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?

you're crazy.

SV

"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?

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?

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:52:37 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

Absolutely. Cruising can be very stressful for the reasons you
state.

But at least there's a point to the stress...a safe and successful
passage.

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.

Unlike, say, wanting powerlessly for a bureaucrat to do his job on
land, at least you have the option of going offshore G.

The autonomy of sailing for me is the payoff for the stress of the
responsibility. Sure, it can get very, very bad, but if your last
thought is "guess I should have reefed earlier", is that not a better
end than dying on a gurney in a hospital hallway, wondering "where's
that nurse?"

Not to be morbid, as fewer sailors drown by far than office workers
die in car accidents, but the lessons of the sea are far less
ambiguous than those of the shore.

R.

"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:52:37 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

Absolutely. Cruising can be very stressful for the reasons you
state.

But at least there's a point to the stress...a safe and successful
passage.

No argument.

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.

Unlike, say, wanting powerlessly for a bureaucrat to do his job on
land, at least you have the option of going offshore G.

You lost me on this one.

The autonomy of sailing for me is the payoff for the stress of the
responsibility. Sure, it can get very, very bad, but if your last
thought is "guess I should have reefed earlier", is that not a better
end than dying on a gurney in a hospital hallway, wondering "where's
that nurse?"

If you say so.

Not to be morbid, as fewer sailors drown by far than office workers
die in car accidents,

I am pretty sure there are far fewer sailors cruising than office
workers driving.

but the lessons of the sea are far less
ambiguous than those of the shore.

I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. The lessons are different
for sure.

R.

you guys shore are afeared of livin', ain'tcha.

Subject: strange cruising thoughts
From: "Doug Dotson" AMcom
Date: 10/19/2004 9:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id:


"rhys" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:52:37 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

Absolutely. Cruising can be very stressful for the reasons you
state.

But at least there's a point to the stress...a safe and successful
passage.

No argument.

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.

Unlike, say, wanting powerlessly for a bureaucrat to do his job on
land, at least you have the option of going offshore G.

You lost me on this one.

The autonomy of sailing for me is the payoff for the stress of the
responsibility. Sure, it can get very, very bad, but if your last
thought is "guess I should have reefed earlier", is that not a better
end than dying on a gurney in a hospital hallway, wondering "where's
that nurse?"

If you say so.

Not to be morbid, as fewer sailors drown by far than office workers
die in car accidents,

I am pretty sure there are far fewer sailors cruising than office
workers driving.

but the lessons of the sea are far less
ambiguous than those of the shore.

I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. The lessons are different
for sure.

R.

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 21:31:34 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

Unlike, say, wanting powerlessly for a bureaucrat to do his job on
land, at least you have the option of going offshore G.

You lost me on this one.

In the sense that getting on the ICW is akin to queuing up in a
government office line-up to get a licence or a permit or something:
you are dependent on some paper-pusher's whim. If you find the ICW
stressful, however, you can sail offshore. Unlike dealing with
bureaucrats, you have a choice to make a change.


Not to be morbid, as fewer sailors drown by far than office workers
die in car accidents,

I am pretty sure there are far fewer sailors cruising than office
workers driving.

I mean per capita. Divide number of active cruisers by number of same
drowned while cruising: I would wager it's safer to cruise than to be
an urban car commuter.

but the lessons of the sea are far less
ambiguous than those of the shore.

I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. The lessons are different
for sure.

Again, it comes down to you and your skills dealing with the sea. Only
in the rare shi-to-ship collision, extreme gear failure or chance
mishap (ramming a submerged container or whale) is the case similar to
getting killed by some drunk yahoo behind the wheel while you are
driving safely.

The proximity of other people onshore can erase all your good
intentions and safe habits. The sea is less ambiguous due to the long
periods of solitude.

R.

"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 21:31:34 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

Unlike, say, wanting powerlessly for a bureaucrat to do his job on
land, at least you have the option of going offshore G.

You lost me on this one.

In the sense that getting on the ICW is akin to queuing up in a
government office line-up to get a licence or a permit or something:
you are dependent on some paper-pusher's whim. If you find the ICW
stressful, however, you can sail offshore. Unlike dealing with
bureaucrats, you have a choice to make a change.

That's a strange analogy.

Not to be morbid, as fewer sailors drown by far than office workers
die in car accidents,

I am pretty sure there are far fewer sailors cruising than office
workers driving.

I mean per capita. Divide number of active cruisers by number of same
drowned while cruising: I would wager it's safer to cruise than to be
an urban car commuter.

Another strange comparison. So cruising is safer than driving. What does
that
have to do with anything? Cruising is safer than alot of things.

but the lessons of the sea are far less
ambiguous than those of the shore.

I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. The lessons are different
for sure.

Again, it comes down to you and your skills dealing with the sea. Only
in the rare shi-to-ship collision, extreme gear failure or chance
mishap (ramming a submerged container or whale) is the case similar to
getting killed by some drunk yahoo behind the wheel while you are
driving safely.

Another strange comparison. Means nothing. This is just rationalization.
I don't thing any of these comparisons are useful. Activity A is more
or less safer than activity B. There is no point in even making the
comparisons.

The proximity of other people onshore can erase all your good
intentions and safe habits. The sea is less ambiguous due to the long
periods of solitude.

I give up

R.

"Doug Dotson" wrote in message ...
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.

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.