We've been hookers for a long time

Life on the hook. We have been on the hook for a long time it seems. Actually we have been on the hook since the West side of Puerto Rico where we docked to clear in after the Mona Passage. Damn. A lot of that anchoring was done with a manual windlass. How stupid was that? I still look at the motorized windlass in awe. It's like some wizard dropped a magical device on my deck that will turn back into the Simpson Lawrence crank of death at any time. The only thing I miss about the old crank is the workout. My arms are like chicken wings now.

I looked in the mirror the other day which is something cruisers don't usually do, apparently. I was not impressed. Scrawny arms, no pecs. WTF. I managed to lose the pounds I put on in the United Sugar Association but because my chest has vanished it looks like I have a gut. Add my skinny legs to that and it's not pretty. I want to move the towel rack above the mirror.

So I'm thinking about how horrible cruising is for my body. I suppose I could change things and start to work out in the morning. Maybe start a regular walking routine.. maybe. It's all hills here and it would be a good workout with the exception of my knee. The knee without the ACL. I went out walking a few times. A couple miles but then I had breakfast (eggs, toast, potatoes) in the marina with a few cups of coffee. Oye.

It's really easy to get lazy on a boat. I read recently that the worst thing you can do for your health is to sit all day. No shit. Sailboats are not made for standing. First off,  if you stand you have to hold onto something because 99% of the time the boat is moving. It's much easier to sit on your ass to do something than stand. Headroom isn't an issue because we're hobbits but it's not easy to just stand all day doing stuff. The only flat surface to work at while standing is the galley and the galley is where the food is at. So in order to avoid sitting all day long I just lay down.

I'm going to have to change things up this year. Not a resolution or anything just overall health improvements. I also don't want to sound like a party poop but we've cut way back on the happy juice. I love an ice cold beer in the sun. I just can't love six of them. Some say why change now? You're freaking 60! It's not like you have your whole life ahead of you. It's not like you have to get up to go to work. Party on dude! We do party on but not all the time. Special occasions with friends or finally getting off the boat after a week of rolling and it's happy hour then for sure we'll party. But it's not every day or even every week. When you first get here it's like a vacation. We  made it! Yahoo! Beer me! After a few years it becomes less a vacation and more your everyday life. If we attended every social event every week here in Grenada we would have some serious issues. Well I would. Some people have self control. It seems the older you get the less you want to hurt yourself I guess. Six beers every night in a bar is not only bad for me but it drains the budget.

"But Paulie, you have to walk to the bar and walking is exercise!"

Good point and a lousy one. OK, now I'm sounding like a party pooper. Believe me I'm not turning into a preacher of good health and well being and anyone who wants to hit up the brewery for happy hour is not going to be turned down so don't get any ideas that I'm heading to loserville. Not that not drinking means you're a loser. OK this is getting beyond my control. Everybody just do your thing. Now about anchoring....

The cool thing about being at anchor all the time is privacy, solitude, the breeze, the scenery, no cost, clean water, watermaking etc. The cool things about a marina is quick access to land. You can just hop off the boat and walk around. On the hook requires launching the dinghy and driving to shore. Sometimes that alone discourages the walking. So lets see how this all shakes out. I had a thought that I would get into a routine of walking every morning and it all goes great but then I get run down by a maxi taxi. "Dude you should have just went to the bar."

So I lost some of that beer gut but gained it all back with a pile of Christmas cookies. Is self control my real problem?
I will start my new morning workout routine on this rolling boat today. Should be good for balance anyway. I will do this right after I ingest all this caffeine.

Cheers!
PJJB


I should go kayaking. Damn, more sitting.