As cruisers, "we possess an insatiable curiosity for what lies beyond the horizon. We're outcasts, unable to handle for long indoor jobs, 9-5 routines, malls, suburbia or urban life." Sitting Out a Gale by Leslie Nicholas.
And in The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Ashore, in the May, 2000 issue of Cruising World, John Pollock describes his family feeling like "wolves in a cage at the zoo," after returning to their life ashore. He writes: "We pace. We're ready and eager for motion..., we continue to avoid big gatherings. We all suffer malaise in crowded rooms, and our restless eyes search for doors, windows and other avenues of escape."
Both writers express exactly how I feel. I can't be away from the ocean; I feel I can't breathe. I can't live in a house; I feel trapped. If I can't be actively cruising, then at least I have to live not only on a boat, but on a mooring or at anchor preferably with a view of the open ocean.
My family doesn't understand my lifestyle. I'm losing touch with my land bound friends. I've given up trying to carry on a relationship with a man who doesn't have the same passion for the sea. Even if any of them come out sailing for a day or a weekend, it's not the same. I think it takes an ocean passage to develop the obsession.
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