I found the ICW mostly to be two words, Bore Ing. You can't sail the damned
thing, all you can do is motor -- at about twice walking speed -- for hours on
end, watching mile after mile after mile of swampland.

I don't know that I have ever found sailing long distances or short distances
"stressful". Lots of things in my life have been stressful, but I can't
imagine sailing falling into that bucket.

Keep in mind that if the goal is to GO cruising you have accomplished it the
very second you push away from the dock Minute One, Hour One, Day One. Make
sure you view cruising in a different light from riding a Greyhound bus ten
hours a day forever.

Absolutely. Cruising can be very stressful for the reasons you
state. It also has some very nice rewards. I found the ICW
especially annoying and thereful stressful. Not all parts of
it, of course, but much of it.

Doug
s/v Callista


"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
By happy and fortuitous circumstance, I suddenly find that not only am
I financially able to do the cruising I want, but my personal life has
fallen into place with my 17 yr old daughter seeming to be cured of
melanoma. So why am I suddenly not looking forward to it? We had a
great day of sailing on Sunday. The short hops will not involve too
much time away from family or work so what is it? Is it possible that
the work toward achieving it is better than the actual doing it?
I've done a little cruising in the past so I know the stress at night
of worrying "Is my anchor dragging" whereas home in bed that never
crosses your mind. I know the "God, am I bored" during
loooooooooooong days of very light wind followed by the "Omigod, what
am I doing here" fear at night with wind that is probably less than I
imagine it to be. Is it possible that the last 9 years of starting
and running a small business has stressed me so much I just want to
relax? Regardless of that Christopher Cross song "Sailing", we all
know sailing is NOT relaxing. People have asked me what I like about
sailing and I always tell them that for me its about problem solving,
not relaxing.
Does anybody else have such odd thoughts before a cruise?

Craziness is a given, and acceptable.