Looking back - dan

2008 has been an amazing year in which a lot has happened. The biggest thing for me this past year has been Susan, we started seeing one another seriously. We had known one another and gone out casually for a couple of years previously, 2008 was the magical year that we came together as a couple. Other big things that happened this pasts year in my life; I got a hip replacement, was promoted from supervisor to manager at work, Susan and I decided to sail around the world and we found and bought Gypsy the magical boat.

One might wonder how a couple decides to do something like voyaging around the world, it is a bit out of the ordinary. Well for Susan and me it came about in the most ordinary way possible: I said; “I’ve been thinking about sailing around the world.” To which Susan replied; “I know.” Then I said; “Would you like to join me.” she said “Yes” and I believed her. It was a plain conversation and a simple decision but one that’s changing our lives in extraordinary ways.

Once we made the decision to sail around the world together things started happening quickly. We found a J40 in Rhode Island that was going for a really good price.

There was a lot to like about that boat in spite of the fact that she needed a lot of work. We felt that a low purchase price would justify that cost of work she needed so we made a low offer that was subsequently accepted. We had the boat surveyed and determined that the scope of the necessary repairs was way outside of anything that we want to be involved with, so we withdrew our offer and continued our search.

Next we looked at a Hylas in Long Island.
That was a really well made boat but we found the space above and below decks to be a bit awkward and her teak decks were in sad shape.

We came across a Sabre 42 in Annapolis that looked interesting so we checked out a near by Sabre 42 that was also on the market located on Cape Cod.
The Cape Cod boat was the built the same year as the one in Annapolis 1987, but it didn’t have as many cruising systems as the Annapolis boat did, however it was in pristine shape so we made an offer on her. Other offers from prospective buyers came in on top of ours and it seemed like we were headed for a bidding war at which point we went down to Annapolis to look at Gypsy and found our boat.

I must mention the help we got from my friend and yacht broker Tom Kentz. Tom has been a huge help in getting our boat and is still assisting us with acquiring and setting up our solar system. Besides being an excellent yacht broker Tom is a sales rep for AltE, a renewable energy products distributor. Although Tom specializes in multihulls, has written about them and has cruised and lived on them for years, he agreed to help us find a monohull. Tom was my broker for the purchase and sale of my last two boats:

Falcor, F31 trimaran

Luna Maru, Dean 400

It was very reassuring to know that Tom would be with me on this boat search, he’s cool under pressure, very knowledgeable and his integrity is without question. A great guy!

We found Gypsy at a brokerage yard in Annapolis MD. She had spent most of her previous life on lake Michigan so she looked much younger than her age. She had spent the previous year and a half cruising the Caribbean with he previous owner. After negotiating a very favorable price we had her surveyed, the results of which confirmed our expectations; and excellent boat in great shape.
Next we cleaned her up and brought her home.
It’s a bit tricky taking a new boat on a long trip so for the return trip we recruited friends Tom Hills and John Corini to help us out.
We took the outside route back from Annapolis. It’s a bit longer than the Inland Waterway but much more interesting. We purchased a 6 person liferaft, an EPIRB a boatload of food and loaded it all aboard. We had a great two-day sail down the Chesapeake and then we went off shore and in spite of having the wind on-the-nose all the way from Virginia to Montauk, we made good time, 4 days. Along the way we saw dolphins, sharks and sea turtles and had some beautiful sunrises, sunsets and moonrises too.
Susan proved that she could find comfort almost anywhere on board.




















John conducted knot class

We all got to read
The Gypsy sailed on and on...
Since we've gotten back from Annapolis we’ve taken a few fun tips to Block Island and done a lot of work on Gypsy and that story is all in the earlier posts of this blog.

namaste

the lessons as we go... susan

the christmas, many years ago, that i received a vacuum cleaner as a major gift had a touch of sadness for me. had i become an adult? does the ease of cleaning my house rate above other more playful pastimes?

so, placing a jordan series drogue, dan's and my gift to ourselves, under this year's christmas tree provided me much joy! we are moving in the direction of our departure! the attaching of the cones to the line and contemplating the actual purpose of this device prompted lots of conversation... we had decided to purchase the drogue kit - we would attach all 140 (in gypsy's case) cones ourselves. to be honest, the kit is made to be quite doable - the line is marked, the cones have been threaded onto the line and after complete instruction, you are able to begin the project. i had made the trip to the sail loft on christmas eve day so we would have the option to start the project with lots of leisure time spent with family. well, the kids were no where to be seen, but dan and i found ourselves beside the christmas branch (my daughter and i had second thoughts about cutting down a tree to decorate and discard so we opted to cut down a dead branch and decorate it; much to my son's disappointment - it seems he needs to become more flexible regarding improvisation as my life on a boat will not allow all the same traditions...)
dan easily translated my recently learned instruction and we set out at an alternating pace: one threading the straps onto the line, the other tying off the straps...

as i started thinking of the purpose of this piece of equipment, i confessed that i shutter at the sea conditions that warrant the use of a drogue. amusement park rides have always been exciting to me but the idea that the thrill of the roller coaster is time limited and safety tested makes that excitement "controlled" whereas the fierceness of a storm at sea challenges my sense of calm... i haven't even been in a thunder storm at sea! fear and the management of these fears came into focus...

how does fear rule our decisions? or our ability to live until we die... dan has a way of putting things into perspective for me... there is no doubt we will not be the couple disregarding impending storm warnings, but undoubtedly there will be times that no amount of monitoring can keep you away from intense seas. the idea that one could breathe and allow and embrace the experience is far more compatible with my life philosophy - will i be able to remove from my mind the human grip of family and love and happiness, possibly ended - to be at one with the wind and howl and possible jolting of the motion of intense seas? will i be able to feel the chaos of the power of nature, churning and cycling, emitting any foreign resistance; to not resist, but to be... one with the energy?

so, dan and i have read and discussed how to ride out a storm - and we intend to use the skills that have been tried and proven to be effective to emerge most safely from a big blow... and i shall state my intention to let go of non useful resistance but rather squeal with the intensity of the energy around us...

Dear Susan,

I’m picturing a perfect moment,
of a perfect day for us.
I can see us sailing offshore aboard gypsy,
the sails set nicely, both main and jib.
Brendan is driving and gypsy is in her grove.
The sea is the color that sapphires only dream of.
And the sky,
the sky is singing a powerful blue note that is beyond light.
Music is playing as we go upon the foredeck
and begin to dance the world together.

Love dan

my identity susan

the past 2 + weeks have consumed me with the adjustment to unemployment, thanksgiving and the initial 2 weeks at kripalu for the yoga teachers training. as i left the intense tranquility of kripalu i made the decision to take the alternate to the highway as i wanted to come back to the hustle of civilization, slowly... the ice storm that ravaged western massachusetts and beyond was evident as i proceeded along route 20. the broken branches and the limbs overhanging the roads made for a scene of devastation contrasted by glimpses of shimmering light on focused areas where the sun peeked though the overhanging clouds...
when i arrived at dan's house we shared stories that eluded our email contact over my time away and then we walked around town and continued our sharing prompted by the stimulation of the sights along the way...
sunday took us to gypsy. a welcomed trip for me; it had been too long. the air temperature never got above 36 degrees in the cabin so our sleeves never got rolled up!
our tasks were limited but fruitful and checking in gave us the direction we needed for the day to come...
as we sat in the car, warming up, dan noticed the distinctive stern of our friend's s v tied up at a slip. somewhat disbelieving we walked over to her to confirm our guess. the unexpected sight of the rights of man prompted a phone call to find out how this happened to come about! and that is when it happened!
as the voice came on the other end of the line i said, "this is susan from gypsy!" my smile lingered long after the call had ended. yes, i am susan, from gypsy, an identity that i am starting to really feel...

Cruising and The Spiritual Journey - dan

I believe voyaging to be very supportive and conducive environment for our spiritual journey and like all powerful experiences it will be the metaphor and the thing itself. Eastern religion and spiritual traditions have enticed and guided my entire adult life. Buddhist think of life as a journey of spiritual development and refer to it as following the dharma or path. That is the eightfold path of wisdom, ethical conduct & mental development described by Buddha as our way out of the cycle of suffering. Other teachers have set out similar guidelines such as; Thich Nhat Hanh’s 14 Mindfulness Trainings and Patanjali’s Yamas & Niyamas in his Yoga Sutras.

I think that the cursing lifestyle will be particularly conducive and supportive to one of the yama’s (aparigraha) and all of the niyamas. Aparigaha is the freedom from possessions achieved by limiting one’s possessions to only what is necessary and cultivating the requisite nonattachment to one’s possessions that allows a person to rid themselves of unnecessary things.

The niyamas are:

Saucha = Cleanliness. Cleanliness and order has always been a strong value in the history of seamanship although this niyamas isn’t just limited to the physical realm, it also applies to purity of the mind & sprit.

Santosa = Contentment. Sailors have traditionally been a happy and contented lot because at sea one generally doesn’t have the opportunity to “get more”. You have what you set out with or less as you use supplies. It”s up to the sailor to accept the limitations of the situation and maintain a contented attitude. This sentiment is reflected in a sailor’s simple prayer: All I ask for is a good ship and a star to guide her by. Santosa makes it plain that contentment is more about one’s own attitude than the possessions one has. That’s why it’s possible for the poor to be happy and contented and the rich can be moved by greed and be filled with unhappiness.

Tapas = Heat or spiritual austerities. This implies any kind of self-restraint and self-constraint for the sake of overcoming one’s vices. Doing without, enduring extreme climatic conditions, living in close quarters and limited access to fresh water are all examples of the tapas one might experience cruising on a small boat.

Svadhyaya = Self-study. Means spiritual self-directed study. When one is out cruising one has limited access to a spiritual teacher and must become much more self-reliant in there practice.

Isvara pranidhana = Surrender to God. Once out on the ocean, far away from land and its distractions, one becomes much more aware of god and there proper place in the universe.

The sea takes trouble from you
takes worry and fear and illusion and anger
and joy and joking and plans and ambition
and love from you.
Takes them, scatters them, gathers them,
gives them back to you
not so big or important as before.

You're not anyone, really;
you never were.
Oh, you thought you were,
when your head was too small for your illusions.
But illusions aren't important, now:
you don't have to be anything,
even yourself, because yourself
was only something you had to make up,
and then you thought
you had to carry it around with you.
What a relief to lay it down, walk away and forget it.
Just to be part of what's around you is enough.
Gordon Bok

Commitment - dan
I attended an all-hands meeting for my organization at work today. As usual it was a mix of the ironically absurd and the practical as we all struggle to make our "Dilbert world" real. The director urged us to conduct "effective" meetings and that those meeting should be no longer that ½ hour. He said this in a meeting that was scheduled to go for one-and-a-half hours and actually ran 1:45. Oh well... He did show an excellent slide on commitment. It was a quote by the pioneering Scottish mountaineer Bill Murray that I had seen before and is well worth revisiting.

"Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!" W. B. Murray, 1950

Our round-the-world project is predicated on commitment. People have said to me that they could "never do something like that" or couldn't even "imagine" doing it. And I agree that if one doesn't first imaging doing something difficult, they probably can't do it. So it all starts with ones imagination, when a dream resolves into a vision, your are getting closer. Once the vision is established, the final requisite ingredient to a great adventure is commitment. Like some incredible alchemy, once commitment is added the mix, the dream takes on a life of its own and a certain clarity resolves itself, informs all future decisions and guides one's life.


We have lots to do before our departure date of 11/1/09; a three page list of boat projects, houses to sell in a tough market, innumerable possessions to dispose of and many personal business affairs to resolve. Sounds daunting but we have the lens of commitment to see our way through.

Questions and thoughts - dan

My good friend Al Nyiri came down from Vermont for a visit this weekend. Our friendship goes way back to the early 70s to when we worked at Photomat Labs together. Over the years we’ve kept in touch and shared many adventures. He’s a good photographer, which makes him a keen observer and chronicler of life. It’s always refreshing and informing to talk with him, to continue our decade spanning conversation. We have been Narcissus and Goldmund to each other, trading roles as the years go by.

Al has left now, gone back to his life in Vermont and in the wake of his departure I find myself pondering these questions: What is a worthy journey? To cross an ocean? Or to sail the whole world about? To completely loose oneself and find oneself in the process? To explore new lands and waters, holding nothing back, all the while remaining true to oneself? To leave the world of man and sojourn as much as possible deep into the world of nature. To learn the lessons and share the knowledge? Or is it sufficient for one to live simply and strive be as good a person as is possible, accepting gratefully, whatever each day brings?

How does one decide? What does it mean to succeed at this? How would success be measured? How will it feel? Where will I end up? My life going forward will be the answers to all these questions…

New rigging for Gypsy – dan

Gypsy had her original standing rigging when we bought her this past summer. It was high quality, solid rod, shroud & stays, all in great shape but at 21 years old must be considered suspect, so we’re replacing it all. We decided to go with type 316 stainless steal wire rigging primarily because it’s simpler to repair in remote locations. Rod rigging requires special and costly tooling, which isn’t available inmost of the places that we’ll be visiting.


We’re also adding a removable inner forestay and running backstays that will allow us to fly our storm jib inboard of the headstay to better balance the rig in heavy weather. An additional benefit will be that we won’t have to strip our genoa whenever we need to fly the storm jib, we can just roll it up on it’s fuller.

We’re working with Mystic Stainless fabricate the deck and mast fittings. Jeff Morgan will do all the rigging work.
















Susan and I recently traced the shape of the mast onto 11 blocks of wood. I then cut out the mast shape, screwed & glued them all together to make a pattern to assist in making the mast fitting.












We’ll have Ace Sailmakers convert our storm jib from a luff tape to hanked-on to fly on the new inner forstay.

a detour susan

it was dark when i arrived at the kripalu yoga center.
the drive had been scary. there was little traffic on the scenic route even at the end of the thanksgiving weekend; the difficulty came with the darkness and freezing rain. i had directions to the center but arriving in the next town, the overland route was not marked. i stopped at a small country store that was preparing to close. the young lady behind the counter was kind and directed me with general information and i set out over the "hill". the hill went up for several miles which was manageable but once i took the right at the stop sign i started down a steep hill that was iced and had scenic overlooks!
i only wished to keep my eyes on the road and to stay on the pavement!
it was rather beautiful with the tall naked trees lining the country road; one could imagine riding a horse drawn buggy "over the meadow and through the woods..."
all my turns ended me at the entrance to kripalu but finding the registration entrance and checking in was congested and slippery.
once inside, the warmth of the staff eased my unloading.
i selected the top bunk at the recommendation of my dear friend and primary yoga instructor.
with the car eventually parked and my breath returned to normal, i was able to share with the new arrivals the details of their escapades...
kripalu offers a new appreciation of natural, healthy, organic food.
i have voluntarily bowed my head in appreciation prior to each meal consumed and i have often chosen to eat in silence; savoring each individual taste.
eating will be a challenge on our voyage and i have offered to take on primary responsibility for food selection and plans for our diet. this is not because dan is not in his own right a great preparer of food, but mostly because i do not have as many of the other technical skills regarding other needs of our trip...
many staples can be stocked that will bring taste and variety to our diets - adequate nourishment is necessary for our healthy bodies.
our introductory class started that first evening.
60 eager students gathered in a large circle in the room filled with candlelight that will prove to be our "home" for the next 2 weeks!
this space has been transformed from a temple for prayer to a gym for physical movement to a classroom for theory; a safe place to move blindfolded among our peers as well as to express our fears or joys without judgment.
taking this time at a time when there are lots of concrete tasks to prepare for our departure, is the gift of dan's generous support of my own growth and desire.
i intend to live a more authentic, conscious life as a result of this training...

A day at the shore – dan

I awoke this morning in the early predawn, 4:30am, sky turning back-to-deep-indigo, magical time of the day, full of energy. I took the day off from work to meet with the rigger, Jeff Morgan and then Charlie Marques at Mystic Stainless.

I was to meet Jeff at the mast in Spicer’s Marina at 9:00. I arrived about an hour early and went straight to Gypsy like a lover too long away. We didn’t have nearly enough time together. I removed the hydraulic back stay adjuster for refurbishment and the boom vang so that Jeff can alter that. Jeff arrived and we reviewed the plans for the inner forestay fitting that I had drawn up and discussed the details of the instillation. We had a good skull session, solidifying the final details of the new standing rigging and then I was off to Mystic Stainless to drop off the prints for fabrication of the new brackets.

Before I went to the stainless shop I stopped at Spicer’s marine store to see is the varnish and engine parts I had ordered had come in – not yet.

When I got to the stainless shop Charlie was busy with another customer but broke off long enough to check out my plans and have a small piece of 3/8’ aluminum plate cut for me to us as a shim for Gypsy’s rudder quadrant stop. It was amazing to see his hydraulic shear cut that 3/8” plate stock like it was taffy.

I love roaming around the waterfront and checking out all the boats, especially the ones with strong personalities.




















I noticed some interesting expressions of boat security today.






















I stopped off at SV “Rights of Man” to visit John and Marcia. They’ve been working on their home built boat for years and plan on setting off this May for Europe. They have this cool vision of taking their boat up the River Seine and docking in Paris, how cool is that! Marcia gave me a recipe for homemade yogurt to give to Susan and we talked of future plans.














Jack’s eyes burned deeply when we talked of ocean passages and Marcia glowed. It was hard to leave them with one more thing after another cropping up as I tried exit to let them get back to work (they have much to do yet) and me to get back on task (I’ve got much to do too).

Next I stopped off at Jim Funk’s loft to check in with him on the dodger and show him the solar panels that go atop our bimini. He’s going to beef up the bimini structure to take the additional 90lbs of load in addition to making the new canvas cover. His loft must be one of the coolest workspaces around.


























I had arrived at Jim place around noon but didn’t get out of there until 4:45. We started talking about cruising and life in general. We are so in tune, he feels like another brother to me. I’m sure that we’ll be sailing different oceans together. Jim shared his dream of cursing himself and the associated challenges; 2 kids to put thru college, wife’s career ambitions and the economy. He told me that Dodson’s Marina (one of my old marinas) had laid off 9 craftsman and his own business has been reduced by half. Jim then pulled out charts of the Atlantic Ocean that stretched from North America to way down past the Equator and all the way across to Europe and northern Africa. The juices really began to flow and his eyes too began to burn. These are tough times, these are charged times and exciting times for people of action.

I had hoped to stop at Ace Sailmakers to see if the new drogue cones had come in yet and then over to Defender Marine for some plumbing parts but it was too late by the time I got out of Jim’s place. I know I can and will catch up with Ace on the phone, but it’s so much better in person. I’ve always loved sail lofts and never pass up a chance to visit one.

It was a wonderful day but as I made the long drive home I couldn’t help feeling like I didn’t accomplish enough in light of all that yet needs to be done. I fingered the small 2”x4” piece of aluminum plate (the only tangible accomplishment of the day) to assure myself that at least something real was accomplished today.

About our boat, Gypsy - dan

(Susan is leaving today to begin yoga teacher training at Kripalu Yoga Center in western Massachusetts. I’ll miss her dearly and am very much looking forward to her return because I’m sure this will be an intense, fulfilling and amazing journey for her. I can’t wait to hear all about it when she gets back.)

I thought I'd take some time and introduce one of the central characters of our adventure; Gypsy. Sailors tend to speak in a dense code about their boats that’s full of numbers, terms, categories. I’ll do that to but first I want to say a bit about her spirit, which is more that the sum of her facts and figures.

She’s a willing boat that is quick to responding to the helm and happily leaves the dock every chance she gets. A sweet sailor who is reasonably fast in a blow and will magically glide along in the least breath of wind. In she was strongly built in the Maine tradition of shipbuilding by a company who takes fierce pride in their work, Sabre Yachts.

The facts:
Built in 1987, our Sabre 42 is a racer/cruiser type, Masthead Sloop of 42’ over all length, 34’ at the water line, 12’ 8” in beam. She displaces 19,200 lbs and because of her centerboard her draft varies between 5’ and 8’6”. When not under sail she is powered by a Westerbeke 46 hp diesel engine.










She holds 40 gls of fuel and 120 of fresh water. She has a Raymarine autopilot below deck, radar, chartplotting GPS, SSB, Ham & VHF radio. For safety she has a EPRB with integral GPS and a Avon 6 person offshore liferaft. For getting about we have a 10’ RIB powered by a 7.5 Mercury outboard.

My deepest fear… dan

As I go forward with this blog I’d like to write not only about the high points and happy times. I also intend set down the difficult issues and hard places because I believe that they are just as important in the telling of any true story. So I’m challenging myself to write, truthfully, openly and honestly as close to the heart as I can. In that vane I offer this:

I now find myself confronting my deepest fear, that is: how fortunate I’ve been lately. So many good things have come into my life in the last couple of years that I’ve been wondering when it’s going to end. Susan, my new job, my cozy home, a new hip, Gypsy and the incredible adventure that we are preparing for. (touch wood) It all seems almost too incredibly good and things have been going so smoothly lately that it’s uncanny.

I’m usually a persistently optimistic person but I keep hearing a tiny voice that says; “this can’t go on forever”. I first heard Marianne Williamson’s poem about “Our Greatest Fear” three or four years ago and felt a great apparition for it then but lately I’m feeling uncomfortably close to it. I’m generally not a fearful person and am way out of practice with dealing with fear but her I am.

Our Greatest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light , not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson

Writing helps, I’m also invoking two the most powerful practices that I know of; acceptance and letting-go. Unconditional acceptance of all the good things the universe has to offer and letting-go of my attachment to self-doubts and feelings of not deserving. This doesn’t feel like one of those “quick fixes” but I’m optimistic…

News Flash - dan

I was typing out my next blog entry when I got a note from Susan that she was laid off today - wow! I called her on her cell and caught her on her way to her Safe Boating exam, she was her usual buoyant self; talking about all the possibilities that this opens up for her. She’s was supposed to be finished today at work as in "job over, you're done", but in her usual devoted way, she’s planning on going in tomorrow to make sure that she leaves things in good order. What a woman!

Laid off the day before Thanksgiving, things sure are getting tough. Now if only I could be so lucky to get laid off too, that would be perfect…

Storm preparation – dan
Over the course of my years of climbing, kayaking and sailing, I’ve noticed that those most prepared for emergencies in the wilderness are the ones that seem to have the least of them. As we set out on our journey together we hope that through good planning we’ll be able to avoided any nasty storms or catastrophes at sea. We’ll do this by taking precautions like staying out of the hurricane affected zone during hurricane season, being vigilant in our watches, acquiring and using the best ground tackle available, adding damage control plugs to all through-hull fittings and more.


(NASA Image)
We’re also rigging the boat for heavy weather. This past summer we broke out the storm trysail in order to make sure that went up smoothly and rigged a dedicated fairlead for the sheet in order to save setup time. We’re installing an inner forestay and having our storm jib re-cut to fit that. Along with new running backstays this should provide addition support for the mast in heavy weather as well as move the center of effort inwards, giving Gypsy a more balanced helm in a blow. For off-the-wind survival conditions, Susan will be making us a Jordan Series Drogue.

I feel that as we’ve been discussing and sharing all these ideas, making plans, preparations, taking real actions to assure our physical safety, that at the same time we’re some how deepening and storm proofing our relationship, assuring our physiological safety. I believe the underpinnings of a good crew are the same that support a strong relationship; trust, respect & good communication. As we work together in sometimes difficult and trying circumstances we’ve managed to keep our cool, retain a sense of humor and even have fun. We are on course…

Caught in the storm,
battered by waves,
the ship of my life is blown off course,
by the wind of selfishness and pride.

Now my breath rises within.
The breath of the heart,
the sweet breath,
the sacred breath,
leads me within.

The winds have died down,
the waters calm,
I’ve found a haven for my heart
in the harbor of your name.
Hay Ram, hay Ram Ram Ram, hare Ram.
Krishna Das

checking off the list... susan

our saturday was like many since gypsy came into our lives. the list was long but we had a plan.
it has seemed that there is a lot of time until we cast off to bermuda, but now the clock is palpable. order an anchor; not so easy. not shown in stock, back ordered, unsure when one will arrive; the salesman will call us... no check. next to the marina store; get needed engine parts; not in; check but reenter: f/u engine part delivery. on to gypsy; remove bolts where leak was detected. i had looked on the underside of the hull where the strut emerged and attached to the shaft of the propeller and there was no visible sign of the exterior part of the bolt. as the removal process progressed, i was assigned to the exterior of the hull to report on the emergence of the bolt. i was horrified when the intact hull showed a rectangular crack and then a large chunk of the fiberglass broke way and the bolt protruded. added to the list: purchase 4 replacement bolts, replace bolts one by one to maintain alignment, patch fiberglass bedding that surrounds the strut plate. the list goes on...

Gypsy on the hard - dan

Gypsy's been hauled out of the water and now looks a little forlorn sitting on the side of the harbor in Noank. All propped up and devoid of her mast she's out of her element. Definitely not as much fun as when she's in the water but we'll be able to do things for her that we just couldn't do if she was afloat. There's a lot to do in order to get her ready for our voyage. Right now our To-Do list looks like this:

Things we need to do:
Replace all the standing, solid bar rigging with Type 316 stainless wire
Add a removable inner forestay and running back stays
Have our storm jib re-cut to fit on the new inner forestay
Replace the old vinyl coated lifelines with uncoated 316 stainless wire
Build a Jordan series drogue
Mount 2 large solar panels (450 watts total) to the bimini
New covers for the dodger & bimini made out of Sunbrella Supreme & Strataglass
New Sail cover with extra UV protection for main sail
Metal security grates made for the companion way & main deck hatch
Install a rain water catchment system
Add a Pactor modem to the single side band radio
Pick up a back up auto pilot
Move engine raw water strainer to a more accessible location
Pick up 2 new anchors; a Rocna 25 & a Spade A100
Re-bed and replace bolts for the cutlass baring support shaft
Pick up electronic & paper charts for the first quarter of the trip
Re-document the vessel
Obtain ship's radio license
Replace most incandescent lights with LEDs

Things we've done so far:
Bought a Avon 6 person offshore liferaft
Bought a ARC EPIRB with integral GPS
Bought a Avon 310 RIB dinghy
Removed the engine & shore power driven refrigeration unit
Removed the engine & shore power hot water tank
Decommissioned the forward head and started to remove the vanity in order to create storage space

Good news, bad news - dan

Leaks are bad news in general. They violate one of the most important rules of boating; "Keep the water on the outside". The good news is that Susan found the leak (actually she found 3 of them) the bad news in this case is that we still haven't found all the leaks.
It happened during our third and most extensive leak hut to date. Armed with a flexible inspection light an inspection mirror we pulled the boat apart and probed and peered into the most inaccessible areas of the boat. I was ready to give up when Susan suggested that we take apart a small raised section of deck located in our aft cabin. I pulled out a couple of screws but couldn't get the panel free. Not convinced we'd find anything of merit I was ready to give up again when Susan suggested prying one of the glued and nailed in trim pieces. I did and then was able to pry out the panel. Low and behold we were staring right at four thru-hull bolts that secure our cutlass strut to the hull and three of them were weeping. Cheer up little bolts, we'll caulk you dry soon.

I'm thinking that the remaining leak may come from all the salt water that's running through tubing in and around the engine compartment. There are lots of hoses with dozens of fittings and accompany hose clamps. Once we're through ripping out the refrigerator with its salt water cooling system and hot water heater with all its hoses we'll have a lot less opportunity for leaks and a lot better visibility into what's going on in the engine compartment. Hope springs eternal...

The Big Picture - dan

(NASA Image)

This is a story about life, about love and about adventure. Let’s see, did I leave anything important out? Oh yes; a lot of (I won’t say “hard”, let me say “good”) work along the way.

The plan:
To reduce our worldly possessions down to the barest of essentials, just what we need to be as self-sufficient as possible. Plus whatever treasures and family heirlooms we may not be evolved enough to let go of at the time. Then sell the cassas and set out on a leisurely around-the-word sailing trip with an open ended itinerary and no final destination in mind. That should open plenty of doors for adventure and growth.

The rout:
We plan to set out from Mystic Connecticut on November 1st of 2009 bound for Bermuda. After a short say in Bermuda we’ll head for the southern end of the Bahamas. From there we might make a short stop in Florida for brief visit with my brother and his family. Next is the Dry Tortugas then on to Cozumel and a run down the Yucatan peninsula to Belize visiting Glover’s atoll and Lighthouse, enjoying the barrier reef along the way. We’ll then work our way up the Rio Dulce in Guatemala for the Hurricane season. While in Guatemala we’ll have plenty of time to explore the surrounding inland areas as we wait for the end of H season.

After the Rio Dulce we’ll head south to Islas de la Bahia in Honduras then on to the legendarily beautiful San Blas islands in Panama. Then it will be westward through the ditch and up to Costa Rica for more exploration. From Costa we head south to Equator. When were through there we’ll head west to the Galapagos then on to the Marquesas.

After that the plan starts to get hazy. With so many incredible islands in the Pacific open to us it boggles the mind. Way out into the future looms New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Bali, Thailand, incredible India, Africa (wow), Brazil and dare I mention Europe & the Mediterranean. Those are just some of the high points. It’s hard to even imagine it all at one, I have to break it up in bite size chunks to conceptualize it all.

So that’s the big picture, at least as well as I can sketch it out from here. I’ll let you know more as we get there. This is the story of that great journey and when I say journey I’m not just referring to the travel. Sure the traveling and sailing will be a bit part of it but there are lots of other adventures going on at the same time. There will be the interesting and challenging journey to self-reliance and self-sufficiency. A journey deep into nature, our own and the planet’s. And one of my most anticipated ones, the journey and adventure of getting to know Susan on a much deeper level that I think would orderly be possible in our day to day “civilized” lives. That’s all in the future. For now, in the moment, our adventure consists of preparing the boat for voyaging, preparing our homes for market and preparing our lives to go mobile and off the grid. Lots to do…

decisions... susan

our planning and preparation continues. dan is definitely our organizer and the most knowledgeable about our sailing needs. his system of anticipating the rhythm of the process which includes getting the rigger, the canvas maker and the stainless steel fabricator lined up is well thought out and pleasurable. we are a great team. there is no competition for first place because we are each fulfilling our dream. we discuss the choices we have to make and listen to one another brainstorm our options. the decision about whether the fresh water should be pressurized as gypsy is already set up or whether we should eliminate the pressure and put both the fresh water and the salt water on foot pumps causes us both to speculate. our intention is that as we cruise our family and friends will join us in various ports. although i wish to be a gracious hostess, i imagine we will set the tone to our guests as to how we live aboard our boat; which may not be the way they are accustomed. water can't run freely down the drain as you brush your teeth! so far i have gladly scooped sea water in a bucket over the side to wash the dishes. a spray bottle of fresh water allows me to rinse. so what will be most convenient day after day in varying conditions? after a discussion imaging a variety of scenarios we decided to keep the fresh water pressurized and add a salt water pump to our galley sink.

Beginnings – dan

Where does one start, rarely at the beginning is my observation. Where is the real beginning of anything, tell me that? True beginnings are hard to put your finger on so my inclination is to jump right in and let momentum carry me along until things sorted themselves out. So here I go:

It was a perfect day. I don’t mean to say that it was a flawless day in any or every way you might think of it but it did contain one perfect moment and that in my book makes a day perfect. It was a day of boat work and boat related meetings. An unusually warm autumn day with a gorgeous blue sky. One of those days that seem to glow with their own light.

First I met the rigger on the boat, next the yard manager, then canvas worker in his shoreline loft and finally the steel worker in his shop. It was a pleasure to talk with these marine craftspersons, men who make real things of function & beauty with their own hands and who obviously take pride in their work. In the afternoon I worked on Gypsy with my own hands.

I paused for a moment between tasks, took a conscious breath in and opened myself up to sensation; the first thing that I got was the delicious warmth of the sun on my back. Next was the sensation of Gypsy's incredible buoyancy, a very real and alive sensation of floating, the incredible uplifting potential that she has, something that fees like love. Gypsy is alive as she gently rocks in her birth, patient but definitely ready to go. As I pondered this and took in the joy of buoyancy that was brought on by a moment of broadened awareness a small dark troubling thought crepe into my awareness; the leak. The tiny but relentless and yet to be identified, threat to Gypsy's buoyancy. Like a nagging doubt or an unanswered question, I won't be satisfied till I track it down stop the unwanted flow.