Port Credit Power and Sail Squadron would like to thank Jan and Judie, two of our members, for taking the time to compose this tale of their adventure.  We wish them calm seas and fair winds in their pursuit, one which many of us dream about and have yet to pursue.

So what is it really like?

It’s a question that we are often asked as we continue to live aboard and cruise south into the Caribbean on our sailing vessel “Meridian Chaser”, a 41 foot Morgan Classic II centre cockpit sloop.  Meridian Chaser is home for Jan, Judie and our two Siamese cats “Lat” and “Long”.  This is not the first time that we have taken Meridian Chaser south into the Caribbean.

Eight years ago we took a year away from work and traveled from Toronto to Oswego New York, through the Erie Canal system out through New York Harbour, into the Chesapeake and down the ICW, south into the Bahamas.  We made the decision during that trip that we would like to do it again.  We would go further south, when we didn’t have time constraints.  It is now 2004; we are retired, have no time constraints and are living that dream.

At the urging of our friends we have kept a website up and operational, (www.meridianchaser.com) that shows our progress pictorially and is presented in travelogue fashion.  As of this writing, we had published up to George Town, Bahamas, which we reached in March of this year.  We have not included the day to day routines that punctuate our daily life.  This article is an attempt to do that.

Preparation for a trip, of this magnitude and undetermined length, takes time.  We spent three years preparing for our first excursion south by going to cruising seminars, reading about and talking to people who had done what we wanted to do.  This planning paid off and we believe we were relatively well prepared when we started on the first cruise.  The hardest part of the first trip was slowing down.  We had both come from jobs that had us doing three or four different things at once.  Being on a vessel for long periods of time, that travels on average 6 knots, does take some adjustment.  Despite interchangeable gardens and a mammoth pool, Meridian Chaser is still only a 500 sq. ft. floating home.  Living so “together” puts a strain on any relationship and it’s important to empathetically communicate when problems arise.

We read more books now, pursue hobbies and cultivate new friendships.  We spend more time together and find that our trust in each other’s abilities grows as we progress.  Our one steadfast rule is to talk out anything about which we are concerned.  If either of us is not satisfied with the idea of moving on, because of weather or whatever, we do not proceed until the vote is unanimous.  This is a given on our boat and we think that it should be a golden rule for any cruising couple.  We are both adventurous by nature, but it is prudent to keep safety as the first priority.

So what is it really like?  We can tell you for certain that it is a rewarding experience, but it is not an extended vacation.  We both have regular jobs on the boat.  The main engine, generator and outboard engines all require oil and filter changes.  Bearings must be greased, packing glands must be inspected, belts and pulleys need adjustment, zincs need replacing, and so the list goes on and on.  Sun, sand and salt relentlessly conspire to destroy your ship.  A small problem ignored becomes a huge problem in the boondocks.  There too is polishing, sanding, varnishing, canvas repair, bottom cleaning, waxing, vacuuming, cooking, shopping and laundry.  Still think it’s a vacation?

Once you are out of the USA, marinas are far and few between.  You can’t just hop in a car and visit a chandlery.  You must carry lots of spares and become very resourceful at adapting things.  Other cruisers will help you out with advice, parts and labour.  You in turn help others.  The cruising community is pretty closely knit and regularly assist in medical and mechanical emergencies.  It is not unusual to hear a request help on the radio; the response is almost instantaneous and genuinely overwhelming.

There are trips by dinghy into the various small towns to get food and supplies.  These are transported back to the boat after careful removal of cardboard and other wrappings, wherein little critters are known to set up home.  No one wants unwanted insects on board, particularly the boaters’ scourge the cockroach.  Then items must be stored so that can be found again.  There are many cubby holes on board, where items that are not used on a regular basis find a home.  It is prudent to keep an inventory of where things are, so that you don’t have to tear the boat apart looking for the item when you need it.

Anchoring becomes second nature and because gas stations are not at water’s edge, you must lug jerry cans of fuel by dinghy back to the mother ship.  If you cannot make RO water on board, you must lug water jugs too.  With refrigeration, electronics and lighting, there is a constant demand on batteries.  You become acutely aware of the need to manage energy, even on the most basic ship.  Many boats replenish electrical consumption by generator, wind buggers, or solar panels.  A boat in sea water is in the worst environment for things electrical.  It is a constant battle to prevent failures by way of corrosion and metal fatigue.  With each passing day, Jan is becoming more expert on maintaining water makers, compressors, anchor windlasses, marine heads and shower pumps.  Judie no longer sees tools as “thingamajigs” and can adroitly select tools from the box given their proper name.  She has learned to overlook the “Sailor talk,” while he is inside the engine room fixing things.

Domestic living requirements are the same as home – cooking, cleaning, and laundry. When bread is not available, or we crave fresh bread, we will make it from scratch.  The indescribable smell of bread fresh from the oven, laden with butter and jam, in concert with richly brewed Columbian coffee is an epicurean delight.  We like milk in our coffee and carrying a lot of milk is a problem.  It takes up a lot of refrigerator space and doesn’t keep well.  We discovered a powdered milk product called NIDO, produced by Nestlé.  It tastes creamy, has added vitamins and tastes remarkably like the real thing.  Best of all, we can make a glass or gallon when required.  Parmalat and condensed milk are disgusting by comparison.  After chasing jam around the plate and dribbling it on our clothes, there’s dish washing and laundry.  There are no automatic dishwashers, or washing machines on board, so this too must be done as part of our routine.  Cruising life is really like upscale camping; frankly we feel really healthier for it.  As a matter of fact, we haven’t had a single cold since leaving the USA.

We have developed an obsession about weather.  At home, if the sky looked bad, we would shrug and stay tied up at the dock.  Here that is hardly an option.  The pretty coral shoreline that you snorkeled yesterday can today be a snarling maw ready to rip chunks of fiberglass from the hull.  Given speed of wind and wave, there may be no safe refuge for miles.  Planning the anchorage becomes more important than planning the trips.  Every day we listen to the shortwave radio for weather bulletins.  Checking now and then is just not good enough.

All of this having been said; there are also the benefits of the cruising lifestyle.  We have met wonderful people who, no matter what their vessel, their age, or their economic means, are sharing the same dream.  They become extended family.  We see them every day for a couple of weeks.  When we pickup anchor to travel again, there is a melancholy at separation, as they hip-hop and we hip-hop from anchorage to anchorage.  There is little need for despondency because quite soon our paths do cross.  We are joyously elated to nurture acquaintance toward long term friendship.  What better way than sharing stories of intervening travels, while sharing food, drink and a setting sun?

There are often social gatherings on the beach to play volleyball, horseshoes, dominoes, bridge or share a bonfire; by participating, we to get to know each other better.  Since many people prefer to travel in safe company, finding a boat of comparable speed and with compatible people is essential.  There are swap meets, to exchange books & recipes, and workgroups to tackle technical boat problems.  We are discovering new and different hobbies.  Basket making and weaving using palm fronds, as taught to us by locals, is a favourite of many of the wives on the boats.  The men get together in groups to go spear fishing and diving for lobsters.  With a change of diet and a modicum of daily exercise, we’re feeling more fit and losing weight too.

Focusing interest only upon other cruisers is an incestuous life style.  One only meets cruisers, talks cruising and lives in a clan environment to the exclusion of all else.  It’s attractive, comfortable and generally safe.  The cruiser enclave avoids awkward problems of language and cultural differences.  If you want to see the world, you must consciously explore local island cultures.  We go ashore and make a concerted effort to join island community functions.  We are interested in meeting the local people, getting to know them and sampling their lifestyle too.  We are getting beyond “curious tourist” and are being included in community events.  This will get more difficult when we’re faced with a different language.

Being in George Town during hurricane season has been an adventure all in its own.  As of October, we have tracked twelve named storms.  Most have been serious threats. We have experienced hurricane Frances up close and personal.  Weather vigilance takes on new meaning as tropical depressions, spawned in the intra-tropical convergence zone, build themselves into vicious hurricanes.  At this point in time we are still in known territory, retracing a voyage that we have done before.  Our knowledge base of what to do and where to hide is pretty good.  Hopefully our experience will stand us in good stead as we explore “Terra Incognitos - for here there be dragons.”

Cruising is a wonderful lifestyle and quite often we wax on about yet another day in paradise.  When weather permits, we are looking forward to moving further south to new places, new people, new customs and new languages.  There will be many more tales to tell.  We will keep the website up and running, posting updates when it’s feasible.  Because we had been there and done that, our second trip through the Bahamas leapt over many island communities.  Anyone following in our path would be well rewarded by taking smaller hops and seeing it all.  With new vistas, we will be travelling much slower and staying longer where we can.  Naturally, weather and seasons will determine our path.  If you decide to embrace this lifestyle, we hope to cross your path.

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