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you're something to see. turned 5 today!

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day 365: end of an era

Well guys, this is it. This is the last post, on this blog anyway. If you have read earlier posts, then you know that my journey isn’t over and there will be more adventures and posts and videos. I have decided to turn my blogging into vlogging. So the following blog will actually be videos instead of posts. 

I still can’t believe this is it. This past year has certainly had its ups and downs, but overall it’s been relatively okay. I have definitely learned a lot and seen a lot and met a helluva lot of interesting people. It’s been quite the journey, indeed. 

But I’m ready to move on to the next phase of my life, the next chapter if you will. I think the hardest part is realizing that there is life after the boat. There are new crew members coming on board to replace Brandon and I, and mom is joining me in the states to help me get settled up in Maryland. One of the crew members is already here, and Steve is giving him the lay of the land. 

I do have to wonder if it will be easy for me to ‘reintegrate’ back into society. I have a million thoughts going through my head at the moment so I probably won’t post much this time around, but I’m sure there will be another post later on that goes into more detail. 

I just want to also thank everyone who has continued to follow, like, comment, share, and meet up with me. You all have impacted my life in some way, shape, or form. Thank you thank you thank you. 

Please continue to share with me at afloatafter.tumblr.com 

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day 362: outta the bag

Before we get started on this whole ‘one year’ concept, I should clarify a few things. No, it is not one year of recovery from drugs. No, it is not one year of being on the sailboat, accompanying my parents on their journey from Maryland and into the Bahamas. No, it is not one year of any thing that is remotely obvious.

I got an email from Tumblr this morning saying that this blog is celebrating one year old today. And holy shit. 

That’s one entire year. Three hundred and sixty five days. That’s one whole year of posting my thoughts. One whole year of being honest. One whole year of having courage and faith. One whole year of staying committed to posting - some times more than others, but still. That’s one whole freaking year! Can you believe it? 

I’m sure there still aren’t that many people following my journey, but this has really been beneficial for me personally. It’s given me an outlet for my feelings, sometimes when I wasn’t able to reach friends or family. It’s been relieving, encouraging, amazing writing these blog posts. 

So here’s what is outta the bag. To celebrate one year of having this blog, I am going to share something else. There’s another blog in the works! Well, more like a vlog. Yes, that’s right! I’m not done posting. Over this time spent with my parents, creating the videos for their YouTube page, I’ve found something that really gets the blood flowing. So I’m going to channel that creativity into my own personal use. The next Tumblr is still semi-in the works, and this one will still be posted on until the final day of my journey. But get ready for what happens next. 

www.afloatafter.tumblr.com is where you will be able to watch (not read) the next chapter, what happens after one year at sea. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to keep posting. This vlog is for you. 

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day 361: nassau / paradise island

Wow. You wanna talk about an extremely overpopulated and congested tourist trap? Nassau is the place to be for that, without a doubt! It’s extremely commercialized, full of American-brand places, and the obnoxious spring breakers from the nearby cruise ships just take over the entire downtown area. Mom and Brandon scoped it out on Thursday, but then they took me with them yesterday. It’s definitely a day-long affair, so if you’re planning a trip to Nassau, prepare for that. The beaches are crowded, the shops are rampant, and you can’t take a peek inside said shops without at least five employees coming up to you trying to sell every touristy thing they have to offer. 

Needless to say, though, I love it here. This is the kind of place I was waiting for. Of course, I bought all of my touristy looking shit from one of the little shops, I ooh’d and ahh’d at all of the sights and sounds that downtown has to offer. Mom took in the art museum tour while Brandon and I took in the pirates of Nassau tour. Gotta say, yes, the tour was cool and it was interesting but it’s nothing to really write home about to be completely honest. There were a few cool exhibitions, but it just wasn’t that interesting to me. But you know I just had to buy a shirt and cup from the gift shop afterwards! 

The other night Brandon, mom, and I went to the neighboring island called Paradise Island. And let me tell you, it was definitely paradise for sure! The main attraction - and maybe the only one at that - is Atlantis Resort, where they literally offer everything. There’s no need to really go anywhere else if you’re staying there. They have snorkeling tours, the dolphin experience, lagoons, a waterpark, nice ass hotel rooms I’m sure, and the world-famous Atlantis Casino. My first casino, and it was international! It was cool to check it out and see how the other half lives, but casinos aren’t really my scene. I only play Blackjack and Spades, and the latter isn’t a casino game so I was actually kind of bored. I lost $75 at the Blackjack table, and that was enough for me. I wasn’t really interested in sitting there all night losing - or maybe winning - money. But like I said, it was a cool experience and it gave me an excuse to get dressed up to go out on the town. 

I finally got to go to a meeting last night, and it wasn’t any different than back home. They just didn’t offer key tags, which was a little disappointing since I celebrated nine months not too long ago. But I met some really cool people and the atmosphere was nice to be in. Hopefully I get to go again before we leave on Wednesday. 

Brandon got some bad news about a family member yesterday in the midst of our tour, so he’s actually leaving this afternoon. Even with all of the shit and over analyzation he does, I am going to miss him. His antics just made the boat a little bit happier of a place to be, and he is indeed an intelligent man. So he’s catching a cab in about an hour or so to take him to the airport, and that’s that. I wish he wasn’t leaving on the terms that he is, but everything happens for a reason, right? He’s a good dude, and it’s definitely been such an extreme pleasure getting to accompany him on this journey, no matter how brief of a time it was. 

I’ll probably never admit this to my parents out loud, but this journey hasn’t all been bad. It. hasn’t necessarily all been good, but definitely not all that bad. I’ve met some amazing human beings, both near and far. I’m excited to start my new journey in the north-eastern United States. I feel good about what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and definitely where I’m going. This has been one hell of a whirlwind adventure. 

I still have a few more videos to create, but other than that, I am done working for Steve! I’m enjoying my last few days here, but I am super excited to be going home in four days. 

[setthejet]

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day 354: st. patrick’s day

Man oh man… St. Patrick’s Day, St. Patties Day… whatever you want to call it, it’s today. To be completely and one hundred percent honest, I’m not entirely sure why it’s a national holiday - so if anyone wants to fill me in, then that’d be fantastic. I personally like to call it the day of the drunken fools but I guess my opinion is a little biased considering I don’t drink or party or anything.

When I was using drugs, alcohol and marijuana included, I didn’t care what holiday it was, what day of the week it was, whether or not I had to work the next day, I just didn’t give a single flying fuck as long as I was getting my fix. So while some people see St. Patrick’s Day as an excellent excuse to get completely shitfaced, my using self saw it as just another day of using but it was more accepted by society as a whole because it was a holiday. Not just any holiday, but a holiday known for it’s heavy drinking and debauchery.

Mom and I were talking earlier about our feelings regarding St. Patrick’s Day because we were all invited by our 'friends' from Pawsitive Latitude to join in on the festivities this evening. I didn’t even hesitate when giving my "No" answer to the invite. I don’t feel like being around that much drinking, and I certainly don’t want to be around other cruisers who are drinking. I thought regular land people were obnoxious when they drink but cruisers are just a whole other level of insane. I get it, I mean life just kind of seems like one big holiday when you live on a boat but seriously? Come on now folks… grow the fuck up some days. So anyway, mom and I agreed that St. Patrick’s Day is worse than New Year’s Eve. At least on NYE, people generally cut themselves off after midnight. It’s like they build all this hype up to the last second of the year and then BAM it’s all over. I feel like St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have a midnight. It doesn’t have an ending. People just drink and party until they throw up or pass out… or in some unfortunate cases, both.

And how ironic is it that I got out of rehab a year ago to this day? I didn’t stay clean when I got out - and if you’ve been following me through this blog then you know this already - but that rehabilitation center changed my life. I mean it really did. I know a lot of people say that when they enter a program or a twelve step fellowship or whatever, but I get why. Because that’s how I feel about this particular place. It’s sad though because when I relapsed and got clean again, three months out of that rehab, one of my closest friends in there died of an overdose three days after I got one day clean. So to make that easier to understand: I had three days clean when Justin died. It was devastating because I was down in Florida when it happened and I was so shook up by it and he was such a dear friend of mine. I loved that kid ya know? Just like in a brotherly kind of way, so don’t make this weird. He looked out for me, and I looked out for him. So if I have any reason to stay clean now, it’s to do it for him. Mostly do it for myself of course, because I swear to god my body can’t handle any more highs and comedowns, but also for him because he deserved to be clean and he was such a great human being. I just hate the fact that he only got thirty-one years on this earth, and never even got to achieve a year of clean time. It just fucking sucks dude. I don’t know how else to put it.

So yeah, I’m staying on the boat tonight with Gus while mom, Steve, and Brandon go hang out on shore. And I’m perfectly fine with that decision. It’s probably a hell of a lot more calm and easier than trying to blend in with that crowd at this moment.

[setthejet]

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day 351: staniel cay

This is by far probably my favorite place that we have visited in the Bahamas. We got here day before yesterday, and every second that we have spent exploring the island - above as well as below sea level - has been magical. It’s been really good weather the last few days, no rain or anything. This morning I was awoken by the boat rocking back and forth a little bit, and that only aggravated me because we were all up until past midnight playing Cards Against Humanity with our new friends, SV VonYachtSki who is a couple from British Columbia, Canada, and SV Colorado who is a couple from, well, Colorado. And SV Colorado brought some friends, SV Corporate Sail Out. They were a wee bit sloshed when they came over, and I use the term 'wee bit' with a very sarcastic tone. I thought it would be uncomfortable, especially if everyone else joined them and I was the only sober one. But mom and Steve wouldn’t leave me hanging out to dry like that, so not to worry. And actually it was really quite comical. They had trouble reading the words and they used different voices to read the cards out loud… Hell, I even got some of it on camera to muse at over and over again. It really was a good time overall though.

I do wish I could get some steady signal somewhere out here though. It was funny, last night, after everyone left the LTE signal came through (it’s been coming in and out sporadically at random moments) so of course Brandon and I stayed up to use it for a bit. I got some social media work done and he was able to grade some papers. It sucks getting notifications and not being able to look at what they are! Ah, the joy of first world problems… Am I right though?

But here in a few days we’re going to pack up and start making our way back north towards New Providence Island, which is where Nassau is. And we’re staying at a marina while we’re there so that’ll be nice. Plus Nassau is a huge city, so I have no doubt about getting good signal as well as a plethora of options as far as WiFi is concerned.

I can’t believe I’m going back to the states in two weeks! Honestly, I thought this day would never come. Sometimes it just felt like the time here dragged on and on. Mom likes to remind me that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and millions of people would kill for it, so I hate to sound ungrateful. I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty and everything here, but I’m just not the beach type or anything. I’ll admit, there have been fun moments, but I’m just ready to go home and move on with my life. Mom and Steve want to contract me to continue working on their videos for them and I wrote up a business proposal and everything and they agreed with pretty much everything in it. I have to make a few tweaks to some of the stuff that we discussed but overall they said it was great and mom said she was really impressed with my effort and thought into the whole thing. We all decided and agreed upon an arrangement where either of us can back out of the contract with thirty days written notice. And at first, everything looks really really great on paper, but now that I’ve stepped back and thought about it… I just want my family back. Working for them has not worked out well for me, in my opinion. And maybe that’s just the part of me that felt like such an outcast for so long and spending time in and out of facilities and whatnot. I just want to feel a part of the family again. The whole time I’ve been living on the boat it’s just felt like an on-call sort of thing. "David, film this. David, clean that. David, blah blah blah". And I’m so extremely grateful for all of the help that they’ve given me. But I just want my parents, and I think continuing to work for them would just do more harm than good. And I’m ready to cut ties with this boat, too. Basically, I don’t want to do it anymore. I just don’t have the heart to tell them yet though. I know I can’t wait too long, but I just haven’t figured out the wording. And again, I just want my family back.

Anyway, on a lighter note, this cay has the Thunderball Grotto, which is basically an underwater cave. Brandon and I explored the shit out of it both yesterday and today. It is so absolutely amazing and I could go there everyday for all I care. The fish are so colorful and the coral reef is very alive and well. The rock structure is just a visionary… I’ll post some pictures and videos because I really can’t talk about it and do it justice at the same time. Well, I think today is a good day to lay out in the sun for a little bit and try to even out these tan lines I got going on from all the tank tops that I dress myself in. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts as of yet.

Oh, and stay tuned for the big "debut" of my blog for the next chapter of my life.

[setthejet]

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day 340: warderick wells cay

After some really hard, rocky waves for the past few days at Hawksbill Cay, we were ready for a different scenery. Don’t get me wrong, it was gorgeous and the sun was out but the winds and current made it almost unbearable to do anything. For Warderick Wells, there’s usually a waiting list. And after getting here yesterday, I can understand why. We signed up to be supporters of the park so we could get here quicker, and apparently mom can write it off as a business donation of some sort for a tax break next year which is pretty cool.

This is like the main headquarters for the Exuma Land and Sea Park. This is the hot spot, this is where everyone dies to come to. The sea state is calm, you’re practically protected on all sides of your boat, there’s plenty of sites to climb and walk around, and not to mention the marine life basically swims right up to your boat. Brandon went in the water for a brief stint yesterday and as soon as he looked below him, he saw a shark! Of course I quickly handed him the GoPro so he could get some footage of it. This is also where Brandon and I will be camping.

Yesterday we went to shore to get payments squirt away and find out details on where to camp and whatnot. Warderick Wells has an infamous hill called Boo Boo Hill. It’s called that because a million years ago people were stranded on that hill and it’s believed that if you’re at the top of the hill just as the full moon rises, you can hear the voices of those we lost. And boo is the sound most people associate with ghosts, so there’s that. Me being the avid rock climber that I am as of late, and Brandon who’s always up for an adventure, decided there’s no time like the present! So we made the trek up to Boo Boo Hill. It wasn’t some boring trail either. There were stops with sign posts and explanations about some of the mangrove plants and how they survive on the island. It was pretty cool. But then you get to the top of the hill, and you have two options: left for blowholes and right for boo boo hill. Brandon went to the blowholes and I went to the top of Boo Boo. What I saw was so incredible... people who had come to the island left wood planks with their boat name and the year they visited. God there had to be close to a thousand planks piled up on the top of that hill. Of course I couldn’t get enough pictures or videos of it all. I basically panoramically photographed everything. Although the blowholes were cool too. They were strong actually. Brandon put a pile of sticks on top of one, and when the waves crashed against the limestone, the sticks just blew straight up! And the swells reached the top of the rocks, so as the water evaporated, you could see a rainbow every single time. It was just a glorious site honestly. I don’t think words could ever describe it.

Steve came up with the idea of hoisting our Bahamas phone to the top of the mast to try and get some signal for using it as a hotspot. Damn is he one smart guy... it worked! So maybe twice a day since that miraculous discovery, he’s put it up there long enough to check emails or post a quick photo on Instagram. I’ve completed two videos to be posted on our YouTube channel but the files are so fucking big that it would completely wipe out the rest of our data on the phone.

We’re going to be here until Friday morning, and after we leave here we have a few more cays to check out in the Exumas before we head back up north to Nassau. Turns out Brandon has student loans increasing and piling up so he’s actually heading back to the states the same day that mom and I are. At first it was a little nerve wrecking because I thought maybe that changed mom and my plan to road trip to Maryland together and it also meant that they were shelling out a shitload of money at a marina for a month... But Steve got creative and posted a brief ad out on Cruisers Forum and got a response from a guy up in Canada! So while mom is in the states with me, Steve will be joined by his new Canadian friend, Wilson, AND Wilson’s wife will also be joining! How cool is that?! Totally confirms number ten on the list of observances that I made about cruisers. Community is a huge deal in this lifestyle. People helping other people out. It’s pretty cool, actually. PS mom and I can’t help but do the Tom Hanks’ “Wiiiiiilsooooon” as seen in the movie ‘Castaway’ every time Steve brings him up.

I am getting semi-anxious to get home though. I miss my friends, constant cellular signal, and not as expensive amenities. Sure, I’ll miss mom and Steve and Gus and this whole experience, but it’s time for me to get on with the next chapter of my life. Twenty-two days to go!

[setthejet]

day 338: shroud cay

I guess you could call what we’ve been doing the past few days is island hopping. Upon arrival into the Exuma Islands, we started out at Highbourn Cay and ended up staying there a little bit due to weather and the nearby snorkeling was pretty neat. The nearby resort was available to drop off trash too, so we did that. At the end of their dock at the resort, they have a cleaning station for all of the fishermen. Well, beneath the dock was about twenty plus Nurse Sharks just hanging out at the bottom, assumably waiting for fishermen to discard their unwanted findings. What an awesome sight! Of course I had to get as close as possible, so I climbed over and under the rocks that led to the water. I think some of them thought I was holding goodies for them because, swear to god, they almost swam close enough for me to touch them. Holy shit... it was just really cool to see, all of those sharks just laying in the sand. Hell, we even glided over a few Caribbean Reef Sharks as well. Definitely an experience for the books.

From there we went on to Lobster Cay, which was merely a day stop, as in we didn’t stay overnight there. But let me tell you, probably the most beautiful coral reef lay at the bottom off the coast of that island. I could’ve swam in that water for hours and hours and find something new to see every second of the way. There was also a torn apart sunken ship with pieces scattered everywhere. And the fish... oh my god the fish were in schools, and they were all so brightly colored and beautiful. I still haven’t gotten a hang of the whole snorkel thing, but at least my mask rests snug against my face so I can enjoy the viewing when I’m not coming up for breath.

After Lobster Cay we kept going south towards Norman’s Cay. Norman’s Cay wasn’t all that impressive to me, and it was the first stop in a while that I had no cell coverage... I mean, it was going in and out, but it sucked having to hold my phone or iPad in just the right place to barely get a signal. The same was for Brandon, mom, and Steve. But we stayed there for a few days only because yesterday was a really shitty weather day. It was just really gloomy and it rained on and off. I slept in the cockpit too because it was just so dry and hot. I don’t entirely mind sleeping in the cockpit, but it’s not the most comfortable for a complete night’s sleep. It’s more of a perfect napping spot to be honest.

This morning we moved the boat closer to the other end of Norman’s Cay. Now, I will say that this morning was incredible. So you know the movie Blow starring Johnny Depp? Well that movie is based off of a true story and the airstrip that is featured in that movie is based off of the airstrip on the other end of Norman’s Cay. It’s where Pablo Escobar used to use the Bahamas to smuggle Cocaine. Crazy, right? And not too far from the airstrip is a sunken plane that wrecked! At low tide, you can even see parts of the plane jutting out of the water, which it was today when we went. The current was strong as hell though so Brandon towed me to the wreck and once we got there, I held on to the plane to keep from drifting from it so I could get some good videos. It was so beautiful! Oh my god, it was just incredible. I’ll have to post pictures when I get signal because words can not do it justice in the slightest. Just seeing all of the sea life growing on the sides of the wings and the fish nestled within the broken engines... It was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

And now that brings us to right now, right this second. We came down to Shroud Cay, which is the first cay that starts to make up the Exuma Land and Sea Park. The park encompasses four different cays, and everything is protected in these areas, like we can’t fish, spear, catch lobster, etc. Again, it’s super beautiful pulling into this area. And I think the feeling of being within the confines of a national park is a neat thing to write. We hooked up to a mooring ball, which is kind of like anchoring, except it’s more secure. Well, typically anchoring is free, mooring balls are cheap, and marina docks are expensive. Not here in the ELASP. Anchoring is cheap, mooring balls are a little bit more, and docking is OUTRAGEOUS (not that there are many places to dock because they try to protect the sea life). We got back not too long ago from taking the dinghy into the cay itself, which is mostly made up on mangroves which meant mom and I got a little stoked to tow the kayaks into them. And that’s what we did - we all hopped in the dinghy with kayaks in tow, and once we anchored inside the cay, mom and I were eager to get the kayaks unhooked and make our way into the shallow sand. Well, it ended up being super shallow, to the point of having to walk the kayaks across the bottom a few times. It was cool at first, but we both were just kinda like ‘uh okay, is this it?’ When we made our way back to the anchored dinghy to meet up with Steve and Brandon again, Brandon wanted to take one of the kayaks out and about and I wanted to attempt climbing some of the nearby rocks. Well, Brandon came back and it turns out that if you go a slightly different direction, there’s tons to see and he said that a baby shark even swam right up to his kayak! I personally never thought of myself as a huge shark person, but ever since coming to the Bahamas I’ve been obsessed with three things: wanting to swim with wild dolphins, climbing to the very top of every rock that I come across, and sharks.

But right this second, I am completely burnt and burnt out. I suck at putting sunscreen on, so I figure I’ll just burn the shit out of my skin and when it’s done peeling, I’ll be this beautiful shade of bronze and then I’ll just have to work on my beach bod then I’ll be good to go! No but seriously, that’s just how it goes for me.

Eh, but for now I’m extremely exhausted and I think I’ve given an accurate update of our ventures thus far, so this is it. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

[setthejet]

10 things that i have observed about cruisers over the past year

Now, before you go ahead and start reading, let’s take a moment to realize that this is my list and my observations and my opinions. THESE ARE NOT FACTS. And you may disagree with some of these and want to dispute them (go ahead and refer to #7). This was merely for shits and giggles, so to speak. So if you’re up for a good laugh and maybe some cold hard truth, please do continue. 

Cuss like a sailor: This list is not one of just funny sayings relating to cruising/boating/sailing, but I had to come up with some cute headline for each subject. So let’s just start with the obvious, shall we? To be honest, I thought it was just a funny saying. Little did I realize that it was in fact a funny saying, but a funny saying based loosely on facts. I have noticed that more often than not, your friendly boating neighbor swears left and right, up and down, and can’t complete a sentence without usually saying "shit" or "fuck". Of course, it’s not necessary in the slightest, but it just becomes a natural thing. 

Booze cruise: A lot of the cruising lifestyle revolves around drinking. I’d say it’s more like a religion than anything. And there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever, it’s just something I’ve noticed. "Hey where’d you get that supreme hard top?" "Well, I’d love to tell you over a drink sometime". I mean it’s just a thing. Assuming that everyone who interacts with each other owns a boat that isn’t really suitable for more than four to five people, it’s just easier to meet up in public and usually that place is a bar. I, personally, have even become accustomed to ordering virgin Piña Coladas just so I can feel like one of the bunch. 

Size matters: Height, length, draft, cabins, heads (bathrooms), galley area (kitchen), sails, engine(s), fuel/water tanks - you name it, the size of it matters. It definitely becomes an issue of 'my horse is bigger than your horse' and it may not be intentional but from the sidelines, it definitely sounds that way. And of course, one will compliment the other in some fashion on some particular thing, but the body language says it all. And of course before one person mentions the make and model of their engine, the other is practically bragging about theirs. Really, it’s a comedy show that you just want to grab a bag of popcorn and a lawn chair for. 

Gadgets & Gizmos a plenty: You might recognize this catchy phrase from the Disney movie 'The Little Mermaid' but for number four on this list, we’re really talking about the multiple gadgets a vessel holds and what they do. Cruisers love their gadgets, and love talking about the many things they do. Whether it’s the radar, sonar, GPS, Inmarsat, or something as simple as the hand-held radios. Honestly, I don’t even know what half of those things are or how they even work, but according to our captain we have them aboard. Having these gadgets is another one of those things where you have to have the best of the best, no matter the cost. It’s like you’re not living if you don’t have a specific brand of a specific instrument or tool. 

Caution: Under Construction: Projects are a daily affair. It was said to me, when I joined my parents on their 53-footer for a year, that 'there is always something to be done on a boat'. And I thought they were just talking about their boat specifically. Nope, turns out I was only half right. Cruisers are always looking for something to do, as if swimming and fishing and exploring the cultures on land wasn’t enough. SV Take Me There!'s projects consisted of building a custom hard top, installing security cameras, making a new door to the laundry area, and these are just to name a few. Problem-solving is a huge part of being a crew member on this vessel, and sometimes that implies some simple and not-so-simple DIY projects. I think part of this has something to do with not always having access to internet services, so you find other things to occupy your time. Also, I’ve noticed that a lot of cruisers have the "sun up to sun down" mentality, utilizing every ray of sunshine that is available. Sitting still is not an option. Ever. 

Every day jargon: Terms like starboard and port tend to not just be used on the boat itself, but sometimes you’ll catch people in the cruising community using these terms in every day life situations. And when socializing amongst these types of people, you better pray to god that a) you know what you’re talking about and b) that you know what they’re referring to. It’s not that they’ll treat you like the mean girls in high school did and shun you, but pity is not given to the ignorant. Hull, bow, beam, stern, mast, jib, mizzen - these are all terms that I just learned in the past couple of months when I actually started to pay attention. 

Opinions are like assholes: …Everybody has them, and they all stink, right? Well not if you’re a cruiser. Your opinion is valid and it is the only one that matters. When conversing with another who has one that differs from your own, typically it’s best to just let them win after bantering back and forth for a few sentences. Again, not if you’re a cruiser. You fight to the death until your voice is heard as well as understood and agreed with. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. So I’ve found when observing said conversations that it is yet another humorous show from the sidelines. Being on the outskirts of the conversation, I can find good points from both parties but I’m sure it’s different when you’re in the midst of it. 

The Weather Channel: While aboard, I have gotten used to our schedule being completely dictated by the weather. If it’s not windy, then the tides are wrong, and if the tides aren’t wrong then the sea state is at its worst. Everything has to be in pristine condition to be able to go underway (travel from point A to point B by boat). If you have a TV aboard, you can pretty much count on it always being tuned into the local weather station. And when 6:15 in the morning rolls around, you can pretty much assume your VHF radio will be tuned in to the local weather as well. When I’ve been excited about traveling to the next location, like for instance when we were going from Southport, NC to Charleston, SC, I’ve even found myself checking the weather myself to figure out when we’d be setting sail. Now I check probably once a week just to be informed so when we have our "crew meetings", I sound just a little bit smart. But this doesn’t just relate to traveling, checking the weather also helps dictate what you’re doing fo the day as far as fishing, kiteboarding, or maybe just relaxing with a good book. 

Plan & Prep: People tend to have this misconception about cruisers - that they’re free-spirited, adventure-seeking, thrill-driven individuals. And while some of them are, not all of them, and even the most self-guided person has to have some sort of plan when it comes to this lifestyle. There’s a lot of thought and energy that goes into this process. You have routes to plan and a budget to abide by and situations to be aware of. A lot of the cruisers that I’ve come into contact with didn’t just wake up one morning and say, "Hey you know what? I’m going to buy a boat, sell my home, and circumnavigate forever". No, they had jobs to think about, bank accounts to consider, and so on. A lot of time is taken to figure out where you’re cruising to and for how long. You also have to be prepared for the unexpected. A good friend of mine once told me "You can make plans, you just can’t plan the outcome" and that holds very true in this lifestyle. 

Social butterfly: Being a cruiser is a very social thing, whether you’re a people person or not. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing an extremely introverted individual come out of his shell quite a bit. I think part of it has something to do with finding a hobby or passion and relating to other people on the same subject. It’s actually kind of cool to see someone in their element, speaking so passionately on something that I have no clue about but that they love. When we were crossing from the United States over to the Bahamas, our engine died and we had to rely solely on sails to get us to our destination. Hailing TowBoat US over the radio was a frequent thing, and other boats heard our exchange. It was because of those conversations that we came into contact with the diesel mechanic who was able to put us back in business. Cruising is also helping others, much like recovering alcoholics or the teacher’s union. You may not be Facebook friends or follow each other on Twitter, but you meet people from all over that you share a common bond with.

Hope you enjoyed reading my personal list of observations that I have made over this past (almost) year of cruising with my parents down the east coast of the US and into the Bahamas. There MAY be a Part II if I can come up with enough points to make. Ciao!