Back in Seattle
11 June 2014 | Seattle, WA
Richard
On May 1st I traveled from Auckland to Seattle, cruising upwind at 500 miles/hour. I had a window seat, and a few times I tried to raise my window shade an inch or two to take a peek at the Pacific Ocean, now 6 miles below, which I'd gotten to know so closely and intimately a few months earlier. But each time I raised the shade I was scolded by a flight attendant for letting a slim ray of sunlight into the cabin of presumably sleeping passengers.
Osprey's three and a half week voyage, while a bit slower than mine, was still her fastest passage by far, perched atop a loaded container ship, wrapped up and strapped down, as safe as an enfant in a seat-belted car seat. After leaving Auckland she made brief stops in Fiji and California before arriving in Tacoma.
After Osprey's arrival, she had to sit on the Tacoma shipping dock for a few days until US Customs came by to inspect her. They cut the companionway padlock but otherwise left no indication of their visit, except for a couple of small pieces of green tape that quietly declared, "Examined by US Customs." Then Osprey had a short truck ride, with front and back escort vehicles and flashing lights, to a nearby boatyard where she was re-rigged and bottom-painted. Last week I motored her up to Seattle, our starting point 21 months ago.
The Journey's End?
19 April 2014 | Auckland, NZ
Richard
A few days ago I motored Osprey over to the boatyard, where she was lifted out of the water just long enough for some measurements to be taken, from which a travel cradle will be constructed. This week I'll be removing sails, solar panels, bimini, and dodger. Then Thursday it's back to the boatyard, this time for mast removal and final haul-out. Osprey will be placed on her new cradle, shrink-wrapped, moved onto a shipping "flat rack", and trucked to the loading dock. Finally she'll be lifted onto the deck of a cargo vessel. A little less than three weeks later, she'll be set onto a dock in Tacoma, Washington. Another truck ride will bring her to a nearby boatyard for bottom painting and re-rigging. Then she'll get to travel under her own power on the final leg of her journey, up Puget Sound to Seattle, where the trip began 20 months ago.
The trip seems to have taken much longer than 20 months, probably because planning and preparation began soon after we returned from our sail to Hawaii and back, in the summer of 2010. It took a full two years for both Brian and me to get the boat, the household, and finances in order so that we could depart. And even then the last couple of months before we left were quite hectic.
For me, this sailing trip was not a "bucket list" item (I hate that term). It was a thrill and a wonderful learning experience, and it required lots of planning, commitment, energy, time, and financial outlay. But it was not something that drove me or defined me. When discussing the trip, I've often said that I had plans but no goals. I meant that safe cruising requires extensive planning and preparation, but for me there were no landfalls which, if not reached, would cause me to be disappointed or consider the trip a failure.
Each day has been an adventure. Each country, anchorage, marina, and town was a place I'd not visited before, and may not see again. I never thought, "Oh, this place is ok but where I really want to be is in X, Y, or Z." (Ok, maybe I did start to think that way, a little, while waiting in Tonga for toilet parts from New Zealand.) If there was a goal, it was the journey itself and not any particular landfall.
I always said I'd take it a year at a time, re-evaluating as the journey progressed. In Mexico a little over a year ago, there was almost no question that we'd cross the Pacific in the coming season. Some folks we met decided to spend an additional year in Mexico, and Brian and I considered it briefly. But our momentum was toward a Pacific crossing and we stuck to our plan. This year the situation is different. With Brian no longer sailing with me I'd need to find other crew. I have no interest in single-handing across oceans. And although some folks pick up new crew for each passage, constant crew-shopping doesn't appeal to me. I've had an amazing, wonderful time on this trip, but I quite honestly do not feel the need to continue another two or three years in order to circumnavigate.
The joys of cruising are numerous. You meet amazingly wonderful people. You get to travel by wind-power for days and sometimes weeks at a time. You see beautiful places and experience cultures that most people will never get near. You do something that many people either can't comprehend or are too frightened to consider.
The downsides of cruising are also numerous. They include constant maintenance and repair tasks on a boat that is in use 365 days a year instead just summer weekends and vacations. Passages can be exciting but are also long, tiring, and uncomfortable. In port, days and sometimes weeks are spent waiting for bad weather to pass so that you can raise anchor and move to the next destination.
Surprisingly, getting healthy amounts of exercise can be a challenge. One imagines how healthy the cruising life will be, sailing the boat, snorkeling, hiking. But really, sailing across an ocean requires only a few sail adjustments, snorkeling is mostly just floating around and pointing at things, and vigorous hiking doesn't happen much because it's too hot. When I got to Auckland, I joined a gym and bought a bicycle to get back into shape. (Also, the hiking in New Zealand is phenomenal.)
Everyone who cruises must occasionally reassess. Should we continue sailing west? Should we turn around and bash against the trade winds to get back to North America? Should we stay where we are for a year, get work permits, and refresh our bank account? Should we sell the boat and go home? Should we keep the boat and ship it home? Of the people I've met, some fall into each of these categories. There is no single right answer. I've made my choice, and it's right for me.
So is the journey over? No, of course not. This leg may be coming to an end but there will be many more trips and routes, both new and familiar, in the future. The journey will never end.
Photos of South Island
07 April 2014
Richard
I've created another photo gallery, "New Zealand, South Island". It contains photos from my three-week campervan trip to the South Island.
Photos of North Island
01 April 2014
Richard
I've added a new photo album, "New Zealand, North Island". Click on the Photo Gallery link.
Back in Auckland
30 March 2014
Richard
I'm back in Auckland after spending three weeks on New Zealand's South Island, living in a camper van. The scenery was spectacular and I will post some of my photos in the next few days.
Now that April is almost here I'll be focused on preparing both myself and the boat for our journeys back to Seattle. I'll be traveling by airplane, arriving May 1st, and Osprey will be traveling via cargo ship, arriving mid-May.
Brian is off to Australia for 5 weeks. After that he'll be back in Auckland before heading to New Hampshire for the month of June.
Phew!
15 March 2014 | Auckland, NZ
Richard
Cruisers head south to New Zealand during cyclone season to avoid the cyclones that develop in the tropics. Imagine everyone's surprise and anguish a few days ago when reports began to show Cyclone Lusi heading directly for New Zealand's north island. And I'm on the south island in a camper van, an airplane-ride away from the boat in Auckland.
As the last three or four days have passed it became clearer that Lusi was determined to hit NZ. The only question was with what strength, as it headed south and started to break up. Early forecasts were for gales, but yesterday the forecast winds were increased to gusts of up to 50-60 knots.
Brian, who is in Auckland, offered to take care of the boat. He took off some of the exterior canvas and made sure nothing outside was loose and capable of flying away in a strong wind, and stayed aboard the boat to make sure all was well.
Luckily the winds that arrived today were less than predicted for the Auckland area, and Brian said he didn't see anything stronger than 30 knots. Friends further north reported stronger winds of 40 knots.
The nasty weather is supposed to dissipate tomorrow.
Addendum, 3/16: Brian stayed aboard again last night and said the winds did get a bit stronger, sustained mid 30's for awhile before dropping back into the teens early this morning.