What
kind of a boat
-Would
a seasoned seadog choose to live on, if he had over 20
years
of sailing experience to draw from, on virtually everything
that
floats? A boat can be many things to many people.
For
me, it has to be home, but also a vehicle to go wherever I want to be,
especially after I get to where I was headed.
After
sailing a 22' Venture from California to Costa Rica, I have had more than
enough time for thought on this.
The
folks at MacGregor thought about this, too, and designed all the right
answers into the
ideal
26' puddle-jumping, sea-going, easy-handling and just plain pretty
"Wind
Gift"
-My
home on the water.
ONE
WOULD HAVE TO
-live
on a sailboat, completely disconnected from "shore-power", to appreciate
the meaning
of
"life support". Electricity comes not from cancer-causing high voltage
lines, but from the sun, via the solar panels there, by the flag.
Food, water and fuel are all imported, trans-
oceanic,
aboard the dinghy.
Preparing
for all of this involves some trials, that come when errors are discovered.
The
offshore
islands of California are a most friendly place to work out the details,
because you can find heavy seas for integrity testing, secluded anchorages
for extended "self-reliance"
stays,
and awe inspiring vistas everywhere, above and below the water. It
is an environment
that
is always more than willing to help in the process of becoming sea-wise.
There are tests,
provided
by the weather, some of the animals, and in some places, shallow water.
The
rules and potential outcomes are the same as with any test:
Rule
#1) Be prepared. Pretty familiar, eh?
Potential
outcome#1) You pass. In sailing, sometimes this can be the
end-all test of wits, courage and stamina. Other times, you just
find another way.
Potential
outcome #2) You fail. This can be attributed to countless mistakes,
bad decisions and oversights. Old men of the sea are wise by default,
because unwise seamen do not grow old. I offer as much advice as
I can, wherever I can, as you see in this site. By and large, one
finds
this to be true of the whole boating crowd. Please be aware of what
it means to "cast-off". It's you and the sea. As you go over
your lists of supplies and equipment, be very attentive, because one of
the certainties of sailing is that
You
will be tested. The other certainty is that after all of the time,
effort, money and "sacrifice" of leaving the shore behind, there is a
connectedness to life that is found only in this way. For me, this isn't
just "worth it"
-this is"It".
