Cruising is another world I have discovered. The most surprising thing is that there are lots of people living on boats, and they are just like our next door neighbors on land. Since moving on board, I have met many other cruisers. Living on a boat is not a superficial life style, if one follows a dream. Here’s how others made their dreams come true…
Interview with My Boyfriend John from ‘S/V Bad Bunny’ (March 15, 2015)
Answer: My name is John, 51 year old single curmudgeon, US citizen. The boat’s name is ‘Bad Bunny’, named after a webcomic that featured a homicidal rabbit with a switchblade knife (google sluggy freelance for the comic). The boat is a 1992 Valiant 47 foot cutter that I almost always sail as a sloop.
Question: Where are you at today?
Answer: Salinas, Puerto Rico, March 15, 2015
Question: What was your career before cruising?
Answer: Electrical Engineer
Question: What made you decide to live on a boat?
Answer: I like to travel yet hate the effort of airplanes, rental car, hotels, taxis, etc. I figured that I could see the world one country at a time and live in my own “house”.
Question: How long have you been living on board?
Answer: 4 years
Question: Why did you choose the boat that you have now?
Answer: Research and luck. I wanted a blue water cruiser and this one happened to be the right boat, the right price and at the right time.
Question: How many miles have you traveled so far in the boat?
Answer: About 11,000 Miles.
Question: How did you prepare for the cruising lifestyle?
Answer: I have always been cheap and have had other boats in the past. I have always had a can do attitude when it comes to fixing things. I live with the mantra “Broke is Broke, you might as well try and fix it.”
Answer: Sailing from the Bahamas to Haiti. It was an overnight sail and with the dawning light, the mountains of Haiti became visible, along with the wood smoke of the cooking fires and the smell of land. Seeing the Haitian fishing boats out in 10 foot seas and 25 knot winds was a remarkable experience.
Question: What do you like the most about the cruising/sailing lifestyle?
Answer: Freedom, and the ability to go wherever I please.
Question: What do you like the least about the cruising/sailing lifestyle?
Answer: The lack of things that I used to take for granted, like an endless supply of water, the ability to go to the gym, and the hassle of even the simplest things like not having a fixed address and having to get a new credit card in a foreign country.
Question: What was your most fearful moment of cruising/sailing experience?
Answer: Buying the boat in the first place.
Question: How do you maintain your boat?
Answer: I do almost everything myself. I have sanded the bottom, sprayed awlgrip on the mast, done fiberglass repair, sewed sails, and etc.
Question: How do you maintain yourself (health, fitness, and strength) and your relationship with your sailing partner?
Answer: I like to hike, go for long walks, and still have to watch what I eat. Relationships are things girls worry about.
Question: What do you miss the most?
Answer: Endless supplies of hot water. Fast Internet.
Question: What is your favorite website?
Answer: This is a family website, so I can’t put that one…….
Question: Want to share your best and simple boat food recipe?
Answer: Popcorn. Rum. Beer. Man needs nothing else.
Answer: Save money, you will need it later when you are not working. Everything costs twice as much as you budgeted and takes 3 times as long to finish as you thought.