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| At the dock at Hot Springs Cove |
Many of our friends and family have wondered about our plans for a year-long trip on our
sailboat. I've tried to answer many of the frequently asked
questions. If I missed yours, leave me a comment!
When?
Weather patterns govern our departure.
We have to leave the NW coast before the autumn gales hit toward the
end of September but can't cross into Mexico until the hurricane
season ends at the beginning of November. So there's no reason to
leave until the beginning of September. That said, we will be at the
mercy of the weather for the entire trip, so all schedules are
flexible. We plan to be back in the summer of 2014, likely July or
August.
Where?
Again, weather rules. Winds and
currents in the North Pacific travel clockwise so we'll be heading
south along the west coast. Over the last few years of boat travel,
we've learned to be very flexible with our destinations. Strict
timelines and destinations encourage stupid decisions. They say, "Schedules kill
sailors." We have several sailing-specific guide books and will be
making many destination decisions as we travel. So, while we're
heading south, and plan to spend time in Mexico and several other
Central American countries, we don't have a set itinerary. If you
have any recommendations, though, we're happy to hear. Just remember
that once we hit land, we'll mostly be traveling on foot!
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| Heading to town in Port Townsend, WA |
Why?
If you really want to know why, you'll
have to come help us pack the house and let us talk your ear off. The
simple answer is that we want to spend a year with each other,
exploring our amazing world and experiencing different cultures.
Sailing is not the fastest or easiest way to travel, but we find the
challenge and simplicity very satisfying. We don't expect this to be
a relaxing vacation, though there will be relaxing moments. We do
expect to learn a lot along the way—about ourselves and our world.
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| Bacchante Bay, the end of a fjord on the west coast of Vancouver Island |
We've been thinking about and working toward this trip for almost 15 years. We will be leaving our jobs (though Bryan may be able to go back to work at his company when we return), selling my car (the only vehicle worth selling), and renting our house (know anyone who needs a rental?) We have been blessed enough to put a little savings aside and would rather travel very (very) cheaply for a year than more extravagantly for a few weeks. Sailing can be a rich man's sport, but can also be done very simply. We hope to err on the simple side with a few creature comforts.
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| We often break out games and hot drinks on chilly evenings |
Creature Comforts:
Our sailboat, LiLo, is
a 1964 32-foot Islander. It is comparable to a 20-foot RV with a
cockpit and an aft (the back end) storage locker. It's 10 feet across
at the widest part but narrows toward each end (especially the
bow—the pointy part) and underfoot. Though small, with less
than 200 square feet of indoor living space, our boat has almost all
the comforts of home.
We have places to sleep, spots to sit while
reading or eating, and lots of nooks and crannies for storage. We
also have plenty of outdoor space and exploring a new piece of
shoreline every few days keeps us from getting cabin fever. Our
11-foot nesting dinghy, Splitpea, acts
as our car for carrying us to shore from our anchorage. We will use
it to cart groceries, laundry, water, and fuel for our stove and our
auxiliary engine (useful for maneuvering into marinas).
Ed. Note: Meira deserves full credit for landing on the perfect name for the little green, 2-piece dinghy we built together a few years ago. LiLo is the original name for our sailboat and it seemed rude to change it after all these years. We like the Hawaiian meaning, “Generous One."
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| Splitpea nested and tucked away on the cabin top for a long passage |
Ed. Note: Meira deserves full credit for landing on the perfect name for the little green, 2-piece dinghy we built together a few years ago. LiLo is the original name for our sailboat and it seemed rude to change it after all these years. We like the Hawaiian meaning, “Generous One."
The galley has a small sink, an icebox,
and a 3-burner propane stove with oven (as well as a small grill on
the back deck). We have a toilet but no shower (don't freak out;
people all over the world get clean without showers). We can do
laundry on shore or by hand on the boat.
We will have occasional internet access and are still exploring the available phone options.
We have a solar panel (more to come) to charge the main batteries and provide power for LED lighting, radio/GPS, stereo, laptop, video/photo equipment, and our electric toothbrushes:-) We will take plenty of food with us, but people everywhere have to eat and we are looking forward to trying some new foods along the way.
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| Look closely for evidence of the mundane in the midst of grandeur. |
We will have occasional internet access and are still exploring the available phone options.
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| Snagging wi-fi from a B.C. coffee shop after hours. We bought plenty of their coffee, don't worry! |
We have a solar panel (more to come) to charge the main batteries and provide power for LED lighting, radio/GPS, stereo, laptop, video/photo equipment, and our electric toothbrushes:-) We will take plenty of food with us, but people everywhere have to eat and we are looking forward to trying some new foods along the way.
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| New friends passed along extra salmon from the day's catch |
Safety:
Driving on a freeway isn't safe.
Sitting in a cubicle all day isn't safe. Life isn't
safe. That said, we have done our best to consider how to keep
ourselves well while we travel. We have (and wear!) lifejackets and
harnesses. We have lifelines and safety netting. We have an EPIRB
(Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), several radios and
multiple GPS units as well as celestial navigation equipment. We have
multiple spare parts for our equipment and a substantial medical kit.
Guns? Many countries confiscate guns upon entry and don't return them until you leave. Given that we will be leaving from a different port we enter, that would be problematic. Also, in the unlikely event of an attack, we would be much more likely to have our gun used against us than have the skill and presence of mind to use it for defense.
Guns? Many countries confiscate guns upon entry and don't return them until you leave. Given that we will be leaving from a different port we enter, that would be problematic. Also, in the unlikely event of an attack, we would be much more likely to have our gun used against us than have the skill and presence of mind to use it for defense.
What about pirates? We read the piracy
reports. Though random attacks can occur anywhere in the world,
including here at home, we don't plan to travel in the areas with
pirate activity.
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| Meira calls herself the "high-maintenance" girl and tackles small repairs up the mast |
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| Bryan takes care of the tedious repairs |
On the go:
We've been homeschooling the girls
since preschool and feel confident that this year will offer plenty
more opportunities for learning. The girls will be 7th and
8th grade during our year away and we think this is a
great age for a grand adventure. Hannah and Meira have a knack for
finding interesting museums and asking great questions. We hope to
learn a lot about the history and culture of the places that we go.
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| The Intrepid Explorer of Watta Creek |
The majority of our time will be spent
near shore but while out at sea, we stand watches around the clock.
Cooking, navigating, and standing watch take up much of our time. We
have 2 options for automatic steering, one electrical and one
mechanical, but safety still requires a dedicated watch-person
(possibly with an assistant) to pay attention to other traffic,
navigation aids, and the radio as well as log our progress on the
chart.
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| Hannah is well prepared for chart work |
We all enjoy reading and I am hoping to
do quite a bit of writing while we travel. Bryan is hoping to take
lots of pictures and edit many hours of video footage into an
accessible amount. The girls are infinitely creative and I expect
much writing and many craft projects will clutter up the place before
we return.
We won't have room for my baby grand piano or Hannah's guitar, but we have a few smaller wind instruments we like to have aboard. I'm hoping to run across a decently-tuned piano or two on the journey and would love to meet musicians in other countries. We look forward to learning more Spanish and attending church in towns along the way. We can't wait to experience the wonders of the wild world in a new way and expect to cherish most of all the unforgettable people we meet along the way.
We won't have room for my baby grand piano or Hannah's guitar, but we have a few smaller wind instruments we like to have aboard. I'm hoping to run across a decently-tuned piano or two on the journey and would love to meet musicians in other countries. We look forward to learning more Spanish and attending church in towns along the way. We can't wait to experience the wonders of the wild world in a new way and expect to cherish most of all the unforgettable people we meet along the way.
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| Safe at anchor in Effingham Bay |
