THE CRUISING LIFE- ABOARD IT'S PERFECT

OCTOBER 17, 2012

IT'S PERFECT

It's Perfect is now once again tied to a dock.  Six months of the freedom & trials of living unattached to land or place, we are again plugged into the GRID.  After being on the move & living on the hook, the small conveniences of civilization take on a new meaning.

42 years of life on land did not prepare us for our new alien environment, the unknown of living on the water.  This is a place where we must depend completely on ourselves & our boat for our safety.  The excitement of our departure  gave us a rose colored view of things to come.  Even though we had read books, magazines & manuals the actual reality of the cruising life came as a bit of a surprise.

Since leaving Kemah, Texas we now have more than 3000 miles under our keel.  One of the first very apparent changes was how the weather would impact our life.  It's Perfect does not leave an anchorage without knowing what awaits us on the water due to the weather.  There is no guarantee what unexpected change we will encounter as we make our way to our next destination, even though we are very diligent about checking all available weather sources.  Our schedule must be very flexible & our next anchorage always needs to have a backup anchorage.  Even with all of  this, an unexpected squall or storm can put you & your boat in danger.  Being mentally prepared for the unexpected is essential.  With every new challenge the process gets a little easier.  People have asked if we are not afraid all alone out there.  Fear is not something that is first in your thoughts when something goes wrong.  When dealing with a problem underway, you are much too busy dealing what is happening moment by moment.

Storms at anchor play havoc with our feeling of security & safety.   When you enter an anchorage there are many variables to deal with, water depth, protection from wind, type of bottom, room to swing, number of other boats & more.  Once you are anchored you would think all is safe, but many things can happen.  Another boat may come in & anchor too close or they may drag their anchor.  In the black of night a storm may blow in & cause your anchor to drag.  With the water churning & the rain blowing, you are unable to see a thing out there in the dark.  Taking action to secure your boat is your very first thought.

Once you are at anchor there are many things to be done.  First sit in the cockpit & enjoy a glass of wine while you talk about this last adventure on the water & take in all the new & amazing things around you.  But that is just the beginning.  The check list is a long one before you can call it a day.  If you have sailed all day the generators are started in time to top off all the batteries, heat water, charge all the computers, phone, Internet Hot Spot & cool off the boat.  Then the next day is planned, weather checked, course plotted & next anchorage found.  After all this there is still the engine & filter maintenance must be done.  Somewhere in the middle of all of this activity, time is taken to make dinner & take showers.  One of the first questions people ask is "Don't you get bored?"  Does it sound like we have time to be bored?

Back on the dock we are plugged into unlimited power, have all the water we want & are close to all the conveniences of civilization.  It seems slightly surreal, almost as if we should be doing something more.  As we visit with new neighbors & hear about their adventures, our mind's wander away to the day we will unplug & return back to our normal way of life, on the water.

Life is much more complicated being out here than we expected.  That does not mean that this experience is not worth everything it takes to be here.  Every new experience & challenge met enriches our lives &  makes us feel more confident in our ability to take care of ourselves.  We feel very fortunate to be out here, living the cruising life one day at a time.