Polite Compromise

Today Ron and I are leaving Key West and are heading to the Marquesas Islands and the Dry Tortugas. We are planning to meet up with some friends of ours from home. They are sailing as well so we’ll try to anchor out with them near Garden Key. We hope to spend a couple of days visiting, snorkeling, and exploring Fort Jefferson. The winds are extremely light this morning so we are again motoring under sail. It’s going to be about a 60 mile hop so it will take a full day to get there.

We are beginning our trek back to Houston. Ron has crossed the Gulf of Mexico quite a few times on drilling rigs, but this would be his first by sailboat. Going across the GOM is 700 miles, 6 days at sea, passing through the loop current (twice), just the two of us. He’s excited about it. Me - not so much. Yes, I love the idea of it - the adventure of it. Being all that brave and accomplishing it. But let’s be honest… I find the actual event scary as hell. The farthest offshore I’ve sailed has been about 70 miles. You lose cel phone signals at about 4 miles from shore. We have VHF radio that transmits about 25 miles. In an emergency you hope there is someone close enough to hear you. For listening to weather reports, I have a Single Side band Radio receiver. We do have all the normal safety gear - beacons, EPIRB, life raft etc. But we will still be pretty much on our own. (Can you feel my anxiety??) So we’ve decided on a compromise (get it?). We will stay offshore, but instead of going directly across, we will take a longer route and follow the coast in several large “hops” - staying close enough in that we can come into a harbour if we need fuel or have a problem. First leg will be from the Dry Tortugas to Santibel Island, staying about 65 - 70 miles out.

I bought a new inReach tracking device at the marine store this week. It uses a satellite signal and “pings” your boat position every 10 minutes to upload on a chart that can be seen by a couple of contact people (Brian/Jennifer). You can also send and receive a limited number of emails on it. For sending emails they have pre-set ones to choose from. Some of them are pretty cheesy - like “We are leaving now”, or “I’m okay”, or “Still having fun”. Since the system offers you the ability to create a few custom messages, I’ve written a few that say “Send help now!”, or “I love you very much”, and my favorite “I’m going to kill your father”. I’m sure these will be big hits with the kids. I’ll try to link the tracker to this website, so you can see it as well.

For those of you who have never been on a rocking sailboat, I want to give you an idea of some of the preparation that goes into a crossing over rolling water. First off everything has to be secured. Every drawer, hatch, cupboard, door, bin has to be closed and locked. If it can break - make sure it is put away. Dishes in the cabinet, pots & pans, groceries, bottles, electronic devices, books, everything. If you don’t - when the boat get bounced around everything falls out and can become a hazard. Basically, if it can move - secure it. Ron has been going over all the mechanical stuff, changing oil in the engines, changing filters, rechecking safety gear, looking at wear and tear on cables, ropes, standing rigging, sails, and running gear, etc. I’m trying to plan meals for the trip - understanding that at times it might be too rough to use the stove. So sandwiches/fruit/snack bars will be an option. I’ll make some more CRAP (candy, raisins, almonds, peanuts) for the night watches.

Speaking of night watches - let’s just say it out loud. I really hate them. Someone is at the helm at all times. As Ron likes to say, “There ain’t no rest areas to pull over into when you’re tired”. So we take turns. We will plan on 4 hour watches at night - and during the day I plan on stealing cat naps whenever I can. I’ve been told that you get used to the night watches on long trips and that it gets easier. I hope that’s true!

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather. You know… fair winds and following seas!