Warning! Cruising May Have Side Effects!

Whether you are a new Live-Aboard or a seasoned Cruiser with many miles beneath your keel, you've probably experienced changes or "Side Effects" brought on by the Lifestyle.  The obvious ones are changes in health, both physical and mental, reduced stress, previously undiscovered hobbies and interests, etc.  In the links we have collected here, bloggers have written about both the common and the unexpected side effects of cruising.

Anchoring: Tips, Tricks and Tales

Anchoring: Ultimately the reason we go cruising; to get away from land. To be "anchored out" is to be self sufficient, separate from the amenities of land and to enjoy the world that surrounds us on a shoestring budget. Yet, anchoring is a touchy subject for many, there are endless forum posts and articles written about how to, why not and what for so we went looking for real salts - the ones who rely on their anchors day after day, in bay after bay - to weigh in on the subject!

Altourism: Doing the World and Doing it Good

Repairing sewing machines in the Hermit Islands
(photo credit: Sailing with Totem)

Author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader, Howard Thurman wrote:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

For some it comes by choice: trips planned for the express purpose of volunteer work somewhere in the world. For others or at other times it is more a matter of chance, of being in the right place at the right time with the right skill or staple food. But one thing is certain: whenever, whatever we offer, we come away with more. 

The "rules' have been stretched a bit for this topic. Along with blog posts we've sourced a few magazine articles. But all follow the same course, as it were, in pointing out how creative we cruisers are in finding ways to "come alive."

"...community cannot feed for long on itself; it can only flourish where always the boundaries are giving way to the coming of others from beyond them -- unknown and undiscovered brothers."       --Howard Thurman

Living on the Hard - a Few Good, a Lot of Bad, and Mostly Ugly Tales

Kelley (topic coordinator) from SV Chance proves that yard work is a dirty job.

Ever since I was a little girl I have hated “yard work.” While the yard work of today may not involve pulling weeds, it is just as terrible. It's hot, you get dirty and everything takes at least 5x as long to complete as you think it will. Add to it that boats are designed to function properly on the water. When you take them out, systems cannot be used to their full extent and life gets a little more difficult. These bloggers recount their tales of what life has been like when their homes are on the hard.