# Would you get bored of cruising?



## yellowwducky (Nov 6, 2008)

Hi all,

I am just curious what people think on this topic. I hear one of the biggest disappointments of people that retire is their expectations are not met. They think 'I am going to golf every day' (or tennis or whatever their passion is). So they retire, golf every day and about 3 months later are truly saturated with golf and are getting bored.

So, what say you all on cruising? You retire and think 'I am going to sail around the world' and 'I am going to snorkel every day' and 'I am going to enter into the xyz regatta' and 'I am going to catch fresh fish for dinner every night'. Whatever it is you put together as your itinerary, the reality would seem to be you are on a boat, you can travel and see new places, you have limited space/amenities (compared to a dry land home). Do you think you would find yourself getting bored?

Don't get me wrong, I am sure snorkelling in the Bahamas is wonderful and a round of golf at Tobago is very nice. But after a while, you are likely to be in a routine much like the golfer no? Sail to xyz, dock/anchor, get food, look around the locale, meet some people, go for some dinners, do some snorkeling, do some eating out, do some eating in, do some onshore activities and then....move on.

I realize there is a lot more you CAN do (much like for the golfer guy on land) but of course many people in the world lack a heck of a lot of imagination. So, do YOU think you would get bored - when you give it a serious thought, not just your gut reaction as you stare bored out of your office window.

Thoughts? Comments?

Regards!


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## mccary (Feb 24, 2002)

I am not retired, yet. But I am getting close. My wife will retire at the end of this school year so this is a topic near and dear to me. First, let me say, I don't plan to "go cruising" instead, sailing will be part of my life's experiences. I enjoy a nice week on the boat; I see/sail different areas and enjoy it all, but I also enjoy going home. I am a commercial photographer and I enjoy my work, it is rarely the same each day and while sometimes I do the same projects year after year they are very different. So, for me, I enjoy a varied life full of mixed experiences with sailing an important part of that life. I have no desire to sail off into the sunset. But I do respect those who do plan such a life. To each his own.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I got bored...but it took six years. Best six years of my life! Nothing has to be forever to be worth doing!!


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## funsailthekeys (May 15, 2008)

If you had to ask that question then it's probably not for you. I have been doing this for over 15 years and still get excited . It's not the destination, it's the journey.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

yellowwducky said:


> Sail to xyz, dock/anchor, get food, look around the locale, meet some people, go for some dinners, do some snorkeling, do some eating out, do some eating in, do some onshore activities and then....move on.


This sounds a little like the routine of life, just the topics differ. As Cam said, nothing is forever. I guess even astronauts in the space station get bored. Life will give you the variety you ask of it. If settling into a dull routine is a part of your character, you will develop that routine whether you're working, golfing, cruising. . . .

I once met a couple who were nearly done with a circumnavigation and when asked what the lady thought of the South Pacific, she said " Just a string of rocks and palm trees". When we asked her husband? "Paradise". Same place, different attitudes.

When people ask me how long I intend cruising for I always say: For as long as it takes. When I've had enough I'll know.

But I've never been bored in the cruising I've done to date.


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## dongreerps (May 14, 2007)

The most common comment made by retirees (including me) is "Where did I ever find time to work?"


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## Flybyknight (Nov 5, 2005)

When I retired 8 years ago it was fly fishing and upland bird hunting which I did all my life, then added to that was salt water fishing. That did not last long.
Then it was sailing.
Guess what?
I got bored and felt useless. I got a job where I really have to think. I love it. Hope to work all my remaining days.
Dick


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Funny, I shoot for Discovery & History...and I'm bored with it! Anything can get routine. But it took 25 years to get to that. I expect I'll need at least as much time as Cam took to get bored with cruising. I plan on cruising till I can't. Then?


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Boredom is a self-affliction.


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## yellowwducky (Nov 6, 2008)

Heh, yea, the saying I have heard is 'if you are bored, it is because your are boring'.

I don't think I would have any troubles at all with it on a very long term basis. It is interesting though when you mention to others 'oh, yea, I am thinking of retiring early and going around the year on a boat'. So far, the responses have ranged from 'the pirates will kill you' or 'the ocean will kill you' or 'you will get bored after a while'.

Well I am not worried about pirates or the ocean - a healthy respect for the situation at hand and some forethought should sort that out. But its interesting to hear the people who think it would be boring. I don't really get that one myself. I mean, my job IS boring - this is a FACT. In my free time though, I am never bored and only wish for more free time. Well heck, cruising would give a lot of that.

Thats why I asked the question, just to see what others thought.


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## bubb2 (Nov 9, 2002)

PBzeer said:


> Boredom is a self-affliction.


Agreed!!!


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## Faith of Holland (May 9, 2006)

Boredom happens as a part of human chemistry and attitude. My daughter, when quite little said, amid a group of people, "I'm bored." An older woman, full of the wisdom of her years, said to her, "So? That's your own fault."

I get bored often enough, and did while we were cruising, but that is just a personal flaw that I had to deal with then, and still fight today.


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

Too much of a good thing!!


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## yellowwducky (Nov 6, 2008)

I don't know but for me, I am an only child, I don't really ever feel 'bored'. I always have something I want/need to do and am more than happy if need to that I am on my own to do it.


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

I've heard that sailing/cruising is 90% boredom and 10% sheer terror. Although I agree with the 10%, I strongly disagree with the 90%. We cruised with our daughter for five years when she was young. I was never bored. Relaxed... yes! Bored... never! The hardest thing we ever did while cruising, was to come back to the 'real' world. After 15 years as 'dirt dwellers' while we got the kids educated and out of the nest, we're now getting ready to do it all again and I can't wait.

Cruising is not for everyone (thank God or it would be awfully crowded out there) and I've seen a lot of people pack it in after a couple of months, but it's worth a try if you're a sailor. What do you have to lose?

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
CruisersLife.com


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## ehmanta (Sep 12, 2006)

There's usually too many boat projects that need to be done to be bored!!!


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## micksbuddy (Aug 11, 2006)

I cruised for a year and a half and didn't get bored, and I'm looking forward to doing some more extensive cruising in the not too distant future. There's a whole lot of cool places to see out there in the world! I doubt I'll have a problem with boredom.


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## nical (Nov 26, 2002)

Interesting thread. I'm retired and getting ready to go cruising...but with a wrinkle: Going to places where other people with my interests occasionally congregate. In my case, it's homebuilt aircraft. So...going to NZ, for example, gives me the opportunity to attend an EAA meeting and see some projects...possibly volunteer some time to help out...take some flying enthusiasts sailing. You get the drift....it could be anything...stamps to speelunking. 
And, there is the added benefit that with interaction with locals outside the nautical "umbrella" one is likely to see far more in-depth local life than as a nautically focussed traveler...
Just my unsolicited $ .02...


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

Nical,
Now THAT sounds like fun! That's why most cruisers are never bored. There's just so much to see and do.

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
www.CruisersLife.com


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

Not bored so much as increasingly tired of being invaded by drunken bozos flying the "Second Childhood" flag








who insist on inflicting their choice of music backed by the drone of a portable generator on the entire marina or anchorage.

Nothing a week or two at sea won't cure though.


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

That's one of the beautiful parts of living on a boat. Generally speaking, the marinas we've been in don't put up with that nonsense. However, unlike living in a house, if you neighbors are not what you'd like... or your kids are hanging around with other kids you don't approve of... you get to pick up the anchor and leave it all behind.

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
CruisersLife.com


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

Interests, I noticed that SCUBA diving was becoming boring. You can only look at so many reefs and so many fish etc. You have to have an interest other than swiming around underwater to make it worth the effort. My wife likes history. So reading a lot about places to visit is part of her interest in cruising. But I would venture that a person who is bored ashore will be bored on a boat. You have to pay attention to whatever you are doing.


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## djodenda (Mar 4, 2006)

So, I'm a bit confused about this. Perhaps you can help me out...

When you say "bored" do you really mean "tired" as in

Tired of pumping the head, hand-washing dishes, worrying about the weather, hauling water, charging batteries, dragging anchor, fixing broken things.. etc

or do mean "bored" as in: no job, nothing to do, nothing interesting?

I can understand "tired", but not "bored"....

Now I have never cruised for longer than 2 weeks, so I wouldn't really know.. But my father and stepmother after their 12+ year circumnavigation were tired, but not bored.

So, really... it gets boring? or am I just misunderstanding?

Thanks,

David


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## Undine (Jan 26, 2008)

Anything can be boring if it no longer challenges you in some way. Or if it becomes repetitive. I hope that cruising is everything my hubby and I wish it to be. But I know we will have to put forth an effort to keep it fun and to keep the "challenges" in perspective. And if it becomes boring we'll do something else or make changes to our cruising style.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

I'm not sure I can fully understand the question. Living aboard a boat and cruising is not so much what you do, but a background matrix or setting for your life's happenings. People that live in houses and transport themselves in cars would not say that living in a house and driving defines their lives. My wife and I have been living aboard a boat and cruising since 1972, but that's not what we "do"! We work, read, watch TV, shop, attend concerts and sporting events, visit friends and family, take vacations inland....I think what we do is just about all the same exciting and mudane things that everyone else does. We also do this while living in 27 different communities on the East Coast of the US and the Bahamas. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## gonesailin40 (Sep 6, 2007)

I plan to using cruising as a mode of transportation and as a floating motel room when I retire. I will travel to the places I have read about all of my life. Not sure how boredom could come into play but if it does I will just be bored cruising around the globe instead being bored sitting on a porch.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

If you're looking towards cruising as just an extended vacation you're probably going to get bored as well as find out that extended vacations, by definition, are boring.

Certainly time at sea can become boring with one stretch of water looking much like another. But that's only if you spend your time there just staring at the water. There's usually "work" to be done, on any vessel. Generally speaking, most seamen are readers. There's nothing so abundant or so diverse as reading material.

Planning and destinations have a great deal to do with it as well. In twenty years at sea I'd have to guess that the Caribbean was one of the most boring places I ever visited. There's just not a lot to see after awhile. Another sandy beach, another beautiful scuba dive, another glorious sunset...even those get old. I always enjoyed going places where there was some historical sight-seeing to be done. Were I cruising in my retirement I'd wager that a week or two in Southhampton, England would be far less boring than two weeks in St. Croix. I could reliably fill up more than a few days just at the British Museum I'd expect.

I'd expect that many long term cruisers are restless and eager to be on to the next thing over the horizon. I doubt that many who envision just anchoring in the beautiful lagoon and swimming stick with it for long.


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

Right now we are looking at cruising for a few months at a time and then returning to a land based home tospend time with family etc. So after a month or two in the gulf then a month or so on some land we own in East tennessee. Then move the boat to Florida of Bahamas or Texas and again after a month or two going back to ET. Right now all of this is open ended. If we find that living on the boat is what we prefer then sell the house or visa versa. I want to hike the entire appalachian trail!!!! So maybe a month or so on the trail and then a month or so on the sea. I also love kayaking so interspersing a month kayaking with a month sailing would work too. The thing that is most appealing is "freedom" knowing that I don't have to be in the lab every Monday morning. In a "perfect world" I would love to go do whatever for a few months then go back to work. Unfortunately most employers will not allow such behavior. I really love my work but not all of the time. After 25 years I need a break!!!!


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

I think CaptainForce is really on target. Seems like all of the cruisers, whether full time or part time, have the same view... if you get board as a 'dirt dweller' you're likely to get bored while cruising. 

I think very few peoplewould like doing the same thing over and over again. Every reef is different, so diving on one is always a unique experience for us, although I imagine that if I dove reefs every day 24/7, it would get very old. But that's not cruising... it's only part of it. We always found that there weren't enough hours in the day to do everything we wanted to do!

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
CruiserLife.com


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

I NEED to work ... I find being productive an essential part of my life as does my wife. We NEED to cruise we love the challenges and new places. We NEED to spend time (a lot) with the kids and grandkids ...the compromise - We work for two years then cruise for a year then do it over again. By the end of our year cruising we start to get bored and look forward to getting back to work. I can only sit on the beach drinking rum for so long before it gets tedious.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

I don't have any real cruising experience to back it up, but I would imagine that being bored depends on the kind of person you are, like others have said. If you are able to entertain yourself with reading, hobbies, etc, then I doubt you would ever get bored, but if you're someone who has to be constantly entertained by events and other human beings, then I think you'd probably get bored. I'm one of those people who could just piddle around with electronics and reading and things of that nature for the rest of my days and be just fine. 

For me cruising offers the promise of so many new experiences that I cannot imagine getting bored with it. I know that many people here have grown up around water, scuba diving, and the like, but for me all of that is new and exciting. There is so much to learn, so many challenges ahead for me, that I am confident it will take me a very long time to get to the point that I feel I am not learning anything new. I also really enjoy traveling and have done a fair amount of it, and I am always disappointed to come home. In fact, for me, that's what made me become interested in sailboats in the first place, I want to travel for longer periods of time than just a month or two.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2009)

...


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

I think Wind Magic really hit the nail on the head. I was never bored as a dirt dweller and I've never been bored cruising. I never thought that it was ME that was the reason for that state. My grandmother was an incredible person who was always interested in everything and everyone until the day she died. She always told us that when you loose the 'wonder' of life, it was the beginning of the end of yours.

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
CruisersLife.com


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## BrentM (Dec 16, 2007)

vega1860 said:


> Not bored so much as increasingly tired of being invaded by drunken bozos flying the "Second Childhood" flag who insist on inflicting their choice of music backed by the drone of a portable generator on the entire marina or anchorage.
> 
> Nothing a week or two at sea won't cure though.


Reminds me of:
". . .Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me." -Herman Melville (Moby Dick)


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## zaliasvejas (Jul 18, 2007)

I lived on a boat now a year and a half. At the dock... No problem, I like the small cozy space, the constant presence of nature, the boat itself... how it rocks and buck in it's slip... Now I can tell how high the tide is by the way the boat moves, the direction of the wind from how halyards flap... I even feel when things are out of place, boat sits funny... 
I love it... we are friends... 
But when we go sailing, it is magic... it all comes alive, just the excitement of being untethered is enough to make me constantly awake... Sleeping in an anchorage makes me super sensitive to any strange motion and sound, any boat that goes by leaves a wake to be interpreted by your unconscious mind....
How can you get bored... To me, sailing is the most intense experience ever, the fear, the beauty, the challenge and the arrival.... 
I will not be bored of this... Living in an apartment after my divorce was boring...


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

Seeker,
You've hit the nail on the head. Couldn't have said it better!

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
CruisersLife.com


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## sww914 (Oct 25, 2008)

After what my family has been through the last few years, I so relish the very idea of boredom. I'll happily be bored with warm water and sunshine, wind and nighttime thunderstorms, catching dinner, and finding a new place anytime I want to.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

I took a chunk of my retirement early on in life and went cruising. Yes I did get bored but it took 7 years. I woke up one day and thought " I want to have a car again and go to the same supermarket every Saturday so I don't have to search for the soy sauce."

Still I am a sucker for punishment and as soon as my RV tripround North America is finished I will be back on the water and heading down island.

Retirement x 2


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## SeaWolf (Feb 2, 2009)

TQA,
We did the same. Cruised coastal US and the Islands from '84-'90, when we sold our boat, and had a ball. The kids are now grown and gone and we're getting ready to set out again. Hopefully the economy will cooperate and actually let us go!

Loree
Aboard SeaWolf
CruisersLife.com


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

TQA said:


> I woke up one day and thought " I want to have a car again and go to the same supermarket every Saturday so I don't have to search for the soy sauce."


TQA - Great succinct capture of that mood! We're heading off in September, and I think the thing I dread the most (other than not being able to find my favorite comfort foods) is always saying goodbye to friends met in an anchorage, then one or the other of you is moving on. I've done this for the past 34 years in service to Uncle Sam, Dan & I count 23 moves between us, since college. I'm tired of goodbyes but holding out a lot of hope for email and blogs ...


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## anthon (Apr 4, 2009)

I think if you enjoy something enough, you will never get bored of it.
At least I hope that will continue to be the case when I retire


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