Date: 9 June 2014. Seldom Bored.
© janice142
This
retirement thing is so amazing I wish I had done it sooner.
Many boaters are asked what we do all day and folks (including my
child) wonder how we can fill the hours. Especially when anchored in
remote areas with little outside entertainment, boredom and
loneliness seem almost to be expected. And that is plain wrong!
Honestly, I
do not know how I ever managed to be the wife, home school my
children, survive divorce, raise the kidlets, support us and still
have Me Time back then. I know I was a lot more frazzled, and not
nearly so well organized, and the house certainly was not as tidy as
the boat is. Laundry was always threatening to overtake me.
Back then the
problem was finding time to do the things
I
needed to do, and that is occasionally still an issue aboard Seaweed.
HOWEVER the
things I wish to do are primarily fun now!
Wandering along a beach while listening to laughing
gulls is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
Recently
website visitor Richard, a million-mile motorcyclist currently of
Lake Helen, FL wrote and asked: "I
have known others that tried living on a boat (mostly sailboats),
and they seemed to be all right as long as they were moving...moving
towards a goal or destination. A problem usually arose when they
were having to live the moment by moment life of being anchored or
moored for more than a few days...Too much time on their hands, or
they got bored, or they HAD to have a goal to focus on, or perhaps a
little of each.
How does that work for YOU?"
I paint scenes inside seashells...
I suspect
like other soloists, boaters in particular are viewed
as slightly unusual. Women are by nature I believe nurturing and my
Kidlet thought I would be unhappy with no one to care about or take
care of. And I confess to thinking "that's crazy" and "I'll have fun
of course" but...
She was right. I know.
Shocking!
That is how
my First Mate came to be so important to my happiness quotient.
Four pounds of fur and fluff, Skipper is a Papillon
mix. She is smart and already has me fairly well trained.
The thing
is, as a soloist there are times when we miss the interaction of
another -- the sharing of a dolphin playing by the boat, or that sea
turtle that poked its head up just off the port quarter. It is at
times like that when I am thankful for my friend Irene on Katja.
She encouraged a habit I think all of us should follow:
Telephone
someone every day -- does not matter who, just dial a friend or
associate.
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Irene's
idea as described in the article
Lonely No More
is pure genius. Even if
my call is but a minute or two, it's nice to touch base with people.
And when I need advice (like the engine difficulties of late) I've
had a group of friends to call on who know I like them and not just for
their mechanical knowledge!
The daily
phone calls have been a blessing.
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Often I will think
about a problem or something I would like to change aboard Seaweed. Of
late most of my pondering has been spent concerning the engine --
what to do, how to do it, and most important:
Am I digging
a hole by pouring further near-to-nonexistent funds into an old
engine?
Or, is fixing this latest issue a step up the ladder and back into
the cruising mode?
This
conundrum will be a topic in an upcoming article. Often by writing I
am able to more clearly order my thoughts. It helps, and the advice
offered has been a true boon.
As for the
question about being bored however, it matters not if I am moving or
not. Boredom is not a factor. In that regard, the
Kindle
my friend gave me for my last birthday has been a wonder.
Previously, I have run out of new books to read while at anchor.
That is why
I keep a few puzzle magazines aboard. I enjoy logic problems
(England's Finest are my favorites) along with sudoku and Dell
cross-word puzzle books. Penny Press makes some good ones with a variety of puzzles. Some are simply too difficult -- I
prefer the easier ones as I like success.
Along those
lines, there are a couple of card games I play. Midnight
Sunitaire is the digital version of a game we used to play on the
boat when I was a boat kidlet. It's fun, and with a bit of thought you can win most times
-- but not always. Still, I prefer the computer version as I can
undo and figure out how to beat it.
The latest
version of FreeCell is best too. It has undo and though I am not an
expert my percentages are increasing. I enjoy the challenge of games
that require thinking.
My favorite
logic game was Sherlock. It's an older PC game that played well on
Win95 thru WindowsMe. But it doesn't play on Vista and I
cannot tell you how disappointed I am by that. It was actually my
favorite way to relax.
Now, nearly
every afternoon that I am anchored the DVD player my friend Ken on
Sparrow gifted me is turned on for a hour or two. The player, a Toshiba
originally intended for vehicles, uses just 15 watts at 12-volts. Because the power consumption is low I
can enjoy it for a movie or two without concern.
Aboard
Seaweed I do have a rather extensive DVD library with perhaps as
many as 100 DVDs. I enjoy watching movies more than one time
because often I will see something I did not notice on the first
go-round. My tastes run to older comedies, some musicals,
Disney, and science fiction.
When
getting together with new friends often a movie and some popcorn is
a way to relax and enjoy ourselves. Because my collection is rather
diverse it's fun to be able to offer options. Recently I met
Drew and his dad on Thursday's Child, a Westsail32. We spent several afternoons watching
Star
Trek Voyager, along with a few
Harry Potter movies and more.
Drew, between movies... Drew is a
hockey fan and player. Skipper sure liked Drew a lot.
Still, I am
often grateful I chose a power boat. With Seaweed, when I sit down I
can see out and there is always something of interest out there.
The changing tides means the view alters -- I do not know that
sitting in a marina would offer the same benefits, though of course
the social interaction would be far greater.
That is one
of the best parts of life tied to a dock. The get-togethers are
easily arranged, often spur-of-the-moment and generally quite fun.
I have been aboard Edge (Bud and Tessie's boat) with Ali and Chuck (of
Kairos) more than one time. Those ladies are amazing cooks!
For myself,
I do not know that I would be happy sitting inside a sailboat without a
view of the surroundings. Yes, of course you can be on deck -- so
can I, but the cushy seats are all inside, out of the sun on
Seaweed. For me, that has made all the difference in my comfort
level.
At my age
(vintage) I am no longer willing to accept roughing it. For me,
boating is about luxuriating in my small nook. Sure, there are things I
would
like improved (more solar, bigger battery bank, tuna door for easier
access to the swim platform) but for now, boredom is not an issue.
There are
too many things to do and see. As always, should you ever see my
Seaweed, give a call on Channel 16. I am always listening.
As an only child I am used to
entertaining myself. Perhaps that plays a role in being comfortable alone.
Are you more a social being? Do you suppose your preference is
affected by the siblings (or lack thereof) you had while growing up?
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