Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Shakedown Cruise Along the US East
Coast
The dream part of every cruise is exhilarating sailing and the anticipation of interesting
places to visit. The down side, on the other hand, is never-ending maintenance work and
equipment failure, a constant stream of problems that demand solutions. Somewhere in
between is the reality: a balance of pleasure and effort to truly earn the privilege of the sail-
ing life. After a long hiatus from cruising, we were reminded of this when setting off for a
cruise along the northeast United States aboard
Namani
.
The idea was to move south while shaking out any kinks in our boat systems before eventu-
ally stepping up to offshore passages. Even after devoting several seasons to a full refit and
a final six weeks to getting the final touches ready for an extended sabbatical at sea, a few
projects remained unfinished. Just as the boat needed a warm-up cruise, so, too, could we
use the opportunity to ease back into full-time living aboard. Over the course of the follow-
ing month, we would sample several distinct cruising grounds between Maine and the
Chesapeake Bay. In the end, though, it wasn't the navigational challenges of each region
that defined the theme of our cruise, but the time devoted to completing projects underway.
It's safe to say we read more manuals than novels as we moved south with the seasons.
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