An online friend Livia from SV Estrellita is doing a project titled the above ( http://interviewwithacruiser.blogspot.com/ ), and I answered 10 of a zillion quesions about cruising even though we have only been out less than a year, we have lived aboard for more than a year and a half. There are more I want to answer but it is way after bedtime and she asked me to only answer 10. I will ask Spencer to answer some too whe he is done with the water maker project. Yes, he needs to tell you all about it!!

We have been cruising since April 2010 and first went up the coast to Maine, as far as Somes Sound and then we sailed back down taking the ICW at Norfolk, through the beautiful Dismal Swamp, grounded a couple of times in NC, and SC, jumped from Miami to Gun Cay, checking in at Chubb Cay, Christmas at Georgetown, NYE at Rum Cay, sailing to Caicos then onto Luperon DR, bashed our brains out along the north coast and then through the Mona to Boqueron. Now we are in Salinas provisioning until Panama. We are reading Jimmy Cornell's books to make sure we will be going at the right time, taking the right route from Panama to the Marquesas. From there we don't know yet...

Here are the questions and very brief answers from Kathleen.

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising? That is is as difficult as an outward bound course and it will test the bonds of love in a relationship, even the strongest!!

Is there a place you visited wish you could have stayed longer?    Big Sand Key, Turks and Caicos.

Tell me your favorite thing about your boat. It is verrrrrrrry tough. Much tougher than I!

Tell me your least favorite thing about your boat. Not enough storage space for a year of provisioning!

How often have you faced bad weather in your cruising? How bad?    In the Gulf of Maine skirting hurricanes and then going to windward through the Bahamas, the DR, Mona Passage and PR we faced a lot of uncomfortable seas, BUT it was all under a schedule!!! It is like everyone says, a schedule is the only dangerous thing when cruising! 10-12 ft seas, confused with 20 knot winds were the worst and I hope that is as bad as it gets. I know people face 25 ft seas, but I'm not ready for that!

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you?  The bug bites!

What is something that you were dreading about cruising when you were dreaming, that is as bad or worse than imagined?    The bugs!

Is there something from your land life that you weren't sure about bringing and are very happy about having brought now?    I am so glad I kept some nice clothes, I like to look nice and not look like a cruiser. It makes me look less like a tourist!

When have you felt most in danger and what was the source?    During rough passages, but now that I am safely out of them and have more experience I think it was just in my own mind!

Share a piece of cruising etiquette. ALWAYS say "hello and how are you" in the language of whatever country you are in. You never know if the guy leaning back in the chair with a tee shirt on is the customs guy who needs to check you in and give you all the days you want! Make it a habit to ask everyone!!