Rosalie B. wrote in
:

Geoff Schultz wrote:

This groups is rec.boats.CRUISING, but I find that very few of the
people who participate in here actually cruise. I spend 7 months a
year
on average cruising in the Caribbean. My equipment requirements are

Are you saying the US Coastal cruising is NOT cruising? Or that only
blue water cruising is cruising? Because of course people who are
doing that are unlikely to be here. It's too difficult to get here
while cruising.

I never said that at all. You're combining statements from various
paragraphs and putting words in my mouth. I did say that my equipment
requirements for US coastal cruising and long distance cruising are very
different as you can obtain spares and service in the US and you're very
much on your own elsewhere.

What I do know is that I am not considered a "real" cruiser by many
because I *only* spend 7 months of the year cruising and maintain a home
that I return to during hurricane season.

It seems that real cruisers are supposed to have cast off any land-based
assets. If you look at the SSCA you'll see that their requirements for
being a Commodore are living aboard for at least 1 year. I almost think
that they should be called the Seven Seas Live-aboard Association! :-)
Many SSCAers that I know just shuffle their boat between marinas in
places like Grenada, Trinidad and Margarita Island in Venezuela. Hardly
cruising in my book.

very different from someone who is doing US coastal cruising. When
something breaks, there's nowhere to go to have someone fix it. My
choice of equipment would be different today if I had known the right
questions to ask or heard others speak frankly about their real-life
experiences.

I don't know why you couldn't have that, but it wouldn't be here that
you would get it. I think e-mail groups would be better, or just in
person talking to people.

As far as cruising is concerned, I love it. If you look at my web
site
you'll find extensive reports and photos on the majority of the
Caribbean. There are very few places that I dislike, but I'll tell
you
about them and why I feel that way. If I like a place, I'll tell you
that too. I've posted lots of articles about places that I like.
snip
As far as the Dismal Swamp canal goes, I didn't have a great time
going
through it. It was cold and rainy and we bumped into logs. Maybe on
a
bright, sunny day with maybe a little bit more water we would have had
a
different experience.

Cold and rainy does make it hard. We went through the Rockpile for
the first time on a cold rainy awful day.

Oh, and as far as a controlling depth is concerned, it's my
understanding that the amount of water in the canal is highly
seasonal.
There are times that it's closed due to a lack of water. I don't
think
that anyone should expect 6'.

OK - what year did you do the Dismal Swamp? During the drought it was
closed due to lack of water to operate the locks. (sometime in 2000 I
think) But after Floyd and Dennis and Isabel et al, the water levels
recovered.

I still disagree - the Dismal Swamp is OVER 6 feet because we have our
depth alarm set to go off at 7 feet, and it does not sound in the
Canal. (The logs don't set it off, probably because they aren't right
under it) It does sound other places in the ICW when power boats stir
up the mud and make it hard for it to 'read' the bottom. But it
doesn't go off in the Dismal Swamp.


grandma Rosalie

I searched the archives of this group and from what I could tell from my
quick scan of articles the Dismal Swamp canal was closed in 1997, 1999
and 2002 due to low water. Maybe it isn't purely seasonal, but in dry
years it gets pretty skinny. I don't know what constitutes low enough
water to close the canal.

-- Geoff