I've always said that when I hang up my ocean racing boots, I'd like to explore the nooks and crannies of the planet rather than speeding past in a quest for speed. For an inquisitive person like me, it's always been frustrating to watch lush, exotic islands like the Cape Verde archipelago or desolate lands like Gough Island in the South Atlantic fade into the distance. What they could have had to offer, given enough time to explore them, took the form of a lingering echo of regret.
The more I checked off the list of inspirational errands, the more this echo became insistent and began to demand my attention.
Variety beckoned, and I began to explore other modes of adventure capable of offering me more variety and greater proximity to the coast. This led to me taking part in or organizing trips to the North Pole, an inflatable boat expedition beyond the Arctic Circle, a re-enactment episode to Australia and an epic kayak trip around Tasmania.
It was the kayak tour of Tasmania (in 2012 ed.) that really opened my eyes to the extra dimension that cruising could have to offer. It was a huge undertaking, with the challenges of survival absorbing all our attention as we prepared for this expedition. However, once we were underway, a wonderfully random and completely unexpected parallel adventure began to unfold ashore.
As Forest Gump's mother liked to say, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." Every night we camped ashore, this unpredictable side of the expedition offered us wonderful memories. A Tasmanian devil trying to steal our shoes. A beach filled with bleached whale bones that had an ethereal glow in the setting sun. Shivers as we desperately lit a fire to keep warm after being crushed to the shore by huge breakers. Wombats joining us for an aperitif in Wine Glass Bay, as a square rig rolled gently in the swell. Paddling ashore to find ourselves invited to a golden wedding anniversary filled with the most amazing characters. This expedition became memorable in every way, for the generosity of nature, the strength of the bond between land and sea, and the people we met.
The Garcia Exploration 45 "Pearl of Penzance
I wanted more, and after the kids left home and I ended my racing career, Tracey and I decided to dip our toes into cruising. We started with a 34-foot Frances Pilot, which whetted our appetites. The initial plan was for me to sail the oceans solo, but Tracey gained confidence and decided to jump aboard with both feet. We ordered "Pearl of Penzance", a wonderful Garcia Exploration 45, and spent the next two and a half years living on the water.
While researching our trip, we came across a surprising formula according to which cruising corresponded to 20% actual sailing time, with the rest spent at anchor. This formula seemed very unfavorable to sailing, so I added what turned out to be a misguided pinch of salt. In the end, we discovered that we had three modes of operation, anchorage, delivery, and an intermediary we'll call vagabondage. It took us a while to relax and really adopt the rhythm of the long cruise, as opposed to the often default attitude of charging ahead like crazy, knowing that the time available outside work is necessarily limited.
Once we'd found our rhythm, it quickly became clear that we needed to collect a range of toys and equipment to continue exploring, relaxing and enriching our experience. A toolbox that it will take us some time to accumulate and optimize.
A whole world of wonders is right there, within reach under the keel, so the first thing to do was don a pair of flippers, mask and snorkel for endless fun. This also allowed us to check the propeller, double rudders, sacrificial anodes , and make sure the anchor was secure. In addition to this, we added a small electric compressor which extended my dive time, allowing me to clean the hull and carry out small tasks such as changing the sacrificial anodes, cleaning the propeller or cleaning a fouled anchor. As Tracey is afraid of water, we bought a bathyscope, which was a real godsend as she loves nature. I'd got into the habit of towing her in the dinghy for snorkelling, so we were able to enjoy the experience together.
I soon felt the need to take snorkelling to the next level, and the idea was to maximize what I could get out of it. I bought a custom-made mask, anti-fog wipes, a longer snorkel and better fins. A neoprene top kept the sun off my back and helped keep me warm in the colder waters. I added to this a lightweight wetsuit when we headed north: I always used it in cases where I had to dive from the boat at sea to minimize bruising in the event of contact with the hull. I also started swimming to keep fit, which, after a brush with an outboard, soon necessitated the addition of a red float strapped to my waist. We bought a book on fish and started looking for good snorkeling sites while planning our sailings. The addition of an underwater camera and a GoPro made for some wonderful memories.
As my underwater knowledge grew, it became clear to me that we were floating above a very nourishing food bank.
I can't tell you how much fun I had catching my dinner with my harpoon gun, whether it was fish or lobster. It kept me busy for hours and really helped me understand this new world and its complex food chain.
A chain at the top of which it is not man who dominates... which requires a good understanding of shark habits. The first rule of thumb is not to swim at dawn or dusk. Be wary if food waste has just been thrown overboard, and take care to avoid places where bait is used to attract sharks for tourism purposes, as this encourages them to associate man with food.
The more time we spent exploring, the more we realized the importance of having a dinghy. I recommend an inflatable dinghy, and we loved our F-rib because it could fold up and be stowed in the bilges during ocean crossings. We quickly got rid of our four-stroke outboard motor and bought a Yamaha two-stroke, used by all professional fishermen. Maybe not as environmentally friendly as the four-stroke, but ten times more reliable. In long-term blue water cruising , the outboard is both a work tool and a safety feature. We have carried out four rescues with our dinghy, one of which would not have succeeded without the extra power of a two-stroke engine.
When we set off on long dinghy trips, we took along hats, an umbrella, water, a snack, sunscreen and insect repellent. A small bag containing a waterproof VHF, a portable GPS, a cell phone and a wallet is never too much. We also had a good anchor with a few metres chain. If I wandered away from the shore under my own power, I always plotted the projected course on the map, then did a radio check to keep Tracey informed.
On several occasions, I teamed up with another sailboat that was cruising nearby, allowing us to have total redundancy with two boats involved.
Over time, I got the urge to exercise more and bought a hybrid stand-up paddle and windsurf. Paddling, which at first seemed boring compared to kayaking, became a passion. It's great exercise and I soon realized, while paddling with a friend in a kayak, that standing up, I could see much better and more than he could. I remember shouting to him that we were almost vertical to a large eagle ray. Being close to the water, all he could see was the reflection of the sun. The other advantage over his kayak was that I could throw the board in the water and stow it easily, whereas launching the kayak required two people and the use of a Halyard. It's that same extra hassle factor that means I've never really used windsurfing.
One of the key things with my stand-up paddle board was to design and build dedicated storage on the cockpit arch, just below the Solar panels. Easy access meant I could throw it in the water on a whim and have fun. The fact that it was rigid meant better performance and, of course, better gear for many hours of wave-riding fun. The other solution was an inflatable stand-up paddle, which has the advantage of being easy to store, but I found that its rather low performance compared with my rigid board, as well as the hassle of inflating it, limited its daily use. Where the inflatable board came in handy was when we had guests who were new to paddle-boarding: the inflatable version was suited to their abilities. And it was fun to be able to deflate it and store it for long periods when we were both sailing. I really enjoyed introducing the newcomers to the joys of stand-up paddling.
My paddle board was called "Mindy", after our charming little dog, because she was a real magnet when it came to meeting people. I always ended up chatting to other cruisers as I made my way to the anchorage. In Norfolk, Virginia, I paddled under the amazing concave bow of the USS Wisconsin and cheekily challenged a passing US Marine officer to take my picture. That evening, he came aboard "Pearl" for a drink. The next day, he took us on the most incredible VIP tour of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, the USS Eisenhower! In Maine, I met descendants of the Cabot family, who arrived in America before the Mayflower. On another occasion, I paddled around a rocky outcrop to come face-to-face with a metre-high bald eagle. It studied me for a moment, then went on to feed on a large fish caught in its talons - it was an incredible moment.
As with any water sport, safety and common sense must be at the heart of your concerns.
Don't use any of these devices if you've been drinking, and above all make sure that if things go wrong, you won't be swept out to sea. Watch out for tides and changing currents, as they can build up very quickly and sweep you off your feet. Constantly scan the horizon when snorkeling to watch for approaching boats or even, as happened to me on a dive in the Bahamas, when a large and dangerous waterspout occurs. When choosing your boat, take into account these activities outside the sailing program, which are very pleasant distractions. The Garcia Exploration 45 "Pearl" was perfect for this, with its large boarding platform and ladder. This provided a stable and safe platform for moving from dinghy to paddle-board to water. In fact, this part of the boat looked almost like a marina pontoon and was even equipped with a ceiling light.
Fishing has all the makings of a great pastime and, looking back, I wish I'd explored it more. It's a wide-ranging subject, into which we dipped our toe by dropping a spoon hook over the longline, with surprising results. I think that, had family circumstances not necessitated the sale of "Pearl", this would have been the next area for both of us to explore. Knowing that the mere idea of preparing a meal leads you to cast a line to Newfoundland or Norway and catch a fresh cod is pretty magical. So is catching a big tuna or other pelagic fish on an ocean crossing.
Looking back, as much as we loved our Atlantic crossing as a duo, most of our lasting memories come from experiences close to the coast. With time and experience, we've built up our toolbox for making the most of this rich and wonderfully diverse meeting point between land and sea. Don't just sail the oceans: immerse yourself in them in the truest sense of the word. You'll discover a world that will add immeasurably to the value of time, and leave you with glorious memories.
This is the fifth in a series of articles by British sailor, author and adventurer Pete Goss.
Find out more about Pete Goss on his official website
