Sex And The Cruising Couple

We offer the following letter for your consideration.

"I’m a longtime reader of Latitude, and am happy to say that my husband and I are signed up for this fall’s Ha-Ha. If just a couple of things come together, we’ll be able to cruise the South Pacific for a couple of years.

"My husband and I have been busy with preparations, in terms of the boat, the gear, and ourselves. Some soon-to-be cruisers write in with questions about their boats and gear, but my inquiry is about . . . sex. I want to know if couples have more or less sex when cruising than when back home. And please, no Bevis-and-Butthead-type sniggering.

"My husband and I believe that an active sex life is an important element in optimal mental and physical health — just like eating well and getting regular exercise. As such, we both work to stay fit and attractive to each other, and make an effort to keep our sex life ‘interesting’. So far so good.

"We’ve joined friends on cruising boats for brief periods in both Mexico and Fiji, during which time I broached the subject of sex — after a few drinks — to the cruising gals. Some said the cruising life in the tropics is much more conducive to sex, as you often wear little if any clothing, and you have a lot more free time together.

"One woman said her sex life had become more active and satisfying because cruising had physically transformed her husband. She said that when she married him, her husband had been ripped, but 25 years at a desk job had left him flabby. But after about six months of cruising, she said his flab had been mostly replaced by muscle, partly contributing to ‘the best sex of our lives’. The other ‘part’, she said, was because she found sex to be more enjoyable during middle age than when she was young.

"On the other hand, one woman said cruising can sometimes be strenuous if not exhausting, and as a result she often found herself too tired to even think about sex. It makes me wonder if couples have any sex between Mexico and the Marquesas, as each one is presumably on watch 12 long hours a day.

"Another woman said that when it gets really hot and humid, physical contact falls far down on her list of interests.

"My sample was too small to draw any conclusions, so I’d like to put my question out to all couples. Are you having more sex or less sex than before you took off cruising? I’m not looking for any signed letters, but it might help if ages were included.

"P.S. I remember a letter to Latitude similar to mine about 20 years ago, but I’m fuzzy on the responses."

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