Are we still cruisers?
For reasons I have yet to share on this blog, Rebecca and I have spent quite a bit more time here in Martinique than we had initially hoped to. As we’ve grown unaccustomed to being stuck in one spot, this does not make us overly happy. We’d much prefer to be cruising!
When I think about it though, the entire last year has seen us doing anything but traveling where we want, what with our unplanned relocation to Grenada from the Virgins, boat selling and shopping, deliveries, repairs, and off-the-boat travel (our trip to the Galapagos was a highlight of the past year). If we add to all that the two prior years spent running charters, perhaps it’s not even accurate to describe ourselves as cruisers anymore?
According to Wikipedia:
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a vessel while traveling from place to place for pleasure.
It seems to me that we’ve kind of been missing the last part of that definition!
Anyway, we remain optimistic that our schedule will, hopefully sooner rather than later, once again be our own, and that we’ll be able to continue on with our journey. Our travel bucket list is getting more and more full by the day!
No, Homer, not that kind of bucket list!
In the meantime, here’s a video flashback to three years ago, initially posted just prior to the time when our path diverged from actively cruising. It brings back great memories!
No need to worry about who or what you are as long as you are happy and having fun. We all get too hung up on titles and descriptions. We have been on the move for 6 months (thorny path) and are looking forward to just chilling in one area for a month. Maybe we aren’t cruisers either 🙂
Paul
SV Kelly Nicole
“Chilling out” during H season is standard practice for most cruisers.
You have been actively cruising Grenada and Martinique!
You sail the boat often as you shake it down, since your plans include rough weather and big seas.
You are still travelling more often than we are, as after a week or two my boat still returns to the same slip!
Soon to change though, right?
I disagree with your interpretation of what it means to be a cruiser. You are making choices to go someplace, or stay someplace. They are your choices, you could change them if you want- but since you didn’t it is obviously what you wanted and/or needed to do at that point. In my book that is the very definition of cruising. At least that is how I choose to define it for myself! On another note- we are weeks away from entering our next phase. I retire as of June 16th and we will be on the boat by the 22nd. You are continuing to inspire me. I just went back and was rereading your beginning steps, selling your stuff, clearing out of the house and selling it. The picture of your empty room was good for me to see as we are having our first big garage sale tomorrow!
Cruise on!
Very exciting time for you. Congratulations!
🙂
I don’t want to spoil your surprise but I think you may be nesting in preparation for a new little one?!?!?!?
🙂
Shhh… don’t let Rebecca know. 😉
Even now that I am semi-retired, I consider myself a vacation cruiser, not a cruiser. I get out for a few days nearly every week, in season, but I don’t always go far and I still have a house.
However, I was looking through my log books the other day and realized that my total lifetime mileage probably exceeds the circumference of the earth, which must count for something. Of course, 2/3 of those miles were probably day sailing, and the sailing area is relatively small, just the mid-Atlantic coast. Still, it’s something. My passage making skills are limited, but I’m pretty strong on anchoring and coastal piloting. Probably 1/2 of that is single handed.
I’m not that interested in distance anymore, but I will certainly set a personal record for nights-on-the-boat-not-in -harbor this year. I’m happy about that. It’s enough.
You’ll have to come join us for a combined passage/ice climbing expedition!
Of course you’re still – and always – cruisers. It’s a state of mind as much as anything else. You live on a boat – you have few, if any, of the home comforts that most non-cruisers consider bare essentials and we would consider out-and-out luxuries (bath, washing machine, electricity that mysteriously comes out of the wall…HAIR STRAIGHTENERS…oh OK that last one’s just me…) and your entire mindset is based on the ability to travel as being one of your top priorities. For reasons I won’t bore you with (mostly to do with not being too far away from my 3-year-old hugely missed grandson for a while) we are very seriously contemplating staying put for the summer in this breathtakingly beautiful part of Northern Spain we have found ourselves in – certainly for a couple of months at least. Then we’ll sail again. Transatlantic 2017/18 we think. We have the freedom to choose is the point. Cruisers forever, forever cruisers!
I think trying to straighten Rebecca’s hair in this humidity would be a losing proposition.
Still being mysterious….oh well I hope it works out. There are worse places to be stuck,
It’s like Game of Thrones, or any other popular TV series, you need to wait for the next episode to find out how it all turns out.
So reallllly, what have you been doing in Martinique?
Working on our French, of course! 😉
We’ve found as we’ve been out longer, we move slower. We take more time to enjoy a place, and we enjoy being someplace where we have gotten to know it a little. Little things, like going back to a great restaurant find several times instead of a one-night memory, they have an appeal.
Right now we’re antsy to move since the weather has had us stuck here for a while, but we’ve not ventured far in this trip here.
We’re still cruisers…
And I hope you found that good boulangerie across the street from the McDonald’s, it’s WAY better than one near the market square!
Are you speaking of Fort de France?
I am surprised that there aren’t any comments on the video you posted. I had strolled across that on YouTube a couple of years ago and that is what led me to your website and blog. It motivated me to read ‘from the beginning’ and stay current with the site ever since.
You both look like kids in that video. I look forward to that feeling someday that you both obviously have. Every 9 months or so I get into a funk and start watching sailing videos as a virtual get away, and this one usually gets into the queue. It’s just so relaxing and inspiring.
Thanks for sharing your life with ‘the rest of us’.
Are you suggesting that we look OLD now? 😉
Not at all!! Just more experienced! 🙂
Good save.
Although this doesn’t exactly relate to this specific update, I just want to comment on how interesting your blogs are. I do not know much at all about this topic but I thought it would be very interesting to learn about it through an individual’s experiences so thank you for all of your great updates, I enjoy reading and seeing pictures about being a cruiser.
Thank you for reading, Marissa!