Some may wonder why my "About Me" section has a photo of me at the wheel of a sailboat. My first decision on an adventure was to sail my 33' Islander to Mexico and further south searching for paradise. A couple of shake down cruises later, I became less enamored with the cruising life when I endured hours and hours of sailing to reach a destination at 4-6 knots per hour. Some cruisers will tell you that the journey is half the enjoyment. Not for me! Very few days ever passed without my boat needing some type of repair: some minor, some major but each repair involved time and money. Luckily my boat was in a slip that was within walking distance to the West Marine store! I couldn't imagine being 20 miles off shore and breaking some small, essential part and having to limp into some remote Baja anchorage.
While in my slip I met a dock mate who has sailed the world including several Pacific Ocean crossings. The one story he imparted that grabbed my attention was the story of his "dream" boat. He spent two years and well over $100,000. to prepare his 37' custom motor sailer for what he thought would be a lifetime cruise. After leaving Long Beach on his boat's maiden voyage he got caught in a strong current and bad winds off the coast of Baja. Even with his many years of experience he could not keep his boat off the rocks. He barely escaped with his life and the boat was a total loss. His Mexican insurance failed to cover any part of the disaster even though, according to the policy, they probably should have.
No cruising (on the water) for me!
