Things I learned during my first 'long' (5-day) cruise:

[flyingwelshman]

Last week a (non-sailing) friend and I cruised from Midland up to around Snug Harbour (Killbear) and back.

I would expect that by many of your standards this would not be considered a long cruise, but it was the longest I have done to date.
Anyhow, here are a few things that I learned:

- if you have someone who has no sailing experience manning the tiller use 'right' and 'left' (not 'starboard' and 'port') when trying to give directions on how to miss a submerged tree. (we missed it only because 'port' became 'starboard' and I said, 'Just keeping turning that way...')

- it doesn't matter how good a friend is, if they snore they do not make for good shipmates! (I lay awake fantasizing about performing a shipboard adenoidectomy with a soup spoon.)

- my boat handles just fine in a squall.

- watching a water spout forming and starting to drop out of a cloud is a pretty awesome sight.

- watching a water spout forming and starting to drop out of a cloud is a pretty scary sight. (wondering if 6 knots would be fast enough to get away from it if it headed towards us. It dissipated before it hit the surface of the water.)

- a six-foot fox snake is an impressive animal.

- however much fuel you think you will need: double it.

- however much food you think you will need: half it.

- enjoying the company of friends that you meet along the way is brilliant.

- a hot shower after 3-days of sailing is worth a million bucks.

- your snoring shipmate taking a shower after 3-days of sailing is worth two million bucks.

- the Tiller Pilot (Raytheon ST-2000) is the greatest invention since the hot shower.

- there are lots of rocks in Georgian Bay (we didn't hit any but, Man! there are some major sunkers out there!)

- the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron Piloting course is worth every penny.

Those are just a few of the things I learned.

I may be doing the same trip again next week with my wife. I'm sure there will be more things to learn on that trip.

[Cruisingdad]

Good (and funny) post!

- CD

[sailingdog]

Good luck next week... I'm pretty sure a lot will be different.

[camaraderie]

LOL...glad you had a good trip!

[Grotius]

I hope you post about the trip with your wife! It will be interesting to hear how it goes.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by Grotius

I hope you post about the trip with your wife! It will be interesting to hear how it goes.

Me too!

[sander06]

The biggest thing you learned was that cruising and sailing are all part of a never ending learning process (somewhat like life itself).

[surftom]

Perhaps you should get the wife to post her thoughts after the trip with you

Tom

- Also with the Nash 26 - in Lake Ontario - moving to Georgian Bay next year!
- Ditto on the CPS courses

[chucklesR]

For the cruise with the wife take the note on the fuel doubling and apply it to water, power, clothes, showers etc..
Do that before you leave, it's not something you want to discover 'out there'.

But at least you already know if she snores.

[CharlieCobra]

A five day cruise is long enough to forget what day/date it is and not care.