No is one of the most powerful words for a cruiser.
NO . . .
. . . I don’t need that extra piece of equipment to maintain (or pay for!)
. . . That’s not the right boat for me/us
. . . I don’t need more provisions; I can buy food where I’m going
. . . need to spend money on frivolous things
. . . I don’t need 14 pairs of shoes
. . . I’m not heading out with that weather forecast
While I strongly believe in saying “YES!” to all sorts of new adventures, NO is an equally good word for keeping you on track.
Perhaps it’s the pre-cruising years when you’re building a cruising kitty. Or when you’re buying your boat. How about when you’re planning upgrades? Or when you’re deciding “little” things such as how many provisions or spares you need. It’s good not to just automatically say “yes.”
Our society has conditioned us to say yes. It’s the word to get along. It’s easy to get into the habit. But when you mix in a few “no’s” you take control of the situation. Saying “no” on occasion means that you’re thinking your decisions through.
So many times, when confronted with a negative, I’ve ended up with a far better solution to a situation than what I originally envisioned. Saying “no” to one thing opens up room for something else.
“No” doesn’t have to be an ending point. It can be the start of something even better.
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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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