More Education/ More Experience

We booked our BVI bareboat charter vacation with The Moorings, but I had never been on a sailboat other than on Grand Lake, Oklahoma.  The biggest waves I had encountered were the wakes kicked off by motor boats – 2 to 3 feet, maybe.  Hence, my decision for more sailing education and some ocean/ offshore experience.

My brother, Monty, and I scheduled our ASA Advanced course through South Coast Sailing Adventures.  We were introduced to Cpt. Lucy and Cpt. Mike, our instructor.  The plan was to sail from Kemah, TX out into the Gulf of Mexico approximately 10 miles offshore and south to Freeport, TX.  We would dock in Freeport, spend the night and return through the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW).  It all sounded pretty simple with two big exceptions: 1) it was really windy (20 to 25 sustained) and 2) offshore water conditions were very rough.  

Monty and I provisioned the boat for our first night sleeping aboard Mike’s Ericsson 30.  It was mid-April and the Texas Gulf coast air was pleasant and comfortable.  We went out for a bite to eat with Mike and got to know him a bit over a few drinks.  It was an early night; however, as we planned for an early morning start with some class work and to get familiar with the boat’s systems before we embarked on our 70nm sail to Freeport.

The evening was peaceful and I slept well on the boat– something that I have learned I like.  We rose for an early breakfast and began reviewing materials covered in earlier ASA classes.  We also covered the boat’s systems and prepared to leave the marina which we did by 10:30 AM.  Soon thereafter we were passing the Kemah Boardwalk and were on our way navigating through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and on into the Gulf of Mexico. 

The 20 knots of sustained wind was more than I had experienced in my lake sailing– when it got that windy I simply did not go out.  We had a double reef in the main and perhaps about one-half of the roller furling jib out.  But, what really got my juices flowing were the waves once we got off-shore.  The waves rolled in just forward off our stern to port and where 7 to 9 feet.  They seemed massive – especially as we would slide down the face of one and looked up at the peak of the next.  This impression was compounded once the sun set and the night sky and water surrounding us were ink black, but for the speckle of stars above.  Also, Mike’s boat did not have an auto-pilot so we took 2 hour shifts at the helm for a total of 14 hours before arriving at the marina in Freeport just before 1 AM.  The sail was exhilarating.  It was also exhausting.  

The next day was an easy motor-sail up the ICW.  Early that afternoon we anchored just behind the Galveston Yacht Club (Monty and I grew up in Galveston and it was interesting to see the island from this perspective) and finished our course work and studied for the test.  It was a great evening.  We grilled steaks and drank wine with our new friend, Mike.  The next morning started with the test which Mike graded on our way back to Kemah.  

I continued my education and gained some valuable sailing experience all leading to more confidence.  I also had a great time with my brother.

We Need A Vacation

My two kids, like many, are involved in extracurricular activities.  Vary rare is the day where they just sit around at home watching television or playing video games.  To say that their schedule keeps my wife and I busy is an understatement.  Since we both work fulltime, we not only have to keep our respective business calendars, but coordinate with the kids’ calendars too. 

One of their main activities is competitive tennis.  For those families not indoctrinated in the nuance of junior tennis it may be hard to fully comprehend, but I know there are other sports where such a competitive endeavor requires not only a serious commitment from the child, but also from the family as a whole.  This is the case for our family.  The sacrifices that we must make for them to compete at a high level is not only our immediate family, but also our extended family who do not see us as often as we would all like, because our weekends and holidays are spent traveling from tournament to tournament in cities across the country near and far. 

Shortly after Christmas 2010 (spent at a national tennis tournament in Tucson, Arizona over 1,000 miles from our home), my wife and I began to look at our calendars for the first six months of 2011.  We tried to identify “open” weekends to go to the lake and see family.  It was frustrating.  As we looked towards late spring and summer, it was even worse as that is heavy tennis season with all the major tournaments scheduled.  By the way, there is no “off” season in tennis.  We saw a brief open window at the end of June and early July.  It would, however, mean that my daughter would miss a major tournament in which she did well during the 2010 event.  Missing it this year would cause her national ranking to drop. 

I was conflicted about telling my daughter she could not play, but I decided it was time for us to take a family vacation.  A vacation separate and apart from the stress of a tennis tournament where every day is scheduled around match times, warm up times, eating and going to bed early to start it all over again the next day.  We needed a “real” vacation - a vacation that we would all remember for the rest of our lives.  Suzi and I slept on it and the next morning, early February, I booked flights to and reserved a bareboat charter in THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.  My Quest to Sail continues!

"Let there be (LED) light"

I mean no disrespect to the man (or woman) upstairs; I am just dang proud of a recently completed boat project.  My proudness stems from the fact that I have absolutely no DIY skills.  Here, I replaced all of the old interior incandescent lights and fixtures with new LEDs from Seasense*.  On a 1 to 10 complexity scale, this probably was a 2 or 3, but I was still intimidated.  Also, in addition to a screwdriver, I had to use a drill which really raised the stakes …

The plan was to replace five of these guys:

With five of these guys:

Before:

After:

Needless to say, I am very happy with the result.  The difference in light is HUGE and the clarity of the light just makes the boat feel “cleaner.”  Three of the five lights are white/red combination (two of which are in the v-birth) to help with night vision.  The success of this project has also given me a bit of confidence, so I am already planning the next one.  Stay tuned... 

*Purchased from iboats.com.

What is a Tontine?

A tontine is an investment scheme for raising capital, devised in the 17th century and relatively widespread in the 18th and 19th.  It combines features of a group annuity and a lottery.  Each subscriber pays an agreed sum into the fund, and thereafter receives an annuity.  As members die, their shares devolve to the other participants, and so the value of each annuity increases.  On the death of the last member, the scheme is wound up.  In a variant, which has provided the plot device for most fictional versions, on the death of the penultimate member the capital passes to the last survivor.  See Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tontine.

That, my friends, is the name of our - new to us – sailboat, a 1980 Catalina 30.  Actually, I really like this name and think it rather clever for the right owner (or, more appropriately, joint owners); however, Suzi and I found it a bit depressing and in no way the right name for our boat.  It also makes "early" retirement less appealing.  Ha!  And, from everything that I have read about sailboats, I expect it to be the opposite of an investment strategy ... I think a disinvestment strategy is more likely.  So, we set about coming up with a new name.  After some fun banter, we quite agreeably settled on MoQuila, the name of a restaurant we found and grew fond of while traveling in Boca Raton, FL (fairly easy to surmise what the main ingredient is in the restaurant's drink specialties).  So I designed and then ordered custom vinyl boat lettering from BoatU.S. 

It took Suzi and me the better part of a Saturday to install the lettering (including lots of cussing and a few cocktails), but I am extremely happy with the final outcome.  The following morning we had our renaming ceremony.  It was private affair shared by just the two of us (the kids were not all that excited about waking up early on a Sunday morning).  Without further adieu, I am proud to introduce MoQuila...

A Little "Tickle"

I recently returned from a fishing trip in NW Montana just outside Glacier National Park.  It was a “guys” trip and seven of us stayed in a remote fishing lodge high up in the Bob Marshall Wilderness area.  No cell phone coverage; no cable TV; no internet.  The trip was amazing.  For six days we fished some of the most beautiful and less traveled rivers in the entire state, perhaps in the entire country.  While hiking early one morning, I came to within twenty feet of a large black bear eating huckleberries from a bush just off the trail.  I witnessed a bald eagle soar high overhead before descending for its morning breakfast plucked out of the river.  We caught record setting bull trout and beautiful native west slope cutthroat trout.  However, what I didn't realize, because I never gave it much thought, is that the excitement of catching a fish is universal.  This is true whether you are fishing Montana's pristine rivers, or a muddy farm pond in Oklahoma.  It is true whether you are passionately obsessed with fishing and make a point to do it every day, or you only fish occasionally.  It is true whether you love to fish, like to fish, or could care less whether you ever fish again ... In all cases there is - what I like to call - a little “tickle” deep down in your stomach that you feel at the exact moment a fish strikes.  A vibration starts below the water’s surface, travels up the fishing line, through the tip of your rod and down every “eye” to the reel and finally your hands.  This happens in the blink of an eye, and at that very moment the hair on the back of your neck stands on end and adrenaline is released into your blood as your senses become highly attuned as you engage in battle. 

On this trip I saw this first hand watching my father-in-law, who has been fishing in Montana for over 50 years.  His love for the state and its beauty is infectious and he desperately wants to share this love with others.  I also experienced this "tickle" many times myself as I fished the crystal blue glacier runoff of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.  But, still, I don't think I appreciated the moment of this experience.

This past weekend my family had an open date with no commitments (a rarity in a household with two active kids).  So we packed up and headed to Grand Lake.  The forecast called for no wind, so on Saturday I planned a working day on our sailboat - installation of new interior LED lights (blog post about that later).  Gray had a different plan, he wanted to go fishing.  Frankly, I wasn't too excited about it.  But, his big blue eyes are hard (very hard) to say “no” to, so I worked until early Saturday afternoon and then we headed to the Blue Moon bait shop.  Minnows were the bait of choice for an afternoon of fishing off the dock.  The heat was oppressive and the fish had retreated to deeper and cooler water.  With no bites in over three hours, we reeled in and went swimming.  As we floated and splashed about in the late afternoon sun, it was clear that Gray had not given up.  He decided that our luck might change if we rigged up lines and left them out after the sun went down.  That was the plan and we executed. 

After dinner, Gray went down to the dock to check the lines.  Through binoculars, I watched from the lake house’s back deck.  I was hoping to see if either of the fishing rods was "twitching."  Gray checked the first and he yelled up to me "Dad, the bait is gone."  He then walked over to the next pole and picked it up and the rod tip immediately bent and almost pulled out of his hands.  Now focused on his face, I saw his mouth fully open and big blue eyes bugging out with an astonished look.  As he regained control of the rod, he looked up at me and began to yell, "Dad, I got one ... and it's big."  A smile spread across his face as he began to reel in line.  In that instance, I realized that he was experiencing the "tickle."  And, as I began to appreciate the moment of his “tickle” I noticed that I had a little one too.

I Bought A Boat

Recall I was lamenting the fact I could not find an opportunity to sail other than in/ during my ASA sailing classes?  Well, little did I know that our lake neighbor, Mike, had been bitten by the sailing bug too.  At the same time I was taking sailing classes through ASA, he was taking parallel courses through International Yachtmaster Training.  Mike’s wife, Lee, is from Thailand and they usually visited annually in late fall and early winter.  When they went Mike would carve out a week or two for his sailing classes.  Also, Mike had friends with sailboats on Grand Lake.  Hmmm … Further, one friend, in particular, had a boat for sale!  Hmmm … She (s/v Tontine) is a 1980 Catalina 30.  She has been very well taken care of and loved dearly over the years by her previous owners – Pat being the most current owner.    

Whether it was a finely planned and orchestrated move by Mike and Pat (knowing I was severely bitten by the sailing bug) or coincidence, I was invited out one afternoon for a sail.  Mike and I brought provisions (i.e., beer, summer sausage, cheese and crackers) and we met Pat at Tontine on a pleasant Wednesday afternoon.  It was late May, 2009, and the wind was light and the air warm.  When I boarded Tontine I was surprised at the massive room below.  I soon learned that Catalina 30s had a reputation for being a “big” small cruiser.  In fact, she seemed as big as or bigger than Sea Bella – the 34 foot O’Day that I sailed on in my most recent sailing class.  Before we even left the dock, I was in love and my mind was spinning with rhetorical questions: How much is he asking?  How much is the slip fee?  How much is the insurance?  And, so on. 

The sail was nice as we ghosted about the lake, tacking, gybing and simply enjoying a beautiful day.  As the sun was setting, and after securing Tontine back at her slip, Pat invited me aboard his new boat, a 40 foot Catalina – Tontine II.  She was immaculate and I was intoxicated with the romance of sailing and owning my first sailboat.  On the hour long trip back to Tulsa, I was giddy and could not wait to tell Suzi about Tontine and what a great deal it was, notwithstanding the fact that I didn’t even know the asking price yet.  As you can see, it was a perfect set up as I had a serious case of the “I have to have it” disease.

Well, a short couple of weeks later, after brief negotiations (Pat was in no hurry to sell and knew, by my state of mind, that I was disadvantaged) and a marine survey, I was the proud owner of Tontine.  I decided to keep her right where she was ... same marina ... same slip.  She was comfortable and we were both happy. 

Time Marches On

Summer is over. Gray and Kiki return to school tomorrow to start their 4th and 9th grade years, respectively. I am sad as I know that with the end of each summer both come ever closer to the responsibilities of adulthood. I desperately want them to experience - to the fullest extent possible - the privileges of youth AND appreciate it. That may be an oxymoron ... Perhaps the power, privileges and beauty of youth may only be appreciated after it (youth) has faded. Among my many "jobs" as a parent, I must help my children understand this reality. Is that even possible? On the one hand, I want their noses in their school books absorbed in study ... not only succeeding in school, but excelling. On the other hand, I want them to travel, experience life, the world and not be confined or limited in any way by societal (or my own) expectations. Are MY desires oxymoronic? How do I know the right answer? Or, is it better to have questions than answers?

Continuing Education

Well ... in May 2009 I jumped feet first into my "Quest To Sail."  In less than thirty days following my Basic Keelboat ASA class (which I passed with flying colors) I enrolled in the Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Chartering ASA combo class.  Other than the time sailing in my "basic" class, I had a combined 0 hours practicing my new sailing skills.  Seriously!  I was excited (about learning to sail and about the new classes) and very frustrated (about not having an opportunity to sail).  I didn't have a sailboat and I didn't know anyone with a sailboat.  Further, there didn’t seem to be any sailing clubs in NE Oklahoma that catered to members without boats.  How was I going to actually practice and internalize all that I was learning in my sailing classes?  Reading sailing magazines, from cover to cover, can only get you so far.  This was all going to change; I just didn't know it at the time.  Anyway, I started my new sailing courses with the same school and instructor.  Once again it was mucho information packed into a relatively short weekend AND I loved every minute of it.  It was also a "liveaboard" class, so the students (me and a young couple from Arkansas) slept on the boat (a 1984 34 foot O'Day, "Sea Bella").  Capt. Debbie was great and I have grown fond of this petite woman who dispels any notion that you have to be big and strong to handle a large sailboat.  She has, as most “sailors" I have come to know, an endearing personality and an interesting story about how she fell in love with sailing as well as the independence it gives her.  Sea Bella has been well cared for over the years and it was a pleasure to be on board.  Also, I was amazed at the difference between the 26 foot boat - Tiki - I sailed in my basic class and Sea Bella.  A difference of 8 feet in length and almost 2 feet on the beam didn't sound like a big deal, but it made a HUGE difference.  Hmmm ... on Sea Bella, I was actually able to envision what it might be like to live on a sailboat.  In fact, the first night on board, I stayed up way to late, reading posts and replies from the "Liveaboard" forum on "Sailnet."  Sea Bella was also my first experience with wheel steering and I loved it.  All weekend the wind was a "perfect to learn on" 10 to 15 mph and it was May, so the Oklahoma weather was still nice with the summer heat at least 6 weeks away.  The highlight of the weekend was a Saturday night sail.  Most of the motor boat traffic had cleared and we almost had the lake to ourselves.  It was 11:00 P.M. and I was getting hungry as we skipped dinner in favor of sailing longer.  I was at the helm and took note of the full moon as it rose up out of the lake to our starboard.  I was mentally and physically exhausted, but I did not want the night to end.  No one had spoken for 10 minutes, maybe more.  I welcomed the silence as I enjoyed the pleasure of sailing.  It was almost perfect.*  I deeply inhaled and tried to mentally capture the experience.  The moon grew smaller as it rose over the horizon.  Sadly, it was time for me to relinquish the helm to another student.  I went forward and sat with my back resting against the mast.  I stared out over the ink black water.  The only sound I could hear was the gentle "laps" against the hull as we ghosted along.  I looked up and found the Big Dipper.  I could see the faint haze of the Milky Way.  I lost myself in thoughts and dreams of sailing on my own boat with my wife as we made an evening passage.  We were in the middle of an ocean, any ocean, and not on Grand Lake, Oklahoma.  I was startled back to the present as the jib began to luff.  We had turned into the wind so that it could be furled.  I stood to help lower and flake the mainsail and a hint of sadness crept up inside me like I felt as a child on the last day of summer break.  I didn't want the night to end … I didn’t want the class to end.  It was the only means I had to sail, or so I thought...

*It really was perfect.  But my thoughts of sailing are now so heavily intertwined with experiencing it with Suzi that I simply wished she was there to share the night.

Where can you find beauty?

It is easy to “find” beauty when I look out over the turquoise ocean from the cockpit of a sailboat securely anchored after a long day’s sail; as I sit next to my lover watching a slowly setting sun paint swaths of fire red, burnt orange and deep purple paint across the sky’s blue canvas; when the muted hallway light silently brushes my daughter’s resting face as I secretly watch from a crack in her bedroom doorway as she peacefully sleeps; without the stress of work or a deadline.  This is not difficult.  But, I envy the person, most often a child, who sees beauty where I cannot: a simple tree whose branches undulate in the warm summer breeze; a lonely glowing ember from the remnants of a neglected campfire; a mutt dog found on the street and given shelter.  It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe, as the “beholder”, I should be open to find beauty in places where I would not otherwise have thought to look.  I should seek beauty in new and different experiences.  Where can you find beauty?

Am I a sailor now?

The title of today’s post begs the question - what makes one a sailor?  In April 2009, I completed my ASA Basic Keelboat class*, so I have some credentials - am I a sailor now?  I think not.  If I owned a sailboat, would I then be a sailor?  I think not.  As soon as I completed the BKB course, I signed up for the next in the series of ASA classes – Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Chartering - when I complete those will I be a sailor?  Hmmm....  Each of us will answer this question in different ways based on our backgrounds, experiences and bias.  For example, the term “sailor” can, and certainly does, apply to professional mariners, some military personnel as well as recreational sailors.  I am still searching for the answer for me.  Perhaps it is not even a valid question.  On the other hand, maybe a sailor can be defined as simply as "one who sails."  In that case, I am a sailor.  For the time, I am going to forget titles and go sailing.  I will have fun.  I will be safe.  I will endeavor to learn more each and every day that I am out on the water.  In the end, I know that a sailor is never complete as there is always much more to learn no matter your "credentials" or experience level.

* I learned a lot and had a great instructor, Capt. Debbie Graham at Island Fever Sailing School on Grand Lake, Oklahoma.  So, thanks Capt. Debbie!

Lessons Learned

My intent for this blog is to document, in a somewhat loose chronological order, my Quest To Sail; however, the present day Quest is more than a mere interest.  My family and I recently bareboat chartered a sailboat in the BVI's and here are my "top 3s" from the trip - all in order of importance:

Casualties:

1. Eric's Bitter End hat (lost at sea)

2. Eric's iPhone 4 (gonna go old school to break addiction)

3. Eric's D&G wallet (I now use a zip lock bag)

Lessons learned:

1. Water conservation - forced to conserve, in six days the four of us used only 80 gallons AND we all showered every day. The average American shower uses 3 to 4 gallons per minute (you do the math based on you and your family).

1. Energy conservation - again, we COULD have docked at marinas and hooked our boat to shore power, but we CHOSE to conserve.

1. The value of TIME - it took a couple of days, but by the end of the trip, we were waking just after sunrise (5:45am) and going to bed by 9pm. Our "down" time was when we were sailing or before breakfast. We read, wrote and sketched. During the rest of the day, we didn't waste a minute. We snorkeled, talked, and played cards. We took TIME to think. We took photographs - a lot. The boat had a tv (for 5 dvds we brought to watch) and it was only turned on one time (night #1) and then off before the movie was complete. We made the most of each and every minute of each and every day. We are still learning and this trip helped.

How do you scratch an itch you don’t know you have?

On an unseasonably warm and pleasant January 2009 morning, I was sitting on the deck of my in-laws' lake house on Grand Lake in NE Oklahoma.  Their deck faces east and is blessed with the most brilliantly colored sunrises of the deepest orange, purple and red ... if you wake in time.  On this day, I was enjoying my second cup of coffee with my wife, Suzi.  It wasn't early, but the kids were still in bed and we enjoyed the silence.  The lake was empty, as it normally is this time of year.  The breeze was out of the north and our lake neighbor's well worn American flag was waving at no one in particular.  I briefly thought to myself that this would be a perfect day to go for a boat ride in our 30 foot Chris Craft power boat, but it was in winterized hibernation.  I took another sip of coffee and looked out over the mouth of the cove, towards the main lake.  I was surprised to see a sailboat.  It was a good distance away and I could not make out how big she was, but I noticed two black masts that were flying two triangular sails that were a muted gold color.  I later learned this particular boat was a "ketch."  I continued to watch over the next 20 minutes as she slid effortlessly, and ever so slightly tilted, eastward across the lake.  Her peaceful movement did not disturb the silence of the morning ... it enhanced it.  Had I not looked up, I would not have known she was even there (a stark contrast to the LOUD go-fast boats of summer).  I grabbed my binoculars and secretly watched from the deck.  I was mesmerized.  I could make out two men and one woman in the cockpit.  They too appeared to be enjoying a morning cup of coffee.  I could see hints of white teethy smiles upon their faces.  Then, the boat turned.  The twin sails fluttered briefly, like our neighbor’s flag, just before becoming taught again, as the boat accelerated in a different direction.  I could no longer see the people as they were now hidden from my view by the amber sails.  I continued to watch until the boat silently disappeared around the point of the cove.

I now had an itch I did not previously know I had.  On the way home from the lake that weekend, we stopped by a book store near our house in Tulsa and I bought every single sailing magazine in the store ... and I began to scratch.

Passion

To live a joyous and fulfilling life, in my opinion, one must have a passion.  I tell my kids (a 14 year old daughter and a 9 year old son) this often.  Usually, I say something like “school and education are the most important things in your lives and where your focus should be, BUT find a passion – something in which you can “lose” and “apply” yourself.”  Actually, I am not so sure that having a passion isn’t the most important thing. 

For some, there is one - and only one - passion.  For example, I have a dear friend that golfs.  He golfs almost every day.  He joined a prestigious country-club so he could play on the nicest course in town.  He and his family schedule their vacations around his ability to play golf.  Then, when he goes on his “guy” trips – you guessed it, he goes golfing.  I am not criticizing – my friend derives much joy from his passion, and it is apparent from being around him that he is genuinely happy.  For others, work is their passion.  They work tirelessly to succeed at their vocation, to build a business, an empire.  For others (like me) there may be many and varied passions and they will vacillate from one to the next and then back. 

Looking back over my forty-something years, I have had many passions.  My slightly obsessive compulsive personality leads me to throw myself completely into my passions.  For a period of time, I was passionate about running.  It started small, with short runs around the neighborhood.  However, like with any true passion, it grew … and grew … and grew.  Before I knew it, my whole day, including work, was organized so that I could train.  I began tracking every mile, my pace and my heart-rate.  I entered and ran races of varying distances and finally a marathon.  Over time, this passion morphed to triathlons.  Then, I was running, swimming and biking my way through life, meeting new people and traveling to new places.  And, there have been many more: golf, tennis, surfing and Jeep Wranglers (I know, a Jeep is a weird passion to have, but I love them and if I had a 3 car garage I would own one today).  Passions are different than responsibilities and one must be careful to not let a passion become an obsession over which there is little or no control, and that ultimately interfere with responsibilities.  I sometimes have this tendency. 

To the point of this blog – in early 2009 I became interested in sailing.  While I grew up on the Texas Gulf coast, I had not been exposed to sailing – other than a few times on a friend’s sunfish and then our whole goal was to get up enough speed to capsize the boat.  Now, in my early 40s, living hundreds of miles from the closest ocean, I had a desire to really learn to sail … A YACHT!  I did not know it at the time, but my interest would soon become a passion … A Quest to Sail.