health

Cruising Fitness – Progress Review

/ Ben Starling / 1 Comment
This is NOT the Can Opener. But if Captain Cat were human, he would look JUST like this.

 

How’s the First Mate shaping up these days?

It’s good to know where you’ve been. Looking back at my scrupulously kept records, I was surprised to see just how far the First Mate has come in one short year. 

While we will always press on, we are pleased with his progress thus far. Three stars and a catnip free-for-all for the Can Opener! 

(Hey, Furrball – it’s supposed to be about rewards that I would like!   Mmph? Who would not like catnip?? The First Mate doth speak in riddles…)

Current Training Plan 2012

  • Strength Training: 4x/week, 30 minutes per session, 25% increase in weights carried over last year
  • Cardio: 4x/week at the gym, 45 minutes per session, includes 25% intensity increase 2x/week (ie interval training begun). Treadmill, bikes, x-trainer
  • Crunches: 3x/week, 150-200/day
  • Flexibility: stretching before and after, 5 minutes x2

Last Year’s Training Plan
Here’s the point that he started from in 2011…

  • Strength Training: 3x/week, 30 minutes per session
  • Cardio: 4x/week at the gym, 30 minutes per session. Treadmill, bikes, x-trainer.
  • Crunches: 100/day, 3x/week
  • Flexibility: stretching before and after, 5 minutes x2

Could I push the Can Opener harder? Of course, I could! But I know this guy. Slow and steady wins the race.

Could he cruise without this fitness training? Of course, he could. Many – even most – cruisers probably do. Seems like a good idea to get him in shape though. I may need some tuna crates hefted out of the bilge-bottom depths of a boat locker someday. He needs to be prepared.


Cost so far
  • I have moved the Can Opener to a gym that only costs £216/year ($344/year) or just £18/month ($29/month)! It doesn’t have a pool though… 
  • (Last year’s gym was a little dearer: £360/year ($593/year) ie. £30/month for gym membership on special offer. It didn‘t have a pool either. This was a pretty average cost in our town.)
  • £50 ($82) – last year’s training shoes, on sale 


What sports/exercise best translate to a live-aboard life?

What else should I add to the Can Opener’s fitness programme? Yoga? T’ai Chi? Any suggestions gratefully received.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Fitness on Boats

/ Ben Starling / Leave a comment

If Captain Cat were human, he would look just like this. The Can Opener does not.

Can Opener: So. This Voyaging Fitness Routine you’ve been researching for me… result?

Captain Cat: It’s a work in progress. Here’s what I’ve got so far…
    While at sea
    Muscles
  • muscle work with resistance tubing ($10-15 at Walmart)
  • TRX Suspension Trainer (costs about $150-200)
  • stretches and yoga (cost of a DVD)
  • giving the Captain his daily massages
  • heavy lifting of fresh-caught fish into Captain’s dinner dish
      
    Aerobics
  • This is a lot harder to find an answer for at sea. The Voyager’s Handbook recommended some ship-size Mini Stepper, Stairmaster-type equipment ($40 at Walmart). Don’t know how well it would work if we were heeling. It looks like just one more thing to pack, but we’ll check it out.
    
    While at the dock:
    Add more aerobic exercise to the above…
  • jogging
  • skipping rope like a boxer
  • cycling and kayaking (folding bike and kayak on the ‘potential equipment’ list) 
  • swimming / snorkeling excursions
  • dragging the Captain’s groceries home
That should about do it.

Can Opener: Er… what about fitness for you, mon capitaine?
Captain Cat: I am a perfect specimen. There is no improving upon this. 
And I will exert myself to keep our yacht mouse-free at all times. Just as I do in our current abode.

Can Opener: How would anyone know if you’re any good with mice? There’s nothing here to catch!
Captain Cat: Exactly.
(transcribed by the Can Opener)

The Plan to Blast Off

/ Ben Starling / Leave a comment

 

Despite the gastroenteric impossibility of a cat actually ingesting that much, the Captain was once again draped over my writing arm, yet another glistening bowl of salmon bits within the circle of his left paw.

‘We’ were hard at it, hammering out the final phase of our action plan. I had just typed the last bullet point, when all feeling drained from the arm pinned under the cat.

So here it is.

The final instalment of our Invincible Plan to Get Cruising:


Planning the Voyage

  • Sketch out route for complete voyage
  • Plan each passage/ leg of voyage: 
    • navigation 
    • route, distances 
    • expected weather
    • best times to leave
  • Plan crew events for morale: 
    • goodbye dock party / start the passage
    • mid-passage celebrations 
    • milestones & mysteries
    • birthdays, seasons, festivals, holidays
    • end of passage celebrations etc
  • Provisioning:
    • food 
    • equipment, spare parts 
    • medical kit

Admin

  • Financial: 
    • banking, cash access, credit
    • manage monthly payments/ investments
    • income stream plan etc
  • Personal & ID: 
    • passport
    • visas
    • emergency contacts system
  • Health: 
    • checkups
    • vaccinations
    • prescriptions for medical kit
  • Housing: sell, rent, house sitter?
  • Contents: sell, give away, dump, storage?
  • Photographs: scan and store all on hard drive and online
  • Communication set up: 
    • internet connection
    • travel record blog
    • land mail collection

Revise and update final cost estimates for all – and add in buffer!


Any other critical departure preparedness areas to cover?
   


Guest post by

–The Can Opener

(supervised and approved by Captain Cat)