Sharing our knowledge

About a month ago, I started trading email with Dana. We haven't met in person yet although it's only a matter of time! She calls an Amel home and lives aboard with her husband and new baby... also from the US, and currently in Australia. She's percolated a cool idea that I've dubbed The Raft-Up.

One of our most memorable raft-ups: with Oso Blanco and IO, Fiji, 2010

Dana's bringing cruisers together virtually, to share our experiences with cruising on a given subject. Once a month, a bunch of us (seven at last count) will take turns offering our point of view on a particular aspect of cruising. By sharing from our knowledge, we hope to create a resource with a variety of thoughts and answers to questions about cruising and the cruising lifestyle.

Why? Why not! This project is for fun, for inspiration, for sharing. We're starting our first round of sharing this week, thinking about a question I know some armchair sailors and distant friends and family wonder: what do we DO all day?! In particular, how do hobbies you had at home translate to live on a boat? Are they same, or did they change? Space on a boat is limited, so how do choose what comes aboard?

Here's a round up of the who and when- for more about the cruisers participating, check out Dana's post.


June 2nd: Tammy, Cara Mia
June 3rd: Ean,  More Joy Everywhere
June 4th: Lynn, Celebration
June 5th: Stephanie, Norna Biron
June 6th: Jaye, Life Afloat
June 7th: Dave, Leu Cat
June 8th: me!
June 9th: Dana, Northfork

Drawn to the Ocean

What is this irresistible pull we feel for the sea? Where does it come from?

Going for an evening swim - Makemo atoll, Tuamotus, French Polynesia

Half a lifetime ago, I lived for a while in Bali. My Balinese family was fascinated by the attraction of the coastline for all the tourists. For Balinese, it’s the realm of fishermen… who usually don’t even know how to swim. Not really a local pastime. We had much discussion over why it was appealing for all these people to hang out on the beach and splash in the sea.

Here's how they explained it. First, you need the context that rivers in Bali wash waste into the sea. Until plastic became widespread 30ish years ago, that wasn’t much of a problem… you just hucked your plant-based garbage over the walls of the family compound to a ravine below. Those ravines- they’re everywhere on this big cone-shaped volcanic island. Water runs through them from the peak to the shoreline, sweeping refuse out to the ocean and away.

In Balinese culture, when a baby is born, the placenta and umbilical cord are buried in a sacred place at the entrance to the family compound. It’s done to ensure that children will always find their way home again. In modern western countries, babies are usually born in hospitals, not homes. And what do hospitals do with their waste? Incinerate it, of course, but my Balinese family didn’t know about that. They applied their frame of reference and assumed that the hospital waste (and thus, the placentas and umbilical cords for all those babies) were washed down a ravine, and into the sea.

My family's theory, then: all these visitors from outside… they are irresistibly drawn to the sea by the syren call of their collective placentas and umbilical cords… drawing them back to the place where these precious parts of life have been swept. Their reaction? Between amusement and pity. All those poor souls, unable to find their way home.

I love that explanation, but I love this quote from JFK even more.

I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.

At the end of the day, they aren't terribly far apart.

When bad things happen to good dinghies

As cruisers, our dinghies are a lifeline. So when we heard from our friends on Ceilydh this morning that yesterday's beautiful day had ended on a sour note when their dinghy was stolen, we had an inkling of the kind of gut punch it probably felt like.



Better days in the tender to Ceilydh

As I can draw a finger along the path of our travels, there are only a handful places where we didn't spend our nights at anchor. We have a few options for going ashore, but the dinghy is our fundamental  mode of transportation. And every once in a while, bad things happen to good dinghies.

Although we felt safer in Mexico than we have pretty much anywhere, there were a couple of places where petty theft could be a problem and it was imprudent to leave your dinghy in the water overnight. Word gets out on the "coconut telegraph" about hot spots. Lock the outboard, lock the dinghy to the boat, and haul them up in one manner or another. We would generally just use a halyard clipped into a webbing harness Jamie made for the dinghy and pull it up to about deck height, rather than going through the full stowage procedure. The über cautious (or those that don't like cleaning dinghy bottoms!) haul theirs every time.

On shore as well, security was only occasionally an issue. In locales where it was, there was generally an enterprising person you could pay to watch your tender and ensure it would be there waiting for you after a shore trip. If not, we'd just turn it into a shuttle, and split up our trips.

It's kind of a bummer that here, in what has felt like such a safe place, we seem to be around a dinghy hotspot. I'm not sure how often it happens, but it's occurred twice to people we know- and that's really more than enough. In Mexico, petty theft probably meant a meaningful income to the perpetrators. What appears to be the happening here skews toward hooliganism and joy rides, the by product of people who are probably just bored or drunk. It's a lot harder to forgive.

Ceilydh has an inflatable kayak, but that's not really effective as the single mode of shore transport for their busy family. So today, instead of enjoying a leisurely Mother's Day, they were renting a car to tool around SE Queensland in search of a dinghy and outboard to purchase.

Some dinghies at the Brisbane city dock are locked, and some aren't. We have had a far from a perfect record of locking ours, although I suspect we'll be better now.

Integrity is for sale, and it is cheap

I recently received a solicitation for advertising on the blog. At first blush it was intriguing... flattering, even. I briefly imagined some of the great stuff we use on board Totem, and being approached by one of the manufacturers to share more about something I already use and love. So I asked for details.


Hey, sometimes people actually are interested in what we have to share.

Well, the reply to that email was a whiplash back to reality and minor casualty for the ego. The advertiser: a creator of educational websites. The pitch: an article would be written for me by their writers, containing promo content and links to the advertiser's sites. The catch: I would be expected to post their work to the blog as if it were my own; it could not be identified as a paid/sponsored post.

The return for accepting?

$10!

Happily, I read the reply on my phone instead of at my laptop... the snorting and spluttering of tea after reading their offer might have have done real damage to the keyboard.

I am stunned at how cheap the price of integrity is and somewhere between sad and amazed that there are enough people selling out to make this viable. And you know what? It's really not even the content of the article that they care about. The advertisers are mainly after the links that go in the content. It's just a cheap trick for link building, to help the advertiser's sites build their quality score and improve their placement in the organic returns in search engines. Imagine the quality of the post that would be provided...

It made me think about when we're being sold to. I'd like to think that whatever I got from the unnamed educational portal would be freakishly different from the typical post here, but advertising is not always obvious. Those glossy magazines that prompt us to dream, that show us the boats and tools to help us sail away toward the horizon...when are we reading one writer's truth? And when are we reading an "advertorial" fiction?

There's definitely some great writing in the mags (thank you, Fatty Goodlander, for all those excellent CW contributions). And they include material from some other awesome writers we know (*cough* Diane! *cough*) who write about their direct personal experiences with a place or product - not blind placements. We write a monthly article for 48 North, and our only editorial pressure is to write honestly from our cruising experiences in a way that is interesting and relevant for the boaters reading at home.

Ultimately, most mags are in the business of selling advertising. Sometimes that ad is in a box on the page. Sometimes it's more subtle. A friend of ours in the marine industry was recently approached by a magazine for "reviews" of his products.  Basic product reviews started around $150; new boat model reviews went for $2,000 plus expenses. Did your gut just clench too? And not in a good way? It's all just selling, but when you look at how they are presented, it's not apparent. That's just not cool.

What's the best way to figure out what you need to know? It's different for everyone. For me- it means getting a lot of opinions, from a variety of sources- but leaning most toward the experience of those who are our cruising compadres, and those who have gone before us. Their integrity is not for sale, and neither is ours.

What do you need to go cruising? Part 4: well... not Stuff.

It was fun putting together the series of posts about things you to think about sourcing in advance for your future cruising life. No question, there are some great economies when you can take the time to wait for sales or have the patience to troll for deals online.


Most important: getting OUT THERE! CraigsList kayak a bonus.

We have a tendency to want to solve our problems, or seek to actualize our future, by going out and buying things to fix them. Take a look at the market of all things environmental. Does buying something you don't need make you an environmentalist? Mostly, it just makes you a consumer influenced by marketing. Spending money on “stuff” doesn't make you the person you want to be. Planning and acting on your plans go a lot further than discretionary dollars when it comes to realizing your dreams.

So before you buy something that tastes and smells and feels like your cruising dream, consider if it will really help- if it can really bring your dream closer to reality. Sometimes, yes. But I think of the kind of boat a friend referred to as a Dock Queen. All dressed up, but not going anywhere. And the friends with lots of things, but little time to enjoy them.

The truth is, most of the path of acquisition really does feel like a distraction.

So think about it this way. Cruising is a few years away. Is there something you need to replace in your daily life, that can be replaced with something that will later make the transition to your boat? Put the "marine" filter onto the things you do need, and make smarter choices.

Or maybe- maybe, it's not the Stuff at all. Probably the best pre-cruising preparation I had was a couple of weeks of training with Nancy Earley.

Hands-on learning with the patient and knowledgeable Nancy

Nancy leads on-board ISPA certification experiences from her boat, Tethys, on which she has completed two circumnavigations. The time I spent with her was invaluable. I couldn't dock our boat, so we spent hours (and hours, and hours) one day while I made pass after pass until I had it nailed. In my head, in my muscles, and in my heart. She answered all questions, from the inane (I am sure I had them) to those based in fear of the unknown and helped point down the path.

You can have all the right gear, all the right books, but knowledge and confidence are more important than all the Stuff you can buy put together. What are the gaps you need to fill?

Radio and Weather Guru Don Anderson

This weekend, Don Anderson's ashes are being scattered in his home waters near Oxnard, California. Don analyzed weather data and shared the information via radio "nets" to cruisers around the north Pacific, particularly Mexico. Our introduction to Don was through the Amigo net, a daily marine maritime net we participated in for the better part of two years. We were dedicated listeners and participants from the days before we first entered Mexico, in late 2008, through our departure in early 2010.


La Gringa, one of many anchorages where we listened to Don's forecast

Don didn't just bring dependable interpretation of weather data. He seemed to take his role as an educator of newbie cruisers to both radio and to the real (and unpleasant) possibilities of weather seriously, to the benefit of all. Nobody would ever tell you that Don held back when offering his analysis. He also didn't let proper radio handling protocol slide.

This wasn't just edifying, it was refreshing. Cruisers on radio nets tend to "go with the flow" rather than voice disagreement or challenge the view of another. It's a gross generalization, but I can't think of any instances from the Nets to the contrary. The truth is, these things are extremely important. It wasn't a picnic to be the target of his ire, but Don's frank corrections helped many cruisers get over the hurdle of participating and figure it out. I remember thinking it felt a little bit like a badge of honor to be taken to task by Don for a lapse in my radio handling (the particular infraction was using Ham jargon on a marine SSB frequency).

With many cruising miles under his own keel, I think Don understood better than most just how critical his information was to boats "out there," especially those getting their cruising feet wet in Mexico- a common first stop (and for many, the last one as well).  The schedule of nets he participated in attest to the many hours he gave to his volunteer role - as much one would give to a full time job. He did this year in, year out, with few breaks. If you asked for his help, he gave it, and offered support outside the schedule for cruisers needing different tuning and timing to make a connection. His volunteerism is admirable, and it's inspiring.

For someone who we never met, his personality loomed large for us as it did for many others. Don's  forecasts were often shared in a way that could be particularly...enthusiastic, especially when severe weather loomed. I'll confess that we let the tone of Don's delivery color our conversations long after the Net was over. Can he have any idea how many times his name was invoked over a few Pacifico ballenas in a Baja cockpit? During the 2009 hurricane season we spent up in the Gulf of California, one member of the fleet even composed a song in his honor: the Don Anderson Rag could be heard at cruiser potlucks and floating sundowners all season. Jamie (who has a similar propensity to be energized by the delivery of severe weather information... I may have referred to him as Calamity Jamie before) took to using deliberately Don-like tone and cadence to share his own weather opinions. 

If someday we can give back to the cruising community at a fraction of the level Don achieved, I'd be very proud. I wish we could have told him in person how much he gave to our little floating family on Totem, but it's some comfort to share that with his family. He leaves some big shoes indeed.

Did you benefit from Don's contributions? His family set up an email address to share your thoughts with them. It would mean a lot for him to hear from cruisers who have benefitted from his knowledge over the years. Send yours to SummerPassage@gmail.com. 

Keeping holidays: and island style Easter

A future cruiser had asked recently about celebrating holidays after you've left behind the familiar traditions at home. Was it good to plan ahead and bring packages with those unique specialties that are in tune with memories of how you usually celebrate?


Mairen hunting for Easter eggs - Moreton Island, Australia

We've had the chance to do a little of both, and with time and perspective, have found that what works for us is not to import the familiar (or dig it up from locker stash) but to create what is meaningful for you from what's available.

At departure, our children's ages (4, 6 and 9) put them smack in the heart of egg-hunting-chocolate-bunny-eating-Easter-basket-madness. We had some very specific rituals and accessories. But when we left, we didn't bring any of the usual Easter accoutrements with us, in part because we assumed the basics would be available in Mexico. Not so much, as it turned out!

Our first Mexican Easter was in the coastal town of San Blas. Few gringos and definitely no Paas dye kits. We found veggies in town to make our own dyes with, Mexican chocolate treats, held an egg hunt on board and didn't feel the least bit deprived.

The second year, friends brought good ol' bright colored store-bought kits down from the States. We were in the marina in La Cruz with a herd of other prospective "jumpers," getting ready to take off for our Pacific crossing. Easter would actually fall a few days after cast off, so there was a celebration for the kids during the week prior to departure. Lots of fun, to be sure. More familiar, more like Easter at home.

It sounded like such a great idea at the time. But- it missed something. In hindsight, I realized how much I loved our previous improvised holiday. Learning to appreciate how much we could make our own fun by working with what was on hand, to give a holiday the color and vibration of the place we find ourselves.

Our Australian Easters have been on the theme. Our first Aussie Easter was among our marina friends from Sydney. Let me tell you: Oz Easter is all about the chocolate bunnies. Forget the peeps and the jellybeans. It's CHOCOLATE. I think every one of the half dozen boats brought our children chocolate bunnies. No deprivation there!

This year we anchored off Moreton Island with our friends on Ceilydh and Oso Blanco. There aren't egg dye kits in Oz, either, so we're back to the purple cabbage, tumeric, and onion skins to color ours. Our "dinosaur" eggs were hidden in the scrub of the island nearby, in a sandy saddle that felt like a tropical fairy dell. And we had chocolate bunnies... lots of bunnies. That evening, a combined feast brought together our traditions...roasted leg of lamb, and a big wreath of Italian egg bread.


Keeping it simple... still plenty of fun, without all the Stuff.



Sitting back with our cruising friends, we came up with a rough rule of thumb. Sabbatical cruisers, who are working in a finite window of time for their adventures afloat, are more likely to have a Paas kit in the bilge, a favorite flavor of cake mix stashed in the provisions. On a more open ended path like ours, that planning and stowing isn't practical and falls to the side compared with other priorities. I think it's a gift: we open our selves to find the core of the holiday from our own traditions, and the best of what ever country we claim guest status has to share to broaden our experience...

...like dune surfing. Happy Easter, all, from Totem!


Easter weekend on Moreton Island: boogie boarding down the monster sand dunes