Take to the sea

The (mis)adventures of two dreamers that do

Two truths and a lie: brief notes from solitude

Caves and deserts are important features in hermit myths. They represent an interior space, surrounded by desolation, which echoes the surroundings of the vessel of our minds, evoking an experience of being alone inside your thoughts. As a person who knows what it is to multitask too far and stretch one’s mind until sheer, I have fantasized about eliminating extraneous thought and reducing the voices in my head (let’s not get excited, you have them too. right?) to one, perhaps even none.

September 2014: cruising budget

The total spending for September was $1491. A couple annotations: Shopping – One word – Amazon. Adventure – My expenses during my trip back to the US are lumped into […]

And the Liebster award goes to…

When I got back to the boat we had a friendly message from Jody and Peter at Where the Coconuts Grow announcing our nomination for the LIEBSTER AWARDS! What are the Liebster Awards? I didn’t know either. Some equate it to a chain letter (are we bringing those back in style?) while others equate it to the participant ribbon of the blogosphere. Congratulations! You have a blog! And someone actually reads it? Huzzah!

One year on the hook: life at anchor in Central America

We recently celebrated one year of living at anchor. It was a lifestyle we were both eager to try out, though we certainly weren’t without concern. This lifestyle transition was made partly by choice, but mostly by necessity. Marinas down in Central America (Costa Rica in particular) are far too costly. They tend to prefer the sports fishing crowd whose money reverberates even in their absence. If you listen closely, very closely, you might be able to hear the ever so subtle ping of our money dispersing into the community. 

The hard way: changing a cutless bearing underwater

After my adventure in anxiety out at the Ladrones, I dropped my anchor in a small sandy cove on Isla Parida and set up camp, prepared to stay until the food ran out. Ahead of me lay unwatched days without time, place, or distraction. My list of personal ambitions was extensive, but as always, the boat comes first. I laid out the entirety of my tool supply on Harmony’s settee almost immediately and began what I hoped to be my final return to operating on our engine’s drivetrain – the place where our propeller shaft exits the bottom of the boat. Nautical proctology, if you like.

Log from the solo sail – Part 3

There I was in the middle of nowhere in the Ladrones cluster of islands, heading further out to sea towards my ultimate desert island destination. It was morning and I had just hauled anchor and put up my sails, drinking my coffee and listening to tunes through the cabin speakers, when I heard an airplane buzz. That’s weird, I thought, I haven’t seen an airplane in months. Suddenly I see it: a small, maybe 10-person twin prop airplane painted drab gray green. It reminded me of something old fashioned. It makes a pass over the island chain, and as I watch it, in my imagination the seabirds in the sky just increased in number by one. I try to follow this phantom bird, but it’s lost in a mirage.

Log from the solo sail – Part 2

Harmony left on Monday, and I intended to raise anchor on Tuesday. Today was Friday. Such it is with trying to leave on boats.

On the morning I was set to leave Boca Chica, I went to secure the loose articles on deck and was struck dumb. It seems some idiot forgot to screw down the cap for the diesel deck fill on our main fuel tank (the one we put back into commission last year in Chiapas) before leaving the boat for two days to take Harmony to the bus. It rained hard both days. Our side decks have proven to be excellent rain catchers. 

Son of a motherless —

Log from the solo sail – Part 1

Harmony’s off in the states for four weeks! All the space is mine! I report now only to Tack. 

With Harmony and our friends Mary and Perry all out of town at the same time, our English afterschool program at the school is going on hiatus. Not that I couldn’t manage a room of 30 rowdy kids spanning from Kinder to Grade 8, without a coherent lesson plan, but — actually I probably couldn’t manage that. Plus, even down here a person needs to think about liability when children are in your care. So everything’s shut down and I’m here all by my lonesome. What kind of trouble can I get into? I do have this boat . .

August 2014: cruising budget

The total expenses for August were $1639. A couple annotations: Transportation – Continues to be expensive, especially as we add water taxis to the mix! Personal Care – Doctor fees […]