Holidays on a Boat

Life on a boat is never boring! This month is an especially busy one at the boat yard so I’m going to keep it short and sweet. In the US, November means Thanksgiving! So I’m taking this opportunity to think and muse a bit about my favorite holiday just in time for the December holiday season to kick off in full swing.

Thanksgiving Over the Years

This is our 9th Thanksgiving since moving on to the boat and our first in a real house with a real kitchen, though this kitchen is still a bit small—not a challenge until you want to cook up a holiday feast for a full table of hungry guests.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays – why do I love it? Because, to me, it represents a time of celebration and reflection. In the northern hemisphere we are settling into the long winter and this large meal celebrating the bounty of the harvest sets the tone for the holiday season. In the southern hemisphere it is spring and the promise of summer is on the horizon. Either way, it is a chance to gather and share a joyous and meaningful bounty.

Over the years, with numerous Thanksgiving’s celebrated in other countries, it has also been an opportunity to share a quintessential “American” holiday with friends we’ve made. We’ve shared the table with people who have never been to a Thanksgiving celebration and some that have been to many. We’ve shared the table with fellow Americans and with international friends. Typically, it is an easy time of year to get people together as the December holiday commitments haven’t quite come into full swing.

Our Thanksgivings have been many and varied. From small gatherings to big buffets. We’ve even had a few where it was just the four of us. While Thanksgiving in the US is always the 4th Thursday of November, our celebrations have been known to move a day or week to ensure that local friends could attend. Regardless of who comes to the table, or what day we celebrate the holiday, we like to take the time out at this time of year to remember what we are thankful for.

Cruising, There is Always Something to be Thankful for!

We are blessed to be able to live this crazy, chaotic, cruising life and are thankful for all that we have!

Thank you for this space and continuing to join me on my musings! May you enjoy your own safe and inspiring adventures and let us know any topics about life on board and long- distance cruising that you would like covered in future installments.

Megan Schwartz
SV Zephyros
Noonsite Sub-Editor

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About the Author

Noonsite editorial team member, Megan Schwartz, joined Noonsite in October 2024 concentrating on research and updating country formalities. She lives on board SV Zephyros with her husband and two teenage boys (18 and 16 years old) and they have been cruising full-time, since 2017. Zephyros is an aluminum, expedition monohull which suits the family’s style of cruising perfectly as they enjoy high-latitudes and places less travelled, but have also cruised popular Mediterranean and Caribbean destinations.

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Other Noonsite reports in the Cruising Musing Series:

• Cruising Musings: An Ode to AIS
• Cruising Musings: The Power of Sleep and Resilience
• Cruising Musings: Creepy Crawlers and Nature’s Pest Control
• Cruising Musings: What Do You Do All Day?
• Cruising Musings: The Things We Keep, Yet Rarely Use
• Cruising Musings: Life is Easier, But the Easy Things are Harder
• Cruising Musings: Finding Balance

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.