Plans aren’t necessarily bad, we just have to be willing to change them when underlying assumptions change.
One example as I’m writing this on Sunday, June 9. We had planned to leave early tomorrow morning from Fox Town in the Abacos (Bahamas) for a 40-mile run to Wells Harbor. But Dave’s favorite hockey team is playing for the Stanley Cup tonight, in a game that’s likely to go to midnight. That makes for a lack of sleep if we wanted to get underway at dawn for a slow sail. And the latest forecast called for very light wind. Wells Bay can be a little tricky to get into; good light is a big plus. We’d be in hurry-up mode the whole way to get there by mid-afternoon. Lack of sleep and trying to hurry all day added up to a lot of potential stress.
But guess what? There’s a nice anchorage about halfway there. And it’s easy to get into, even at sunset. We could get up a little later and head out late morning. Sail, even if it’s slow. No time stress and, we hope, an enjoyable day.
All it took was a willingness to look at alternatives; to not insist on following the plan because it was, well, “the plan.”
If your plan is causing too much stress, think about how you could change it and put a smile back on your face. Cruising – and everything leading up to it – is supposed to be fun!
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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