CHARTER Life
Cruising World|August 2023
YOUR GATEWAY TO THE ULTIMATE CRUISING VACATION
Chris Caswell
CHARTER Life

YES, You Can TAKE SOME MEMORIES WITH YOU

Way back in the 1850s, the wise Indian Chief Seattle (clearly an early environmentalist) said, "Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints." The words remain true for today's bareboaters: Take memories, leave nothing.

But how do you take memories, and which ones should you take? First, choose memories that will last. A bottle of wine or liquor brought home is a wonderful remembrance...once. Sorry, Mr. Pusser, but it's better to soak off the label so that you can remember it long after the bottle is dry. Tip: Soak the bottle in warm water in the sink, and then gently ease off the label. Or tie the empty bottle (securely) and hang it in the water overnight. The label will come off easily.

The same goes for local T-shirts. They're great fun at the time, but, like a bottle of wine, they don't last. We have many dusting rags that were once a not-inexpensive T-shirt.

A logbook or diary is the absolute minimum. We have bareboat diaries that date back decades. Each one is a fun read that brings a flood of memories of sights and sounds, mistakes and recoveries. Pick up simple notebooks (with a pen attached) at the local dollar store, and give them to everyone aboard, including the kids. Tell your crew to include everything: descriptions, sketches, even tracings of a special shell.

This story is from the August 2023 edition of Cruising World.

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This story is from the August 2023 edition of Cruising World.

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