GL: What is Cruising? (was Re: Lock Waiting Time)

[John Esch]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Redfern" <advanzio@yahoo.com>

> Go to google and you see that Beth Leonard
> is credited with it.
> http://www.libertysails.com/html/cruising_faqs.html

Rick & All, Thanks for the reference website.  I'm sure that you read the
whole page but for others I've copied a portion of Liberty's FAQ below that I
think sums up (for me) what cruising is about.

Whatbs this b
cruising dreamb
 all about, anyway? Well, how about a
typical day... We woke up when the sun drifted into the aft cabin (not to the
sound of a raucous alarm clock!). After leisurely getting dressed and ready
for the day, Ty got the coffee going, then filled the cabin with the smell of
bacon and eggs. We enjoyed breakfast in the cockpit, enjoying the view of the
Halifax skyline across the harbor. By 0800 we were underway, heading south for
the first time since May. The Nova Scotia fog closed in around us, but we
sailed on, confident in our radar and GPS. The waves off the coast were steep
and close together, making for a rolly ride. Fog, we could handle. Wind and
waves, we could handle. But together they werenbt making the trip a lot of
fun. Wait a minute! Webre cruising! We have no schedule! Who needs this? So
we checked the chart and altered course into a protected cove. Terence Bay
turned out to be an idyllic anchorage, with a quaint fishing village on one
side and unspoiled, rocky shoreline on the other. When we were sure the anchor
was set well we hopped in the dinghy and went exploring. Within minutes Ty had
filled a mesh bag with mussels from among the rocks. After dropping our
b
catchb
 off at the boat we headed for the village. A chat with a friendly
local woman revealed that just down the road was a great hiking trail leading
to a lighthouse. Hiking along the coast we came upon a memorial to the victims
of the wreck of the SS Atlantic in the late 1800s. Having just found our way
past the site of the wreck minutes earlier in the thick fog, we were thankful
for our modern day navigation tools. Back aboard the boat Ty read a book while
Suzanne painted a seaside scene. Later, those mussels made for a delectable
feast dipped in melted garlic butter and accompanied by an oaky chardonnay! We
enjoyed a gorgeous sunset, then went below for more reading and a game of
cards. The Canadian summer temperatures are just cool enough to make snuggling
under the covers a delight as we drifted off to sleep, our floating home
rocking ever so gently beneath us... Itbs a rough life!

Is fellow boaters experiences or what other boater's dreams are?