TL;DR: I’ve been stuck in
NYC for months with ever-dwindling supplies resulting in a deteriorating mental state. I need
advice on how to get my
boat and myself south to VA before winter and need
advice on how to do so.
Hello all, I could really use some advice. I recently bought a
Pearson Coaster 30 in
NYC with the ultimate goal of
living aboard in the Norfolk, VA area. The original plan when I moved out here was to take the two weeks
on the hard I was granted to make sure it was
seaworthy then set sail for Norfolk. I was launched at the end of that two weeks with no problems and towed through the
mooring field to a spot they figured I could
anchor near a couple other people that lived aboard as well. The intent was to set sail around
Long Island and put
New York to my
rudder immediately, making my way south along the coast to the
Chesapeake Bay and go to Norfolk where I would
anchor until I could find a marina to
dock at and continue the process of refitting the
boat as I saw fit.
In a few words, things didn’t
work out as planned. Many more words follow.
I had met and befriended several people involved in the yacht club that
sold me the boat, one offered me the opportunity to exchange some
work for
sailing lessons, a chance which I, of course, leapt at. Being a new sailor I knew I was inexperienced and could definitely use the
learning experience.
That went well, I already had a little experience sailing small craft, so applying that to a larger vessel was fairly intuitive, and I took to it pretty quickly. I’ve had a couple other lessons since which included sailing in some pretty heavy
wind and surf. Being in the
Long Island Sound, I know it wouldn’t be like sailing on the ocean, but still good experience to get under my belt.
I ended up
crewing for the same guy moving a large 64’
motor, not sail, boat from
Brooklyn to Staten Island, where I was able to glean some temporary
employment for the owner of that boat working on it for him, grinding, painting, and other such tasks.
So by that point I had already ended up staying in NYC two weeks longer than I planned. Florence went through shortly thereafter and I thought it would be prudent to wait that out as well, but honestly it ended up being a disappointment after the havoc I heard it had wrought down south, in fact I slept through it.
Now through all this I have been staying at anchor, 150 to 200 yards
offshore with only a
kayak to take me ashore. My supplies that I had brought with me were beginning to dwindle, so with what looked like a
weather window opening for me to get south, I bid farewell to those few I befriended and began my final preparations to leave.
As I was preparing myself and the boat, I was contacted again by my friends and advised against attempting the voyage for reasons mostly relating to my inexperience. At first I was reticent to follow their advice, but ultimately succumbed, feeling very defeated.
Depression has always been an issue for me, so having had my hopes so high to get my life down south started get dashed on the rocks after already being delayed by a month, sent me in a downward spiral. Since being here I’ve been unable to obtain the medications I was prescribed for it where I had come from. If my plans had played out as envisioned, it wouldn’t have been a huge deal, though now it has become an increasingly urgent matter. I had these things figured out for when I arrived in Norfolk, but had no plan for here in NYC.
Resigned to waiting longer, I tried to elicit a little more work with those I had already worked with, as I needed to replenish my stores. I had little success, but was able to provision myself for a little longer.
My situation now, as it stands, is essentially the same as it was. Work has been sparse and inconsistent. My supplies are being depleted. My mental
health is deteriorating further without access to treatment. Kayaking to shore is tiresome, and even once I get ashore, I need to walk four miles to get to a store or for work. The
weather is getting colder, bringing concerns of exposure-related problems, like hypothermia if I get wet on my trip to shore, into a very real possibility.
I feel like I’m at the end of my
rope and need to get south as soon as possible because wintering here is not an option. I’ve been convinced that voyaging south on my own is too dangerous, but at this point I’m about ready to risk it anyway. I’ve even considered abandoning my boat to try and hitchhike to VA or even taking it to deep
water and sinking it, though I am loathe to do either because I love my boat, I’ve put a lot of time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears into it, and additionally I AM environmentally conscious and would hate myself if I helped contribute to mankind’s seemingly continuous destruction of the oceans. Other more seriously dangerous options have been considered due to my mental state.
Ultimately I really love living on my boat, I love my boat, and I have had a great time sailing it so far, so I know it’s possible to do this. If I’ve gone through this much already, I can certainly handle things once I get to VA, however I need to get myself and my boat there quickly for my own well being. I could really use some advice from you all. Thank you for reading and I look forward to reading your replies.
Lauren