what a mess: zenamaran

[rebel heart]

Zen's Sekai II - By Sea | S/V Zen Crew Sailing & Waterside Adventures

cliff notes: inexperienced guy drags other people onto an ill-prepared boat and bad times ensue, complete with abandoning a functioning vessel.

At 4:00 am, after not sleeping much, I started the motor for the long trip back to Ensenada. I do not know if we will make it with out help. It is about 530 miles, we have enough fuel to motor for 2 days, with fair winds it will take 8-12. of course there is no wind to speak of today. So depressed. LZ is weak and sick.
I have to wonder is it better to dream , try and fail or not to try and just keep the dream. I am tired. Unless the wind helps, God, Nature, whatever we will need to call for help. Which means most likely leaving the boat. It is good there is nothing highly important on here than can not be taken on a resuce boat, at least I planned that well.

Once we get back, unknown. If boatless, it is simple, we get in touch with Okansan in Japan and try to head home to Osaka to reset life. With the boat…? Maybe just put it up for sale. The cost of equipment to reasonably, safely cross is beyond what we have. Watermaker, windvane, SSB or Sat phone something to communicate with someone.
Well we did try, and were not one of those who sat at the dock for years talking about leaving. However in the end it means about the same…nothing.

[rebel heart]

He was doing it to be a famous Tai Chi instructor. This is too much.

My days of desire to do an Ocean Passage is gone completely. Only day sailing or over night …if I get the chance to do it again. I do not see boat ownership in the future again as in Japan it is so costly and work is unsure. Also gone is the chance at publicity being one to sail to Japan which could have help establish myself as a sailor of note, advertising for classes and charter trips, Tai Chi, music. etc. all gone. Man plans, Heaven ordains.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

He was doing it to be a famous Tai Chi instructor. This is too much.

I remember reading this guy's blog when they were coming down the coast from SF. They'd gotten as far as San Diego, IIRC, when I sort of lost interest . . . but I do remember feeling that the guy was genuine, honest in his appraisal of himself and his abilities, determined but accepting when things didn't go well.

For me, it was both inspiring and sad to read someone who was so honest. The overwhelming impression I had was that these people deserved a kinder fate, but that the odds against them were daunting.

I wouldn't make too much of the Tai Chi comment, Eric. I believe he was just daydreaming about what life would be like if they managed to sail across the Pacific to Osaka, where his wife is from. I got the feeling that he wanted to do something almost heroic to please his wife, and had a rather wistful but naive view of what life would be like after they were living in Japan.

It would have been wonderful if they had managed to sail to Japan, but the realithy is that their dreams and plans were a big, big stretch. The good news is that their lives continue - I hope their accepting natures continue, as well, and they continue to enjoy balance in their outlook and attitude.

TaoJones

[rebel heart]

I guess I'm shaking my head and giving my non-approving-finger-wave because of the amount of vessels that are ending up in harm's way in large part due to completely non-seamanship behavior.

Reading that guy's outlook and comprehension of events had me slack jawed. I wanted to throttle him and say "no dude, it's not the 'tao' keeping you from getting to shore, it's you."

And to be honest now there's a boat (probably) floating around out there unmanned, unlight, with a bad radar signature just waiting to wind up on a beach or get hit. Nevermind the inconvenience to the merchant ship or possible rescue coordination that would have had to pull him out of there.

[sharkbait2035]

Gotta agree with Eric on this one, the guy was not in that bad a shape from what I could read, ok so he was soloing, but heaving to every night to get sleep cost him a lot of ground.

But the big issue is definitely the fact there is now another floating hazard out there that most people will be unaware of, another rescue/loss waiting to happen.
not all boat lives are like what he would read on ZTC, and above all, you gotta know how to sail your boat...

I am of course sorry for him and his wife at having to leave everything behind...

[Celestialsailor]

I think it's easy to poke fun at someone like this. I mean, he certainly didn't do it in a conventional way and yes, a hazard to navigation but on the other side of the coin...how many people here are "currently in the market for my next boat" and never go. If I tear this guy down, essentially, I tear myself down. To each their own.

[boatman61]

No offense intended to the guy but its one thing to be 'centred' on land... being 'centred' at sea is something else...
Been there.. done that and it takes a helluva lot to keep going when your solo...
40 days NC to Azores... hand steering dawn till dusk.. heave to and sleep till dawn... then 30 days Azores - UK... the same.
Alone on the Ocean is a hard place to be... gotta be comfortable and know your body well... you need to know how little you need to survive.
2 litres of water/day and 750 cals will see you through... you lose weight yes... but you can function... just gotta believe it...
If you can't wrap your head round that.. don't try silly things at sea..

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I think it's easy to poke fun at someone like this. I mean, he certainly didn't do it in a conventional way and yes, a hazard to navigation but on the other side of the coin...how many people here are "currently in the market for my next boat" and never go. If I tear this guy down, essentially, I tear myself down. To each their own.

I used to judge everyone, then I stopped judging anyone, now I'm sort of in the middle. If you're happy and safe on the water, you're doing something right, even if I would do things differently. So I'm definitely over sitting around the docks telling people what they should do. There's a lot of boat styles and lifestyles that work, what works for me might not work for someone else and vice versa.

But when it's just page after page of bad decision after bad decision, that's not me and that's not anyone who I'd spent a lot of time around. Screwing up is one thing, but blaming fate for your bad weather?

[Celestialsailor]

I know it gets monotonous sometimes with people and their decision. On occasion it looks like a train wreck in slow motion. I'll just say I have raised teens...1 of my own and 3 in another life time. Yes...you shake your head but the acceptance comes quickly. You'll see when your 2 ruggies grow up.

[model 10]

"blaming fate for your bad weather?" is no different that blaming fate for anything. Religion is a good example and then determinism I suppose. Seperating the two is hard.

[Sand crab]

Islander 29. Dang, that's small.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Islander 29. Dang, that's small.

Ahhh.... a 40+ ft man...

[perchance]

Not all who go to sea become sailors.

[Celestialsailor]

But all those who never try, never do.

[SVNeko]

The guy gave it a shot with the best boat he could put together. He's a little spiritual in a Zen kind of way - so what? I think he bore up pretty well in bad circumstances. He actually hung on a lot longer than others who gave up in well found boats. It's easy to judge others from the safety of an internet cafe but everybody deserves to take their shot.