Land vs Water Cruising

We are now two months into our first real summer of “land cruising” and still learning the ropes so to speak. Last year we did a little living/traveling in a borrowed RV and decided it was a good option for the “Where do we live during the summer?” question. Shortly after we returned from the South Pacific we purchased “Errol” (we’ve been told they are like a boat and must have a name/identity), a 27’ Wildwood travel trailer and “moved in”.

It was so much fun furnishing the trailer and making it “home”. Kind of like moving into our first apartment together. We made lots of trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Fred Meyer, etc for linens, kitchen stuff, and all the other things we needed for day to day life. My first wake up call was s-t-o-r-a-g-e! Mind you, before the purchase, Errol “appeared” to have lots of storage. In reality, the kitchen cupboards are minimal and most are about 6” deep. No pantry (as in places to put food). Linen storage for towels/sheets? Not so much. Clothes storage? Yikes! Just so you know, I am quite used to having very little storage as boats are not exactly set up for living aboard for more than a week or two. It would appear travel trailers are the same way. Errol is a “bunkhouse” model so he has two bunks in the back which we now use for storage. There is also storage under our bed and we recently discovered we can put stuff under the dinette seats as well. Most of the “underneath” storage is really being used for boat stuff. After all, who wants to have to lift up the bed every time you need to get a can of tomatoes out? Oh! Wait! Any time I need a can of tomatoes on the boat I have to tear the settee apart to get it!

And then there are bathrooms (heads). Both versions are roughly the size of a refrigerator box. Not to be indelicate but when you are doing your business, your hip will likely be wedged against the toilet paper roll while your knees are inches from the bathtub (which, by the way, is a great place to store the liquor and the laundry basket). Most boats don’t have bathtubs but the tubs in trailers are pretty much the same size as the showers on boats...almost enough room to contain an anorexic midget. Hence why marinas and RV parks are successful…the luxury of a long, hot shower that you can turn around in cannot be described.

OK…on to the actual “cruising” experience. When we tire of an anchorage on the boat it generally takes about 30-60 minutes (depending on how long we’ve stayed) to get everything stowed and the anchor up so we can move on. Of course, long before leaving, we have already spent much time checking weather, putting waypoints into the GPS, re-provisioning, getting last minute laundry done, fueling up, filling water tanks, etc, etc. Land travel, by comparison is much, much easier. All that we need do is store the lawn furniture, unhook the utilities, retract the slide-out, hitch the trailer to the truck and we’re off.

Weather. Well, what can be said about weather except “it is what it is”. On the boat, there are a few simple “rules” we hold dear with regard to weather. 1) If it is snotty…wait until it isn’t. (Snotty means big wind and big waves.) 2) If it is cold, go south. 3) If the weather guy says a system will be past on Tuesday don’t leave until Wednesday. (It takes a good 24 hours for seas to die down a bit.) Pretty simple, huh? The fly in the ointment, as is generally understood among the cruising community, is that the weather predictions are most often only suggestions. The wind will usually be much more or much less and blowing from an entirely different direction than predicted (usually dead on the nose). Last season we spent 3 days in one anchorage waiting for the 25 knot SE wind to change or die off and every morning on the net the weather guy predicted 10-15 knots out of the NW.

Land yachting isn’t nearly as dependent on correct weather predictions. Certainly it is not advisable to travel during a blizzard or hurricane but if bad weather develops while you are “underway” it is pretty easy to just pull over and park until it is over. Not so when on the water. You just keep on going until you get to a place where you can “park’ with some protection. At an average speed of 5 mph that involves a lot more commitment and discomfort. Oh…and while you are waiting to find a safe anchorage you will likely be continually thrown from one side of the boat to the other and regularly blasted with saltwater.

Even though weather isn’t as big an issue with a trailer (RV), the road conditions most certainly are. The one constant about water is that it is always different. It can be glass smooth or have waves as high as skyscrapers and all sorts of “interesting” conditions in between. It is a given and we all understand that what is going on inside an anchorage is not necessarily indicative of what is outside. Roads, too, can be wonderful or “exciting”. As I reported in a previous blog, we burned up the truck brakes going through Yosemite. We knew the road going through it wasn’t an interstate but the map did not elaborate that it was 2 lanes, narrow, few guardrails and constant switchbacks as you climb and then descend 10,000 ft. Some roads are smooth as a baby’s bottom and others can launch the teeth right out of your jaw. The only hint you have from a map is the width and color of a given thoroughfare…and the condition of roads are different in every state. We like to explore new places so we tend to take the secondary roads that are a bit more unpredictable. Sometimes they are more difficult but they’re usually worth the extra interest.

Amenities are different between land and water cruising as well. Unless you are into wilderness camping (we aren’t) most places you stop on land will have all the comforts of home close by. And…you will likely have a vehicle to take you there. Water cruising (at least in Mexico) is not so cut and dried. Even in a marina the water may be questionable, the nearest grocery store may be a 30 minute bus ride away, and the showers may have no more than a trickle of cold water. The ability to call home or check email is often “interesting” south of the border and if you are at an uninhabited anchorage it will be non-existent. Not so in the States. Most RV parks have cable TV, Wifi and all sorts of extras.

The one common is scenery. It really doesn’t matter whether you are meandering down the California coast in an RV or the only boat anchored in a serene spot, the scenery can be spectacular. Sunrises and sunsets to die for, the continually changing colors of water and land, unexpected glimpses of wildlife that you wouldn’t get if you lived in a house in one place. Those are the rewards. Those are the really special things that make the difficulties worthwhile.

Summer Fun

Yesterday was a real highlight of our summer vacation. We went to the drag races in Woodburn, OR to watch my 10 year old grandson, Anthony, race and he ended up by winning his first race. I don’t know who was more excited…Anthony or the adults who were there to cheer him on. It is hard to believe kids this age are racing dragsters but that is what is happening, and in a big way. The NHRA Junior Drag Racing program is open to all kids ages 8-17. The cars they race are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters with 5 hp single cylinder engines that can go as fast as 85 mph and run an 1/8 mile track as quick as 7.90 (that would be seconds, folks). This is Anthony’s second season, although last year he was only able to make it to one race. He is in the “8-10” Class which is the beginning class where they learn the ropes. These kids are not allowed to go quicker than 12.90 or 45 mph. The next class up is the “Thunder” class which is also 8-10 year olds but these kids are allowed to go as fast as 12.70. “Lightning” Class is for ages 10-12 with a time limit of 8.70 in the 1/8 mile. Finally is the “Fast” Class for 13 and up. These kids may go up to 7.50 or 89.99 mph. If they go 7.4999 or 90.00 mph they are immediately disqualified. Oh...and lest you think this is a male sport…there are many, many girls racing as well. They are capable, smart and often beat the pants off the boys. Given that many of these girls are very pretty as well, I suspect they create other issues for the boys as well. Ahhh…the joys of being a girl! Honestly, it is great to see the camaraderie between the genders that takes place at the racetrack. These kids do not seem to have those same stereotypes that those of us from the 60’s grew up with. They treat each other as equals and that is a very good thing to watch. Oh...and one of the really great things is the sportsmanship the kids learn. Win, lose or draw, they always go up to their competitors and congratulate them on a good race and wish them luck in the next one! I know a few adults who could stand to learn that lesson. Here’s how the racing works: Everyone arrives early so they can get as many time trials as possible completed. This gives them an average speed for the car and driver on that day at that track. Then they try to figure out what might change as the day goes on and how that might affect the performance. Will it get warmer or cooler? Will the wind pick up or die off? Will that make the car run faster or slower? All this must be taken into consideration so they can “dial in” an accurate time which will establish this driver’s handicap. The trick (and it can be very tricky) is to get as close to the speed and time the car will actually run on that day. If the dial in is too fast, they may end up too far behind the competitor to catch him. If it is too slow, they run the risk of “breaking out” (beating their own time) which is an automatic loss. Fortunately, dial in’s can be changed between races but it is better to get it right the first time. As you might imagine, the parents (“pit crew”) are kept busy re-tuning and tweaking the engines between races so they will go fast but not too fast. Another big part of racing is the driver’s reaction time. The faster your reaction time the more advantage you have as far as getting to the other end before the guy in the next lane. Anthony’s reaction time is quite good for a beginner but he tends to stage deep so he worries about red lighting (another automatic loss) and is a little slower to leave. Yesterday there were some amazing reaction times…several 0.00’s. Anthony’s was around .40, which is very good for a beginner, but he is working on improving that as it is key. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids in particular but there were adults racing as well and many were racing “vintage” cars from my era. I have to admit that the sights and sounds brought back a lot of memories. I used to race back in the late 60’s and spent lots of time at the track. My ex built the engines and I drove the cars and we really did quite well. A lot has changed since then. The car I drove most often was a ’64 Fairlane and it usually ran the quarter mile in the low 14’s. That car is still around but has been severely modified over the years. My son drives it now and, as I understand it, his times are in the low 12’s. Much faster! His son, Jordan, is also in the Junior Racing program but at the moment his dragster is not running. I don’t miss the noise or the sunburns or going home from the track smelling like burning rubber but there are a lot of memories from that time. The thrill of racing at an NHRA National competition. The agony of catching a great light and then leaving spider gears all the way down the track. Blowing by a guy with a big handicap just before crossing the finish line. Watching some of the greats…”Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Jim Dunn, Don Prudomme…as they set record after record for speed and elapsed time. Life moves on and we all change but, somehow I have never lost that competitiveness. I have shown dogs, done a bit of downhill ski racing, raced sailboats (though that seems a bit like an oxymoron) and constantly pushed the envelope in an effort to experience new things. I’m trying to slow down. Honest. But that adrenalin rush is hard to deny. It looks like that gene has moved on down the line! The picture at the beginning is Anthony with his trophy and his best bud (and competitor), Shawn, who won a medallion for being the first qualifier in his class.