Cruising (maritime)

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A cruising sailboat anchored in the San Blas Islands, in Panama. The islands are an idyllic destination enjoyed by many cruisers.

This article is about Yacht Cruising, for cruising on Cruise Liners see the article Cruise ship.

Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages. Cruising is done on both sail and power boats, although sail predominates over longer distances, as ocean-worthy power boats are considerably more expensive. Many cruisers are "long term" and travel for many years, the most adventurous circling the globe over a period of three to ten years. Many others take a year or two off from work and school for short trips and the chance to experience the cruising lifestyle.

1 History
2 Equipment
3 Safety
4 Other kinds of maritime cruising
5 Further reading
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

Prior to the Nineteenth Century origin of the concept of voyaging as a lifestyle, boats were almost exclusively used for work. In 1857, the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, with his book Canoeing in Wilderness chronicling his canoe voyaging in the wilderness of Maine, was the first convey the enjoyment of spiritual and lifestyle aspects of cruising. The concept of cruising for pleasure was popularized in the Nineteenth Century, by several widely read authors and books: John MacGregor, 1866, A Thousand Miles in a Rob Roy Canoe; Robert Lewis Stevenson, 1877, An Inland Voyage and Nathaniel H. Bishop, 1879, Four Months in a Sneakbox.

Cruisers can see traditional life in remote areas of the world; here, a Kuna local paddles a dugout canoe in the San Blas Islands.

One of the first people to carry out a long-distance voyage for pleasure, and who inspired many others to follow in his path, was Joshua Slocum, who circumnavigated the world between 1895 and 1898. Despite widespread opinion that such a voyage was impossible and despite being a retired sea captain, Slocum rebuilt a derelict 37-foot sloop Spray and sailed her single-handed around the world. His book Sailing Alone Around the World is still considered a classic adventure, and inspired many others to take to the seas.^[1]

Other cruising authors have provided both inspiration and useful instruction to would-be cruisers. Key among these during the post war period are Miles and Beryl Smeeton, Bernard Moitessier, and Eric & Susan Hiscock. During the 1970's - 80's, Robin Lee Graham, Lin and Larry Pardey, Annie Hill, Herb Payson, Steve & Linda Dashew and Hal & Margaret Roth have provided inspiration for people to set off voyaging. Most recently, Beth Leonard has been writing both inspirational and technical books about voyaging.

[edit] Equipment

As well as normal sailing and seamanship skills, cruisers use a variety of equipment and techniques to make their voyages possible, or simply more comfortable.

The solar panels on this 28-foot yacht can keep her self-sufficient in electrical power.

Though in the past many cruisers had no means of generating electricity on board and depended on kerosene and dry cell batteries, today most have some sort of electrical devices on board thus,one of the key areas is providing the electrical power to keep the boat's systems (lights, communications gear, etc.) running. Although most boats can generate power from their inboard engines, and some carry generators, carrying sufficient fuel for these over a long voyage can be a problem; and so many cruising boats are equipped with generating devices such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc.

While it is quite possible (and, until relatively recently, normal) to cruise without long-distance communications equipment, such gear is becoming more common on cruising boats. Many boats are now equipped with satellite telephone systems; however, these systems can be expensive to use, and may operate only in restricted areas. Many cruisers still rely on the older short wave maritime SSB and Amateur radio radio, which has no running costs, and can (with suitable equipment) allow sending and receiving of email.

Many other common systems on modern cruising yachts can and often do include many systems. Watermakers which turn seawater into potable water are increasingly common. Radar, GPS and electronic charting are also common equipment.

[edit] Safety

Travel by water brings hazards, collision, weather and equipment failure can lead to dangerous situations such as sinking or a severely disabled and dangerous vessel. For this reason many long distance cruising yachts carry with them sophisticated emergency equipment such as EPIRBs and Liferafts.

Medical emergencies are also of concern, as a medical emergency can occur on a long passage when the closest port is over a week away. For this reason before going cruising many people go through first aid training and carry extensive medical kits.

[edit] Other kinds of maritime cruising

Camp cruising, also known as beach cruising or gunkhole cruising, is a form of cruising in which sailors sail from point to point in an open or semi-enclosed boat, generally remaining within sight of land, and either camp ashore or aboard the boat at anchor. The boats used may be specialized cruising dinghies, small keelboats, or general purpose daysailing or racing boats pressed into service for the purpose.

Daysailing is recreational sailing that does not involve racing or cruising. Many racers refer to all non-racers as "cruisers," including dinghy and small keelboat sailors who primarily focus on daysailing.

Travel on cruise ships may be referred to as cruising. Those who take frequent cruise ship vacations (multiple times per year) may be called cruisers.

[edit] Further reading

William F. Buckley, Jr., Atlantic High - an account of an Atlantic passage.
William F. Buckley, Jr., Racing Through Paradise - etc. about a Pacific passage.
Michael Carr, "Weather Prediction Simplified"
Don Casey, Dragged Aboard: a Cruising Guide for the Reluctant Mate
Linda and Steve Dashew, Offshore Cruisers' Encyclopedia - expensive but so useful it has been compared to Bowditch and Dutton. Easy to read.
Steve and Linda Dashew, Mariner's Weather Handbook
Robin Lee Graham, Dove - The story of a 16-year-old boy who sails around the world in a 28 foot sloop in the nineteensixties
Eric Hiscock, Cruising Under Sail - just the facts, a classic.
Beth A. Leonard, The Voyager's Handbook - a useful up-to-date guide on blue-water sailing
Elbert Maloney, Dutton's Navigation and Piloting - a classic, professional reference, continuously updated.
Lawrence and Lin Pardey, The Self-Sufficient Sailor - The Pardey's message is wonderfully encouraging: Go simply, go cheaply and in a small boat, but go.
Lin Pardey, 'Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew' informative and fun to read
Merle Turner, Celestial Navigation for the Cruising Navigator - some theory.
Alan Villiers, Cruise of the Conrad. Scribner's, 1937. Reprinted, Seafarer Books, 2006.
Jeff & Raine Williams Around the World in Eighty Megabytes