There's a moment on every cruise when time slows down.
The engine is off. The sails are set. The boat is doing what it was built to do, and everyone on board settles into the rhythm of a passage.
A cruising sailor measures a good day in wind shifts and anchorages, not distance covered.
Plan Around the Wind
The best cruising plans have destinations in pencil, not ink. If the wind is with you, take the long way. If it's against you, take the short one — or wait a day.
- ✦A flexible plan with multiple bail-outs
- ✦Anchorages chosen for the forecast, not the guidebook
- ✦Simple, hearty food that doesn't need much cooking underway
- ✦Crew who understand the pace and are dressed for it
- ✦A reefed main and a smile before the front arrives
- ✦Time built in to do nothing — the best part of cruising
A well-sailed boat is quieter than a well-motored one.
Anchor Well and Sleep Better
A good anchor set is the difference between a peaceful night and an anxious one. Take the time. Set it properly. Then you're free to enjoy the evening.
Enjoy the Journey
The mistake is treating a cruise like a delivery. A cruise is the point. If the wind's up, sail. If it's not, swim. Both count as a good day.
The best cruising memories are rarely of the passages. They're of the anchorages.
- What would change if your next cruise had no fixed arrival day?
- Which anchorages do you return to — and why?
- How do you build 'do nothing' time into a passage plan?
- Cruise plans are best written in pencil.
- The anchorage is often the real destination.
- Enjoy the journey — that's the whole point.