How do we decide where to sail?

It's been about two years since Chris and I decided that we wanted to make the leap and go on a sailing adventure.

The next obvious question: Where do we want to sail? Where in the world? We can go anywhere we want!

Since we live in Southern California, and the ocean current along the Western U.S. flows south along the coast, the one decision that was made for us is our first stop: Mexico.

What's not to like? Sun, fun, warm people, thousands of miles of ocean, coastline and beautiful beaches, and all for a few pesos a day. It's a no-brainer. It's every west coaster's first stop and jumping off point to the next destination on your voyage. But where to next?

The countries of Central America are a logical option. Many cruisers spend hurricane season in Costa Rica and Panama.

 The upsides to these countries are obvious: they are relatively inexpensive, there is amazing wildlife, rainforests and gorgeous beaches.  The downside? Compared to Mexico, there is a bit more crime (believe it or not). And if you go to all the trouble to sail so far south, and all the way to Panama, then you have probably already decided that you want to go through the Panama Canal...

...which is a gigantic pain in the dupa (as they say in Poland). It costs thousands of dollars and takes up to two weeks to traverse it. A grand adventure? Maybe. A waste of time and money that we really don't have? Definitely. Which makes the Caribbean look less and less ideal for us California sailors.

When we first discussed cruising, I abso-freaking-loutely wanted to go to The Caribbean, baby! Come-ON! It's The Caribbean! The thought of a year and a half taking the slow clockwise circle route...Cozumel...to the Caymans, Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas, the Virgins...ahhh, just going over this little list is making me a bit wistful. Because it's not in the cards for us. Not on this trip.

                                        Antigua, in the Eastern Caribbean

There are a couple of problems with sailing the Caribbean, other than that damn canal which separates us. The Caribbean is expensive. It's one of the most expensive cruising grounds on earth. And we're a nurse and a lumber salesman. Not a lawyer and a brain surgeon.

In addition, there is an extremely wide wealth disparity between the rich and the poor in many of these Caribbean countries.

              Which means that there is more crime. Another downside to the Caribbean.

                                  Which leads to the next option: The South Pacific.

Most west coast cruisers who head Mexico way tend to just stay in Mexico and sail up and down the coast. Many do it for years, happily, never leaving the land of Manana. A few more head to Central America, through the canal and to the Caribbean. The smallest number shove off from Mexico and head to The South Pacific. The reason for this small number is this:

                                The Pacific Ocean is one gigantic bathtub. Look on the map above and compare the size of the Caribbean to the size of the Pacific. You're looking at about 30 days at sea just to get to French Polynesia.

THIS is why most sailors from the states don't sail to Tahiti and beyond. And can you blame them? It's 2,700 miles from Puerta Vallarta to French Polynesia. And this, frankly, is why I initially wanted to just hug the coast of the Americas and the Caribbean, thank you very much.

But the positives about the South Pacific are awfully tempting.

                                                          Tonga

When you choose to sail the Islands of the South Pacific, each island is much farther apart than those in the Caribbean. You are really OUT there. The ideals of self-reliance spring to the forefront.

                                                 SCUBA diving in Fiji

One morning I woke up after a particularly restful sleep, and it suddenly dawned on me: we MUST go west instead of East. We must skip the Caribbean and do the South Pacific. The reason? We're following the WIND.

     You see, in the map above, each circle is a high pressure system flowing clockwise. Which means if we jump off in Mexico, the trades just naturally whoosh us west to the South Pacific. We will do what comes naturally, because we're sailors. That's what sailors do. They don't fight and battle through a ridiculous, manmade canal! We will follow the wind and the currents. We will SAIL.

So, that is how we made our decision to sail to the South Pacific. Only 2-3 weeks until we shove off, weather permitting.

Thought for the day:

"Nature, in its ministry to man, is not only the material, but is also the process and the result." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are we 100% comfortable with heading to sea?

Last night after dinner, Chris brought me out into the cockpit where we sat and enjoyed the moonlight. About a month, now, until we shove off and head to sea. For real.  He turned to me and asked with the most profound seriousness:

"I want to make sure that you are completely comfortable with what we are about to do. I promised your father I would take care of you, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I want to make sure that you are 100% sure that you feel safe."

I was sort of shocked. I thought long and hard about my response. First of all, I never feel completely safe, even living here in comfortable SoCal. Life is filled with risks, with dangers, with concerns.

I'm not stupid, however. I realize that sailing to Mexico and the South Pacific does increase our risk quotient. But when I'm anxious about something, I've learned that the best way to deal with my anxiety is with knowledge. Information. Facts.

Lately, I've been studying the blogs of families who are currently sailing the planet. There are thousands of them! My rationale is this: if I think I'm nervous about cruising Mexico and beyond, how does a mother feel doing it with her adorable little toehead children aboard? How do they even sleep at night?

What I've found, surprisingly, is that family after family says that, believe it or not, 99% of the time they do NOT feel vulnerable. They do not feel at risk.

On the contrary, they are having the time of their lives and experiencing a freedom and joy that they never thought possible.

Here are some photos from all over the world, and quotes from family sailing blogs:

Never too young to help Mom and Dad with lookout!

"The biggest challenge is the mental hurdle of getting past all the things that say “you can't do this!”- from family, to friends, to society in general."  -- cruising family

Kids just being kids in Fiji.

A young girl gets some sun and enjoys the best spot on the boat in the South Pacific!

"OK, kids, next time it'll be your turn to reel it in!"

 "At the risk of sounding trite - GO!

Everything, everyone, tells you that you can't… but as long as you have the means to put yourself in a safe boat, and can be patient and slow about a learning curve, anyone can go."  -- cruising family

"There are so many other boats with children out cruising right now, it's easy to find playmates." -- cruising family 

"GET OUT AND DO IT. It is important to realize your dream, and doing it with your kids is something really special. It can be for a year or for 10 years. The most important thing is to try, to face all the challenges, to be proud steering away, and to be out there as a close and united family.

Get out there and enjoy the open ocean and new faces." -- cruising family

Teaching Jr. how to fillet the day's catch.

Photo after photo I've seen shows happy families blending from all different cultures.

"Our biggest challenge was to cast off, at last, after all the preparation, after all the anticipation, after all the worry and commotion of leaving so much we knew and loved. BUT, once our sails filled as we sailed out the breakwater, after our waving goodbye to loved ones on the pier, and the first green water covered the bow, the cobwebs were blown away, the only thing to think about was the next landfall, the next meal, the navigation and the weather!

Our dreams were alive, our fears left behind, and our adventure had begun for all of us!" -- cruising family

These kids are clearly having a terrible time and are fraught with fear in Tonga (NOT).

Never too tiny to don that cute toddler foul-weather gear.

Photo after photo of the cruising community shows that cruising is truly a family affair. There seem to be happy sailing kids all over the planet swimming, building sandcastles and forts with the local kids.

"I truly think after many years of sailing with our children that this was the very BEST thing in the whole world we could do as a family! There is no doubt that both Sammy and Jamie want to do this with their families when they have them. And if that isn’t a testament to the lifestyle, nothing is!" -- cruising family

"At anchor our nights always ended with everyone in the cockpit and Andy teaching all of us about the stars, the planets, the comets, and the moon. The heavenly constellations became our friends and companions. " -- cruising family

  Halloween is clearly as big a deal for the kids in the  cruising world as it is stateside.

 "If you're thinking about doing it in any serious way, then just do it.

Don't dwell overmuch on the fears, what the family back home thinks, what neighbors say. You can never anticipate or plan for every eventuality. At some point you just have to make the decision to plunge in and keep going. Take that scary leap and go.  And trust that you will be joining the world of people/families who've dared to pursue this worthy dream for all the good reasons you will eventually learn for yourself. " -- cruising family

 "Life is this simple. We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent, and God is shining through us all the time. This is not a fable or a nice story. It is true. If we abandon ourselves to God, forget ourselves, we see it." -- Thomas Merton

Clearly this is a recurring issue with little landlubber me: (see: "How Safe IS Mexico?" http://sailespiritu.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-safe-is-mexico.html).
So. Am I ready? Oh, yes. Ready as I'll ever be, baby! :-)

Through a Glass, Darkly...

Recently we sailed to Catalina Island for the weekend with several of my husband's family members. Relaxing after a meal, I was discussing our upcoming Central American and South Pacific voyage plans with my brother-in-law Michael. After a few minutes of conversation, Michael turned to me and said:

 "You know, you don't seem very excited about this trip."

I laughed. I knew exactly what he meant. The question is, what is the proper attitude one should have as the departure date looms larger and larger for a 2 1/2 year sailing trip? Excitement? Yes. Anticipation of the potential problems? I would hope so. Gratitude? Of course. Concern for all of the unknowns, including homesickness, weather at sea, will our money last? Yep. Over-the-top childlike giddiness at the thought that My God, we are actually going to DO this thing? Oh yeah. Wondering if we aree truly prepared, are we up to the task...I mean really, who do we think we ARE to even attempt such a voyage? Check.

Of course my emotions are all over the map as 11/1/11 looms closer and closer. I have no illusions that it will be nothing but days and days of lounging in the sun reading dog-eared paperbacks gleaned from the cruisers book exchange at whatever corner of paradise we find ourselves. We will have these days, yes...but I don't spend time thinking about them. I spend my time pondering, well, everything else. We can talk to other sailors, read books and cruising guides, but the bottom line is we won't know what it is like until we experience it. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13: "We see through a glass, darkly..." This says it all for me. We can't know what it is like until we push through the envelope. 

That afternoon in Avalon, I took a deep sigh, thought for a moment, then explained to Michael that while of course when I let myself ponder afternoons climbing cool mossy mountain trails in Tahiti in search of hidden waterfalls leading to crystalline pools filled with warm water in which to swim -- YES, the excitement and anticipation threatens to overwhelm. 

But I stop myself before indulging much in such daydreaming. Because for Chris and I to have that Tahiti waterfall experience, we must first sail there. In a word, we must EARN that experience. We must work for it. And work it will take. Work, smarts, sacrifice, patience, teamwork, and not a little bit of good old fashioned luck. 

I explained to Michael that in my mind this is so much more than a trip or a vacation, or even a sail. It is a sojourn. A passage. It is an oddysey. It is that big. 

So there is no single word to describe my jumble of emotions as we count down the days  (63!). Well, maybe there is:

humbled.