It’s Nearly Time to Go Cruising

As we look forward to June and the gradual relaxation of the stay-at-home rules, a lot of us are heading to the boat yards and marinas in anticipation of summer vacations on the water. There are always lots of jobs aboard and upgrades to get finished. Social distancing is still required but this is pretty easy in boat yards and marinas and a lot of people are wearing masks, since we’ve always worn masks when we are sanding or painting or mixing and applying epoxy. Although we’re not sure about regulations on visiting our favorite cruising grounds this summer, we’re certainly getting itchy to get out on the water and go cruising.
We are hearing more and more news from the RV world that people are choosing to rent or buy RVs this summer for vacations because they don’t want to fly and stay in hotels. Our friend JP Skov is the owner of Northstar Yachts in Rhode Island and the Executive Director of the Yacht Brokers Association of America, so he is really plugged into the boating market. I emailed him to ask him about this and he got right back to me. He emailed: “I’ve seen the same info regarding the RV market. It does seem like we are seeing the bump in the marine industry as well. Stay healthy!”
There is probably no safer place to be until there is a vaccine for Covid-19 than on a boat out on the water. And, living aboard for a week or a month or even permanently is a kind of social distancing that cruisers take for granted. For those in the market for a cruising boat, this is a great time to buy a boat and embrace the lifestyle. There is plenty of inventory of both new and used boats and good deals are being made all the time. Yes, its nearly time to get back on the water, it’s nearly time to go cruising. I can’t wait.