Serendipity at 15 Months

Welcome Serendipity to Newly Salted! Read this interview as originally published on their blog.
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Just before we get geared up to start cruising again after nearly five months now of sitting out hurricane season in Guatemala, I figured it would be a perfect time for a little question and answer time about our lives since there hasn’t been much other boating excitement going on lately. But this isn’t any ‘ol interview, it’s being done in connection with Newly Salted, a companion site to Interview with a Cruiser, who’s purpose is to ‘Record some of the wisdom of the masses of cruisers who are out there on the water, for the dreamers and planners still at their desks, using a focused interview format’.

First time visiting us? Here’s a little background. We are Matt and Jessica, and have been cruising for 15 months, starting in our home port of Muskegon, Michigan, on the east coast of Lake Michigan. Working our way through the Erie Canal and East Coast, our remaining time before hurricane season was making a jump from the Eastern Caribbean to the Western Caribbean, visiting places like the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Cayman Island before settling in Guatemala, where we currently sit, until cruising season is once more upon us. All of our adventures are cataloged on our website, www.mjsailing.com and on our Facebook page at MJ Sailing.

 Leaving Muskegon for the last time, officially cruisers now!

What is something you read or heard about cruising, that you found to be particularly accurate?:

That a cruisers plans are written in sand at low tide. We were naive, or maybe just determined and stubborn, but when we left Lake Michigan we had a very well laid out plan and we thought we could stick to it. That plan was for a circumnavigation in the span of four years. As soon as Hurricane Sandy came along our plans began to deteriorate as we fell behind schedule. We still tried to rush down the east coast, and even after spending a few months in Florida, we thought we could rush through the Bahamas in time to still jump over to Panama for a canal crossing this year. Going from Lake Worth Florida to George Town Bahamas in just ten days, we realized we didn’t want that kind of fast paced travel that a circumnavigation would press on us, and we’d rather slow down and take quality over quantity. We’d heard this many times before we left, but it took 7 months of cruising for it to actually sink in.

Our first anchorage of the trip, South Manitou Island, Michigan.

What do you find most exciting about the cruising lifestyle?: 

That there is always something new to see. Some places you get really attached to and others you don’t mind departing after a day’s visit. But the great thing about the cruising lifestyle is if you don’t like it, you can always pick up and leave until you find something that suits you better. We also love meeting other cruisers that have been out there and doing it for awhile, learning the ins and outs of certain places, and then getting excited to visit there ourselves.

Cruising past the Detroit City skyline.

What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome as a cruiser?:

For me, Jessica, it has been seasickness. It plagues me almost every time we travel and I’ve begun to dread any passage that lasts longer than sunrise to sunset. For those I can sit in the cockpit and stare off into the horizon, comforted by the fact that at least I’ll be at a calm anchorage that night and will have the ability to move around the boat again. Anything longer than that to me is a jail sentence, being confined completely to the cockpit where my symptoms are minimized, but I can’t even pass the time by reading a book. I can only sit there and stare. And stare, then a little more, and then some more after that. I’ve used just about every remedy there is, scopolamine patches, pressure point wristbands, and Dramamine. I’ve heard that seasickness will fade on long passages, after you’ve been out for 3-4 days, but our longest passage has only been three days, so I haven’t been able to find out yet if that holds true.

For Matt, the biggest obstacle is not being as productive on the boat as he was on land. Every day he got up with a purpose, went to work, enjoyed doing it, and felt good about it at the end of the day. Now that we don’t have schedules or the same kind of responsibilities, he used to feel useless while sitting around the boat and converting most of his time to relaxing. He’s found a remedy for this by keeping himself busy with the boat, or planning projects for the boat. Which, while we’re sitting at the marina with easy land and electricity access, he’s got about six projects going at once. And keeps planning more…

Is there something you wish you had bought or installed before starting out?:

Now that we’ve been out for awhile, we can both agree that an invaluable tool for us right now would be a backup generator for our solar panels. There’s currently three solar panels on Serendipity, one that’s 205 watts, and two that are 135 watts, for a total of 475 watts, which is actually pretty good. And when there’s sun out we’re bringing in power like crazy. The only issue is we assumed that being in tropical climates, we’d have sun 90% of the time. Which we’re starting to find out is not the case. When it’s just one or two cloudy days, the power we’ve saved up can usually tide us over until we see the sun again, but anything after that and we go into complete power lockdown, keeping the inverter off and even turning off the chill box at night (our biggest power consumer).  Running the engine is an option, but we don’t want to have to rely on that. We enjoy our electronic toys like laptops, tv, e-readers, and playing the stereo, and don’t want to have to give them up because the sun is being an unsocial sonnofa b.

Cementing our friendship with our first buddy boat, in Annapolis.

What piece(s) of gear would you leave at the dock next time? Why?:

Because Matt is fairly obsessed with researching any new hobby that takes his interest, he spent hours of each day before we left pouring over websites and forums and question and answer sites (like IWAC) to see what other people carried on their boats or wish they had. He then translated it to our boat, our cruising needs, and our personalities and lifestyle. We were pretty stumped for this question because we kind of love everything we have on this boat, I think he did a great job of figuring that out for us (although I was hounded relentlessly for my opinion as well). If we had to pick one thing though, I think we’d go with davits. 

Surprised? I know, that’s usually on every cruisers ‘must have list’, even before things like solar panels or a water maker. The reason we might leave them behind next time is that they are only used at night to get the boat out of the water (for security and cleanliness reasons). Anytime we’re on passage we’re not sure if the davits can handle the brutal strain and we’ve already had two* incidents of breakage when we’ve left the dinghy up on passage, so we haul it up an secure it on the foredeck anyway.  Every.Passage.   I do love them for at night when we pull the dinghy up, but as Matt reminds me, that can also be done with a halyard on the foredeck.

As you started cruising, what transitions did you find most difficult?:

This one kind of makes me laugh because one of my most difficult transitions is so far off from what most people would expect. There are plenty of things that can drive a cruiser bonkers, things like cockpit showers (we disassembled the shower in our head), rough passages, and sleeping two people to a bed that should really only comfortably fit one. I let all of these nuisances roll off because I was expecting them. I was dreading them before we left, and they turned out not to be as bad as I imagined. The thing that surprisingly did get me, was cooking in our galley. The lack of good space there is what drove me crazy. There’s very little counter space, and a good portion of it is the top to our chill box. I’d be busy preparing dinner on the ‘counter’ and realize I needed something from the chillbox, so I’d have to move all my items away to lift up the top. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I’d then spend the next five minutes digging through the chill box and placing all of it’s contents on the companionway stairs until I found what I needed, because that was the only open space I had to lay them down. I’ve since become more accustomed to it, but for awhile, that nightly routine could almost drive me to tears.

Exploring the Exumas, Bahamas.

What is the thing that has surprised you most about your cruising lifestyle?:

That we’ve begun to crave friends and buddy boats. For the most part, both of us enjoy our solitude and spending time solely with one another. At least, this is how we were back on land. Spending all day surrounded by people at work, we looked forward to our quiet time together at night. When we left we told ourselves we’d never get sucked into the world of buddy boating and living on someone else’s schedule, where they wanted to go or what they wanted to do. Nope, it was going to be just the two of us, making our own decisions and relying on no one else. But somewhere along the way we did find a buddy boat and realized we enjoyed it immensely. Other people to share in your highs and your lows, someone to force you out of your lazy habits to try new things, and even just the novelty of having someone different to talk to. Don’t get me wrong, we still love our solitude from time to time, but once you have that for too long, things can get a little lonely in this life.

Enjoying the waterfalls in Jamaica with a large group of buddy boats.

(Photo courtesy of Jason Windebank)

Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of this interview?:

Yes! Please get involved with the crew of Serendipity! E-mail us, comment on our website, and on our Facebook posts. We’d love to hear anything you have to say! As I said, this can be a lonely lifestyle sometimes, but just knowing there are people out there following along makes us feel much less isolated, and any sign that you’re out there is an instant mood lifter.

Strolling the streets of Cuba.

And now, a few questions our readers want to know about us and our cruising lifestyle**:

How hard is it to get food and supplies along the way?

It depends on if you’re trying to fully provision your boat or just get through the next few days to make meals, ect, as well as your taste in food, and what you’re willing to pay for it.  Once we got out of the States and into the Bahamas we had a fully stocked boat from Florida.  We know that the Bahamas are quite expensive and didn’t want to spend money on non perishables that we could bring with us.  The Bahamas didn’t happen to be great for fresh produce, but hey, our meals usually consisted of Pop Tarts and Ramen Noodles, so it wasn’t an issue for us.  Other than that, you could find what you needed, but at a price.  Every place else we’ve been so far we’ve been able to find decently stocked markets and stores within a mile or two walk, although Cuba was quite hard for provisioning as well.  I wouldn’t planning getting much more than produce or meat there.

How have you found fellow sailors as you’ve traveled?

There’s been two main ways we’ve found other sailors on the water.  One is actually this website, which has brought me in touch with some of my now best friends Jackie and Ron back in Michigan, and other cruisers like Ryan and Tasha on s/v Hideaway, and Frank and Yu on s/v Moitessier.  All other times we’ve found other cruisers by approaching or being approached at anchor, or run-ins on land.  It’s pretty easy to spot other cruisers, and even easier to strike up conversations.  Which always lead to sundowners on someone’s boat or in a local bar.  It’s just that easy, and it works every time.  (I will admit, we can be a little shy sometimes, so we’re usually the ones getting approached at anchor.  It’s how we met our now great friends on s/v Skebenga, and I’m so happy they came over to say hi!!)

Would you do it again?

For those of you who are new to the site or haven’t been following along for long, you might not know that both Matt and I just about had a complete meltdown back in June and wanted out of the cruising lifestyle.

One year in and somehow the lows felt more frequent than the highs and we were tired of constantly caring for a boat that is always in need of maintenance (as all cruising boats are, unfortunately), or visiting an island that looked pretty much like the one we just left.  I am still thankful that Guatemala, with it’s high peaks and lush green forests, was our next landfall after this breakdown, or you might have seen Serendipity for sale on Yacht World.  Luckily some time at a marina, a visit home, and experiencing traveling via backpacking, gave us a new perspective on cruising.  We felt refreshed and invigorated, excited to get going again.  Over this time we realized what we like about cruising, what we don’t, and we think we’ve redefined our future plans to make it work out for us.  Just ask us another year into cruising though, hopefully Serendipity is still on our possession and we’re still out on the water.

*Our first accident with the davits was when we were traveling 10 miles in Lake Michigan, and had the dinghy up on the davits along with our 9.9 hp outboard.  Beating into some waves, the strain was so much that the arms literally bent in half.  We had them replaced with larger stronger davits, but we always made sure to take the large outboard off after that.  Our second accident was in the Exumas in the Bahamas, when the bracket that mounts the davits to the pushpit snapped, and we had to do some quick and fancy work with ratchet straps until we could find a welder to fix the bracket.

**If you asked a question on our Facebook page and I haven’t responded, don’t worry, I’m not ignoring you.  I’m planning on doing a second question and interview post where I include them.  Anyone else have a question for us?  We’d be happy to answer it!

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Nyon at 15 Months

Welcome Kyra and Rick to Newly Salted! Read this interview as originally published on their blog. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canucks abroad

We are Rick and Kyra, our homeport is Victoria, BC, Canada. Our floating home is the sailing vessel Nyon. A Lapworth 36, Nyon is a 54 year old wooden sailboat that we refitted over a period of 4 years. (Admittedly we are still in the process of refitting her, but she is a solid bluewater boat.) We have been cruising full-time for 15 months. In September 2011, we sailed  from Canada, down the west coast of the United States, and into Mexico. We have been cruising in Mexico since November 2011. We are now in the Sea of Cortez. It is our hope to continue cruising for as long as it is possible (and fun), stopping to replenish the cruising kitty when need be. There are still countless places we would like to explore, including the South Pacific. You can follow our adventures on our blog. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?

Kyra: The funny thing is, people told us a lot of things. We had some great resources: Friends who’d cruised extensively, like-minded individuals who encouraged us to go simply and go now. They would mention certain discomforts or challenges they’d come across, and I would nod. I realize now that I did not always grasp what they meant, or did not see how affected by certain things I would be until I actually experienced them for myself. For example, our friend Barb talked about the boat’s motion when you’re offshore, and how it can still be exhausting and frustrating even in not-so-terrible conditions. I grimaced, but was thinking “Really, how bad can it be, unless we're in a storm!” It can be bad, let me tell you. I’m ashamed to admit that I have had temper tantrums after running into the same table corner 5 times in 20 minutes of rolly seas. This is a roundabout way of saying, we were told plenty, we just needed to have our own experiences.

Rick:  It won't be the experience you expect it to be. Some things that you think will be hard, will be manageable.  Some things that you think will be easy, will drive you crazy. Things you hadn't really thought about will become the things you most look forward to. 

At anchor in the Sea of Cortez

Of the changes, choices and compromises you had to make along the way, which were you happiest and most satisfied about, which do you wish you had chosen otherwise and why?

Kyra: We started cruising abroad without a watermaker – for our first year in Mexico, we lugged “garrafons” of water to the boat. Sometimes it was a real hassle; often it was just another boat job. Through a series of events, we had the opportunity to buy a second-hand watermaker which Rick installed at anchor while we were in the northern half of the Sea of Cortez. It still feels like a luxury to be able to make water at will. It has allowed us to go farther afield, and be away from “civilization” for longer periods of time. While cruising is more than doable without one, we are very happy to have a watermaker now. (Of course, we had to compromise stowage, which is limited at best on Nyon, that’s an ongoing challenge, made just a little harder with a watermaker. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.)
Rick: In our pre-cruising life, we questioned a lot of the default choices made by peers, family, and our cutlure in general. We tried to make choices that were right for us. Sometimes our choices were outlandish, and sometimes they were common; but either way, we tried to make our choices consciously. We are happiest with the choices that took us off the usual path, or kept us in a great anchorage, after other boats had moved on.

Is there something you wish you had bought or installed before starting out?

Kyra: I would like to have an SSB radio – especially for when we cross to the South Pacific – I can see how only having an SSB receiver and maybe a SAT phone would be more isolating. And I like the idea of being able to use Sailmail to let our loved ones know we’re okay when we are “out there”. The debate on that one continues aboard Nyon.  Also, it would have been nice to be better prepared for the amount of snorkeling and fishing we are now doing – however, this has not stopped us from pursuing our new passions.

Rick: Coming from cold water sailing grounds, we underestimated the amount of time we would spend, and  number of things we would do in the water. We should have had more, and better snorkeling gear, including spares. We took up spearfishing, with a pole-spear, and hook and line fishing. We could have brought more of the basic fishing gear with us. A lot of the gear available in Mexico is very expensive, for the elite sport fishing business. Then there are toys like kayaks, boogie boards, surf boards, kite-boarding outfits, etc.  If we had the money, and space, we would have it all. 

As you started cruising, what transitions did you find the most difficult?

Kyra: I think what I found hardest was not having my close friends nearby, we have been fortunate in that they’ve come to visit us while we’ve been cruising in Mexico, but it’s not the same as weekly coffee, art dates and gab sessions. Having said that, we are lucky to have met some great folks while cruising (whom we are sure to develop steadfast friendships with); but friendships take time to grow and deepen, so at times I have struggled with the loneliness that comes with a transient life.

Rick: It was challenging to be alone together all of the time. We are both social people, but when we initially started traveling, we had few opportunities to get to know people. We would sometimes go weeks without anything more than superficial conversations with strangers. Many of the boats we connected with, sailed off in different directions. We were probably about 8 months in, before we started connecting with boats that had similar cruising plans. We really miss our close circle of friends. 

Nyon doing what she does best
Photo courtesy of  Tom (SV Eagle)

What mistakes did you make as you started cruising?

Kyra: Oh, I know we’ve made lots of mistakes – when you’re new at something like voyaging, you’re bound to. What’s important is learning from those mistakes. More specifically, I mindlessly assumed that once I was out there, I would take to the lifestyle just like that. I realize now that it takes time to develop a variety of skills when you are actually voyaging, and they don’t necessarily come naturally or quickly. Another big lesson we had to learn was to limit the number of things on our to-do list in a day. You’ll hear or read over and over again how long it takes to get anything done. Grocery shopping can be a half day to a whole day trek, etc. We have learned to limit what we expect to get done in a day, which means we have a better chance to get that ”feeling of accomplishment” instead of coming up short, and being exhausted and grumpy at the end of the day.

Rick: We spent our first 2 months cruising doing a lot of passagemaking. We were under-weigh for an average of over 50 hours per week. We were moving along at a rate where we didn't feel like we could really enjoy each place we stopped. The cruising was exciting, but it felt a lot more like work than an escape. This is what we had prepared for; our boat in motion all of the time. Once we slowed down, we began to realize that cruising is really about enjoying the place you are in. We spend almost all of our time at anchor, only moving along when we really want to. Our focus and expectations had been very passage-centric. We weren't mentally prepared, or as outfitted as we would have liked, for enjoying ourselves at anchor.

What do you find the most exciting about your cruising life?

Kyra: Voyaging on a sailboat is not boring and that’s exciting! There is no room for monotony. Some days I’m restless or frustrated, but I’m never bored. I love discovering new passions, developing my skills as a sailor, observing the wildlife, being at one with nature, pushing my comfort zone to new levels, and learning about a different culture.
Rick: A good sail is still pretty great. There is nothing like reaching in a fifteen knot breeze with your destination appearing over the horizon. Fishing has become a lot of fun. I never really did much fishing back home, so my enjoyment of fishing has come as a bit of a surprise. I particularly like spearfishing. Seeing all of the different fish in the reefs is great, and there is something thrilling in the hunt, especially if it is successful.

What is something about the cruising culture you like and what is something you dislike?

Kyra:) One thing we'd heard and read, was how helpful the cruising community is. Complete strangers will offer assistance in all kinds of amazing ways. In our experience, we found this to be absolutely true. We have witnessed an inherent generosity of spirit  time and again within this community. This is two-fold, however, cruisers can also be very opinionated and pushy with how you should tackle a problem or issue - and that can be exhausting and frustrating at times, especially when we disagree. This also brings up the herd mentality that sometimes takes over the cruising community. There can be some bullying if you choose the "wake less traveled" - I think you need to be comfortable with your plans and choices, whether or not the next two boats agree with you - it is important to build trust in yourself and your boat. We have also found that we are often the youngest ones around. And we are not that young: 40 and 43 years old respectively. We don’t usually care how old people are, if we click with them, we click. Some of our favourite cruisers are our parents’ age – but sometimes it is also nice to hang out with people our own age or younger. You connect on a different level.
Rick: The cruising community has the village mentality of helpfulness and inclusion, that has disappeared from our home land-based culture. Boats are not only willing, but also able to help each other out with emergencies, and minor troubles. The more boats there are in a particular area, the more political the community becomes. I don't like the politics that are part of the bigger ports. The resources in the bigger ports draw us in, but the petty politics make the more remote anchorages even more attractive.

What is something that you read or heard about cruising, that you didn't find to be true?

Kyra: Me personally – I heard people say it can be boring. I don’t find cruising boring. Sure there are times I feel restless, but bored? Never. I’m pretty good at keeping myself busy and am getting better at sitting still, and staring out at the sea.

Rick: We heard that the people you meet along the way become instant close friends. The reality is that we have a lot in common with fellow cruisers, but we make friends, and develop depth in friendships in the same way we did before we left. 

What is the key to make the cruising life enjoyable?

Kyra: Attitude. It’s all about attitude. I’m not saying I always have the right attitude, but it certainly helps me cope with unexpected challenges more constructively when I manage to have a positive attitude. Also, being open to what is, (instead of pining for what-should-be), has allowed us to appreciate this incredible adventure all the more.

Rick: Life is still life, while you are out in paradise. You leave behind a lot of the responsibilities and baggage that is common with a shore-bound life. However, you get used to what is normal. One sunny day, after  another sunny day, with beautiful sunsets, and warm waters become your everyday experience, you realize that your enjoyment of life isn't dependent on your lifestyle. Don't wait to enjoy life, until you are anchored off a tropical island sipping rum and coconut water out of a fresh green coconut. Learn to enjoy life now, and then take that enjoyment cruising. 

How would you recommend that someone prepares to cruise?

Kyra: Go sailing, in all kinds of weather conditions. Learn to work on boat projects at anchor. Seriously, get off the dock as often as possible, even if you have to motor to get to an anchorage. It’s important to experience a variety of conditions – you will find you need to adjust things such as: Where you stow certain items, what you require for comfort, etc. This was especially true for us, as we mostly anchor out. In 2012, we stayed at a dock for a total of 4 nights. Living aboard, (at least for a little while), ahead of time is not a bad idea either – There is enough to adapt to as it is, once you begin to cruise full-time. We lived aboard for 4 year in the PNW prior to going cruising, we figured out how to give each other space in a diminutive living arrangement, as well as how to move around each other as we go about our daily activities. Finally, I also spent a lot of time reading a variety of cruising blogs – it’s inspiring, informative, and fun! 

Rick: Go sailing. Go frequently. Get out for as long as you can. The only way to figure how you want to set up your boat, is to use it. Use it in all kinds of conditions. Live on your boat. The only way to figure out how you want to set up your boat is to spend time on it. Get used to day to day living aboard. Make sure your berth is comfortable. Learn how to make the most of the stowage you have available. Every crew has different goals, a different cruising style, a different boat. What is a good decision for one crew, is not necessarily right for another. Consider the advice you get, try it on in your head and see if it seems to fit. You and your boat will never be ready, so cast off the dock lines and get ready along the way.

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