So Ya Wanna Be A Pirate? (Part One of Four)

So Ya Wanna Be A Pirate?
(Part One of Four)

Throughout my years of sailboat cruising, one of the recurring comments I get is, "I wish I could do that." Now while I will admit it is the only lifestyle I can or would lead, it does require some serious adjustments in attitude and expectations. Things that are a huge problem ashore seem to disappear, while many things you just take for granted on land, become impossible underway.

It’s Not Like In The Brochure……
A robin’s egg blue sea with a light chop, a beautiful blond on the foredeck, palm trees in the background, you’re sipping boat drinks, all while making 7 knots in paradise. Or, 6 to 8 foot confused seas, blowing like stink, your crew (some dude in dirty cutoffs and a 4 day beard) is cursing on the foredeck while trying to douse the jib and you are making 2 knots over the ground 400 miles offshore. The first scenario is on the cover of Cruising Is A Wonderful Life magazine. The second is usually closer to the reality of making passage. Those days of calm seas and light air can be found on day trips between islands, or while making short passages behind the reefs of Belize. But first you have to get there. For instance, when and if I leave the Savannah area this fall, I plan to head to Puerto Rico. I could take "The Ditch" to South Florida; jump over to the Bahamas on a good day, and island hop down to the Mona Passage. Yeah, if I had 6 months to make the trip. But, I would like to get there before hurricane season arrives, and the money runs out, so we will take the direct route. Pretty simple really, head due east from Savannah for a hundred miles or so, and then turn right. In 11 days or so, we should be in the Mona Passage and then another day or so, on to Salinas. Eleven days of sailing on your ear in the open ocean. Interminable boredom punctuated by moments of absolute terror.

If It Ain’t Broke, It Ain’t A Boat…..
Before we can make this wonderful passage from Savannah to Puerto Rico the first thing we have to do is get off the dock. Always the most difficult part of the trip. Now a cruising sailboat is always in a state of constant repair. Much worse than a house, trust me. No matter how much time or money you spend on maintaining your vessel something will break every day. And that is just while sitting still. Get underway where you can’t get supplies, and the rig and gear are under constant strain, it is not unusual to have something break hourly. And remember, whatever spare parts you bring will not be the ones you need. Best you can do is spend all the money you can (and some of what you can’t) on whatever you think best, knowing that it won’t be enough anyway. Remember, you might be a boat-bum if you consider duct tape a long term investment.

Dear, We Need To Clean The Garage…..
Now that we have our huge cache of spare parts, (none of which we will need, remember?) all we have to do is find a place to stow them. "There Is Never Enough Room" should be one of the laws of the universe. Remember, we have to stuff enough clothes, food, gear, spare parts, alcohol (sailboat engines run on diesel, cruisers run on alcohol), books, charts, instruments, tools, lines, sails, life raft, propane tanks, spare water and fuel, etc. etc. etc. to last a minimum of 6 months to a year into a space the size of a one car garage (with no attic). It can be done, but you must remember what ever you need will be at the very bottom of the locker you stowed it in. Underway, everything has to be stowed in a locker, rack, or tied in (this includes you and the crew). Otherwise, it will end up on the cabin sole, or over the side.