Top 10 Reasons My Girlfriends Would Have Flown Home By Now

Editor's note: After 2 days of high wind and heavy rain, stuck in the boat on a mooring ball a mile off coast, Linda is a bit stir-crazy. So here is a tongue-in-cheek list of the negatives of cruising :)

10. You have to dinghy a mile in the rain to do your laundry.  You do your laundry at a laundromat--where there are many "interesting" people. Your white shorts are soaked through--your mother warned you about this:)
 9. You are the first mate--meaning whenever you dock or anchor, you're the person who has to listen to and quickly heed all of the commands from the captain. Oh, and it is usually windy or there is an unusually strong current or you don't have the right lines ready and this is ALWAYS in front of an audience.
 8.  You sleep on a foam cushion that is softened somewhat by memory foam. not
 7.  The dinghy is tied up right behind your cabin, and when the wind is from the wrong direction the dinghy
       bangs on the hull all night , like a spurned lover. (Disclaimer: That sounds good--never happened to me, tho)
 6.  There is no TV--no big deal usually, unless you REALLY want to watch the Academy Awards.   
      Somebody PLEASE DVR it for me on Feb 26th.
 5.  When it rains or is super windy, you are trapped in the boat--some of you have walk-in closets bigger 
      than my 'salon' or galley
 4.  You have an icebox--which must be replenished regularly with 50+ lbs of ice. Thank God for strong    
      captains!
 3.  Due to the lack of refrigeration, your menu revolves around canned meats--tuna, chicken, beef, turkey spam (yes, spam comes in flavors  now! See what you're missing!)
 2.  Even non-mechanical first mates like me MUST learn basic mechanics--such as how to start the generator and the engine, how to read a chart, how to operate the VHF, how to help set and release the anchor, and how to save the capt if he goes overboard. I bet he wishes I was more mechanical!

And the #1 reason that most of my girlfriends would have flown home by now:
   The toilet! There's no flushing---no sirree. You PUMP it out and into a holding tank. Eww. That's all I'll say about that.