Thursday, February 8, 2005
Bradenton Beach , FL
After one whole month ashore, I’ve decided to pen some reflections on our journey and put the journal of this trip to bed. With the passage of time I can now put things in the proper prospective. While we are disappointed our trip is over, we certainly hold warm memories of our seven months at sea. We can step back and see just how wonderful, how special our voyage was in terms of personal achievement, growth, and adventure.
When we started this little adventure, people used to tell us we were embarking on a “voyage of a lifetime.” At the time I wasn’t so sure. After all, this is not the longest, fastest, or most difficult voyage ever attempted. We have not rounded Cape Horn or circumnavigated the Earth. For us, this was simply our first voyage and, no matter where we go from here, there’ll never be another one like it. It can never be repeated with the same result. All subsequent trips we may take in the future will be gauged against this first one. All the great memories will be of this first time. With this concept in mind, I can reflect and honestly say, this trip has earned the title of The Voyage of a Lifetime.
From this point of view, when asked “What would you do differently?” I honestly respond, “Absolutely nothing.” Even with 20/20 hind-sight, there is not one thing I would change. In the end, no matter what few hardships we faced with weather or the engine problems and resulting limited cruising budget, I can look back and reflect fondly knowing beyond a doubt, this experience has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Beyond question, it was worth it.
Look what was gained: I got to spend everyday with my two most favorite people – my wife and my daughter. I was fortunate enough to spend the most precious days of Sidonia’s childhood with her directly, not second hand after some long day on the job. Vanessa and I grew closer, becoming more of a team and learning more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We visited places we always wanted to go. We saw things we always wanted to see. These memories are life-long; permanent. We are at once both family and crew – a team.
When we left Las Vegas, the boat wasn’t finished. Even that doesn’t detract from the overall experience. The view from our unpainted decks is the same as all our water bound neighbors, some who sail on bigger and more expensive boats. The cosmetics do not lessen my feelings for our boat, our home. What an incredible piece of machinery. I am intimately familiar with all the systems aboard. Each one a simple improvement when considered individually. But when considered together as a whole, the sum truly is greater than equal of its parts, as everything worked in concert to provide us with seven months of almost continuous life support while simultaneously acting as our primary mode of transportation. Literally hundreds of individual systems working together at any one time. Impressive. There may have been some bumps in the road, but it got us here comfortably and safely.
I also have a tremendous amount of respect for the designers of this vessel. The nay-sayers will tell how the “Wet Snail” is slow and heavy and can’t sail worth a damn. They have obviously never sailed aboard one. Not that I am an expert, as my experience with other boats is limited, but I am still in awe when I think about how magnificently the boat sailed itself in some really nasty weather; weather that sent other boats running for cover. This boat can handle way more than any normal mortal. There were only 832 of these boats built. It is suppose to be a rare breed. However, we saw more Westsail 32’s out there cruising than I’d of ever imagined. There was at least two in every major port and many just out there sailing around. Pretty good record for a boat that doesn’t perform well!
We knew we had a great boat. We wanted to travel this way. We made the commitment and left. Many people thought we were crazy. They can never know, nor can I ever sufficiently explain, how well worth all the effort this was. There are those who where jealous, secretly wanting to go on an adventure of their own, to whom we can only say you don’t know what you are missing by staying put – it is up to you to get out there and do it. I’m not going to go into a long treatise on “making the most of yourself” or “chasing your dreams,” as each of us has to make our own way in life. But for me, this was the right thing to do at the right time. This was worth the effort. There is nothing I could have done alternatively that would measure up to this accomplishment at this point in our lives. We set our goal and achieved it.
The result is amusing to me. We are treated differently among other boaters now that we have graduated to cruiser status. People’s attitudes change when we tell them what we did. They seem to have respect for us. It is crazy. I find it humorous, as this is something we did for us, but other people seem in awe, especially when they find out we did it all with a two year old. I’m not sure what it is. I assume it is the “Armchair Quarterback” mentality – the “armchair sailor” – an expert in a game you don’t play. Talking the talk is one thing, but walking the walk is a different story. I know. I spent years in the chair; planning, preparing. But there comes a time when you have to poop or get off the marine sanitation devise. That is really all we did.
Now that it is finished, we are continually asked, “Will you do anything like this again?” We respond with a resounding “YES!” It is a great way to live. I don’t think you can ever get used to too many beautiful sunsets, anchoring in idealic anchorages, or spending truly quality time together each day.
That said, I will make some small changes before we venture out again. I have already stated that I would make no changes if I were able to go back and do this trip over; it is perfect as it is. However, we have grown a lot in a short period, and as a result I can better gauge what works and what doesn’t. Before the trip, I had to “guess” at what to add and what to change. I am happy to report I was very close. There were a few things I would have liked before the trip, but they weren’t important enough to waste time or money adding. We had the attitude if it is already working, we won’t try to change it. Now we are done, I only have a couple of things to add on to the “To Do” list. These new additions are minor improvements, really, but together they should help to round out the self-sustaining style of cruising we’ve come to enjoy.
My new list contains improved galley-support, more electrical power generation, better sail management, and a modified cruising style.
Galley support is easy. Two things need completion to improve our life afloat. First and foremost, I will upgrade our refrigeration system to a more modern, 12-volt unit. Our current unit is an electric/engine driven combination which works well, but requires running the engine when at anchor to keep things cold – a poor use of an expensively new engine. A new 12-volt unit draws very little power and is self tending, allowing us to go away at anchor and return to a cold fridge with out having to plug in to shore power to maintain it or run the engine to refreeze it. Next, a desalinating water maker would allow us to stay out indefinitely, removing the need to pull in and fill our water tanks. We could shower much more frequently with a generous water supply. The refrigerator will go on order soon. The water maker can wait until we go out for an extended period again, as our current 80 gallons will suffice for short-term cruising. In the interim, I’ll set up the plumbing to accommodate the future expansion.
Better electrical power generation would minimize the need for running the engine just to recharge the batteries. Also a two step plan, I first need to add another solar panel to maximize our solar charging array. The addition of a wind generator will round out our electrical generation needs. We found during sunny, windless days, our solar helped supplement our charging well. We would like to have more of it. Also, when the sun didn’t shine bright (happened more often than we imagined), there was generally sufficient wind that a wind-powered generator would have made sense as an alternate source of power. The idea behind both technologies is to maximize the time spent in quiet anchorages with out having to fire up the engine just to charge the batteries.
Sail management simply includes the addition of a roller furling on our head sail – preferably on all sails. With roller furling, you just pull a sheet and the sail unrolls. When you are finished, you pull another line and the sail rolls back up – stowed and out of the way. Nice and neat. We had initially wanted to furl our head sail, but time and finances didn’t allow its addition before we left. Now we want to furl every sail, including the main. Furling gear isn’t so important out in the open ocean, where the winds are pretty steady and you can set them and forget them. However, we found had we had furling gear, we would have sailed more often just because it is more convenient. For example, when making a short jump down the ICW, we would have sailed if we could have just unfurled our sails instead of going forward, rigging sails, setting sails, sailing, pulling them down, and stowing them. At the end of a long day of sailing, I found myself forward, preparing to drop the anchor in the midst of a deck full of sail – what a mess. Our head sail has a couple of “anchor” scars that wouldn’t be there if the sail were just rolled up on its furler. Furling gear keeps everything neat, clean, and convenient. We gotta get it.
Last, we will cruise differently on our next trip. We came an awful long way in a short period of time. We covered the Great Lakes, Erie Canal, and most of the East Coast. It was a long haul, too much to fit in really. Next trip, we’ll set our sights on one place over the horizon, sail there non-stop, then spend as much time in that one place as possible before taking off to the next place. Plus, I can add in we will go somewhere much more tropical. We hope to avoid the sometimes oppressive, day-after-day mode of traveling we experienced coming south. We will have to wait for Sidonia to grow up a little and be more self managing, as we just couldn’t break out of our parenting routine and separate into round the clock, non-stop watches. As an example, if we were to go back north we’d ideally want to set sail from the keys straight to Charleston, SC or Beaufort, NC. Then, we’d stay in one place for two or three weeks, seeing all there is to see, before heading straight on to the Chesapeake. More likely, we will set sail from Tampa Bay and cross the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan or Belize and spend a month before moving on. But who knows. That is all down the road. We have to restock the cruising kitty first. Then we will see. But the idea is there – travel hard for one concentrated period, then stop for a while for more enjoyment and relaxation.
For now, in the short term, we’ll bum around southwestern Florida, exploring the anchorages and towns along the coast. Hopefully, we can make longer side trips to the Everglades and the Keys. I’ve had a month long break and I’m already starting to get itchy for new horizons and anchorages. I find myself standing at the beach and starring blankly out to sea. Now that we are back on land, we can’t allow ourselves to let the cruising life die. Besides, so many of you have written me about how much you’ve enjoyed reading my logs, it would be nice to continue to post mini-adventures here.
We’ve received so much correspondence and support through this web site. I tried to reply as much as possible, but please forgive me if I didn’t. Know that I read every piece of correspondence posted and appreciate you taking the time to participate in our lives. It really means a lot to hear from so many folks from around the world who stopped by this site and offered their support. I’d really like to thank you for taking an interest in our trip and staying with me here to the end. I am happy to share it with you and hope you got as much out of this site as I put in it.
So, that’s a wrap . . . for now. Hope to see you on the water again soon.
Binga and Steve Waving Bon Voyage
For Now. . .
– Steve
Nereus Ports ‘O’ Call:
June 7 – Crowley’s Yacht Yard, Chicago, IL
June 13 – Monroe Harbor, Chicago, IL
June 15 – St. Joseph, MI
June 16 – Saugatuck, MI
June 20 – Holland, MI
June 30 – White Lake (anchored only)
July 1 – Ludington, MI
July 3 – Frankfort, MI (anchored only)
July 4 – Leeland, MI
July 6 – Sutton’s Bay (anchored only)
July 7 – Traverse City, MI
July 10 – Northport, MI
July 13 – Northport Bay Boatyard
Aug. 26 – Harbor Springs, MI (anchored only)
Aug. 27 – Mackinac Island, MI
Aug. 31 – Roger’s City, MI
Sept. 1 – Harbor Beach, MI
Sept. 3 – Lexington, MI
Sept. 4 – Port Hurn, MI
Sept. 7 – Amherstburg, Ontario
Sept. 10 – Leamington, Ontario
Sept. 11 – Rondeau Bay, Ont. (anchor only)
Sept. 12 – Port Stanley, Ontario
Sept. 13 – Long Point, Ont. (anchor only)
Sept. 14 – Buffalo, NY
Sept. 15 – Tonowanda, NY
Sept. 18 – Middleport, NY
Sept. 19 – Holly, NY
Sept. 20 – Fairport, NY
Sept. 21 – Montezuma Swamp, Lock 25
Sept. 22 – Brewerton, NY
Sept. 28 – Erie Canal Lock 20
Sept. 29 – Palantine Bridge, NY
Sept. 30 – Erie Canal Lock 7
Oct. 1 – Waterford, NY
Oct. 3 – Catskill, NY
Oct. 5 – Newburgh, NY (anchored only)
Oct. 6 – New York, NY
Oct. 10 – Great Kills Harbor, NY (anchored only)
Oct. 12 – Atlantic City, NJ (anchored only)
Oct. 13 – Cape May, NJ
Oct. 15 – Cohancy River, NJ (anchored only)
Oct. 16 – Chesapeake City, MD (anchored only)
Oct. 17 – Turner Creek, MD (anchored only)
Oct. 18 – Rock Hall, MD
Oct. 19 – Annapolis, MD
Oct. 21 – Solomon’s, MD
Oct. 23 – Lewisetta, VA (anchored only)
Oct. 24 – Port Tobacco R., MD (anchored only)
Oct. 25 – Washington, DC
Oct. 30 – Marshall Hall, MD (anchored only)
Nov. 1 – Coles Point, VA
Nov. 2 – Antipoison Creek, VA (anchored only)
Nov. 3 – Portsmouth, VA
Nov. 5 – Deep Creek, VA (Dismal Swamp)
Nov. 6 – Elizabeth City, NC
Nov. 7 – Pungo River (anchored only)
Nov. 8 – Bear Creek (anchored only)
Nov. 9 – Oriental, NC
Nov. 12 – Moorehead City, NC (anchored only)
Nov. 13 – Wrightsville, NC
Nov. 14 – Southport, NC (anchored only)
Nov. 15 – Myrtle Beach, SC
Nov. 16 – Georgetown, SC (anchored only)
Nov. 17 – Hamlin Sound (anchored only)
Nov. 18 – Charelston, SC
Nov. 27 – Tom’s Point Creek (anchored only)
Nov. 28 – Beaufort, SC
Nov. 29 – Hilton Head, SC (anchored only)
Nov. 30 – Queen Bess Cr, GA (anchored only)
Dec. 1 – St. Simon’s Island, GA (anchored only)
Dec. 2 – Cumberland Island, GA (anchored only)
Dec. 3 – Fort George River, FL (anchored only)
Dec. 4 – St. Augustine, FL
Dec. 8 – Daytona Beach, FL
Dec. 14 – Cape Canavaral, FL (anchored only)
Dec. 16 – Vero Beach, FL (anchored only)
Dec. 17 – St. Lucie, FL (anchored only)
Dec. 18 – West Palm Beachk FL (anchored only)
Dec. 19 – Miami Beach, FL
Dec. 21 – Key Largo, FL (anchored only)
Dec. 22 – Craig Key (anchored only)
Dec. 23 – Marathon, FL
Jan. 1, 2005 – Little Shark R. Everglades NP
Jan. 2 – Marco Island, FL (anchored only)
Jan. 3 – Sanibel Island, FL (anchored only)
Jan. 4 – Venice, FL
Jan. 5 – Sarasota, FL
Voyage Facts:
Official Start: June 7, 2004
• Chicago, IL
Official End: January 8, 2005
• Bradenton Beach, FL
Total Distance:
• 3616 Nautical Miles
Actual days of Travel:
• 93 days underway
Average Miles/Day:
• 39 Nuatical Miles
Gallons of Diesel Fuel Used:
• 443 Gallons US
Total Engine Hours:
• 597.1 (both engines)
Photos taken:
• 1476 all digital