John & Jac Sailing

Do you even know how to sail?

Another question I hear a lot is “What experience do you have?”

Most people think I am crazy after they hear what I have to say about this subject, let me start with the formality part;

I hold a Master 100 GRT near Coastal Coastguard license

I have been through many classes at the Clatsop Community College that covered;

Rules of the road, Marine navigation, Celestial navigation, Seamanship, First Aid/CPR, Fire response, Marine Safety drills, Radio Communication, Hazwoper, Visual Communications, Vessel stability, Coastal Navigation & Voyage Planning.

For 5 years I ran a Guide service named “Fish On Adventures” that specialized in salmon and Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia river in Oregon.  I gave this up when it got so busy guiding that I would have to quit my full time job at Hewlett Packard to keep guiding and I decided that the full time pay and benefits where more important since I still had kids around.

Other than the official training and Certifications I have been on a boat of one kind or another most of my adult life.  We have spent many days in a 25’ fiberglass boat 60 miles offshore chasing Albacore Tuna out of NewportorDepoe BayOregon with many more days 30 miles offshore catching Halibut and Salmon.

Albacore out of Depoe Bay Oregon! View at Picasa Albacore out of Depoe Bay Oregon!

Little John's 100+ LB Halibut! View at Picasa Little John's 100+ LB Halibut!08-Aug-2005 02:31, SONY DSC-U60, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100

Seasick

Jac has less experience on a boat, but she is a natural to the water.  When everyone else is seasick she is wondering why and actually has said she is looking forward to her first time (ha me too!). She can sleep when everyone else is getting beat up and she loves to crack a Tuna on the head when she boats it.

I don’t think I could have another partner better suited to learn while we go, did I mention she has a photographic memory?  I have heard people talk about having photographic memories but she is the only person I have actually met that really can do it, seriously she can pull phone numbers, what you where wearing from 10 years ago.  Yes I do lose most arguments because she is usually right!

I have spent a limited amount of time on a Sailing vessel and we are planning on taking the first year of our cruising life just learning the intricacies involved with sailing Vs Motor boating.

We are intelligent people (well Jac is anyway) and there is no way I will plan and execute a voyage until we are both prepared to handle whatever situation may come up.

Any of you have some great suggestions for us please feel free to comment or contact us and let us know.

Newport Bridge at Night! View at Picasa Newport Bridge at Night!07-Aug-2007 20:51, Canon Canon EOS 20D, 4.0, 17.0mm, 8 sec, ISO 400

Did someone ask about Pirates?

Now let’s throw out the oddest question in my mind, but the one EVERYBODY has to ask, “What about Pirates?” seriously?

I know it’s in the news a lot but Pirates?  I always like to answer “What about em?”  You know where there at, don’t go there.  Then follow up with what about crossing the road, driving to Portland, the gangs in LA, and the people who think they should have what you do?  What about Terrorism? What about falling in your shower?

You can get in a situation at anytime that can take your life, but you can also be careful not to put yourself in that situation.   The way I look at it is if we are afraid to do this because of Pirates we don’t belong on a boat!  There is oh so much more to life than being afraid.

Besides I will have Jac with me and about 2 days after we get hijacked they will release us and then they will go on an extended bender to recuperate, anyone who knows Jac personally will know what I mean.

Seriously though what about pirates?  Well we will do everything we can to avoid the areas they are known to frequent even if it means taking a route that might be harder for a small sailing vessel to deal with, the thing we have in our favor is that we have plenty of time, if that means we take a longer route and sit somewhere until the weather gets better then that’s what we do.

If we make it to the part of the world where the pirates are at, I mean real Arrggh Pirates not local punks that will steal from you at any port.  It will be in 3+ years and I am hoping the Governments of the world will grow some balls and release the Navies to clean it up before we get there.  Seriously how hard can it be to sink a fiberglass fishing boat?

If the High Tech Navies of the world can’t get it together then we will have a choice to make and here are the 4 options I see, well 5 I guess, we could just park somewhere and never leave;

• Ship the boat to safe water; this won’t be a real option since we won’t have that $30k laying around to pay for transport
• Try to join a group and sail through the pirate area,
• Turn around and sail back towards the Pacific
• Sail around the Cape of Good Hope, as anyone knows this is almost as bad as trying to outrun the Pirates
• Camp our asses on a beach somewhere until they kick us out

Who knows that’s a long way out, I will keep you posted.

Here are some good Pirate references;

Sos (save our Seafarers)

Noonsite Piracy page

U.S. Maritime Administration’s Horn of Africa Piracy page

U.S. Coast Guard’s “Homeport” page; select “Anti-Piracy