Half Way

(Dana) On board for 2.5 weeks, Emma observed, “so this rally thing is basically passages and boat projects.”  I added, “sprinkled with fun adventures.”  As we have passed the half-way point of this epic journey, we recognize the truth in her statement, but also how it is balanced by fun.

First, we are sailing a lot. We have sailed (or motored) 13,000 miles to date.  Total circumnavigation is ~27,000 miles in approximately 440 days. That’s ~60 miles per day or a full 8-hour day if we’re going 7.5-8 knots.  Each 24-hour long passage day eats up ~180 miles, and ~40% of the total days are passage days.  So overall, we do have time for land- and ocean-based activities, but it means that we keep moving. Even if we find a place we really love, we need to move on after a few days. For example, in Emma’s 2.5 weeks with us from Hamilton Island to Cairns, we covered 350+ miles or 6 full days of sailing. 

If you are not a sailor, that pace might sound painful.  And yes, 747’s go to windward much faster than Oyster sailboats. But it is a pace that most of us don’t live in the real world. So being forced to slow down and appreciate each day is both a challenge and a gift. Personally, I pass the time sailing with a combination of eating, working out, Kindle reading, Lead Explorer/MIT projects, NYTimes daily puzzles, talking, photo curation (for Instagram and these posts), and enjoying the scenery. Admittedly, Greg is much better at watching scenery and contemplating life than I am. I do better at that on night watch; during the day, I feel the pull to do something.

In terms of jobs, Latitude requires a lot of love on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis; plenty of work for both the crew and us. After a day of sailing, she gets a wash-down to get the dried salt off. Small spaces show dirt, so keeping on top of vacuuming and wipe-downs are critical. The water line collects algae; it’s my job to go in and scrub it occasionally. Salt water is a tough physical environment for delicate systems (e.g. engine, generator, water-maker), so there are constant maintenance items. And then, of course, things break.  Just this month Greg has rebuilt a toilet (lucky him), the galley/kitchen sink pump, and the washing machine as well as replaced the boat’s throttle cable that snapped and did a temporary fix on an antenna at the top of the mast that a resting booby had broken. Thankfully we had Emma as an extra set of very strong hands to get that washer out of its hole!

The time leftover is for exploring and fun. Sometimes adventure is the priority of the day. Like on Magnetic Island where we went in search of koalas in the wild. Or on Bait Reef where we went diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Or on Lizard Island where we recreated our honeymoon hike. Sometimes the fun fits into the time not taken by sailing and boat jobs. Walking on gorgeous beaches. Snorkeling with mantas. Hiking. Driving. Meals with local families or in local restaurants. We have already had SO many cool adventures on this rally, and we have 7 more months to go. But it is not the same as a full vacation when you can leave your house and responsibilities behind and really detach.

Also interspersed has been family time. It has been hard to be away from the kids for the past 8 months. We saw everyone in Chicago for Alex’s Kellogg graduation. Emma joined us in Australia. All four (plus one) will join us in Cape Town for Christmas and safari. And hopefully some will join us towards the end of our adventure as we make the turn for Antigua. Given they all have their own lives, it is hard to get them for longer than that.

Sailing. Projects. Adventures. Family. A pretty good recipe for our 15-month rally.  Hard to believe we are already halfway around.

Here’s a short video that captures the feel of the first half: