Best Small Boat Cruising Threads

[WI-Tom]

What we do could be better described as luxury kayaking.

I think of it as car camping with a boat instead of a car. Carry as much as you want to bring, and it's always near your campsite--not like backpacking. And of course the boat, and not your back, carries the gear. And you're outdoors all day long, like backpacking.

However you want to think of it, it's an awfully interesting way to see the watery margins of the world.

Tom

[Paul Pless]

I think of it as car camping with a boat instead of a car. Carry as much as you want to bring, and it's always near your campsite--not like backpacking. And of course the boat, and not your back, carries the gear. And you're outdoors all day long, like backpacking.

However you want to think of it, it's an awfully interesting way to see the watery margins of the world.

Tom

like backpacking, with beer and real food and cookware

[AJBTC]

[QUOTE=However you want to think of it, it's an awfully interesting way to see the watery margins of the world.

Tom[/QUOTE]

This is true. I had a great overnight adventure this summer at a place that's just 5 miles from my house. Spending overnight instead of just daysailing makes a big difference!

[WI-Tom]

like backpacking, with beer and real food and cookware

Exactly. Except I generally leave out the beer, real food, and most of the cookware.

Tom

[John hartmann]

Asceticism has its place, though it be but one flavor of dinghy cruising, stylistically. There is a reason my boat is named UMAMI.

[WI-Tom]

Asceticism has its place

Yes. On my boat, it sits right beside "laziness."

More seriously, it's also an expression of the belief that wealth doesn't mean having more, but wanting less.

Mostly, though, it's just flat-out laziness--I find it bothers me less to go without some nice things than it would to take the trouble to plan for and bring the nice things. (I make no attempt to persuade here--probably the anti-asceticism stance is far more sensible). The beauty is, there's room for any approach you care to take. As McMullen used to say, to each cat its own rat.

Tom

[WI-Tom]

Here's a couple of oldies, from 2014. This was the year I first abandoned my slowly progressing Alaska build to borrow my brother's Phoenix III for a good long time, which became something of a habit for a while until I finally launched my Alaska. I was planning a long solo trip (in the end I think I spent 38 days on the boat) to Georgian Bay--my first visit.

But I figured, if I drove around the western side of Lake Superior on my approach, I could stop off at Lake Nipigon (also my first--so far my only--visit) for a brief pre-cruise (ended up being 9 days).

A Phoenix III on Lake Nipigon

Nipigon.jpg

A Phoenix III in Georgian Bay

PIII Georgian Bay.jpg

These were my first 2 solo trips with a really good boat. Some interesting moments in high winds. Lots and lots of solitude. It's also the summer where I really shifted my preference from sleeping ashore to sleeping aboard. (That's kind of shifted back a bit for my Georgian Bay trips).

I'm curious--all you other cruisers out there: do you prefer to camp ashore in a tent, or at anchor in your boat?

Cheers,

Tom