Boredom Aboard?

 

I just read an article about a woman who is feeling guilty because she's so bored living aboard her boat. She admits she's in the middle of paradise, but after awhile, she says, even paradise can get boring. I related the article to David and asked: “Do you ever get bored on the boat? Do I ever complain about being bored?” Actually, it's a question we're asked often and the answer is always “NO!”.

Truthfully, I guess the only time we are ever bored is the first two or three days on a new passage if we're fighting off seasickness. We can't read, we can't putter, we just look at the horizon and try not to succumb to the seasickness. It's pretty boring until we've regained our sea legs and then our world becomes interesting again. We certainly get itchy once in awhile when the weather keeps us in one place longer than we'd like to be there, but we always find more than enough to keep us amused and occupied. There's usually so much to see and do, there's not a chance of boredom setting in.

I suppose it would be easy to get bored if you weren't engaged in anything. We have more diversions aboard than we can handle sometimes. There are the mundane daily chores of cooking, cleaning and general boat stuff. David always has something on his “to-do” list for boat repairs or maintenance. I'm always behind on my writing, the website, photo edits and blog posts. That doesn't include what may be happening around us … weather, marine animals, a port, a new walk, birds … the list is endless.

Our longest passage...73 days from Cape Town to Charleston, SC was marked by two stops along the way...St. Helena Island and Ascension Island. We stopped at each for a few days and then continued on.

I compiled recipes and completed a cookbook en route, plus keeping up with my journal and the website. David did several projects, fished everyday and maintained the boat en route and, of course, we were sailing at the time. On Day 73 when we spotted the “C” buoy and began heading up the Ashley-Cooper Rivers into Charleston, we had mixed emotions. Great to be getting to land and civilization again, but you know what? It would have been okay to just keep going a while longer. There is no boredom aboard Nine of Cups.