It’s all about quiet time afloat in a secluded lagoon.

It’s all about camaraderie and friends met along the journey.

Before I was a boater I was a pilot. I got my private pilot’s license decades ago, though I never logged a lot of hours. What I learned early on was as enjoyable as flying was… flying was still transportation. Aerobatics or fringe activities notwithstanding you had to go somewhere. When I discovered boating I realized it was different. Going places was fun but just being on the water was the most fun. Of course, that could be making a small or long passage, but some of the best times could also be had close to home or without even leaving the marina or anchorage.

I think the realization of that is even more important today, as the idea of boating seems to be increasingly complicated. What boat, what kind of boat, the costs in general? The complexities of our times make it easy to loose site of the fact that it is not about how far you go, how fast you go, or even the cost of the fuel you burn. Though none of those factors are to be ignored, they need to be kept in perspective. Also remember that you don’t always need to travel hundreds of miles from home to have a great time. It is not the going there, it is the getting there. It can be true an hour from your homeport or with a longer odyssey taken in small steps.

So while in a troubled economy it’s fashionable to bury your head and wait until it gets better, I’d suggest it might be better for your long term well being to just not participate. Maybe you should just ride out the storm at anchor. Don’t forget that’s what it’s all about.