The Romance of Sailing

Whoever thinks that sailing away is a leisurely, carefree experience has definitely never been sailing – at least not on an extended passage upwind.  Sailing is often romanticized, I think.  Here are my six biggest complaints/sources of stress with sailing:

 

6. You run on a lack of good sleep, which doesn’t make one the happiest of campers.  Okay, when I say one, I might mean me.  Don’t get me wrong.  I sleep (it’s one of my strengths), but it’s interrupted sleep.

5.  Using the bathroom.  We installed three brand new toilets (heads) on Cherokee - one in each ama.  I still prefer to use the back of the boat.  Why?  First, while we’re underway, I am afraid that perhaps liquid will slosh out of the bowl.  Second, I am afraid of clogging the toilet.  I do not want liquid to slosh out or for the toilet to be clogged since it is located 5 feet from where I sleep.  Third, it is a lot of work.  There is a lot of pumping involved.   Pump waste out, pump water in, pump water out, pump water in, pump water out, pump water in.  You want to make sure you pump enough, so that nothing that will smell is sitting in the pipe. 

4. You often don’t feel quite right.  Even when I am not seasick, my stomach doesn’t feel 100%.

3. Your body and clothes are always slightly damp and crusty thanks to the constant salt spray in the air.

2. Even when you shower, you still don’t really feel clean.  I feel like I have a constant sheen of grease on my face – a lovely combo of natural oils, sunscreen, and salt.

1. Your sheets always feel slightly wet thanks to the constant salt spray.  Even after you’ve just showered, you get into your bed and instantly feel dirty again.

However, when we’re at anchor/moored, it is a totally different story.  Although our current mooring is not exactly what I’d describe as “romantic.”  In the end, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

What I Wish Our Current Mooring Looked Like

I'll post pics of our actual mooring with my blog of our Majuro adventures.  :-)