All Work and No Play? All Play and No Work?

Cruising is a way of life, not an extended vacation. As such, it’s a mix of mundane everyday tasks with a dose of fun stuff thrown in hopefully more than occasionally. Today’s blog post includes some of each.

*At anchor in North Carolina on our recent trip north*

There are lots of little snippets that roll through my head, none of which is really worthy of its own blog post except as a bigger picture of life aboard. Think of that theme as the overarching structure, then.

Making space for hobbies

Hobby: an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure (definition from Oxford Languages)

You could argue that we’re living a hobby. After all, as retired people, all of our time is leisure time and we take great pleasure in sailing. What else do you need?

It’s fun to hone skills and learn new ones. Jeremy’s been intrigued by kite surfing for a long time; our winter in the Eastern Caribbean showcased foil boarding as an alternative. He jumped on the idea after talking to one enthusiast, who showed off his inflatable board and the relatively small space it needed for storage aboard. Jeremy bought a full kit from Gong, a French company, and learning to foil became his passion in the Bahamas. After a total of 7 sessions on the board, he’s able to reliably get up and out of the water, though gybes are on the “still to be mastered” list. Seeing him so excited about his progress, enjoying the water in a different way, was thrilling.

Making space for the whole kit took some organization. It’s easier, of course, since it’s an inflatable board and wing, though the foil itself is a rigid piece of carbon that needs to be carefully stowed. We did take off the paddle board as a compromise, which was okay as the season was short (and in the temperature-cool Bahamas). When we get back aboard Calypso, figuring out how to carry both kinds of gear will be important.

*Sailing Marauder in Man O War, December 2023*

I keep waffling about what kind of hobby I want to pursue. I love cooking and enjoy the challenge of creating delicious meals out of what we have on board or what we can find in local markets; I’m looking forward to taking cooking classes in other countries as we travel. I’ve debated picking up watercolor. In the end, though, I fall back on reading and writing. No need for any extra gear!

Space isn’t just physical. It’s time-sensitive and mental too. Jeremy only got 7 sessions in during our 3 months because other activities demanded attention. Things like moving the boat and working on the boat are at odds with setting up the board and going foiling. We had numerous days in good anchorages when the wind was either too light or too heavy. For me and writing especially, being cognizant of power requirements for my old laptop with a dying battery made it hard to sit down and write. I do have an iPad with a keyboard which uses far less power, but I really don’t like typing on it, so I don’t. That is a mental aspect to pursuing that hobby I definitely need to work on.

Still, making time and space for hobbies on board enhances our entire cruising experience. Jeremy’s met people because he foils. My writing is the basis for this blog, which allows us to document the cruise. Hobbies are important!

*Sailing is an ultimate hobby for us, clearly!*

Dish Washing Water Saving Tips

Water. Even with a water maker on board, we’re careful with using water. We opted NOT to have a salt water pump in the galley (we work hard to keep salt water out of the boat - why introduce it down below on purpose?) but still have a few tried-and-true conservation methods.

Have a soapy glass or bowl into which you dip the sponge/rag/brush for washing. This eliminates the need to run water over the dishes to get them wet.
Scrub all the plates/cups before rinsing any of them. Any pots that need soaking can be placed to catch the rinse water, eliminating the need to run water into the pot/pan just for soaking.
If you have pressure water, open the tap only enough to get a small stream. No need for full blast.
Rinse by trickling water and simultaneously running your hand over the item, or swirling to remove the soap suds.
Cleaning the coffee filter on a french press - dip the filter into one of those pots or pans you’re adding rinse water to. The coffee grounds will detach from the filter into the water.