Quote:
Originally Posted by scuba0_1
Looking back now I have gone over in my head all the things that could have gone wrong and what we would have done but don't do that at the time. We do that after every trip. Is that the norm. |
I don't think "looking back thinking of what could have gone wrong" is something I have ever done. Best to think of what can go wrong in advance. That's why we consider
weather very carefully. That's why the
boat is in good condition. That is why we don't bite off more than we know we can handle. Things do happen though, and I always learn something on just about any day out there. Everything gets put away somewhere in my head. This happens over and over, and becomes what is known as experience.
In a way, I can always look back on a voyage by reading our blog -
New home | sailing away with R & B. After a year or two, it's really fun to go back in time. Also, you could keep a log. Here's one of mine from a few years back,
crewing for I2f (an old
member here, who died of cancer a couple of years ago)-
May 26, 2010
RALPH’S BLOG
The Trip So Far
Twelve days ago, I began the “adventure of a lifetime”. John and Melanie are great hosts, and Imagine a wonderful sailboat. I could not ask for better companions, or a greater adventure. Everyday is a new experience so far, and it is unlikely that will change anytime soon.
Leaving Green Cove Springs was an emotional time for me. John and Mel had been there for five years and were leaving friends behind, it was clear. Although I hadn’t know these people very long, I still felt the emotions as well. They felt like
family. Perhaps I will see these nice people again in the future while sailing my own
boat to the
Bahamas.
Once we cast off, my education began. I am soon handling Imagine myself under the watchful eye of my mentor and tutor. John is a patient man and a good teacher. He doesn’t yell at me too often! Actually he never yells, but often tests to see if I am paying attention and
learning. If I’m a bit slow in some areas, he just keeps working with me until it becomes easy. So far so good, and I have learned more already than I would have on my own in years.
At this point, I feel pretty comfortable handling the boat. Navigating with the
Maptech software on the
laptop is easy now, and has opened up a whole new world for me to use with my own boat back in
Kemah,
Texas. Imagine is pretty easy to sail, and handles the rough weather easily. We have had some pretty bumpy rides so far, as well as some smooth sailing….well, maybe motor-sailing would be a better way to put it. Unfortunately, it seems the
Wind Gods have decided to test our patience and determination. No matter which way we sail, the
wind seems to find it’s way on our nose.
It would take pages to describe the last two weeks, but here are a few things I will remember so far….
A thunderstorm we experienced in the Intercoastal Waterway between Port Canavaral and Fort Pierce, which produced winds of around 50MPH and stinging rain.
My first night watch alone in the
cockpit at the
helm. I guess what you can’t see won’t hurt you, right?
Reefing or dropping the
sails at 2:30 AM when the wind starts howling!
Sea life
Altering course for a large NASA vessel towing the rocket booster from the last shuttle launch.
My
dinghy ride into South Beach,
Miami and all the crazy people there.
Seeing the color change in the
water as we approach the Great Bahama Bank. It turns from a deep dark blue to the beautiful blue the
Bahamas and
Caribbean is known for.
The morning we arrived at Nurse Cay in the Jumientos, Ragged Island, Bahamas. We anchored and John and I took a short swim in our own really big 20 foot deep swimming pool. Darn, no sharks! Everyone had a
shower, we rested, and ate a lot of yummy
food. This was a well deserved rest after the previous day of sailing under a double-reefed main and staysail. It was white capping most of the day with pretty steep 8 foot waves.
Blowing a
jib halyard just before dark. This was just as we were entering the Windward
Passage yesterday. We had just finished a nice dinner prepared by our
captain and were lounging around in the
cockpit talking. Then BANG! The boat develops a gentle shudder. All is well now though.
Sailing the beautiful waters of the
Caribbean Sea with waves as high as the top of our
bimini.
As I write this,
Jamaica is off our starboard beam and it is another 500 miles to
Panama. We are low on
fuel so will be sailing more and motoring less. We are hoping for a wind shift to help us get to our
destination sooner rather than later. Time will tell…
That’s it from me for now.
Ralph
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