A Mindset for Long Passages

Preparing for a long passage isn't just provisioning, topping up the fuel and checking out boat systems. Part of the preparation is in our heads. We need to prepare mentally for a long passage. An overnight or a couple of days isn't usually a big deal, but planning to be at sea for weeks or even months is a whole different story.

The differences between living at sea on passage versus hanging out in a marina are huge. I'm not talking about the conveniences of the marina, I'm talking more about the social interaction, the proximity to help if you need it and our general mindset about heading off across an ocean. Nine of Cups always seems so big when we're trying to maneuver her in a tight marina. When we're at sea, Cups seems so tiny and insignificant in the middle of a vast ocean. We're totally alone … just we two and Nine of Cups. Sometimes it makes us gulp; other times we've never felt so free.

Having crossed a few oceans now, we're more prepared for what to expect … the good, the bad and the ugly. Though ocean passages are pretty unpredictable, we've at least dealt with the day-to-day issues and know that they can be handled. Part of becoming comfortable with long passages is getting into the swing of things. For the first few days, we might be seasick and we always seem tired. That passes quickly. Soon, we're in sync with the rock and roll and pitch of the boat and we take it in stride. We get into a schedule of short, usually restful, naps. We cook, read, do chores, chat and life aboard becomes “normal”. Having experienced all this makes the upcoming passage all the easier to handle. And of course, now that we're convinced the world is actually round and we won't fall off the edge, there's a little less angst about leaving.

So, how do we get into a long passage mindset? We know some folks who come in for a week and decide to take off immediately and just go. For us, it's a process. Part of the process is the ritual of provisioning and fueling up and making sure the boat is shipshape. We set a departure date a week or so out and then work towards that date getting both the boat and the crew prepared to take off.

Our longest non-stop passage to date was in 2007 – Ascension Island in the South Atlantic to Charleston, South Carolina on a diagonal route. It spanned 42 days and about 4,200 nautical miles. It was a long, long passage. Yet, as we neared the “C” buoy off the entrance to the Ashley-Cooper Rivers leading to Charleston, we felt a certain amount of reluctance and regret. Our passage had the usual ups and downs, but in general, life aboard was good and now we were back in port. Surprisingly, we found we needed a similar mindset transition to re-enter civilization. Who would have thunk it?

Now that the chainplates are completed and the new rigging is being installed, we're hoping for a reasonable weather window soon. With a little help from Neptune, we're hoping to leave Cape Town within the next week. We're in our “getting ready to leave” countdown mode as I write and looking forward to a new adventure.

In the beginning...

Today, we start the first day of our 16th year aboard Nine of Cups. Fifteen years ago on May 21st, 2000, early on a hot, hazy morning, we slid out of our berth at the Portofino Marina in Kemah, Texas and never looked back … except to take this photo, of course.

There was a bit of trepidation and a bit of angst, but mostly there was sheer exultation and joy … we were beginning our liveaboard life at last. Where would Nine of Cups take us? Would we enjoy living aboard as much as we had anticipated? Were we ready? Would we adapt to this drastically different lifestyle and embrace it as much we hoped?

We had taken on a new crew member the week before … an SPCA-born grey-nosed kitten that we named Magellan … Jelly, for short. She was mewing and howling with the new movement of the boat that she'd never experienced before. She would, in time, become a good sailor, but at that moment she wasn't sure that her new life was one that suited her … nor were we.

There were so many dragons to slay, so many places we wanted to go, so much to see and do. I remember David sitting at the saloon table, paper charts, dividers and parallel ruler at hand, plotting our first passage across the Gulf of Mexico.

There was so much to learn … that steep learning curve we've often described. It was wondrous and overwhelming at the same time. That first passage took us five days and 652 nm from Kemah to St. Petersburg, Florida.

Ever since then, it's been just a little further. And here we are … 80,000 miles later on the opposite side of the planet. How could we have ever dreamed then just how grand it would be? Our only regret? That we didn't start this cruising life sooner.

For more pics of the early days aboard, check out the Nine of Cups website.

An Invitation to a Braai

A “braai” (pronounced “bry” and rhymes with cry for non-Afrikaans speakers, like most of us) is the South African word for barbeque or grill or a cook-out. It's a social custom in South Africa and we felt particularly pleased when we were invited to an evening braai at the home of our new young friends, Benjamin and Belinda.

In the late afternoon on a foggy, dark day, Benjamin picked us up at the yacht club on his way home from work and fought bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway to bring us home with him  … usually 15 minutes, but with traffic closer to 45 minutes. Ben chatted affably all the way and was still chipper when we arrived in the Cape Town suburb of Parklands, despite the heavy traffic and crazy drivers.  Security is a big factor in Cape Town. Their two story house is surrounded by a very high, electrified fence and a substantial remote-activated gate provides access to their driveway and garage. It's a bit more than the white picket fence we're used to.

The plan was to cook outside on their built-in BBQ or perhaps sit by the fire pit, but soon after we arrived, the rain began and as the evening progressed, it became colder and colder. Using the oven seemed like a better idea for the roast chicken and potatoes. We drank wine and chatted till dinner was ready. They've been married only two years and they've just purchased their first house AND Belinda is expecting in December. They're slowly acquiring “stuff” for the house. Beyond all these new exciting events, they're still interested in learning more about the liveaboard life and sailing off into the sunset.

In spite of her comments to the contrary and many apologies, Belinda prepared  and served a lovely meal made all the more enjoyable because I didn't have to cook it! It is always a privilege and a compliment when people invite us into their homes. It's not the same as meeting in a restaurant or having drinks at the yacht club. It's a more intimate look into their lives and the sharing that takes place is always very special.

It was late (past cruiser midnight, i.e. after 9pm) when they both drove us back to the yacht club. We said goodnight with heartfelt hugs and well wishes and hopes of getting together again … either before we leave Cape Town or perhaps in some lovely anchorage some time in the future.