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.

Eat to sail, sail to eat

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” 

― Charles M. Schulz

Food is not just what we need to consume to keep moving, but a filter for experiences; just a taste or a whiff can transport us back to a favorite place we've visited in the past, or better understand a place where we find ourselves.

Even now, French pastries remind us of... Barra de Navidad's boatside panga delivery, of course.
(Photo: sv Totem)

For the first time in months, we saw fresh cilantro in the market. Jamie and I just looked at each other and said "salsa"!  So last night, dinner centered around the delicious dish that most people limit to condiment status. As our family we sat around the main salon table, spooning up the rare treat, we talked about our memories of Mexico. After many roadside taco stands and piles of tomatoes, our simple salsa cruda recipe was refined- it never fails to evoke happy reflections of our time there.

When do parts of your cruising experience become inextricably linked with what you eat or drink? Is there something you always prepare before making a passage? What about a recipe you've picked up that has become a signature offering from your boat?

Here are a few bloggers who have found that link between sustenance and place.

Fitness Aboard

 Let's face it. Our cruising lifestyle is intense. We must be mentally prepared but we must maintain physical strength as well! We spend long days in the elements, we raise sails, lift over sized laundry bags, climb out of our tenders and lug provisions to and fro. BUT we are also blessed with some amazing locations to burn some calories!! We could go for a swim, a hike or a paddle even! Check out what the amazing variety of cruisers do to stay in "Ship Shape!!"

Rubbish

Rubbish! No matter how simply we try to live we still create it. Living on land or at the marina disposing of it requires just a short walk to the rubbish bin. But what about when we're at sea or at anchor in beautiful, remote parts of the world? What do we do with our rubbish then? Burn it? Dump it over the side? or stash it on the boat somewhere? Or a combination of all three?

As cruisers we spend our lives on the sea. We see the effects of irresponsible practices, such as fishing nets and lines cast off and left to drift, harmful plastics injuring animals or entering their food chain, oil and fuels left to spill and kill.  As inhabitants and lovers of the oceans we have a duty to make responsible and sustainable decisions about our trash. Making us in effect the ocean's custodians. With that in mind we've put together a collection of blog posts that explain how fellow cruisers deal with rubbish onboard.