Thursday, July 10, 2014

Pace of Cruising vs Pace of Life Ashore

Individuals each have their own personal rate of foing things or pace.  On top of that is the rate at which things occur in the place one lives.  As the appliedsailor moves ashore he finds the transition between the seagoing pace and land based pace different.  When I was a charterboat captain, I knew it would take my guests or student-crew a few days to acclimate.  They knew they were leaving in a week so the personal pressure to adapt was low.  For a long voyage, the situation is quite different.  There are few parallels with shore based living.

We live ashore and plan to sail away, in most cases.  When you buy a boat with a plan to sail for parts unknown, there is a burst of energy to get the craft ready and off you go.  There are bursts of refit energy and then it's off again.  Life aboard is fairly quiet punctuated more by the rhythms of the sea environment, calms and storms.  One can never "stop" sailing until, at the very least, one is at anchor.  (Sailors will have endless quibbles with that statement, let's hold them for later.)

With a house, you aren't going anywhere.  The distraction is the work on the house so it is what you do.  The environment is much more controlled.  Buy everything online and the package company delivers the goods a day or so later.  Too hot, turn on the AC.  Too cold, settled down to the fireplace with a cuppa.  Bored, head for the movies, a bar, the mall, or just out onto the open road.  Options abound.  Want to travel?  Turn on the TV and pick a show about a place.  One never has to leave the house

The Pace of Cruising is a rhythm of activity.  No matter what, one must go out and interact with the sea, wind, and local culture.  There are few filters.  The Pace of Life Ashore is very different.  Unless guests are coming to visit; each day seems to be get up and work on something around the house, go to bed, repeat the next day.

Thank goodness for guests.  Can one thank goodness for far shores?

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