When people think about sailing, they probably picture someone hauling lines and getting sprayed by waves. This does happen, but not if you can have any say about when you go sailing. Cruising is about picking your weather window, and if you choose to stay in port during a storm and sail in the calm that follows, your ocean passage could look more like this:
We usually play card games in the cockpit if the apparent wind isn't too strong (we don't want the cards to blow away). If the winds are a bit stronger, we simply go below and play in the salon on the table. Ocean sailing is very relaxing. There is no one around and nothing to bump into. This lets you relax and sit back while the boat steers itself. All you need to do is periodically take a watch and make sure the coast is clear for another period of time.
