Lest you think we merely tolerate the cruising lifestyle, this part two explains why we like what we are doing and have no plans of stopping any time soon. There has to be some reason why we are willing to be so far away from the familiar things back home, and our families and friends.

To begin with, I think it is safe to assume that Ken and I are no longer enamoured with the concept of “winter” and with being cold. While an endless summer may not be the preference for some, living in our shorts and bathing suits all year works well for us! It’s even better for me, as buying clothes long enough for me can be a hassle, or expensive, but shorts, dresses and skirts are made for any length of leg! We are acclimatized to the heat, and we have enough fans in the boat to make even the worst day endurable.

We are truly comfortable on our boat. She was home, summer and winter, back in Toronto for 5 years before we ever hit salt water, and we are used to her. We know her well, and we are used to most of the idiosyncrasies of life on a 35 foot boat. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that we find frustrating at times, but that’s also part of our life.

Speaking for myself, I love the opportunity to tie on the running shoes and explore new places. It makes running much more enjoyable when you don’t get into a boring rut of doing the same route day after day, or have about 5 variations on a theme. I actually wear a watch so that I don’t get carried away and stay away too long, not to ensure that I get enough of a work out! The same goes for hiking, too, as these islands provide so many intriguing places to go, whether it is an established trail with signs, or a goat path to who knows where.

Different neighbourhoods and different neighbours. One of the sayings in boating is that if you don’t like your neighbour, you can move. There is some truth to that. We can also decide to stick around a place that we like for a little longer, or depart from somewhere that just isn’t striking a chord with us at that time (but might the next visit). And one person’s favourite place may be entirely different than another’s for a multitude of reasons. And sometimes the attitudes to a place can change, too.

Experiencing the different cultures, and comparing the similarities is fun. The music, the foods, the people all vary in the Eastern Caribbean. Even the language can be different, as different terms get used on the different islands. Martinique and Guadeloupe are departments of France, and many of the things you see are distinctly “French” but that doesn’t mean that each island doesn’t have its’ own unique culture as well. And even in the English countries, the multi-island countries have a diversity among their islands, as well as between the countries. Carriacou may be under the Grenadian flag, but there are many differences between them. Generally the people are wonderful.

Certainly we don’t have the 9-5 schedule, unless that means that we go to bed at 9:00pm and awake at 5:00am. We don’t have jobs, so there is certainly a flexibility to the schedule that most people don’t have. A really good outing comes up, and the head can stay uncleaned for one more day. Spontaneous get togethers probably occur more often, whether it is at a bar or someone’s boat. Really, unless it is something threatening the boat, nothing is THAT pressing that it can’t be put off once in a while. The exception is if you are paying to be “on the hard” or have limited time on a dock and you want to get things done. But that certainly isn’t a daily occurrence. Day timers are generally not highly sought after by cruisers, and Ken and I don’t wear watches, except when I’m running or we have an actual appointment for something.

Cruising and living on a boat requires team work, and that tends to help make relationships stronger (or wreck them). The couples that keep cruising for multiple years are the ones that are comfortable with that, and each other. The boat is too small to hold a grudge in, and there aren’t too many places where one can run and slam the door in a rage. There is a LOT of “together” time.

For Ken, “Mr. Tinkerfingers”, the little jobs on the boat can be a fun challenge. That is not to say he enjoys working on the head or working in the deepest part of the bilge, but his mind and his fingers are moving, and it is hard to shake 37 years of being a technologist. Our boat may not be the shiniest or the prettiest, but our systems work very well, thanks to Ken’s diligence and work. Something he take a quiet pride in. “Boat maintenance in exotic places”, well, the palm trees and the beaches do improve the view, and the warm temperatures make it far more comfortable.

We are coming up to 5 years of cruising (10 years of living on the boat) and we don’t know when it will end. As long as we are both having fun…