Seattle to New Zealand and then

[Mycroft]

My husband and I are relative new sailors. We have 43 ft Slokum...refit this summer with new motor, electronics etc etc. Bob completed a complete marine tech certification program. (Year and quarter) so confident in boat.

This would be our first big passage...

Bob. Taking extensive weather classes and we both completed safety at sea, navigation and radio classes. How do wake know when we are ready.

We are under no time constraints and have safety net budget...

Assume we are Doing a plenty of reading and practicing locally.

Thanks for input, suggestions,

[Jim Cate]

Mycroft, none of us knew when we "were ready". We just left and started cruising, so when the job list is down to nice to haves instead of absolutely must haves, cut the dock lines and go somewhere. It really doesn't matter w here, but ya gotta GO. Once out of your protective home environment, you may stop for a while somewhere, or you may keep meandering towards NZ or wherever your goal may be. Doesn't matter... you're cruising, and that is what you set out to do. You will find your own pace, you will meet new friends, lots of them, and you will realize that all those fears of the unknown were invalid. Many of those fears will have come from folks on CF and other such sources... folks who have no experience themselves, have their own fears and are projecting them onto others.

It sounds like you have prepared yourselves with far more formal instruction than anyone did a few years back, you have a competent boat, likely better equipped than anyone had then, and you have a far better safety net of rescue should that unlikely need crop up... you're pretty well set to go, so GO.

Jim

[JPA Cate]

Mrs. Mycroft, ma'am,

Ask yourself what the last chores are that you dread doing before you leave are. For me, when it was time for us to leave, i had failed to anticipate that I had grieving to do before i left the house in which i had raised my kids, and taking items we had struggled for to the Goodwill, a few really good things, but there was no room for them on the boat. Once you see that whatever is in the way is usually an attachment of some sort, somehow that makes it easier to leave behind.

With book learning and classes, certainly, as Jim said, you are way better prepared than we were, in some ways. We did shake down our boat, going south from SF to Mexico, with stops along the way. We had racing and cruising experience, and Jim's history with working on cars stood us in good stead for work that needed doing on our diesel, but more with problem solving mind set. If that's in place for both of you, that sense if something comes up, you'll find a way to cope, that's really useful. Read what zeehag writes, looking for what she's doing with very little funds and a can-do attitude.

It is wanting cruising enough, or wanting enough to be with your man, to say your good-byes, and open to new friendships and ways of doing all the life support things you do anyway.

On the outside, you're ready now. The inside may have to be drug, kicking and screaming along till you realize you're having a good time, and last years' memories are all good, one way and another. Remember how it looked before you dove off the high dive the first time? It's sorta like that: you want to do it, you know you're going to do it, that you'll be pleased with yourself for having done it... and how long you postpone it is really your decision.

Ann