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.

susan's words...

in the beginning











lesson 1:
my inability to start this blog is reflective of my expectation of my self.
i have not been in the habit of reading blogs and this idea of expressing myself in an authentic and interesting way has paralyzed my creativity. i have aspired to be a "writer" but when the simple challenge of telling the tale of our upcoming life journey from my point of view presents itself, i stammer with the possibility of failure.
identifying this roadblock and telling you of it up front will serve as my own permission to begin...

i have heard myself tell friends and coworkers that we plan to depart on this journey november 1, 2009, it seemed very far away. we now have passed november 1, 2008, and the countdown has started... the "to do" list expands with the current project we are working on. setting the goal of being self sustainable and of minimal impact on our planet, we hope to use the wind and the rain and our own ingenuity to make this voyage.

we have gained vast knowledge from the writings of others and are left with the application of these insights to our own tolerances for comfort.