Our Circumnavigation of Vancouver Island Begins

Our Circumnavigation of Vancouver Island Begins

Sailors have a lot of superstitions, and it’s hard to remember them all.  Jack Spratt told my Humans that he only had two superstitions: 1) He never walks under ladders–(for safety reasons), and 2) he Never sailed on Fridays. He encouraged my Humans to hang out for another day. Long before my time, I had heard it whispered in the wind that sailors wouldn’t sail on Fridays because that was the day Jesus was executed. My Humans paid little mind to the idea. They were ready to sail–and we did.

In June, we sailed (and motored) over 120 Nautical Miles, so this is our first BIG sail: two months to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. We are all very excited. It feels like the first day of the rest of our lives, and in many ways, it is.

Freedom is an odd commodity; humans give the word a lot of lip service but not the concept. When true freedom arrives, they don’t recognize it or know what to do. My Male Human falls into this category. Suddenly, unvarnished freedom knocked at his door–and he answered. Now, he has no schedules,  responsibilities, or obligations. Just the ability to sail, to go, to be free.

It’s a heady experience, unnerving to the domesticated humans–(especially those from America) who are used to time clocks and bosses, mortgage payments and credit card debt, income and cash flow, health benefits and expenses, bills and assets, overpriced groceries and housing.  To be stripped of those shackles can be overwhelming. The mind monkeys take over, swirling unanswerable questions. But, he is smart, resourceful, kind, generous to a fault–and I know he will be fine. These qualities have value in the whisper of the wind, across the seas, and beyond man-made borders.

My Female Human left home when she was 15, which is young for a human, I hear. She traveled across the globe to the sunburnt country of Australia, a place we hope to sail together in a few years. When she came back, she fit back in like a square peg in a round hole, so she was relegated to spending the next several decades of her life “marching to the beat of her own drum.”

Her fellow humans tried to understand, define, and explain her, but they couldn’t. They labeled her eccentric, eclectic, weird, strange, and other assorted synonyms. She didn’t mind. It freed her to live a life of her own accord. Now, she has either grown into the labels or maybe they weren’t all that important in the first place. This is all to say, we were FREE—and the journey to define what that would mean for each of us had begun.

We lined up at the fuel dock at 8:00 a.m., directly behind a monstrously huge powerboat—an actual yacht. We waited while he sucked down 1000 gallons of diesel! He could hold 2500, he proudly boasted, but, on this day, he only needed a small breakfast. When my turn arrived, I drank 17 gallons, and my Humans put 10 gallons into additional diesel cans, just in case.

We sailed to South Finger Island in Echo Bay, a lovely anchorage. My Humans love to anchor, and they should, as they have the world’s #1 anchor: a stainless steel Ultra.  She is a looker; whenever she comes up covered in mud or clay, she becomes even more beautiful. They wash her off, and she glistens like new.  My Humans are pretty good at anchoring. They have 350 feet of chain, carefully marked at 25′ intervals, and a hearty new Windlass, which my Male Human installed electronic Up and Down Buttons into my 5″ thick deck.

My Humans were so worn out that they spent the afternoon reading and napping. They’ve earned it. This is, after all, the first day of the rest of our lives.

If you liked this tale, check out the entire circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. 

Until Next Time!

Fear Less/Adventure More!

S/V Gypsea Explorer and her Humans: Heather & Chris

5 Songs For Traveling!

“Traveler”  Chris Stapleton

 “Road to Nowhere”  Talking Heads

“On The Road Again”  Willie Nelson

“I’ve Been Everywhere ” Johnny Cash

“Send Me On My Way” Rusted Root

And, if this tickles your propellor, grab your subscription to Amazon Prime Music Here–FREE!

And check out my favorite tunes to sail to.

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