A lot of people ask us these questions. We actually stay pretty busy and no, we
never seem to get bored.
When we are out cruising:
-Although there is no “typical day” we have established
somewhat of a routine when we are out cruising. We usually get up around 7 am,
make coffee, do the previous days dishes, and listen to the two daily radio
nets on the SSB radio that give a weather report and let cruising boats check
in to give their location and the weather where they are. Everything we do depends on weather (mostly
wind direction and velocity, but also the sea state) so this is a very
important part of the day. The nets are usually over around 8:30 and that’s when we
decide if we are going to stay where we are or move to a different anchorage. If we are moving we usually pull up the
anchor around 9 am. If we are
staying we spend some time tidying up the boat and then go for a hike, a kayak,
beachcombing, fishing, snorkeling or exploring in the dinghy. We head back to the boat for
lunch, do some boat chores, do some email on the radio (where we get more
weather reports), make some tentative route plans for the next few days, swim, get
together with other cruisers, read, or whatever. If we are in an anchorage with
other boats we frequently get together for happy hour on one of our boats, or
if there are quite a few boats sometimes we all get together on the beach.
After that it’s dinner in the cockpit . Sitting in the cockpit at anchor in the
Sea of Cortez at night is magical.
The night sky is amazing, you can hear the fish breaking the surface of
the water, and you can see them swimming because of the phosphorescence.
-Traveling is always an adventure. Our preference is to sail
(which keeps us busy), but even if we end up having to motor all or part way to
our destination we are fishing or encountering dolphins, whales, rays, or
turtles or just watching the awesome landscape go by. We usually try to travel
no more than 6 or 8 hours (unless we are crossing the Sea), sometimes it’s only
2 hours. We are doing REALLY well if we average 6 knots.
When we are anchored off of a town or in a marina:
-We do our provisioning and boat part buying. We do this on
foot, bus or bike. It’s always an adventure, particularly if you are looking
for something specific. Sometimes you’ll have to hit several tiendas or
ferreterias (hardware stores) to get what you’re looking for. It’s a great way
to learn the city or town, interact with the Mexican people, and practice speaking
Spanish, but it takes a whole lot longer than it does to jump in the car and
run to T&C and Ace Hardware!
-We do the major boat projects and maintenance when we are
in a marina.
-We go out to
eat!
Overall:
-Everything takes longer and is more difficult on a boat, even doing routine stuff like washing
the dishes, taking a shower, doing laundry, preparing a meal, cleaning, or
sending an email via the radio. We are definitely “back to basics” which we
both really enjoy.
-It’s a constant learning curve: the language, new
anchorages, new towns, weather patterns in the different areas of Mexico,
continuing to learn all of the
specifics of the radio and the electronics, and fine tuning Loomba-Loomba and
her equipment.
-We have met so many amazing people from every walk of life,
some of which have become very good friends.
-We have time to really enjoy each other’s company, talk
about the day, make plans and explore new possibilities.
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