Don W wrote:


Bob wrote:

On Feb 13, 7:43 am, "Frogwatch" wrote:
Skip and Lydia got beat up pretty bad and I hope it doesnt ruin their
dream.

This fact speaks loudly. The weather by S&L's account was 25 knots
with 6-8' waves. Regardless of wave frequency or if 30 K and 10'
waves. And yes I have worked the GOM. Those conditions are an
excellent day in most waters. And for a 46' boat !?!?!?

The first time we went very far offshore, we crossed to Bimini from Fort
Lauderdale in a chartered Beneteau 51 with a hired captain. The
forecast was for 18 to 22 kts of wind with 6-8' seas.

When we left it was blowing 15-18Kts with 3-5's, but six hours in we had
28 to 32Kts showing on the instruments, and seas that were in the 8-12'
range. It was a very wet ride, eye opening, but never
dangerous--although the green water over the deck revealed the leaking
hatches in the v-berth and wet down some of our clothes. We motor
sailed the whole way with about 9kts showing on the speed log.

As a result of that trip, we both had our eyes corrected with LASIK,
because eyeglasses are completely unusable in those
conditions--something we would not have thought of.

The next day we met a few cruisers that were holed up behind Gun Caye
waiting for a weather window to cross, and they were surprised that we
had crossed at the time we did. Of course, when you are chartering, you
do not get to wait for a weather window. You either go, or don't go.

We learned that my wife can sleep through anything, and doesn't get
seasick easily. I on the other hand barely made it through six hours of
8-12's without feeding the fish.


I have met four couples in the last 6 years who fit this pattern. Most
recently in a little harbor called Winchester Bay, OR. The couple
worked in finance, bought a never sailed 42' something. It was so
shinny bright white I had to wear shades. She drank wine, he worked
busily adding do-dads. After 1+ years getting ready for their "Dream"
the two headed out over the bar. They got about 3 miles off shore, got
knocked around, the alternator light went on and they returned to
port. The boat has not left the slip since. That was three years ago.

One of my uncles sailed with a couple from San Diego to Papeete, French
Polynesia by way of the Marquesa's. The couple had a lot sailing
experience, but had never been offshore, and they were planning on doing
the Pacific loop, and maybe continuing on around the world.

Somewhere out there they caught a squall with the spinnaker up, knocked
down the boat, apparently let fly and doused simultaneously, and ended
up with a sheet wrapped around the prop, and the spinnaker wrapped under
the keel, with no sail up to keep making way. There was some screaming
involved, and by the time they made Papeete, the dream was dead.

The one common word I hear in every case
is.................................. DREAM. For some reason people
have lives they want to escape and sail away to paradise.

Gordon Lightfoot wrote: "I guess it must be wanderlust, or trying to get
free..."

Agreed! But for the few who truly are humbled by the sight of petrels,
albatross, the first sea spout, flying fish jumping on deck, a bunch
of spinner dolphins 20' away or my all time favorite. Sailing in total
darkness with two dolphins riding the bow wake. The bioluminescence
lighting up the dolphin. Stardust streaming off every fin leaving a
trail of sparkles in their wake. My guess is that sort of stuff is
rather boring to the Dreamers.

For me it is a big part of the "dream". That and all the stars and the
milkyway on a clear night at sea, and the excitement of a landfall
someplace you have never been. It is also being someplace interesting
and not having to leave in two weeks to get back to the job when the
vacation is over.

How to keep it from happening? Dont defer sailing while you build.
Keep your small boat and sail and cruise regularly. I think Skip and
Lydia ought to have stuck to their original plan of daylight sailing
only EVEN IF IT MEANT GOING DOWN THE ICW DITCH. This would have
exposed many flaws in the plan until they could jump on the outside to
Naples and then Everglades City. From there it is a daylight trip to
Marathon. By the time they really needed to sail at night they'd be
good.

Well, we own a 27' and a 38' sailboat right now, and the one thing we
are for sure getting good at is fixing up sailboats (sigh).

Excellent obervations Fogwatch.
BOb


Agreed.

Don W.

The definition of a cruiser is "someone who likes to repair boats in
exotic locations"
krj