Would you get bored of cruising?

[yellowwducky]

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!

[mccary]

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.

[camaraderie]

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

[funsailthekeys]

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.

[Omatako]

Originally Posted by yellowwducky

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.

[dongreerps]

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

[Flybyknight]

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

[xort]

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?

[PBzeer]

Boredom is a self-affliction.

[yellowwducky]

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.