, as sadly we cannot return to 'normal life' and keep her. We maintained a web site, blog if you like, that records the trials and tribulations of our travels, along with the joys. However, as the upside revolves largely around the countries visited, the people, cultures and history, and especially the fellowship with our fellow cruisers, these aspects are probably under-reported. Take a look at one couple's experience.
If this is a serious question, then I would say that for many people stopping work and going cruising is both extremely rewarding, and a relatively economical way of life. It will not suit everyone, and as the article says, it has its down sides as well as its upsides.
We stopped work in 2003, and recently returned to the UK. Our boat Fuga is up for sale, as sadly we cannot return to 'normal life' and keep her. We maintained a web site, blog if you like, that records the trials and tribulations of our travels, along with the joys. However, as the upside revolves largely around the countries visited, the people, cultures and history, and especially the fellowship with our fellow cruisers, these aspects are probably under-reported. Take a look at one couple's experience.
Gerry
Well-Known Member
To my mind cruising is mostly about self-sufficiency. If that concept doesn't turn you on it's unlikely that you will be a long term cruiser. Repairing kit, dealing with bureaucracy, cooking, all take time and need a far greater degree of self starting than life on land.
In our experience you need to be 'socially independent' too! Cruising as a couple will bring you face to face with the unadulterated reality of both your own and your partners character, the good, the bad and the ugly! If you can't take 24/7 exposure to your partner on land you sure as hell ain't going to deal with it at sea.
It is however the most fantastically stimulating, exasperating, fascinating and rewarding way of life.
In our experience you need to be 'socially independent' too! Cruising as a couple will bring you face to face with the unadulterated reality of both your own and your partners character, the good, the bad and the ugly! If you can't take 24/7 exposure to your partner on land you sure as hell ain't going to deal with it at sea.
It is however the most fantastically stimulating, exasperating, fascinating and rewarding way of life.
JamesFrance
Well-Known Member
We did that in 1969, with two small boys and we bought a boat lying in Malta.
The following year we took her to Falmouth, calling in 75 places on the way.
We never needed to pay in port, although we made ourselves disappear when we saw a uniformed type approaching in Saint Tropez.
Here we were at Mylor, journey's end.
This was definitely the best of times for us and we celebrated 50 years of marriage last year.
The following year we took her to Falmouth, calling in 75 places on the way.
We never needed to pay in port, although we made ourselves disappear when we saw a uniformed type approaching in Saint Tropez.
Here we were at Mylor, journey's end.
This was definitely the best of times for us and we celebrated 50 years of marriage last year.
sailorgirl
Well-Known Member
Congratulations and thanks for sharing.
Slow_boat
Well-Known Member
We tried a few months this year and can safely say that we get on better on the boat than we do on land. There's no family politics, no-one to interfere for a start!
On the boat we feel a lot more of a single unit, doing everything as a team, much more than we do ashore. There is pressure at times but it's different to shoreside stress.
Our boat works on the KISS principle. Okay, we've got some things that are 'nice to have', like radar, fridge, chart plotter etc, even a TV but if they go wrong it's not the end of the world.
A separate after cabin is important to us. Room to be alone if we want.
On the boat we feel a lot more of a single unit, doing everything as a team, much more than we do ashore. There is pressure at times but it's different to shoreside stress.
Our boat works on the KISS principle. Okay, we've got some things that are 'nice to have', like radar, fridge, chart plotter etc, even a TV but if they go wrong it's not the end of the world.
A separate after cabin is important to us. Room to be alone if we want.
Bathdave
Well-Known Member
About to find out !!!! Early retirement beckons last day at work in 6 weeks, planning to buy ourselves a cruiser and have extended trips, and see where that takes us ( figuratively and literally). Reading up and taking soundings on all aspects of the adventure. Certainly planning to do this one step at a time rather than being too ambitious from the off.
The self sufficiency theme worries me a bit... Never been a fan of DIY and never thought of myself as a handy man.
The self sufficiency theme worries me a bit... Never been a fan of DIY and never thought of myself as a handy man.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
Sounds abour right......you can day sail/motor round most of europe so no need for to much stuff.On buying a boat check that the engine is get at able.
Bertramdriver
Well-Known Member
If you're not interested in DIY then you need to have a big pension (civil servant perhaps? ) to cover the maintenance costs.
My pension is pathetic so I've had to learn carpentry, metal work including welding, electrical and electronic wiring and big engine maintenance. It helps if you hang around the boat yards and make friends with the tradesmen. Give your labour for free and you learn how to do stuff. Part of my motivation was recovery after a stroke. The Consultant told me use it or lose it, so I now do all I can, but still can't conquer claustrophobia.
Gerry
Well-Known Member
And it's sometimes not even about being able to pay for the work, you just can't find anyone with the knowledge to help you! We see most people give up cruising as a lifestyle after 3-4 years UNLESS they get to grips with becoming self-sufficient, certainly in terms of maintaining their boats.
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>It is however the most fantastically stimulating, exasperating, fascinating and rewarding way of life.
Well said, I agree.
Well said, I agree.
