In the wide-open St. Lawrence Seaway, I could enjoy the view
from the flybridge and look for whales to photograph. When
cruising alone, it’s important to have sufficient downtime.
catastrophic calendar crash by breaking the trip into
thirds and leaving two weeks between each segment. In
this way, I hope to avoid or at least minimize the impact
of an event, mechanical or otherwise, that might affect
the schedule. If things go as planned, this itinerary will
result in two rest periods between segments of the trip,
providing me the chance to simply catch my breath.
The difference between a solo voyage and a journey
with friends and family is enormous. On a solo trip, you
answer only to yourself. By the same token, you live with
your decisions without any feedback from fellow human
beings. Sleep in for a few days, or get up before daybreak
and run to the next destination. Eat canned tuna seven
days a week and no one will care. With friends aboard,
all that changes. You have your itinerary to live or die by.
The eggs you cook in the morning may not be to their
liking. In close quarters, eternal friendships can wither
and die a painful death. Expectations between friends
need to be clarified well in advance. If people are cruising
for the first time, there is obviously a lot to learn. If they
expect cruise-line treatment, they need to change their
reservations to the QE2. On Henry’s Journey, everyone
pitches in, or they walk the plank. After running a boat
for a full day, the last thing I want to do is start preparing
a meal for friends. Having someone aboard who will take
the initiative in the galley is greatly appreciated.
In the end, it will be an interesting exercise to
compare both trips, weighing the pros and cons of
each. Time will tell.
