10 months until takeoff. It hardly seems real. In fact, reality really hasn’t hit yet as we still go through the daily grind of going to work, fixing up the house, taking care of animals. The pictures of my children still hang on the walls, markers and reminders of the 30 years we spent in this house. Our boat awaits in New Bern, NC, holed up and sheltered from the northern winter until the Spring thaw when we can sail her up to the Chesapeake. In the meantime, I walk through my house from room to room and wonder what will make the cut. 30 years of accumulating belongings by a family of 5 must be whittled down, disseminated, yard saled or tossed. It is indeed a daunting task.
We have traveled to North Carolina to visit Equus a few times this winter. Our boat sits in a very small marina, the remnants of a once thriving yacht club. Now, twenty or so slips are all that’s left, only half-a-dozen of those being occupied by boats. The club has been condemned, the pool a black inky pond, home to a thriving flock of turkey vultures who look down with disdain from their crumbling roof top perches. The sad part is that we were married on the lawn of that club. Our children spent summers learning to swim in that pool. It represents a time when life was good, our parents were active and vibrant and our young family took utter joy in these surroundings.
Why did we decide to keep our boat there? First of all, it is still right across a small harbor from both our parents’ houses. Second, it was extremely inexpensive – less than half the price of the larger marina only a mile down the canal. It is within a few miles of our parents who can keep an eye on her. We have the rudimentary amenities of shore power, a secure dock, and fairly good security. On the down side, the lack of a busy, bustling environment is an open invitation for a roosting party for local and migratory birds. The term, “Shit Happens!” has new meaning for us, as each time we have visited our boat, we were greeted by a once white, pristine deck, covered in a thick, grey coating of bird poop. And no, I will not make any jokes about the poop deck…
The first visit back after our delivery from Georgia, we left the old girl nestled in her slip, clean as a whistle, shore power keeping the main systems running. Much to our chagrin, as we bolted eagerly down the dock to see our new baby after a short 2 weeks away from her, we found her covered in bird shit and all electronics dead as a doornail. The circuit breaker had tripped, and because we accidentally left the refrigeration system on, all batteries were drained. Dan spent the entire weekend troubleshooting only to find a section of wiring which had ignited and could have burnt the boat down. Fortunately, it didn’t. He replaced the wire, got the systems recharged and learned a lot about the boat’s electrical system. The amount of trouble shooting he had to do amazed me and I remain in awe of his ability to persevere and fix problems. The bad news was that it took the entire weekend and we didn’t even get to hoist the sails.
Christmas was my favorite visit. My daughter and son-in-law flew in from California, my middle son and his fiancé, as well as my oldest son, his wife and our 10 month old grandson, all converged in New Bern for the Christmas festivities. All were eager to meet our new home on the water and of course, go for a Christmas sail. True to the spirit of the season, Dan and I decked out the boat with Christmas lights (as soon as we cleaned yet another round of bird poop off the deck). Boats all around were adorned with colorful lights, which twinkled and glowed in the festive harbor. Christmas Day, the weather was in the 60’s and the winds fair, as the entire Gieschen clan took Equus out for her first family cruise. Prepared with Dark and Stormies, wine, cheese and crackers and board games, the afternoon was magical. The kids, all in their 20’s, were young kids again – all eager to explore the boat, put up the sails and head out into the sound. The only thing more delightful than the sound of the wind in the sails was the sound of the laughter and the camaraderie as one big happy family bonded on board our boat. I would catch glimpses of them staring at the horizon as they imagined the places they would be visiting with us one day as we venture around the world.
As I contemplate the loss of all that I have accumulated over the years, the possessions, the memories, the safe haven our house has provided, I think back fondly on our family Christmas sail. We have so many wonderful memories built around our land home, but if the glimpse of a feeling I got over Christmas is even a fraction of how happy we will be at sea, I can look forward with no regrets. We will move on to make new memories, have wonderful adventures, and I know in my heart that each of my children and their families will be there at certain points to share them with us. The sights we will see, the places we will visit and the experiences we will share, will be exciting and memorable.
With that being said, with great delight, I begin the countdown to cruising take off. Our house will be on the market in a few short months. My middle son, Derek James, will be married in November. God willing that our farm sells by next fall, Dan and I will depart for Bermuda in the beginning of December. After Bermuda, we will head to the Caribbean. We will still be taking our shake-down cruise up to Nova Scotia in early fall, but will return for the wedding in November to complete our final checklist before heading out to sea. I feel it appropriate to start the countdown on the 10th months with a “Top Ten” list. God willing, all will go as planned. I sincerely hope that all our friends and family will join us at some point on our voyage. Adventures are meant to be shared and instead of reading my blog, I hope you will take part in helping us creating a new story!
Top 10 Places We Are Looking Forward To Visiting
Number 10! Dan – Istanbul Alison – Cartagena
Number 9! Dan – Patagonia Alison – Galapagos
Number 8! Dan – South Africa Alison – Thailand
Number 7! Dan – Thailand Alison – Canary Islands
Number 6! Dan – New Zealand Alison – South Africa
Number 5! Dan – Greece Alison – New Zealand
Number 4! Dan – Easter Island Alison – Australia
Number 3! Dan – Galapagos Alison – Mediterranean
Number 2! Dan – Norway Alison – Rivers of Europe
Number 1! Dan – Antarctica Alison – French Polynesians
As you can see, our tastes differ (NOTICE ANTARCTICA IS NOT ON MY LIST) and I’m sure there are places we will read about that will trump those we have listed. The fun part of getting to sail around the world is dreaming, and we do a lot of that. We are neophytes getting ready to adventure to places we have not imagined in our wildest dreams. As sailors who have done this trip tell it, the most wild and wonderful places are those one might not even find on a map; the hidden atolls barely rising above water thousands of miles from anywhere. A tiny, deserted, uninhabited island nestled in the middle of nowhere. These are the places we look forward to most, but can’t put on our list. They remain to be discovered. LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!
