Read the first of three parts of our article recently published in Pacific Passagemaker magazine.
Is the live-aboard cruising life for everyone?
No the cruising life isn’t for everyone. I can’t think of anything worse than riding a horse, and similarly some folks can’t think of anything worse than going on a boat, never mind living aboard. Not all weekend and holiday cruisers will enjoy living aboard for extended periods. But for those who have the cruising passion there is generally nothing to stop you living aboard, and if you can’t literally do it now, at least plan for it now and have a clear timetable - in the words of famed cruiser and circumnavigator Scott Flanders (Nordhavn 46, Egret), “tick…tick…tick… the clock is ticking, get the picture … do it now!”
When I turned 50 I expected to have about 20 good summers left, meaning that all being well and barring major illnesses or accidents I expected to be able to enjoy the things I enjoyed then until I was about 70 years old - after that age things could be different. Now I’m 63 and I believe I’ve probably got 12 good summers left – yes I’ve stretched it out a little. But one thing’s for sure – you don’t meet many cruisers in their 80s (although there are some). How many summers do you have left?
If you want to live-aboard and can't do it now at least plan now
.JPG)
The major fears
Scott Flanders wrote an excellent article, “Yes you can too,” outlining potential cruisers’ most common concerns and some solutions. I have expanded those thoughts a little below based on our modest five years living aboard experience.
Experience levels – everyone starts somewhere. Take small steps first and learn from your mistakes. I add that there are excellent courses available to gain both practical and theoretical skills. Unlike my home country, New Zealand, most countries want to see some evidence of proficiency so it’s a good idea to gain some certifications like Coastguard’s Boatmaster or Royal Yachting Association’s International Certificate For Operator Of Pleasure Craft.
Mechanical ability – it isn’t the big things that fail, and you will learn to deal with handling the smaller problems. I add that most countries do have competent mechanical assistance available, but in some instances you may just have to bite the bullet and meet the right expert in a convenient location. For example we had to meet a Dutch engineer who flew to Greece to rectify a hydraulic stabiliser fault that had baffled the locals for days, and he fixed it in an hour. Having a comprehensive supply of tools, spare parts, equipment manuals and chandlery aboard will assist greatly.
Handling rough seas – becomes easier with some practice. You won’t always be comfortable but always safe. I add that although rough seas feature high on most people’s list of concerns one study reported that for the open oceans in general, 80% of the time wave heights are less than 3.7m, 90% of the time they are less than 6m, and to encounter waves above 12m is extremely rare. This partially explains how so many cruisers travel thousands of ocean miles over many years and don’t ever encounter dangerous rough seas. Another part of the explanation is watching the weather. My brother and his partner sailed their 12 metre yacht from Australia to Turkey (before piracy was a major threat) and never encountered seas over two metres. Navigation – is not difficult with today’s electronic equipment. I add that sextants are long gone, and this is an area where courses will greatly assist.
Seasickness – many cruisers start off getting seasick but wean themselves out of it. Drugs are available to assist.
Weather and tides – there are ample information sources for coastal cruising while many offshore cruisers use professional forecasting. I add that having internet access available hugely improves the availability of forecasts.
Manoeuvring and docking – practice makes perfect and don’t worry about minor scratches (”battle-scars”) on your gelcoat.
I will also add another concern – piracy. Off the north-east coast of Africa piracy has now escalated to the point where it is extremely dangerous to cruise these waters and insurance is not available. Even cruising in convoys is now discouraged. Circumnavigators who want to include the Med in their route now mostly ship their boats across the Indian Ocean from Thailand or the Maldives to Turkey while some cruisers, like Scott and Mary Flanders elect to go via South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Piracy is not a currently a major issue in other waters, although sometimes occurs. The website www.noonsite.com provides regular updates on the status of international piracy.
Next posting - part 2 of 3
Is the live-aboard cruising life for everyone?
No the cruising life isn’t for everyone. I can’t think of anything worse than riding a horse, and similarly some folks can’t think of anything worse than going on a boat, never mind living aboard. Not all weekend and holiday cruisers will enjoy living aboard for extended periods. But for those who have the cruising passion there is generally nothing to stop you living aboard, and if you can’t literally do it now, at least plan for it now and have a clear timetable - in the words of famed cruiser and circumnavigator Scott Flanders (Nordhavn 46, Egret), “tick…tick…tick… the clock is ticking, get the picture … do it now!”
When I turned 50 I expected to have about 20 good summers left, meaning that all being well and barring major illnesses or accidents I expected to be able to enjoy the things I enjoyed then until I was about 70 years old - after that age things could be different. Now I’m 63 and I believe I’ve probably got 12 good summers left – yes I’ve stretched it out a little. But one thing’s for sure – you don’t meet many cruisers in their 80s (although there are some). How many summers do you have left?
If you want to live-aboard and can't do it now at least plan now
The major fears
Scott Flanders wrote an excellent article, “Yes you can too,” outlining potential cruisers’ most common concerns and some solutions. I have expanded those thoughts a little below based on our modest five years living aboard experience.
Experience levels – everyone starts somewhere. Take small steps first and learn from your mistakes. I add that there are excellent courses available to gain both practical and theoretical skills. Unlike my home country, New Zealand, most countries want to see some evidence of proficiency so it’s a good idea to gain some certifications like Coastguard’s Boatmaster or Royal Yachting Association’s International Certificate For Operator Of Pleasure Craft.
Mechanical ability – it isn’t the big things that fail, and you will learn to deal with handling the smaller problems. I add that most countries do have competent mechanical assistance available, but in some instances you may just have to bite the bullet and meet the right expert in a convenient location. For example we had to meet a Dutch engineer who flew to Greece to rectify a hydraulic stabiliser fault that had baffled the locals for days, and he fixed it in an hour. Having a comprehensive supply of tools, spare parts, equipment manuals and chandlery aboard will assist greatly.
Handling rough seas – becomes easier with some practice. You won’t always be comfortable but always safe. I add that although rough seas feature high on most people’s list of concerns one study reported that for the open oceans in general, 80% of the time wave heights are less than 3.7m, 90% of the time they are less than 6m, and to encounter waves above 12m is extremely rare. This partially explains how so many cruisers travel thousands of ocean miles over many years and don’t ever encounter dangerous rough seas. Another part of the explanation is watching the weather. My brother and his partner sailed their 12 metre yacht from Australia to Turkey (before piracy was a major threat) and never encountered seas over two metres. Navigation – is not difficult with today’s electronic equipment. I add that sextants are long gone, and this is an area where courses will greatly assist.
Seasickness – many cruisers start off getting seasick but wean themselves out of it. Drugs are available to assist.
Weather and tides – there are ample information sources for coastal cruising while many offshore cruisers use professional forecasting. I add that having internet access available hugely improves the availability of forecasts.
Manoeuvring and docking – practice makes perfect and don’t worry about minor scratches (”battle-scars”) on your gelcoat.
I will also add another concern – piracy. Off the north-east coast of Africa piracy has now escalated to the point where it is extremely dangerous to cruise these waters and insurance is not available. Even cruising in convoys is now discouraged. Circumnavigators who want to include the Med in their route now mostly ship their boats across the Indian Ocean from Thailand or the Maldives to Turkey while some cruisers, like Scott and Mary Flanders elect to go via South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Piracy is not a currently a major issue in other waters, although sometimes occurs. The website www.noonsite.com provides regular updates on the status of international piracy.
Next posting - part 2 of 3
No comments:
Post a Comment