10 Questions for Balvenie

Mark and Amanda have been cruising since 2004 aboard Balvenie, a Townson 47ft hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. They have traveled through the South Pacific, Tasmania, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Asia, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, & the Mediterranean. You can read more about them on their blogs (Yacht Balvenie, Balvenie Cruising Info) or contact them by email (yachtbalvenie@gmail.com).

In your own experience and your experience meeting cruising couples, can you convince a reluctant partner to go cruising and if so, how?
While in the Med we have met several males sailing with other male friends while their wives stay at home to "look after the furniture"!   Sailing, especially long term cruising definitely seems to be a male dream more than a female one and I (Amanda) have tried to convince a few wives along the way that it really is a great way of life. But it is so dependant on the person, and what sort of person they are.  If they have always wanted to travel, love the outdoors and don't have tight family ties then even if they don't like sailing there is hope.  If they love regular family get togethers, strolling through the shops every week for the latest fashion bargains and having their holidays in 5 star hotels - well no hope at all.

Share a piece of cruising etiquette
We left New Zealand and went straight to Fiji.  After recovering from the trip we started cruising the islands and in our first anchorage there was only us and a Canadian boat.  They invited us over for sundowners, so we turned up at the agreed time.  And we learnt our first piece of cruising etiquette.  BYO Drinks!! And for those of you unfamiliar with BYO it is BRING YOUR OWN.  This is particularly prevalent in places like the Pacific, Asia, Red Sea (we are still in Med so can't comment for further on).  The reason being is that in all of these places it is difficult to get supplies so you buy for your own needs because you know how much you drink, it works well and everyone does it.  We have, however, had some people quite offended in the Med when we have turned up with our own drinks, however when we explain why they all think it's a great idea.  In the "boonies" we always take some nibbles over too, its common practice.   

How did you (or did you) gain offshore experience prior to leaving?
Mark had been yacht racing for a few years so had plenty of inshore experience.  He got a crew place onboard a yacht doing the Auckland-Noumea race and also helped a friend bring his yacht back from Fiji to Auckland one year, and did any off shore races he could.  When we bought Balvenie she was in Picton at the top of the South Island so we had a 4 day trip to get her back to Auckland which was my (Amanda’s) first off shore.  We had 3 male friends onboard with us for this trip, and 2 more onboard for our Auckland - Fiji passage. 

What is the most difficult aspect of the cruising lifestyle?
Mark - Staying positive.  Of course it seems we have the most idyllic lifestyle and we do, BUT of course there are days when everything goes wrong, it's never just one little thing it will be an accumulation and often it may go on for days, normally not major things but enough small incidents often can be worse.  Then if you need things from ashore you are always in a foreign place, can't read the signs/labels, don't have a car to get to where you need to, can't find anyone who speaks English to help ....... 

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
When we left New Zealand we had spare oil filters and oil for the next oil change and that was about it.  Now we have a spare of nearly everything that moves and those that don't too!!  We have spent so much time in places that you just can't go ashore to a chandlery or even a hardware store that we are pretty much self sufficient now.  We have helped out other cruisers too by loaning spares when they have needed them, and we have been helped by others.

In your experience, how much does cruising cost?
The million dollar question!!  When we were preparing we were desperately trying to get this answer but so many people don't seem to keep tabs.  Then we were told by someone that you will spend what you can afford and this was very relevant, if you can't afford to go out for dinner, you don't.  If you can't afford much, well you share a pizza with a beer.  If you can afford it you have the lobster with a good bottle of wine.  I (Amanda) have kept exact records (yes, I'm one of these people with a notebook that logs everything - sad but true!!)  On our blog in the Labels there is one for "Cost of Cruising" which gives a breakdown of our last three cruising seasons.  Since we started, this is how it has been - these figures are in New Zealand Dollars and have been averaged out for a per week amount.

• 2004 .... From NZ to Fiji Vanuatu, Australia, Tasmania just 34 weeks  $423  this did not include fully stocking the boat before we left NZ and it was jam packed full
• 2005 .... Australia out to Papua New Guinea and back to Australia    $990
• 2006 .... Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand    $767
• 2007 .... Thailand, Malaysia   $1,128
• 2008 .... Andamans, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece  $661
• 2009 .... Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, Malta    $921
• 2010 .... Malta, Italy, France, Monaco, Spain    $1,149

NOTE.... no insurance is included in any of the above.  However everything else is in there, including trips home to New Zealand and England and also all our living expenses while NOT on the boat.

How would you recommend that someone prepares to cruise?
It was recommended to us by our good friend George on Moonshadow that we should take Balvenie up to Fiji for the season, decide what we needed to change then go back to NZ and implement any changes we wanted to make.  In principal this is excellent advice but in practice for us it didn't fit with our plans to circumnavigate and saying goodbye once is hard enough!  So we would say just try and spend as much time at anchor on your boat before you leave your home port, that is very different to being onboard in the marina.  Learn about as many of the systems you have as possible, do all the courses that your local coastguard offers, speed read every book and relevant website you can find and store all those relevant pieces of info away, either in your brain or a folder.  You will never ever be ready to go, so just do as much as you can, then let the lines go.
 
What are some of your favorite pieces of gear on your boat and why?
Mark - Our two autopilots, they just do their job, tirelessly hour after hour, no coffee or dinner breaks, never question my decisions

Amanda - My Sailrite Sewing Machine.  It has saved us thousands of dollars in canvas replacements/repairs. It is also great to be able to help out others using it as I don't have many other skills to share.  Our stash of books, in particular our Lonely Planets.  It is great to have them in advance so you can read up about the places you are going and be well informed.  WIFI Aerial when we left you couldn't get internet on the boat, now we get pretty grumpy if we can't.  We have a great aerial that we bought from a cruiser friend when in Malaysia and it has served us very well along the way picking up free signals at anchor often a far way off.  Don't leave home without one.

What is something that you looked forward to about cruising when you were dreaming, that is as good or even better than imagined?
For us the opportunity to travel to so many different places that many people can not reach and then to be able to stay and experience these places from the comfort of our own floating home is priceless

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What is the best part of this lifestyle?

The people.  We are part of a huge cruising community full of the most wonderful people from all walks of life and all countries.  We all have a common interest and are out here bobbing around, sharing our worries about the weather, the anchorages, the political state of the  countries we want to visit, whether to go east, west, north or south, or should we just stay another day or year.  We are a mobile community, spanning the globe and we are a community full of amazing people.  We have forged friendships we would have never have done at home - and that has made it all worthwhile.

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10 Questions for Exit Only

Dave, Donna, David, Sarah, & Wendy have been cruising since 1997 aboard Exit Only, a 1993 Privilege 39 Catamaran. They have completed a trade wind circumnavigation with two trips to New Zealand, two trips to Australia, and a passage through pirate alley and up the Red Sea. You can read more about their travels on their website including information about a DVD of their voyage up the Red Sea, or contact them via email (email@maxingout.com).

What do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?

1. Winds will be less than 30 knots 99% of the time.
2. Watch out for squash zones because they can contain hurricane force winds in a fairly localized area.
3. Watch out for black holes on weather faxes where there is incomplete and possibly inaccurate weather information. The zone between Fiji and New Zealand is an example of such a black hole. Neither Fiji nor New Zealand weather faxes may adequately tell what’s happening in that region.
4. Hurricanes are not a worry as long as you move with the seasons.
5. A seventy pound Beugel anchor sticks to the seabed like superglue and guarantees a good night’s sleep.
6. Motoring will make up a large portion of your time at sea.
7. Motoring extends cruising range and increases safety.
8. Bigger fuel tanks are better.
9. Watermakers are nice, but not necessary.
10. Mast steps are an awesome way to inspect the rigging before sailing offshore.

Describe a typical day at anchor?

There is no typical day at anchor because each destination places different demands on the crew of Exit Only. Different things need to happen in each port around the world. Each day is unique. Some days are for checking in or checking out. Other days are for cleaning the boat, scrubbing the bottom, engine maintenance, checking the rigging, doing laundry, provisioning, and then there are those chilling out days where you snorkel, write correspondence, update websites and mostly relax. Daily activities usually center on fixing what broke while sailing to our destination, and preparing for the next passage. There are no boring days at anchor. And if the boat work is done, then it’s time to explore ashore.

What spares do you wish you had more of/less of?

The only spares we used on Exit Only were alternator belts, impellers, back up alternators, water pumps, and a complete backup autopilot. I also had spare Sta-Lok rigging terminals. I carried plenty of fuel filters and oil filters and used them freely. The rest of our spares were never used.

Can you think of a sailing tip specific to offshore passages?

Get two spinnaker poles and double headsails for downwind sailing. The double headsail downwind rig with two spinnaker poles carried the crew of Exit Only around the world on a trade wind circumnavigation. Life is good when the mainsail is furled, and spinnaker poles are out to port and starboard with double headsail rig pulling us along at a comfortable eight knots. It’s no bruising cruising at its best.

Is there something from your land life that you brought cruising and feel silly about bringing now?

We didn’t bring many unnecessary things from land life to Exit Only. We had done extensive camping in the Empty Quarter of Arabia and had a good understanding of what is needed to survive in a reasonably comfortable fashion. I left my job in Arabia and flew to Fort Lauderdale to get on board Exit Only. We didn’t have a house in the USA, and so there was no temptation to take things from a house and put it on a yacht. We were not trying to create a floating condominium with all the amenities of shore side existence. We were going cruising around the world, and the shore side stuff stayed behind. We had no sense of loss about moving on board because we were not giving anything up. Instead we were getting something better. We were going sailing, and sailing isn’t about stuff.

What do you miss about living on land?
Very little. The biggest advantage of a land-based existence is that weather does not affect your life nearly as much. Houses don’t have anchors that drag. Although a house may suck you dry financially, the weather outside rarely is important like it is on a yacht. When it’s storming outside, I don’t even think about it when I am in a house. On a yacht, I need to check the anchor and make sure there is no problem with chafe in the bridle. And then there are other yachts that may drag down on me in bad weather. Bad weather is a hassle on a yacht, and isn’t too much of a problem when living on land.

What are your impressions of the cruising community?

Cruisers come in two major flavors. The first type of cruisers is hard core expatriates, and their boat is their home. No matter where they are in the world, they are comfortable and happy to be there. They don’t long for the time that they will be able to return to the place of birth listed in their passport. The second type of cruisers is adventurers on a trip. They are not hard core expatriates, and they never develop an expatriate mind set. For them, things are better, nicer, safer, and cleaner back home. Although their yacht may be in Bongo Congo, there heart is someplace else – from whence they came. Home is where their heart is, and their heart frequently is not on their yacht. Hard core cruisers feel at home on their yacht because that is where their heart is.

What is a common cruising myth?

It’s dangerous out there! There are pirates, storms, tsunamis, floating containers and lots of other nasty things that threaten your daily existence. The truth is just the opposite. There are more guns and homegrown violence in my own city than anything I encountered during our circumnavigation. Common sense and kindness carry 99% of sailors safely round the world. If you don’t do stupid things, cruising is safer than living in major metropolitan areas. Drug abuse and violence are simply not tolerated in most desirable cruising destinations.

What did you do to make your dream a reality?

I worked as an eye surgeon for eleven years in Saudi Arabia to earn my Freedom Chips to pay for my voyage around the world on our Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only.

What question do you wish I had asked you besides the ones I’ve asked you and how would you answer it?

How do you manage storms at sea?

Storm management for cruisers is mostly common sense and is within the ability of ordinary people who venture offshore in seaworthy yachts. (Editor’s note: Exit Only has an article on storm management on their website.)

Storm management is all about energy management.  Large storms have lots of energy, and you need to learn how to deal safely with all that energy if you want to stay out of harm’s way.  Storm management is actually energy management.  If the energy in a storm gets transferred to your yacht - coupled to your sailboat - then you have to safely dissipate all that energy so that nothing bad happens.

Most people don't understand the physics of storms and how they couple energy to your yacht.  The basic concept is this:  A storm contains massive amounts of energy, but if you don't let that energy climb on board your yacht, you will fare well during a storm.  Conversely, if you sail in an uncontrolled and dangerous manner allowing the storm to couple its destructive energy to your yacht, then don't be surprised if you or your yacht are hurt.

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10 Questions for Shibui

Brian & Mary Alice O’Neill have been cruising since 1987 aboard Shibui, a Norseman 447 (47’) hailing from Seattle, WA, USA. From 1987 – 1989 they sailed through the South Pacific to NZ (on different boat which they sold there). From 1992 to 1997 they completed a circumnavigation (Mexico to New Zealand via South Pacific: French Polynesia, Cook Is.; Niue; Tonga; Fiji, New Zealand. New Zealand to Mediterranean via the Red Sea: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, PNG, Indonesia, Borneo, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Eritrea, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain. Atlantic Crossing: Gibralter; Canary Is. to Caribbean. West Coast of Central and North America via the Panama Canal). Since August 2009 they have been cruising Hawaii; Palmyra Reef; Micronesia (Marshall Islands, Kwajalene, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap). I caught up with them via email at the end of 2010 in Palau. You can see some of their photos on their web album or contact them via email (svshibui@gmail.com).

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?
Can’t think of anything specific. One of the fun things about cruising is learning, whether it be about boat maintenance, navigation, cultures, geography, history.  It’s the best liberal arts education you can get.  Perhaps I would caution people to keep the boat systems simple and have a backup system for everything.

Is there a place you visited where you wish you could have stayed longer?
New Zealand, Turkey and now Palau.  After 7 months of cruising Palau it will be difficult to leave although we are looking forward to our next port of call in the Philippine Islands.

What is your most common sail combination on passage?
Current trip: Reef in main with poled out jib.  We had brisk NE tradewinds on this journey. Generally we have tried to plan voyages where the wind is behind the beam.  Going downwind if the winds are light we fly a traditional chute otherwise we use a poled out yankee.  Going to weather in light air we use a spectra 125 percent.  When the winds get to around 12 knots true, we switch to a 95 percent yankee.  If the winds get to around 20 knots (true) we rig our staysail and get rid of the headsail.  Because we have been in the trades on this voyage we have only had to motor for a few hours.

Over the time that you have been cruising, has the world of cruising changed?
YES!  There are more people out cruising with the advent of GPS and other electronic devices.  Mexico has become much more crowded with sailors and power yachts in the past 20 years.  The Mexican's have capitalized on the yacht boom by building many first class marinas, most of which are expensive.  However, they are fun to visit, we just try and limit how long we stay at a marina.  We hear that Central America is also getting somewhat crowded.  All this said, I think a person can still find many unspoiled parts of the world.  Our present voyage through Micronesia has given us wonderful opportunities to explore remote islands and learn their history and culture.Also, Sailmail and the internet make communication much easier.

Describe the compromises (if any) that you have made in your cruising in order to stay on budget
Hasn’t been necessary.

In your own experience and your experience meeting other cruisers, what are the common reasons people stop cruising?
A diverse variety of reasons from health, finances, family issues to looking for something else to do. 

In your first year of cruising, what transitions did you find the most difficult?
Learning how the boat performed in a variety of conditions. On our earlier voyages getting mail and staying in contact was very difficult.  Also getting money was a big issue.  With the advent of Sailmail, ATMs and other electronic media we can now stay in contact with family and friends.   Also, when we first started cruising we did not anticipate how much of our time would be spent doing boat maintenance.  Generally we find traveling on the ocean a wonderful experience and each new country a  great learning experience.

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
We always carry school supplies and after visiting the chief the school is our next stop.  Also appreciated are t-shirts, food, candy, balloons, videos. Also willingness to assist them with any specific needs they may have such as outboard motor repair.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
More of: Spare parts for the generator.
Less off – nothing  We don’t tend to overload the boat.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What are your future cruising plans? 

Philippines to Japan and home to Bainbridge Island, WA via Alaska. We will be happy to respond to any questions about our journey from readers via email.

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10 Questions for BeBe

Bill & Judy Rouse named Bebe, their 2003 Amel Super Maramu (16m) hailing from St Thomas, because it was their granddaughter’s nickname. They left Texas, USA on May 1, 2006 and are still cruising. Over the years they have traveled the Caribbean (2 circles) from USVI to Trinidad, across Venezuela to Bonaire & Curacao, Cartagena & Panama; Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia, Niue and Kingdom of Tonga from Vava’U through Hai’pai to Tongatapu; south to New Zealand; north to Vanuatu & New Caledonia, Australia; Indonesia; Singapore; Malaysia (37 countries total including SE Asia land travel). You can learn more about them on their blog.

Is there something you wish you had bought or installed before starting cruising?
No. Our boat was fully equipped for round-the-world cruising when she left the factory. This is the standard quality of Amel. The only thing we added was an AIS receiver in January 2008, which was new technology since our boat was built in January 2003. The AIS receiver is not a necessity, but it certainly is nice to know exactly where that big ship on the horizon is going to be in 10 minutes so you can adjust your course accordingly.

How would you recommend that someone prepares to cruise?
The standard recommendations are still the best advice.

1) Get your captains license or sailing school training or some kind of certification. Some places, like New Jersey and Greece, now require proof of competency or special licensing in order to operate a vessel in their waters. Having your captain’s license also usually provides a discount on insurance.

2) Attend training class for the specific engine in your boat. Even people thoroughly acquainted with diesel engines can benefit from a class geared specifically for their model engine.

3) Obtain offshore medical training, even if just a weekend class. The emphasis in this type training is quite different than standard EMT training. The offshore class teaches you what to do in case of an emergency when no help will be arriving anytime soon. The standard EMT training assumes you will arrive in a hospital emergency room within 20 minutes. The scenarios are entirely different.

4) Get going ASAP. Once you have the first 3 items mentioned and are sure your boat is seaworthy, start cruising. Don’t spend time trying to make your boat perfect; just go. Then don’t make any changes on your boat until you have been cruising for at least a full year. It takes that long to know what is important to you.

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
Only once. Before heading out across the South Pacific we purchased numerous items with intentions of trading in the remote islands. We carried ladies sandals, lipsticks, nail polish, sewing items, fish hooks, men’s shirts and similar items. The opportunity to attempt trading never happened. In the Hai’pai Group of the Kingdom of Tonga we gave the men’s shirts to a man whose home had burned and he had lost everything. We ended up giving the rest of these items to people in Indonesia who approached our boat requesting “gifts.” No one wanted to trade; they just wanted gifts.

The only opportunity we encountered for trading in the South Pacific was at a small atoll in the Tuamotus of French Polynesia. A small boat containing 3 men approached our boat at anchor. They spoke only French and we spoke only English, but they managed to convey that they wished to trade black pearls for rum. (After all. the French word rhum sounds just like the English word rum.) We did not have rum to trade, but we did have cases of beer. We ended up trading 3 cases of beer for 21 black pearls. We had purchased the beer in Panama for only $10.50 per case, so this was a good deal for us; and the men were delighted to receive the beer. All forms of alcohol are extremely expensive in French Polynesia. At the local price equivalent of $60 USD per 6-pack for beer, in their opinions they had received $480 USD for the 21 black pearls. Yet our cost was only $31.50.

What do you think is a common cruising myth?
A common cruising myth is that this lifestyle is inexpensive. There continues to be a myth that people can cruise for as little as $500 per month. This is totally unrealistic unless you are eating nothing except beans and rice and letting your boat fall into ruin by failure to do routine maintenance. Our costs have been much, much higher. A complete breakdown of our cruising costs for the first 4 years can be found on our blog.

Another common myth is that you can “self insure” the boat rather than carry proper insurance. That might have been true in the old days, but that is very unwise today because all countries are more environmentally conscious. If your boat is involved in any type accident, you will be responsible for any environmental damage. That cost could quickly exceed the cost of insuring a boat for years. One boat we know was lost when they hit a reef at a small Pacific island. Not only had they lost everything, they were not allowed to leave that island until they paid $10,000 for damage to the reef, plus the cost of  removing the boat.

What is the key to making the cruising life enjoyable?
Having a boat that is designed and equipped for round-the-world cruising. We are spoiled with a watermaker that produces 180 liters per hour, a washing machine and 2 large lockers than can be set as either freezers or refrigerators. These items make all the difference in creature comforts when cruising. We cannot imagine cruising without these conveniences. Also equally important is enjoying the full-time company of your partner and learning to kick back and enjoy quiet times alone.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
Nothing. Hope this statement doesn’t jinx us, but none of the normally problem-prone equipment such as generator or watermaker has caused us any problems. We almost feel guilty as our cruising friends work on their boats and we continue to have almost no problems. Amel makes a quality boat that comes direct from the factory fully equipped for crossing oceans in comfort. We have had only 3 pieces of equipment fail during our 4 ½ years of cruising. Our Furuno GPS antennae failed once; we had numerous GPS back-ups so it wasn’t that big of a problem. Our NMEA multiplexor failed once when crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria; replacement also solved that problem. The linear drive on our autopilot failed during one long passage; but Amel had installed 2 drives with an A/B switch, so we simply switched it to the chain drive and continued on. We almost felt guilty when this problem was so easily solved for us. Three other boats we know also had their autopilots fail during this passage north from New Zealand, and they had to hand-steer for days. We solved the problem by simply flipping a switch.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?
Meeting people who have become lifelong friends. Having the time to read as much as we like. And occasionally playing games with other cruisers. Neither of us is a game person. But we have learned to enjoy playing Mexican Train Dominos and Rummy Cube; not because of the games themselves, but because of the camaraderie spending a few hours with friends.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
We are fine in terms of spares. We had asked someone who was 2/3rds through his circumnavigation in a sister ship for his list of spares. He gave me his complete list reflecting deletions and additions. We followed that list and have been happy with the results.

What was the most affordable area you have cruised and the most expensive? What was affordable or expensive about each area?
The most affordable areas were the San Blas Islands (Kuna Yala) of Panama and the Kingdom of Tonga. The San Blas were inexpensive because there was nothing to spend money on except moderate anchoring fees and molas for souvenirs or gifts. Just beautiful anchorages to enjoy. In Tonga there was very little to purchase so we spent very little. The most expensive place we have cruised was French Polynesia. Literally everything was expensive. The only things we found affordable in all of French Polynesia were the baguettes, which are price controlled. We grew so tired of the high prices of everything in French Polynesia that we left Bora Bora 2 weeks before our 90-day visas expired. Many cruisers want extended visas or multiple visits to French Polynesia. This beautiful expensive place was not a highlight for us. The second most expensive place was Australia. If we had it to do over again, we would skip Australia altogether.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

When you first set out cruising, did you have a cruising plan? If so, has it changed?
 
We had no specific cruising plan when we started. Bill would have been quite happy to spend years in the Caribbean, but by the second year in the Caribbean Judy wanted to seek out new horizons. So we headed farther westward in spring 2008 and should complete our circumnavigation in 2012 or 2013. Then we plan to sail the Caribbean for several more years or until we no longer enjoy cruising – and that might take many more years!

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10 Questions for Sage

Connie McCann and Tony Gibb are currently cruising aboard Sage, a Wauquiez 38 Mk1 hailing from Victoria BC, Canada. They began cruising in 1983 onboard their first boat Hejira, a Vancouver 27, on which they sailed through the Pacific (Mexico, French Polynesia, Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia, Mexico, Solomons, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Philippines, Japan and US). They began cruising again in 2010 aboard Sage. You can keep track of their current voyage via their blog. Editor's note: Because of an error on my part, there are more than 10 questions. Bonus for the readers!

With the benefit of hindsight, what are the boat selection criteria you would use to purchase a boat for long term cruising?
Tony: One of the most important criteria is seaworthiness.  The boat has to be well constructed, well rigged and perform well under sail.  The additional add ons such as electronic gear is not so important nor critical for safe offshore passage making.  It does make it easier but it's better to go sailing now then wait till you have the money to buy all the fancy electronic gear.
 
Connie:  Performance. Shoal draft. Solid construction. Our Vancouver 27 certainly had 2 of those but lacked the performance factor.

What are your impressions of the cruising community?
Tony: For us the cruising community in every port has been incredibly supportive. Everyone pitches in when help is needed and when emergencies require everyone to work together.  The downside is that it's hard to say goodbye to people one has spent time with. It seems to be always saying goodbye although the longer one is out cruising the more frequent those chances at reunification are in some small out of the way place where one can once again spend time getting to know and enjoy each other.

What is something about the cruising culture you like and what is something you dislike?
Connie:  I truly am thrilled and always newly amazed at finding an island with a sextant and may miss that thrill as we have joined the electronic navigation world. Landfalls are very special, searching with your eyes for land then seeing it at a great distance as in the case of Attu in the Aleutians or searching and searching and not finding it until you are almost on top of it as in the Tuamotos is not something that can be easily described to land based folks.

I don’t like not being able to talk about politics with most folks and relish the days when I can. I have spent a large percentage of my life working in the political realm and am always keen to know what is happening politically in both my home country and in the country I am anchored in.

What type of watch schedule do you normally use while offshore?
Tony: Usually use 3 on 3 off although now with a larger boat we do expect to have more people onboard and have been using 2 on 4 off for Sage when crewed by 3 people.  This has worked very well providing consistent watches within the 24 hour period.

When have you felt most in danger and what was the source?
Tony: Sailing between the San Bernadino Straits and Okinawa we were followed by a Taiwanese (?) fishboat with no-one on deck and no communication.  This fishing boat followed us for about 3 hours and was never more than 50 metres from our starboard aft quarter. All we could do was keep sailing and hope that they were not interested in such small pickings from a very basic boat.

Of the changes, choices and compromises you had to make along the way, which were you happiest and most satisfied about, which do you wish you had chosen otherwise and why?
Tony: Going when we were young and poor.  This provided us an opportunity of working and living in other countries to try and pay the bills and keep the cruising life alive.  We never understood when meeting people 55+ when they said they wish they had done it when they were younger.  Now that we're out sailing again we can understand why.  The compromise in the above was the fact that we had to choose a smaller boat than we would have liked but it was affordable.  I can't think of anything at this time in terms of choosing otherwise.

Over the years, how much time do you think you spend at anchor, at marinas, sailing and motoring?
Tony: Anchor (80%), at marinas (5%), sailing (10%) and motoring (5%)

In your own experience and your experience meeting cruising couples, can you convince a reluctant partner to go cruising and if so, how?
Tony: By providing the tools for the reluctant partner to be able to manage the boat on his/her own resources.  Every person on the boat should be knowledgeable and have the ability to handle every aspect on the boat on their own.  This sense of empowerment may provide the reluctant partner not only the ability to manage the boat but also the confidence that should something happen to the other person that they're not helpless.  It doesn't mean that the person has the interest in all the aspects of running the boat but they will learn where their strengths are, focus on their strengths to complement the team while also understanding where their weaknesses are and not ignoring them but at least having a basic understand and knowledge about how to manage them when necessary.

What has been the most affordable area to cruise and the most expensive? What was affordable or expensive about each area?
Tony: Most affordable - Philippines - food is plentiful and cheap.  Facilities and land travelling are reasonable. 

Most expensive - the U.S. - food and marinas are expensive.  The temptation to tie up to a dock is enticing and difficult to resist as the marinas are usually located in prime locations for services and land touring. 

How did you (or did you) gain offshore experience prior to leaving?
Connie:  When we moved the coast within 3 months we bought a small inexpensive sailboat but we sailed it extensively here in the Pacific North West, mostly during the winter season. We sailed obsessively – on the boat from Friday night at 5 pm until very late Sunday. Took weeks in the winter season to sail longer distances. We propped up Eric Hiscock’s Cruising under Sail and practiced everything, from sailing out the anchor to sitting in the Juan de Fuca straights hove to. We made lists (and after 3 boats still making lists) especially the list for the boat that would take us across oceans.

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you?
Connie:  Always saying goodbye. Tony and I are both outgoing sorts of people and we make new friends easily. It became difficult to say goodbye. Having to work. From 1983-1990 during our Pacific circumnavigation we had to work – we would work for one year and sail a year. By the end, in Japan 1990 it became a touch labourious. This was one of the primary reasons that we returned – to have an income and not have to work. We enjoyed our work sojourns but it was the sailing that we really wanted to do.

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?
Connie:  This will be different for Tony but for me it is about seasickness – I wish someone had told me about Sturgeron. I finally found out about it in Australia and my sailing life became a touch less violent in the first three days! I know that people told us of the need for sun protection but perhaps because we are from the North and the sun does not have quite the same strength – we just didn’t take sun protection seriously enough. Our new boat is much better at sun protection while we are sailing.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
Connie:  Never too many spares. Engine parts are problematic – do you carry an extra transmission? We don’t but did have that discussion when a spare one became available.

Are you attracted more to sailing itself or cruising-as-travel and has that changed over time?
Connie:  I may have been attracted to the travel aspect prior to offshore but I came to enjoy the sailing just for the heck of it. I did not come to sailing naturally – I had to work at it. However I love the aspect that I am traveling with my home – that is a very special relationship and so very different from land traveling.

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was underrated (better than you had heard)?
Connie:  Everywhere I have sailed to was underrated. Too often travelers tell you ‘oh you should have been here xxx years ago – it was better’. I simply don’t believe that – yes, it is different than it was xx years ago but it is just fine. I do not long for the days when it ‘looked’ different. I am just thankful that I am there.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
Connie:  My body. Now that it is in its 5th decade it may break even more often! Our Vancouver 27 had very little breakage but we also sailed very simply on that voyage. Sails wore, mostly from the UV. And, we never pushed the limits on our sails except maybe sailing into Wellington NZ….

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

Tony: How much does it cost to cruise? 

I know this all depends on one's pocketbook but it would be interesting to see what people's responses are.
 
Having just left our our new (old) boat we're not sure what it's going to cost this time.  In the 1980's we could get by quite comfortably on $12,000 U.S. dollars/year.  This would pay for everything such as land travel, repairs and replacement to required equipment, food, communications etc etc. However, with a larger boat, 20 years added on we're not quite sure what to expect but hope we can do it on $24,000/year.

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10 Questions For Eventide

Phil and Pat cruise aboard Eventide, a Custom 50 foot unpainted aluminum motor vessel hailing from Kingston, WA, USA. Phil has cruised since 1969, over 80,000 miles under power and under sail including Alaska to La Paz Mexico, Maine to Florida, Windward Islands from Virgins to Grenada, Venezuela, Panama, Galapagos, Marquesas, Societies, and Hawaii. He can be reached by email (swigard@centurytel.net).

How did you (or did you) gain offshore experience prior to leaving?
I acquired experience very gradually, sailing San Francisco Bay, the Delta, and then short trips up and down the coast to Drakes Bay and Monterey.  Then I took a three month trip from San Francisco to Mexico to be sure that this was for us.  It was, and so I moved aboard and over the next 40 years, did more and more.

When I talk to people who have never been offshore and they say they are going to circumnavigate, I tend to think that they never will.  Crossing oceans is very, very different than any inland or coastal cruising from port to port.  There are just too many stories of people who have set off from the West Coast to Hawaii, get there, and sell their boat vowing never to go to sea again.  It is a financial and personal tragedy.

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you?
Dealing with officialdom in all the foreign ports – clearing was almost always a hassle, and I did not find it fun.  I guess this is partly an attitude problem, but I understand that it has not gotten any better.

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?
That it is a good idea to leave the boat somewhere for a few months each year if you are planning to be gone for a very long time.  I didn’t do this, and after 4 years out of the country, we were pretty well burned out when I got back to Seattle.  Today there are more places that you can safely leave your boat and go do something else for a couple of months.  If I had done that, I feel sure that I would have been good for another 4 years.

With the benefit of hindsight, what are the boat selection criteria you would use to purchase a boat for long term cruising?
What a good question.  I think that the major thing I have learned after almost 50 years of cruising is that there is no perfect boat.  And the less experience you have, the more sure you are that only certain boats and rigging details will do.  Actually lots of very different boats will do.

Probably the other thing that I think I knew from the beginning is that “bigger is not better”, especially as applied to sailboats.  And that a crew of one is not enough for crossing oceans (I believe in a constant watch and am of the controversial opinion that single handing is by definition unseamanlike) – a crew of two is perfect – and any more than two is too many.  Conflicts at sea become exaggerated, and I do not remember any boat that that I met that cruised for years at a time with more than two with the possible exception of a couple with kids.  If there is any doubt about this point, there won’t be if you hung around a port like Saint Thomas and talked to crews of more than two after an ocean passage.  It is like a real life soap opera.

So you want a boat comfortably handled by two – which, again controversially, means no bigger than around 42 feet.  Smaller is ok, mine was a 35 foot cutter, but the amount of food, clothes, spare parts, and so on is the same for any size boat – you get too small and storage becomes a major issue.

Also, as a “Lin and Larry Pardey” fan, the simpler the better.  The mantra should be “stuff breaks, and if you do not have it aboard, it won’t break.”

And I have to say that I hate bowsprits – not only are they a weak point in the rigging, but working on them in serious conditions is not for the faint hearted.  I am among the faint hearted.  So I like an all inboard rig – preferably a cutter for offshore.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
This is an easy question – it all breaks! In the tropics, I think that critical parts just dissolve. But a list of the most common gear failures most seem to have starts with autopilots, refrigerators, and watermakers.  We cleverly solved part of this problem by not having refrigerators or watermakers.  Tanks, after all, seldom break.  However, had four autopilots (three spares) plus a Aires Windvane.  After four years in the tropics, all four failed on the way to Hawaii from Tahiti.  Only the windvane was left.

Autopilots, I think, come under the heading of essential equipment.  So buy the best, and buy two of them.  Keep one in a box for spares.  You will need them.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
I carried a huge amount of spares.  This adds weight, cost, and takes space.  I never had a major failure that I could not fix.  I would not carry less – and if I had room and thought of more, I would carry them too.  We even had a EMT quality medical kit – which we ended up needing by the way.  Maybe I would just tow a spare identical boat and have all the spare parts.

Are you attracted more to sailing itself or cruising-as-travel and has that changed over time?
For me, at first it was sailing first and travel a far second.  There is nothing like a good day at sea with the wind abaft the beam, reasonable wind speed and mild seas.  And no land in sight or expected for weeks.  Of course, it is far from always like that.  At this stage of my life, where we cruise from Seattle to Alaska in a powerboat, there is no sailing.  But I think I would rate our underway time as 30% of the experience, and the travel and meeting people 70%.  There is no more beautiful place in the world, I think, to cruise than the Pacific Northwest.

What is something about the cruising culture you like and what is something you dislike?
I guess that depends on how you define "cruising" - If you mean serious offshore cruising, power or sail, then I cannot think of any one general characteristic of the people who cross oceans that I do not like.  Of course, this group comprises all kinds of people, ages, boats, etc.  It is inevitable that some of these people may have less than appealing personalities individually, but, as a "culture", as a group of people focused and driven, and even fanatic enough to do something as difficult as crossing oceans, I find all of them fascinating.  If you cross an ocean on a small boat, there has to be a lot to admire in the crew.

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was underrated (better than you had heard)?
Yes, I think I would say that Maine, although rated very high, was still underrated – except for all the lobster Pot buoys.  They are a nightmare!  I thought the weather, scenery, ports, people, accents, and culture along the coast were unbeatable!

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?
I cannot think of one – and if I do, I will let you know.  In the meantime, I have to go change the oil on Eventide.

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10 Questions for Carina

Leslie Linkkila & Philip DiNuovo have been cruising since 2003 aboard Carina, a PAE Mason/Mason 33/33’9” hailing from Kingston, WA, USA. Over those years they have traveled through Mexico, Central America, some of Pacific South America, South Pacific and you can read more about their travels on their website and they can be contacted via email (philipandleslie@sv-carina.org).

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
When we had a near rigging failure in remote Panama, we wished we had more rigging spares: Sta-Lok fittings, wire rope, etc. We’ve rectified that situation and feel we have the right amount of spares of just about everything. Engine parts are important to stock in as are sail repair and canvas supplies.

Is there a place you visited where you wish you could have stayed longer?
We wished we could have stayed longer in South America in general and had been able to visit Peru and Chile in particular. We may still get back there.

What is something that you read or heard about cruising, that you found particularly accurate?
Friends told us that we should give away or sell most everything we owned - our accumulated stuff – since its importance would quickly diminish once we were cruising. They said that we would not even remember what we had or why we kept moving it around with us. They were right. The other thing we were told is that it will cost more to cruise than you would ever think. They were right about that, too.

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you?
There is not much we dislike. Even so, with storage space at a premium, it seems that the tools, parts, etc. that we need are always at the bottom of the storage spaces and we are constantly unpacking and repacking. We knew we would be living in close quarters and limited in our ability to buy “stuff” but that’s part of the appeal, to live more simply but even more richly.

Do friends visit and how often?
We have had fewer visitors than we thought we would have. Les’s family has visited twice, as has one friend. Most friends are busy with their careers and vacation time is limited. Too, now we are so very far away from most of our friends, so visiting is more costly and difficult.

In your experience, how much does cruising cost?
Cruising costs more than most people think since they tend to not include the cost of maintaining their vessels while out here. They also don’t factor in capital expenditures like rebuilding or replacing your engine, replacing a stolen dinghy and outboard motor, re-certifying your liferaft, replacing sails, boatyard visits, etc. We would estimate that we spend about $24k per year including all of the capital expenses. We live incredibly well on this amount of money but we don’t frequent marinas and we rarely dine out because we enjoy cooking (using fresh local ingredients) and eat healthier at home.

What type of watch schedule do you normally use while offshore?
We maintain a watch day and night. We remember being on a long cruise and enjoying breakfast in our cockpit one day when we noticed a small freighter heading directly towards us. We made a course change and the vessel passed to our port about 100 meters away; the boat was on autopilot and we could see no one in the wheelhouse. Had we not been keeping watch, we could have had a collision with this boat hundreds of miles from any other boat.

During the day, the watch schedule is flexible, depending on chores to be done such as cooking/baking or email/weather/radio nets, or a need for rest, etc. After supper, a three on-three off schedule commences for a period of roughly 13 hours. The 13 hours is because of the time needed to change watch is not counted in the off-watch time. It takes time to make tea, plot our position, discuss weather, hazards, etc. The new three hour watch begins when the off watch physically climbs into the bunk.

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
We find trading is often difficult because the people we see are often pretty needy so we are somewhat uncomfortable asking for their food. We DO trade, especially if the locals are trading food they have in excess: fish, oranges, bananas, papayas, etc. but then we always give more in the end. Traded or donated goods include powdered milk, powdered cocoa, fishing line, fishing hooks, snorkel equipment, T-shirts and other clothing, rice, canned goods, etc. Individually-wrapped chocolates such as Hershey Nuggets are a real hit for both children (and grownups!) and we have fun watching their faces light up as we give them out.

Of the changes, choices and compromises you had to make along the way, which were you happiest and most satisfied about, which do you wish you had chosen otherwise and why?
We can’t say we made too many compromises along the way except for decisions as to which direction to point our bow. We were comfortable with the choice of NOT heading north through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean since that would have entailed about 2 years of cruising in an area of the world we were less interested in.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've
asked you and how would you answer it?
We stressed a bit before leaving the US wondering what we would do for health care/insurance. For the first 3 years of cruising we even paid a LOT of money for catastrophic health coverage and got not a single penny of benefit. What we found in most second and third-world areas is that the cost of health care and prescription drugs is a small fraction of the cost of that in the US and self-insuring makes sense. Not only are the health care professionals comparable to those in the US, many have been educated in the US and have returned to their home countries to practice medicine. What we paid for health insurance for the first three years of our cruise could probably pay for open heart surgery in The Republic of Panama. We now pay out of pocket for our medical care.

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10 Questions for Zia

Christy, Joe, Cassie and Juliana cruised aboard Zia, a Sud Composites Switch 51 hailing from Annapolis, MD. Their cruise lasted from July of 2005 until March of 2010 and during that time they cruised through the US East Coast, Caribbean, Bahamas, Atlantic, and all through the Mediterranean. At the time of this interview's publication, their boat is for sale. More information about their cruise and their boat can be found on their website.

What advice would you give to parents thinking about taking their children cruising?

Kids are amazingly adaptable. They can do most anything you ask them to do and love to make you proud by doing it. The cruising life is great for developing a kid's sense of independence and their confidence. Make them part of the team. Give them as much independence as you can. Teach them to drive the dinghy and help sail the boat.

What is something that you looked forward to about cruising when you were dreaming, that is as good or even better than imagined?

The opportunities you have when you are cruising - to meet people, to explore places, to discover new things - are so much richer than I could have ever imagined. In fact, you find you don't always have the energy to take full advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to you. You learn to pursue the things that you enjoy the most, but we also loved to delve into new and unexplored territory. Learn something new every day - it keeps you young!

What are your impressions of the cruising community?

The cruising community is a mixed bag, just like every other group of people. It is always easier to meet other Americans, or Canadians or British, because of the language barrier. I would have liked to have meet more Europeans and embraced every opportunity to socialize with a more diverse crowd. Beware of taking advice from other cruisers. Other people's perceptions are always different from what you will experience. I can't tell you how many times we went someplace someone had loved and hated it or vice versa. They are usually right when they talk about the anchoring conditions but take everything else with a grain of salt.

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was overrated (not as good as you had heard)?

Georgetown, Bahamas. You hear so much about this cruisers' paradise but we found it to be an overcrowded anchorage full of busy bodies! Of course, our kids loved it, and it really is fantastic for socializing, and it is GORGEOUS, but too many people get stuck there and never venture beyond to the hundreds of spectacular anchorages within easy day-sailing distance.

What type of watch schedule do you normally use while offshore?

Joe and I did plenty of five or six night passages ourselves. We stood long watches - Joe taking it from about 8 or 9pm until midnight or 1am and then I would be on until 7am or so. I went to sleep after dinner and then again in the morning and easily got my eight hours of sleep in two chunks. Of course, we had mostly mild conditions and if it had been worse, we probably would have shortened up the watch schedule. For our two Atlantic crossings, we brought along an extra watch-stander and divied it up into three hour shifts.

How often have you faced bad weather in your cruising? How bad?

Our worst passage by far was our first ocean passage with the Caribbean 1500 from Norfolk, VA to Tortola, BVI. We had three or four days of 40 to 45 knot winds ahead of the beam. This perfectly illustrates the dangers of participating in cruising rallies. Although they say that they will postpone departure for adverse weather, there is a huge amount of pressure on the organizers to stick to the original plan. We left in no wind and by day three or four were pounding into it. When you plan your departures yourself, you can pick your weather window more wisely.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?

This is really a question for Joe as he always keeps the boat running in top form. I was responsible for keeping the galley well stocked and I took my job very seriously! We have a big freezer and refrigerator on Zia so are able to carry plenty to keep five well fed for a month at least. Of course, we had loads of cans too, just in case!

What is your biggest lesson learned?

Slow down, take your time, ENJOY. That boat project will be waiting for you when you come back. I also found that we didn't have to do everything the way everyone else does it. We actually sail upwind when that is the direction our desired destination lies. We are spending this hurricane season along the Caribbean coast of Mexico so our kids can go to a bi-lingual school here.

How do you fund your cruise?

Joe and I owned our own computer business for 15 years. Never knowing how good the next year would be, we were always very conservative with our money. We sold the business nine months before we left cruising. We had a payment from that sale for the first five years of our cruising. We also own two rental properties that generate a monthly income. We are very fortunate not to have to worry too much about a budget. That said, you spend a lot less money cruising than you do living in the States. No car or car insurance, telephone or cable bill, electricity, gas, dry cleaning, etc. You need a plentiful wardrobe of bathing suits, shorts and t-shirts. It's wonderful.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

Do you ever regret your decision to leave everything and go cruising? NEVER!

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10 Questions for Pacific Bliss

Lois and Gunter Hofmann are a married couple who cruised from 2000 until 2008 aboard the catamaran Pacific Bliss, a 43 foot Catana 431 hailing from San Diego, CA. During those years they completed a circumnavigation logging 34,000 nm and visiting 62 countries. They began in France where the boat was built, going back to San Diego over the years during cyclone or hurricane season, or when they needed a break and had the boat in a safe place. They returned back to Canet, France to the very same dock they had left. More on their trip can be found on their website and in their forthcoming book and they can be contacted through their website or email (loisjoyhofmann@yahoo.com, gunterahofmann@yahoo.com). They add: As the saying goes, "every year spent cruising is a year you do not age," and we believe it. After 8 years at sea, we feel younger than ever! So don't let age keep you from circumnavigating!

Why did you decide to cruise?
We had a dream of cruising when we retired. We might not have ordered the catamaran and cast off those bowlines, though, if it were not for some personal circumstances that caused us to want to escape. We yearned for control and freedom over our lives. What we found and learned at sea was much, much more.

Over the time that you have been cruising, has the world of cruising changed?
Yes, the technology really changed over the eight years. GPS is the greatest! As the navigator, Lois began using paper charts, but we ended up relying on mostly electronic charts, with paper as the back-up. We did not have email capability when we began. Then sailmail came on the scene, which allowed us to transmit via our SSB. We did not have a satellite phone initially. In 2002, we purchased an Iridium satellite phone, which allowed us to call our elderly parents, and also our broker to talk us through some technical repairs while at sea.

Over the years, how much time do you think you spend at anchor, sailing and motoring?
We never kept exact records of this, but since we made many inland trips, probably 25% of the time was spent sailing. When at sea though, we sailed whenever we could, which was 90% on ocean crossings such as San Diego-to-Marquesas, Cape Verde-to-St. Lucia, and Thailand-to-Salala, Oman. The longest motoring stretch was "uphill" from the Panama Canal to San Diego.

What type of watch schedule do you normally use while offshore?
We always used 3 hour watch schedules, with or without additional crew. During passages over one week long, we would usually have one or two crew.

What piece(s) of gear would you leave on the dock next time? Why?
We liked having all the gear, but could have done with fewer clothes.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
Gunter had so many spare parts on Pacific Bliss that one catamaran sailor called her "the supply boat." So much, that sometimes he forgot what we had. Mostly though, these spares came in handy. We even used our spare flux-gate compass, spare computer, etc. The one we did not have to use was our spare hydraulic steering system, the original one lasted 34,000 miles, but we would not have felt comfortable leaving it on the dock.

How much does cruising cost?
We budgeted about $30,000 per year, not counting the cost of the boat, spare parts, repairs and maintenance.

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
There are two categories to bring with you: (1) give-aways, the best to bring are sunglasses and prescription glasses, baby and children's used clothing, extra canned foods and staples, and toys/coloring books/crayons. We gave away boxes of glasses and clothing in the Banks Islands of Vanuatu, and even our spare dinghy prop to a village for their lone fishing boat; we gave away canned goods and staples (rice and flour) to families in a cyclone-devasted village in Tonga (2) trading, all batteries, esp D-cell, T-shirts.

Do you have any specific advice for couples cruising?
If you have not cruised before, take a "basic training" cruising course to see whether it is for you. We took the one offered by John Neal, a 1000-mile sail from Raratonga to American Samoa. Make sure that each of you knows how to navigate, run the SSB, sail, motor, run the dinghy, etc. in case the other is incapacitated. To keep the peace and to make sure each of you feels important, divvy up the responsibilities and take courses increase competence and confidence. In our case, Gunter was the Captain, Lois was the Navigator. Lois also managed the radio communications and did most of the cooking. Gunter did all the mechanical work. Fixing the boat is a major challenge in remote areas; some men who come from occupations such as finance (vs. engineering, for example) give up cruising because of this. Women who feel like an unappreciated "galley slave" cooking and cleaning the boat, also give up. If a couple cannot live together on land 24/7 without getting away from each other part of every day, don't expect to live together confined to a boat for weeks at a time.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What lessons in life going forward did you learn at sea?

We learned that one is never totally in control; we are at the mercy of God and nature. Learn how to pray! We learned flexibility, how to go with the flow (in this case, the wind and weather). A cruising boat is not a plane or train or even a cruise ship. Firm shedules are the enemy of safety on board. When friends or crew join you, provide a place or a time, not both.

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10 Questions for So It Goes

Bob & Sheila are currently cruising aboard So It Goes, a Cal 34 which is they describe as a "Classic Plastic temporary boat we bought after losing our last one to a lightning strike. It's a kiss too small but is such a great boat. It just keeps hanging in there!". They moved onto their first cruising boat in 1988 although they had been living on the French canals for a few years prior. Since 1988 they have cruised Europe and the canals, the Mediterranean, Africa and the Carribean. Although their boat hails from Hilo, Hawaii, USA, they have been cruising so long that they no longer consider themselves from anywhere in particular. You can learn more about them at their blog.

Describe a perfect cruising moment that will make cruisers-to-be drool with anticipation
While in the Med we had a group of dolphins swimming with us through the night watch and only when I stuck my head out after hearing the egg timer go off would they do their "thing" jumping the bow wave, showing off and suchlike. When I closed the hatch they would go back to just swimming along with us. Every fifteen minutes it was showtime for them and I was their chosen audience... Just does not get better than that!

Is there something you wish you had bought or installed before starting cruising?
When we left we went with the less is more mindset and pretty much got it right.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
We've mostly been light on systems... Our first two boats only had an outboard and our current boat has Electric propulsion (which works great by the way) and as such we don't really need much in the way of spares. While not spares we'd love to be able to carry more film and boat building tools...

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you?
A lot of the cruising fleet bring their problems with them...

Over the time that you have been cruising, has the world of cruising changed?
Very much so. When we started it seemed the average boat size was less than 35' and now it is more like 45'+. People these days are a lot less handy and self sufficient so the costs of cruising for a lot of people we run into are out of control which makes for unhappy campers.

Of the changes, choices and compromises you had to make along the way, which were you happiest and most satisfied about, which do you wish you had chosen otherwise and why?
The work/cruising compromise has always been problematic. These days we have adapted our business (film/boat building/charter brokerage) so that we can work from wherever our boat happens to be so no more having to stop to build up cruising chips.

How has cruising affected your personal relationships?
We just had our 30th anniversary and twenty-seven of those years have been afloat... Pretty much says it all!

What is the most important attribute for successful cruising?
Being able to roll with the flow.

What are your impressions of the cruising community?
That's a hard one because there are really a bunch of different communities... But, most of the people we meet on boats are more like us than not so. Generally speaking we tend to get along with everyone.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?
Where would you like to cruise now? More off the beaten path... We really miss being the only boat in an anchorage!

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