No doubt, there are just as many reasons behind the impulse to move on to a boat and go cruising as the number of people doing it, but you can spot trends. Right now there seem to be two that stand out...
One being the current economic madness which has motivated a lot of people to take some time off and (hopefully) wait it out while cruising till things get better. For a lot of people this makes all kinds of sense as (for most) it's a way to save money and no real downside.
The other trend is beginning to look like something of a tidal wave and that is the fact that the simplicity movement has been discovering sailing in a big way. What better way to simplify your life than to move it into a realm where simplicity is something of a central mantra?
That said, why people do the cruising gig is always a much more complicated equation than simply waiting out the economy or wanting to get down to basics... People are never ever simple.
And that folks, is a GOOD thing...
Which brings me to a newish cruising forum... TheKeel.com which seems like something of a breath of fresh air amongst the same old same collection of sailing/cruising forums. The best way to describe it is excited and interested (kinda like a puppy) with zero negative content.
Yeah... zero negative content! For those just getting started having to run the gauntlet of self proclaimed experts, old boy networks or racist and political thuggery (can you spell kewl?) when all you want to know is how to keep the boat right side up with a smile on your face, a lot of the forums can be seriously daunting as well as a something of a downer.
While the Keel is young and still finding itself, it has a lot of potential and is certainly worth checking out as long as you leave the negative baggage behind...
Listening to Pressure Drop by Toots and the Maytals
So it goes...
Plans Change, Martinique version
1 week ago
