05/26/2012
I'm Always At Home.
As you sit in your kitchen at the table any time of the day, and because things are so familiar, you can close your eyes and visualize which direction and how the morning sun shines in, even at night. From your bed at night as you close your eyes to the lights from your window, you can see in your mind which way the sun comes up and where it goes down. While lying there it is also easy to visualize walking out your front door, to the street or further if you wanted to. You can see in your mind what house is across the street and on either side. We take comfort in knowing and being familiar with our surroundings, what's going to change?
After living aboard Tradewinds for over 5 years in Oceanside marina, she is my home. When I looked out the window I always saw the same sight. Bath house out my forward starboard window, and the same boats on either side of me. I know every square inch of Tradewinds and every sound she makes. Back when I worked I would come home, go down the ladder into my familiar surroundings where it is always the same.
Imagine if you will, walking into your living room looking out the window to a completely different view. What would it be like for you to get up from your bed walk in the kitchen, or go to the porch or brush your teeth in the bathroom and every time you look out the window, it is a different scene. Everything outside has changed entirely. The direction the light as it comes into your kitchen is totally different. The shadows in the walls have changed and the view out your all windows are always changing, presenting something you have never seen before. But, when you are sitting in your favorite chair,drapes drawn watching TV, nothing is different everything is the same.........you're always at home.
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Comments [2]
05/23/2012
SOMEDAY
You hear from people. "Someday I'm going to........." or "Someday I'll...........
For Nancy and I, today and every day since the 3rd of April...... is"Someday." As we are sailing to somewhere in the Western Caribbean Sea, we look at each other, giggle a little and say, "this is someday". Happy Someday, to you dear. Here's to all the sailors who have sailed the seas before us, and here's to all that have said; someday I will..........but never did. Someday is a date on the calendar if you put it there. When we decided we were going to make our 1,400 nm voyage, we didn't say some day let's do that. We put a date on the calendar in bold with a note that said: 'nothing will be so important that we cannot go'. 'Someday', is the bulls eye of the future of where and what you want to be. 'Someday' cannot exist on it's own. 'Someday', needs a date. A companion that will never budge, never change. It is not a moving target, this date. It must be strong because many things will try to rub you out like you never existed. We put our date, April 2, 2012 in stone, and let no one try to change that. After about a year planning and having that date as our departure date, we shoved off on the the 3rd. Close enough to be calling today........... 'Someday'.
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"The weather started getting rough
the tiny ship was tossed
if it wasn't for the courage of the fearless crew
Tradewinds would be lost."
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05/21/2012
We left Xcalak at 07:30 traveling 78 nm to the Bahia de Espiritu Santo in seas that were quite reasonable for a change. We did have a couple light showers that actually cooled it down a little, gave Tradewinds a rinse and presented us with an awesome rainbow. We got there after 10 hrs to throw anchor in a depth of 15 ft. The winds, at that time, were very light & coming from the east. When we woke the next morning, we had clocked around & were pointing to the northwest. We wanted to make Puerto Aventuras (74 nm) before dark & were on our way by 6:30. The morning was beautiful. We had calm seas, but we were going straight into the wind again. There were some thunder heads in the distance that looked as if we would have spotty showers like the day before. Well ------------- those thunder heads became solid & we were in for another rough ride. 6 long hrs of being beat up by the sea later; we made it to Puerto Aventuras. The good thing with the storm was, along with the current pushing us north, it gave us a good easterly wind to fill our jib. Arriving here on a rainy Sunday is not the best timing in the world. When calling the marina on channel 16, no one answered. No one! The book says it is monitored 24/7, but no. Channel 79 was quiet also. So ------- we were on our own as far as getting into the marina. This entrance is very narrow with break-walls on either side. Fernando lined her up & went for it. It was definitely a bit scary as the waves tried to broach us. But keeping it at full throttle, he pulled it off and snaked our way in without hitting anything. YEA! There were a couple guys on shore who caught our lines for us & we were safely tucked back into the spot we had left a week & ½ earlier. It is so nice not to be rocking back & forth & we have A/C once more. We will stay here for a while to investigate what we did not find the last time, but without the tender we will explore on bikes. Maybe do a cenote (well) dive.
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05/18/2012
Friday 18th
When we leave here, our choice is to turn left (north) or right (south). After many discussions, we have decided to turn left. There is a lot to see here in Mexico & we will eventually head back to Isla Mujeres to hang out at El Milagro & do some diving with the Whale Sharks. Without a dinghy, we are quite limited as to what we will be able to do, so hanging at a marina will be the easiest. After spending some time there, we will be heading home. We have wedding plans to make & do not want to put it off too much longer.
We won't have internet for a couple days so I wanted write this today. Tomorrow's weather looks as if we can get underway. It's supposed to be 8 knots from the east as we go northeast. We are finding contradicting forecasts on different websites. Our plan is to just take an average & hope that's what happens. So - we will probably make it back to Bahia de Ascension the 1st night & then back to Puerto Aventuras the 2nd day, where we will have internet again. If we do not leave here tomorrow, we will post again. Until then ..............................
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Happy you are safe and taking care of each other!
05/17/2012
Xcalak (ish-ka-laack) is a sleepy little place tucked in under the radar almost at the end of the eastern side of Mexico. What a place! Most people walk or have bicycles. There are no paved roads. We have been told there are only 300 people who live here. The 3 restaurants that they do have, we think trade which days to be open. There's only 1 open on Sunday afternoon with 1 person working because of the soccer games on tv. It's kinda like stepping back in time. How about 40 yrs ago. There are no stores, groceries or otherwise, just little corner stores that sell small items. We asked a woman at the 1 restaurant how they get their food. She explained there are cars from other villages that come by daily with different things for sale or someone goes to the big city (Chetumal) & brings things back.
The young people running the dive shop/hotel are really cool. They are all ecologically minded, crazy about diving & from all over the world. Reminds me of a cute hippy hobbit. Everyone here is as helpful as can be & always smiling. Why wouldn't they be smiling? They have found something that most of the world doesn't know exists. We can see escaping to a place like this. There is no pretentiousness, no rude people thinking they are better than the next, just down to Earth lovely people.
Code enforcement would have a heyday here. The bare wires hanging with light bulbs at the end, the outside bathrooms & commodes that you cannot flush the paper down (have to put it in the trash next to the commode), no windows - just jalousies made of wood. There is so much that is so simple. How did we get to be such a want, want, want society? The only thing that really matters is what you want in your heart - which, of course is LOVE. To Love one another - whomever we are - is the answer.
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