Date: 28 February 2019. Dating for
Boaters - Part 2.
© janice142
This is Part 2 of a requested series. A sailor asked
how to find a cruising partner. I can totally understand the desire
to share this experience with others. Here is my advice to
that gent:
I am very fortunate in that I
can share my journey with others. I totally appreciate the readers
and am humbled that so many would chose to spend time with me.
Thank you!
In that regard, my website allows
me to interact with online friends. You met one such couple in the
Imaginary Friends IRL (in real life)
article. Larry and Eva have a place south of here with their boat
docked right out back. Life does not get much better, especially
when readying a vessel for a long trip.

Larry and Eva aboard Bucky have a beautiful boat, the desire, and a plan. Soon
they will be *doing the Loop.
*doing the Loop:
The circumnavigation of Eastern North America by water is known as
The Great Loop. The trip varies from 5,000 miles to 7,500 miles
depending on the options used. Many boaters join the America's Great
Loop Cruisers' Association aka AGLCA [http://greatloop.org]

Soloists such as myself often
start out on this journey quite content with our status. After all,
we have worked hard to succeed and now have the boat of our dreams.
Of course there is work to do to. There always is.
Being at anchor
diminishes the possibility of potential visitors a lot!
Number One:
The likelihood of finding a partner while anchored off that
enchanting small town is poor. You are a pain in the transom to
visit so casual trips cannot be easily managed. Dinghy rides to a
boat? No. Not at first for most ladies.
To put myself at physical risk by
being on a stranger's
boat at anchor and alone is not going to happen.

I don't believe
guys think about personal safety as much as women. Men are
physically stronger. Thus gals tend to be more cautious in
situations that are secluded.

The Florida Keys are gorgeous. Shallow areas
or sandy bottoms ↑ are
white/light colored. Folks
there tend
to
enjoy boating activities.
It is a part of the culture. To locals your life choice is likely to
be considered normal.
Most of us have
seen the scary movies that depict seemingly wonderful guys who turn
into murderous crazies. Wasn't there one called
Dead Calm many years
ago? I'm sure there are others however I don't watch things like
that.
affiliate link→
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Dead Calm DVD |

But I digress...
Most of the time
when I visit another boater I come via either Algae or Seaweed. I
provide my own transportation. That is because I can then leave at
will without bothering or relying on someone else.
In new or
uncomfortable situations feeling safe is a priority.
Being able to leave immediately offers me a sense of well-being.
One of the advantages of having a
smaller boat is that she's portable. I can go places far easier than
if Seaweed were a 40'er. It is a simple matter to raise the anchor
and come by for a visit. Having a reliable engine has made a world
of difference. I am truly blessed.
You can ameliorate that concern
(going out to a boat at anchor) by bringing your vessel to a dock.

I bring Seaweed into the dock at the local McDonald's. Nearby the
American Legion has live music regularly.
Number Two: Bars are out, unless
you are looking for an individual who drinks too much. Women and men of
substance do not spend extended time in bars.
Celebrating on occasion at a pub is a
different kettle of fish. That is entirely fine.
Be aware that alcoholism is an
issue when folks get or feel isolated. Don't let that happen to you!
You may have noticed a prejudice
against excessive booze from me. That is because over time I have
seen all too many cruisers who fall into the bottle when things don't
go according to plan. I worry about those single folks with no one to "pull them
back from the edge" when times are difficult. Couples don't seem
quite so
vulnerable.
One night several of us went to a pub to celebrate a
birthday that happened to coincide with St. Paddy's Day.

Houseboat Bob ↑ joined us in celebrating St.
Patrick's Day a few years back. This was a
combination birthday / St. Paddy's Day shindig involving corned beef
and cabbage too.
Number Three:
If you want a woman, go where the women are. It really is that
simple.
What do women like? Any number of
things. I like reading. Before
Kindle, I spent a lot of time in
libraries. Now Amazon and
Gutenberg are my suppliers. That said,
libraries are more than just repositories of knowledge.
Kelly helped me set up the Verizon tablet with
OverDrive. I love that tablet!!!

Now I can borrow eBooks without leaving my boat, for free! Having a
tablet is Tremendously wonderful.
I am so happy for the Verizon tablet I enjoy. It is an amazing
device. The world of Sci-fi is a reality now.
The local library here in Madeira
Beach (Gulf Beaches branch) offers a writers group meeting each
Monday morning at ten. I might stick around after the meeting and
socialize if I wished. There are other groups who meet at the
library.
Visit the library
system where you live. See what they
have to offer.
You might be pleasantly surprised. I was!
When I was in Carrabelle the
LIBRARY
↓ was a favorite of mine. I
spent many hours there.

Here in St. Petersburg we are
blessed with Haslam's Book Store. It is truly the best book store I
have ever been in.

The
Book
Store - Haslam's in St. Pete vignette
tells you about that fine establishment.
I had the most fun in that store. As a plus, it is near enough to
the waterfront to be an easy Uber away.
Finding an interest you can share with another person
is the start of a friendship. Any relationship that thrives seems to
revolve around mutual curiosity. People who can enjoy time together
and apart seem to be happiest. That's why having the right boat (or
two boats!) is important for success in this life.
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The
Salient Points: |
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Number One:
The likelihood of finding a partner while anchored off that
enchanting small town is poor. You are a pain in the transom to
visit so casual trips cannot be easily managed. Dinghy rides to a
boat? No. Not at first for most ladies.
Solution:
Bring your boat to the dock!
Number Two: Bars are out, unless
you are looking for a floozy who drinks too much. Women and men of
substance do not spend extended time in bars.
Number Three:
If you want a woman, go where the women are. It really is that
simple.
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Well, I've run on at the fingertips again. More in
this series will be upcoming very shortly.
Thank you for reading. I
appreciate that.
Are there service organizations (Elks, Moose, American
Legion) you joined?
And, are you a member of a Yacht Club or Coast Guard Auxiliary, Power
Squadron?
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Categories:
Boat Talk,
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