Reasons NOT to go Cruising

[vega1860]

Laura and I have heard a lot of "I wish I could go cruising but..."

...the kids
...the grandkids
...my health
...my spouses health
...the mortgage
...my job
...my spouses job
...My dogs, horses, llamas etc.
...I am afraid of (Insert your phobia here - sharks, hurricanes, whatever)

My reason was that I didn't have enough money to buy the forty foot ketch that all the books and magazines had convinced me I needed...

...until a fellow we called "The Mad Scientist" called BS on me one day.
and made me see it for what it was: an excuse. Now I have been happily living aboard and cruising in my 27 foot sloop for 21 years.

So what other excuses have you heard, or made, and how would you overcome them?

What would you say is a legitimate reason to put it off, forgo cruising altogether, or swallow the anchor once one has gone for time.

[bogdog]

heres to the "toos" (thats right I mean too). Too old, too young, too much money, too little time, too far, too,,,, etc etc etc. a bad case of the TOOs.

[AdamLein]

I'm afraid of not having an income, afraid that I won't be able to have an income while cruising, and afraid that I won't be able to start having an income again after the cruise is done.

My wife is not comfortable sailing on our current boat in the winter, and would not be comfortable for more than a few days at a time in the summer. So while we don't need a bigger boat, we need one with more stuff and stuff in better working order.

I guess those are my main reasons.

[CaptainForce]

Who knows?...We moved aboard when we we're "young and in manure",- right out of the college apartment 39 years ago.

[SailingWebGuy]

Originally Posted by AdamLein

I'm afraid of not having an income, afraid that I won't be able to have an income while cruising, and afraid that I won't be able to start having an income again after the cruise is done.

Those are m concerns as well.

[DulceSuerna]

We have 4 greyhounds, our boat is not large enough and greyhounds overheat easily. While we do have dog sitters to allows us weekend and slightly longer trips, we have to wait at least 3-4 more years before we can move aboard. Of course we want a catamaran by then so it will be worth the wait. Income had been a concern Hopefully our rental property and our tree farm will provide enough to keep cruising, our plan 8 months out 4 months back for harvest and maintenance.

[vega1860]

I think it comes down to this:

People want other things more than they want to go cruising.

They want creature comforts, a certain perceived level of safety (As if cruising is less safe than commuting on the freeway). They want pets that do not do well on a boat, like horses. They want to maintain existing social relationships, the prestige that their job gives them; There is an amazing equality among cruisers, regardless of material wealth. They may want constant connection to media - a news feed, for example. They may even be unable to give up a favorite soap opera.

Or they may simply be unable to break out of their comfort zone.

Lack of money may sound like a legitimate reason but, in my experience at least, if one really wants to go cruising, money issues are the easiest to overcome.

Health issues are a legitimate concern. You have to be in reasonably good health to go to sea. Having said that, I myself am a 62 year old disabled veteran. You do not have to be young or an athlete.

But that is just my opinion and not to be taken too seriously

[CrazyRu]

When I come back from cruising I afraid of crossing streets.
I also can not drive a car above 40 mph.

[brak]

I like what I do (can't call it a job - it's fun but doesn't pay much). I won't be able to do it while cruising. I couldn't even work successfully while living on land in a place that's only "slightly" remote and by all accounts still very much supplied with all features of civilization.

Plus - no one else in my family wants to, but that would not be a problem by itself

[chall03]

Well put Vega. I think you have hit it on the head.......

I think more than ever it is harder to 'break away' from our modern society......and also too easy now to try and break away and find you have taken most it with you on your boat