Hosting a cruiser in your home

On the Sail Magazine website there was a recent posting giving advice on how to host a cruiser in your home. 

Congratulations on your decision to host a visiting cruiser in your home. I’m sure you’re excited to reconnect and hear stories from his or her exotic life afloat. Be warned, though, that even a short time away from the cruising life can be difficult for a cruiser. Luckily, with a little foresight, it shouldn’t be hard to ease his or her transition to your landlubbing life, and turn the visit into a rewarding experience...

If you are in a position to do this, I highly recommend you read the article - it will help you make things more comfortable for both you and your cruiser.

(And a shout-out to Livia on s/v Estrellita 5.10b, currently in Tahiti, who saw this before I did!)

Hosting a cruiser in your home

Shhh... Please do disturb

When we are at anchor, a major part of the charm of the experience is the peace that the situation provides.  After the crowded hustle and bustle of being tied to the dock, it is like a breath of cool, refreshing air.  When the anchor goes down and the engine is turned off, I can actually feel the quiet draining the tension out of my shoulders.

I guess we are not very gregarious by nature.  We don't like being in raftups - they are too crowded, too noisy, and require 100% "on" time.  We don't even like being anchored near a raftup because they are typically so noisy (although several recent examples we have encountered have put the lie to that). 

But.

But with all that said, the ability to visit another boat at anchor, or to have someone visit ours is a privilege - something that we geatly look forward to.  We have even been known to row over to someone we have never met and barely know thru the InterTubes and invite them aboard for dinner (Hi Courtney!).   I have written about what a magical, intimate experience it is to visit another boat at anchor, and I can only suppose and hope that it goes the other way too, for people visiting us.

So please, dear readers, should you find yourself anchored in the same bay as Eolian,  do not hesitate to row over and knock on the hull.  Of course you will probably find us dressed in sweats, because that's how we live at anchor, but if you're not embarrassed by that then we certainly won't be.  And we usually have an ample supply of wine or beer to share (and our yardarm is adjustable...).

Everyone at anchor in a harbor has a story to tell...

And we want to hear yours.

Shhh... Please do disturb

Cruising hats

It may seem a little early...  But come on - is it ever really too early to talk about cruising fashion?

Even tho there are lowering, dark clouds outside and it is threatening to rain, we Pacific Northwest cruisers need to think about sun protection.  What does the well-dressed PNW cruiser wear for headgear?

One of the most commonly seen is the ubiquitous baseball cap.  It will cover your head, and the bill shades your eyes from glare (that's why the bill goes in the front, dude).   And for just a touch of pride, you can have your boat's name embroidered on the cap.  We have ours made at KAM Gear, in Ballard.

But the baseball cap does not protect the tops of your ears, or your neck (unless you have it on backward, dude).  For better all-around protection, the standard cruising hat (this example is made by Dorfman and sold by West Marine) is a dramatic improvement.  And it has a string to keep it on your head in a breeze, something sailors are hopefully experiencing.

But variations on the Aussie bush hat have it all over the standard floppy cruising hat.  The advantage of the bush hat is that you can snap up the brim on the side away from the sun, and get an improved breeze on that side of your face and head.  It is also supplied with a string to keep it on your head.  This well-used one is my favorite - it was a gift from my kids.

Here in Seattle, it should not be too surprising to find that the classic Seattle Sombrero and its copycat equivalents are frequently used as cruising hats.  Not only do they block out the sun, but they are waterproof, so the occasional Seattle Sunshine won't dampen your locks.  Unfortunately when the sun does shine, they can be a little steamy because of this.

Beyond these, a wide variety of odd headgear gets pressed into service for cruisers - and sadly, sometimes fashion takes a backseat to function.  Tho clearly not the case here, this beauty had to be retired from cruising service because the brim was too wide to pass between the mizzen shrouds and the bimini.

Thankfully.

Finally, it must be observed that any headgear which protects you from the sun will also serve to protect you from the rain.  So maybe it's not too early to talk about this after all.  And you are going to want to break in that shiny new hat.  Nothing says "newbie" like a crease in your hat.

Cruising hats

A night aboard

You've been invited to spend a nite aboard someone's boat. You don't want to commit any faux pas. But you don't know the etiquette - what should you know?

Here are some do's and don'ts (note that I am *not* assuming you have been invited aboard a mega-yacht):

• Do leave the high heels at home. Power boat or sail boat, they are inappropriate wear because the concentration of force at the heel will damage decks, and simply because you are not safe teetering up there in an environment where the floor moves. Soft-soled, non-marking shoes are ideal. And because many owners encourage a "shoes-off" environment below decks, slip-ons are best.
• Don't bring three pieces of hard-sided luggage.  There are no "closets" on boats.  Instead, there are "lockers", with all the lack of space that your high school memories imply.  And these will likely be loaded with the owner's stuff.  There will be no place to put the luggage, except perhaps to store it on your bunk - but then what do you do with it while you sleep?  Instead, pack very lightly, and get everything you'll need into a single soft-sided (won't damage the woodwork) bag.
• Do arrive on time.  The boat's departure from the dock may be timed by the tide, and as has been said, "The tide waits for no man."  A late arrival could completely destroy the Captain's trip plan, while with an early arrival you could help prep the boat for departure.
• Don't be too shy to ask about the head.  You will be using it - best not to embarrass yourself by having to ask for directions after you have filled it.
• Do be sparing with your use of water.  It may come out of the faucet just like it does at home, but the supply is limited - very limited.  For example, don't just let the water run while you brush your teeth, or while you shave.
• Don't use hot water unless you must.  Hot water on board is even more limited than the water itself.  If you are just rinsing your hands and don't need to use hot water, then don't.  If you only open the hot water tap briefly, you will get only cold water anyway, but nevertheless hot water will be withdrawn from the very limited supply and just wasted.
• Do leave the hairdryer at home.  There probably won't be power to run it.  
• Don't be concerned about heeling (tipping) on a sailboat.  They are supposed to heel (well, except for catamarans and trimarans).  It is an entirely normal part of the operation of the boat.  There is a big chunk of metal (in Eolian's case, 12,000 of lead) down deep under the boat that is resisting the heeling. 
• Do ask to help, but don't be chagrined if your offer is declined.  Operating the boat, docking and anchoring become a fine-tuned science for boat owners - additional hands, inexperienced in the operation of this boat, may be more of a hindrance than a help.  This is especially true with docking, where unspoken (nay, subconscious!) teamwork is required.
• Don't sit or stand on lines.  Especially on a sailboat, the free use of those lines may be needed at a moment's notice.
• Do know how happy the boat family is to share the experience with you! Happy Sailing!

Does anyone want to add anything?

A night aboard