Cruising Lifestyle

Well we had a request for some comments on our new lifestyle to let folks know what it feels like to retire and go cruising. We know from our Facebook and blog comments there are a few wannabe’s amongst you.

Well our day has completely changed, unlike work where your day is dictated by schedules we have very few things that are scheduled. The only self imposed schedule for us is getting weather. We start our day listening to Chris Parker on SSB radio at 6:30am, all but Sunday when he’s off air. We don’t have to do this as we can access weather by email or internet when we have it and of course some times we know we are not moving so we don’t get too upset using a day old forecast. If you can imagine then you have the rest of the day to do what you want. Very unlike work for both Liz and I. We do however start and end our day with the sun rise and set as it is a lot easier than doing things in the dark.

On days in busy harbors we listen to the VHF radio “net” which is where folks broadcast events and we choose what we want to do. We have had this in some places including Black Point, George Town and Thompson Bay. Also on these occasions we have had lunch or dinner out with friends or people we meet along the way. We also like to invite folks to our boat or join them on theirs or even attend an impromptu beach “pot-luck”. Socializing like this is a lot of fun and we have met some great people this way.

Here in the Bahamas there have been many days where there is a very empty harbor and we make our own itinerary for the day. We like to do what you see in the blog so far; walk islands & beaches, snorkel, swim, spearfish and SAIL. When we get in at night we generally cook dinner and then complete the days dish washing before choosing what to do at night. It’s sometimes reading and researching where to go next and many times just watching a movie or reading a book. We like to go to other boats in the harbor or they just dinghy over and we chat and maybe arrange to meet up for things to do or games like Mexican train or Farkle (you can Google these if your not familiar). We also meet locals on our walks or fisherman in harbors and stop to enjoy hearing about their life or work. We found out a lot from a fisherman of how they catch lobster and prepare them. A lady in George Town who gave us a ride to the hardware store was a delightful music teacher and shared some of the history of schools and teaching here. Locals are very friendly and seem to have time, it’s great when you can just sit and chat with them.

Sharing it with friends

Beach gathering with Cruisers

 

We also live with a floating collection of hardware and electronics. So maintenance is a common task, whether preventative or repair. We see everyone doing some so please don’t think it’s just us. The salt water and constant motion makes things fail after time and of course Moosetracks enjoyed her 15th birthday so she needs attention. I see these often as challenges and enjoy the success when a repair is completed and all is working again. Yes it does get frustrating when you don’t have a part or tool and have to wait sometimes days for a solution. But as I am an engineer we have been able to tackle a lot of things and it’s been very rewarding seeing what you can accomplish yourself.

Then there are the things we used to to in our spare time that takes much longer. Remember we have no home appliances so things like food prep, dish washing, laundry, cleaning are all manual and take longer. As an example Liz hand washed a few tee shirts yesterday and had to watch them dry on the line, well it was windy yesterday! Going into town to do laundry or dispose of trash can easily take half a day as can finding a part or a store. Remember we don’t always have internet and we don’t have a car so just finding where stuff is, can be a challenge but also an adventure. Here in the Bahamas for example the trash is in specific places paid for in theory by cruising permit charges. These are not as regular as you might think and we carry our trash until we find a place to dispose of it, then sometimes it’s not there as they are emptying it!

Days and nights quickly fill in with things we have to do or want to do. We do have to put our boat before other things as it’s our home and safety so if it needs attention we do it. But in all we are loving the freedom to make our own choices easy or hard. We also cherish new friendships and old and regard this as one of the best things about the cruising community. We also love the support and help they all give and receive as we try to reciprocate wherever we can.

Sailing

Beach walks

 

Of course we are also new to retirement and we have all the anxiety associated with no regular income and of course being older hoping our health keeps up. But we like to think we planned well and are doing this early enough for our health to be good. But we all retire at some point so the anxiety is probably always going to be there so we don’t let it dictate our life.

We hope this sheds a little light on our lifestyle and let us know if there are topics you want more detail on.

Devin & Liz