Melinda has been convincing me to write a post. So here is a bit of me. I am living on a boat being scared, and getting used to it.
Perception vs. Reality
Folks watching and reading about this adventure may have the perception that it’s easy and relaxing. But, to be honest, almost no day has gone by without some level of fear and terror. Sava is a big boat with a lot of moving parts, some of which break down quite often, and already have.
When we left the mooring just over two months ago and motored down The New River, not knowing how to steer this boat or even where we were going to spend the night, I was literally shaking all day.
Stressful Times
Then the next day we ran aground a couple of times. It was then that I realized lots is going to go wrong, and we just need to deal with it.
Since then there’ve been numerous very stressful hours and moments.
On our first outing after being on the hard in Fort Lauderdale, heading to Miami in a hard east wind and under power, the motor failed. We had to take quick action and drop anchor. We called Seatow to get us to Miami. It was rough, but during the tow, I managed to solve the problem.
Difficult Sails
Another highlight of stress for me was the gulf crossing. We probably didn’t pick the right day. We were running pretty much into a headwind all day, and definitely didn’t pick the right channel to exit from Miami where the gulf stream would have pulled us in the right direction. Instead we ended up about 10 miles north of where we wanted to go, on a 40 mile crossing (and thinking if we didn’t get to the other side we were going to end up in the North Atlantic).
On top of that, the engine had problems all day. It turns out that there are issues with the coolant system (it leaks out into the bilge). So we try not to run the engine too hot, carry spare coolant, and refill often. And keep a close eye on the engine coolant light. That night we also did our first anchor after dark. It’s literally like being blind except for the GPS charts on our cockpit monitor.
Living on a Boat Being Scared
The next morning heading into Alice Town we ran aground. There’s no seatow in the Bahamas, so we had to deal with it. Scary, yes, but quickly alleviated by some friendly sailors in a catamaran who dragged us off.
The long sail from Bimini to Great Harbour Cay was also somewhat scary, but the winds and seas were reasonable. And for almost the whole 12 hour journey, we were only in about 20 feet of water on a steady tack. Easy enough to slow down and drop anchor if things get hairy. And I think I’m just getting used to living on a boat being scared.
Facing Challenges
Yesterday morning we woke up in an anchorage where we’d spent a couple nights, and thought it was time to find another. However, it was VERY windy. At anchor we were showing 20 knots, but as we moved out to the open water it was more like 25. As we motored out of the anchorage (slowly, so as not to overheat the engine) into 8 to 15 foot sea swells it became clear this was going to be challenging. Melinda asked how I was doing, and my response was that I was scared.
There was a point where we considered turning around and heading back in. But part of the point of this journey is challenging ourselves. We rounded the corner and started along the string of cays. We opened the jib and pulled it into partly reefed, and then turned off the engine. The boat started sailing nicely. We definitely got tossed around in the waves. A few times they came right over the side of the boat. But it put the engine fears to rest apart from getting into the next anchorage. Again, everything worked out fine. We’re at anchor again and relaxing.
Getting Used to It
I’m sure we’ll have lots of moments like this. Sunday morning’s decision to go, despite not ideal weather, is part of both of us challenging ourselves to face fear. I’m sure there’s a bunch of life lessons to pass on in here, but this really isn’t my style.
I can just say that not a day goes by here where I don’t get chills about some system on the boat or something that could go wrong, or at night that our anchor is dragging and we’re going to end up on a shoal in the dark. It’s worked out so far, and hopefully will continue to going forward. In the meantime, I’m living on a boat being scared. But I’m getting used to it.
