Casting Off. Letting Go.

In the ocean cruising world they say the hardest part is casting off from your home port. The unknowns linger large in our brains. Will there be another boat project that pops up unexpectedly? Do we have enough provisions? What will the weather be? Have we done enough for now?

We put these questions aside this Thursday morning and we cast off! Goodbye to Ventura, goodbye to our local friends, goodbye to the herons and egrets who kept a smile on our faces through all the stressful moments. It’s a cool but bright sunny morning as we motor out of the harbor. An outrigger canoeist on a morning workout escorts us out to the opening of the harbor. He has no idea it is Gypsy’s final exit from this place. I thank him and he thanks us for the ‘ride’.

Our course is set for San Diego, 30 hours or so to our south. We will mostly parallel the California coast to our port side and intermittently view the Channel Islands to our starboard side. We’re not far from civilization so the enormity of what’s ahead hasn’t sunk in yet. We’ll stay in San Diego several days, find a farmer’s market to finish provisioning, change the oil and attend to a few other boat details. The South Pacific is our ultimate destination but for the next week or so we don’t have to completely let go.

We’ve mostly let go physically. My belongings are in storage and at my dad’s. Bob’s belongings are mostly here on Gypsy. Letting go emotionally is a bit more challenging. Saying goodbye to loved ones is never easy. Farewell embraces always hold the question, will I ever see this friend again? My optimistic self always pulls through for me, answering that question with a yes, and helps me through these moments.

One of the milestones for me during this ‘letting go’ process was selling my car. Yes, this was a physical ‘let-go’ but also an emotional one. My Tucson and I had been together just shy of 15 years. She transported me through the majestic Montana prairies and mountains for 7 years then safely moved me across the country four times. We saw the beauty of the open roads together and navigated through the fickle temperaments of Mother Nature. She was a good friend and I will miss her.

Bob and I both hold some sadness in our hearts as we cast off from Ventura. The sadness that goes along with these goodbyes. Right next to the sadness though awaits the anticipation. The excitement to experience the unknown. What will we find out there in the Pacific Ocean? Time will tell. Until then, we are working on letting go.