Finding our “looping rhythm”…
At this point Alison and I are quite comfortable on Catan and boating in general…after all, we have been living on the boat for 5 months now. We have done our homework, we have talked to lots of folks and we have experienced most all “looper” scenarios first-hand by now. Photo below is us locking-through between Columbus & Demopolis, AL.
The one thing that has proven somewhat elusive has been finding our “looping rhythm”. Ironically I am not sure we were even aware of the requirement to discern our “looping” rhythm. Let me try to explain. In my previous “Captain’s Log” ramblings I have shared that we have been fairly diligent in understanding our lessons learned and incorporating them into standard operating procedures. In doing so, I had thought with these improvements in our daily routine, we would “have this boating/looping thing down” pretty much.
In hindsight, these lessons learned have ensured balance and on-water safety in our daily routine. What was still missing was an awareness to intentionally balance this boating/looping lifestyle on a weekly/monthly context. Consequently, finding our “looping rhythm” in simple terms, meant understanding our needs to relax and our capacity to deal with stress balanced against physically progressing the boat along the loop. It was only the passage of time on the water that let us truly appreciate this very real and important aspect, in order to effect a sustainable, enjoyable looping adventure over the long term. Below, beautiful scenes of Catan passing by the white limestone cliffs on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway,
I know the above sounds like a no-brainer motherhood assertion that any mature adult should know and foresee, but the transition from land-based living to water-based living has many subtleties and a considerable set of new variables that affect your decision making. For example, in the face of bad weather you can safely hunker down in your house for a few days but there is much to consider and resolve whilst out on the water. Having a car virtually equates to mobility & freedom compared to having access only to a boat. A simple task of planning the next month on your calendar takes on a whole new and different meaning if you are living on a boat and making progress over water.
The truth is, it can be frustrating if you try to plan beyond a few days. You can try, but be sure to build in lots of wiggle room for contingencies such as weather, lock closures and stumbling upon little towns that draw you in to spend additional time. Furthermore, and along the same theme, at any point in time when you make a commitment to be a specific place at a specific time in the future, it inevitably morphs into stress because nature and Murphy’s Law will conspire against you, or you will relentlessly drive yourself to fulfill the commitment resulting in being both exhausted and stressed.
“Looping rhythm” lessons learned: 1) do not make commitments, 2) for every 2 days boating, take one day off, 3) never intentionally plan on boating more than 3 full days consecutively, 4) in the larger context of “looping rhythm” everyone is different with regards to their needs and what is important to maintain their personal balance (and that of your spouse), in order to ensure a positive sustainable looping lifestyle. How you typically address these needs while land-based living will be considerably different compared to the manner and options you have to address while water-based living. If you choose not to acknowledge or address these needs “just because you are looping”, then you can certifiably plan on having personal or relationship problems emerge somewhere down the road.
One thing we didn't plan on was being given the all clear to lock-through alongside an Army Corps of Engineers work barge, up close & personal! Just a few feet of clearance to squeeze Catan alongside for the lock downstream.
Lastly someone asked us…don’t you get bored? The water-based looping boat lifestyle reveals a way of looking at life and living that you will never learn, appreciate nor experience until you yourself are living this lifestyle. Assuming we have now got the “looping rhythm” lessons learned fully integrated into our mindset, the looping lifestyle reveals a whole new perspective to the concept of relaxing, in my personal opinion.
Having put in our 35 years as a working adults, in this season of our life, we are so appreciative to 'do nothing'. We enjoy watching nature as we float by, we have more quality time together, we walk the length of the dock and meet new friends at every marina, we play board games and read. Our social life has never been richer and our circle of friends never so large.
Boaters share a common love of the water and loopers share the same adventure of the journey. It may seem very odd compared to land-based living but upon meeting another boater couple, it is completely normal to exchange boat cards within the first minute! You now have a record of their name, contact information plus a picture of the couple and their boat, so that when we see (and look for) these folks on the water, we can resume the friendship. It seems to be this boating culture of friendship espouses an environment of helping/watching out for one another and experiencing a common adventure from a common life/age perspective. Life has never been richer and we have no time to be bored.
This afternoon we are hosting an older couple for a beverage on our back deck. They are locals, and have mapped out all of the many anchorage options between here and Mobile Bay - knowledge that we don't have complete access to and that will help us plan our next stint on the water. This is common - boaters are happy to share what they know and highlight the best of what's ahead so you don't miss out.
Stay tuned for more adventures…
