I have recently been of the opinion that a voyage on your own boat starts a long long time before the actual trip,where ever it may be to and for how long,its the begining thats important,those who never actually untie their dock lines and sail away,have still been on a voyage,I know one guy who was asked where he was sailing to on his Nicholson 35? he replied 'around the world' when asked where he started from he replied 'Gordons Bay,eight years ago' at the time he was on a marina in Hout Bay,which is probably about 25 nautical sea miles and a lot less as the crow flies,he had made at start at least!
A local couple had huge dreams to buy their own boat and go cruising,they bought a Morgan 31 from the guy who berths next to me,took that boat to their farm,stripped it and really made it into a gem of a boat,new rigging,engine,port hatches,hard dodger,when they re launched they were super excited to be off,their voyage had in effect started with the boats purchhase,they had been living the cruising dream since that moment.
Then a Tosca 36 came on the market,it was a far larger boat,well priced and as they saw the potential,they bought that and put the Morgan 31 on the market,this was setting back their departure as they refurbed the new boat but the important part was they were now living aboard and their dream was being fullfilled.It was a pity they did not take the qualified advise about departure in our winter months,they left on a fine winters day,only to be hammered off the Namibian coast,they crept back to Hout Bay,their dream was in tatters,they sold the boat and their dream was ended but they had a lot of fun on the way!
I was delivering some International Antifoul to a friend of mine yesterday,his name is Tom,he is highly qualified and has sailed the South Atlantic at least three times in his Endurance 37,Song of Grace,his last trip to Grenada was single handed too.Tom bought the Vertue 26 he has now some five years back,it is now forty six years old and outside in his garden but during his extensive (very) rebuild he has been voyaging with his boat all this time,the boat will be launched quite soon,Tom is excited but I suspect if he never sails off in her,it will be of no concern to Tom,he has done many work hours and mental sea miles in her already.
Roy
No comments:
Post a Comment