Callisto is finally back in the water after 15 days on the hard. We managede to get about 4 days worth of work done in that time period due to inefficiency, bad weather and holidays. Bottom paint is on and wax applied and callisto looks almost new again.
We have been busy provisioning and celebrating the Admiral's birthday. The weather is terrible this weekend with rain and gale force winds. Things should settle down by Tuesday and we will set of for Opua in the north then. It will take two or three days to get there and we will do some final chores and wait for our new crew Terry from Long Beach to join us for the cruise to Fiji
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Reflections October 2009 to April 2011 from The Admiral
When Michael first began his sailing lessons 20 years ago, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this new hobby would lead us to a full 180 degrees in our lives. Around 5 years ago we began serious lifestyle planning,downsizing by selling our family home and purchasing our Amel 54. Finally it dawned on me that this was not a phase and that sailing around the world was actually going to happen!
I had many anxieties and fears as realization set in. My 8 biggest questions
1. How will I conquer severe "mal de mer " ?
I tried homeopathy,over the counter remedies in the US and England,numerous old wives suggestions,such as all forms of ginger,horizon watching etc,regular pressure point wrist bands,wrist bands with electrical stimuli. Nothing worked until I took prescribed scopolamine,the patch delivered too much of the drug with extreme side effects whereas the tablets every 6 hrs work perfectly for me. I am occasionally queasy,but I have not been sick.I take the tablets religiously when underway,after a few weeks I can reduce the dosage.I finally gained my sea legs,I never believed that it would happen. The only problem is that every time I am on land for more than a couple of days I have to start the whole process again!
2. How will the Captain and I manage each others company 24/7 afloat 54 feet?
24/7 in a confined space was a daunting thought,realizing that realistically we probably spent no more than 3 waking hours a day together in the 33 years we have been married (except vacations,and some weekends). Those 3 hrs were shared with family,EMC,cell phone calls,Internet,tv and friends!! To my very thankful surprise spending time together has actually been easy and rewarding. We have both finally had uninterrupted time for each other instead of being too busy being busy! I recommend to all those over scheduled out there to make this choice and find yourselves again.
3. How will I cope with leaving behind our family and the support of my friends?
Leaving family and friends has been very hard,there is loss and guilt involved.I Am coping as time goes by,but I still find it difficult sometimes.
To help me through this I made a point of taking a couple of trips away from Callisto to spend time visiting family and friends (54,000 miles of flying in fact).it was also wonderful to have our daughter Jenny sail with us for 5 months in the pacific. Also one of our other Daughters Josette will be joining us in Fiji for 8 weeks next month.having our good friends Ron and Joanne,plus cousin Benny join us on some of our legs has been a bonus.
I hadn't anticipated the meeting of wonderful new friends in our yachtie community from all over the world,they are all experiencing and understanding the same thoughts and feelings ,with this shared lifestyle. There is a true community spirit which is fun and reassuring .
4. How will it be to live without the communication security of a cell phone and regular Internet ?
Not having the regular communication took a little getting used too,like loosing an appendage !I have the comfort that we have a satellite telephone for emergencies,that works anywhere . We did need to use it when we were all alone in a bay in Cost Rica and had a near lightening strike in Feb 2010! Now that I have become used to this way of life I find it more relaxing not being accessible ,we both have so much more productive time ,a total opposite of what I expected. Mind you skype is a wonderful invention and it is a wonderful treat to talk and see family and friends when we have land wifi. We also have a boat email address that is accessible wherever we are,this is a good feeling.
5. How will I overcome my fears of big seas and strong winds with no land in sight? I am a novice sailor and a bad swimmer!
I was able to put one fear to rest immediately,I realized that I don't need to be a good swimmer, I have a life jacket.
As a novice sailor I trusted my captain explicitly to teach me,he continues to do so. For my first offshore overnight passage in October 2009 we had 2 very good friends, Ron and Joanne join us, they were kind and understanding,this helped me through my maiden voyage! Now after gaining more experience I am less fearful.I have gained tremendous respect and I am humbled by the forces out of our control,I take nothing for granted where weather is concerned.
6. As a 'Terra Firma barefoot gardening girl" how will I adapt to living on water?
After 56 years as a land lubber this was going to be a challenge,more to my psyche than in practicality.I found our garden to be relaxing,therapeutic and rewarding.I made up my mind to try to be open to this new experience and not to put up resistance.This is a difficult task especially as I get older and more set in my ways!Having a positive attitude has helped me embrace the beauty of the sea and all it has to offer.I love to watch the moon rise and set.whereas before I had only noticed the sun,now I have them both!Being far from land on a calm clear night I am astounded by the billions of stars that cloak over us,having the illusion of being so close ta ht you can reach out and touch them,twinkling like diamonds and then now and again one shoots across us.Removing my watch and turning off the cell phone took structured time away allowing my clock to be run as it did in times gone by.
The phosphorescence of the plankton and fish swimming along side us is an incredible sight,a first for me.Large fish or dolphins look like fluorescent torpedoes flashing by.Birds follow us and become stowaways keeping us company in the most remote of places.Nature is all around,I am not alone out there.I still miss the land,and have to visit for a quick fix,but I have discovered that the wonders of the ever changing seas and skies are also relaxing, therapeutic and rewarding.
7.Are we both up to the challenge of a completely different lifestyle,carefree and unscheduled? Will Michael get bored? Will I ?
"Where there is a will there's a way".
Michael has always followed through with any goal he has set himself, So I had the confidence that we would rise to this challenge of a complete 180 degrees in our life;that he would leave behind his former well earned identity,fore go his hectic structured work day and embrace this new lifestyle 110%.I would follow,with his lead .I would never have had the confidence to change my lifestyle without him.
I find him to be a less stressed and a much happier person with no regrets.He never gets bored and has a true enthusiasm for living.We are discovering new places and people all the time,there is always something new and challenging,no more mundane.I am proud that I have been able to accomplish these challenges ,it has given me a new found confidence.I has allowed me to read,think, take time for introspection.Living life before was full of stresses from outside influences filling our days , I hadn't even realised they crept up on us.Now we have a new freedom, I recommend reconnecting to life as it was meant to be,stress free.
8. After 18 months of this journey do I want to continue? Does he?
Yes, we both want to continue with the next leg of this journey.We have so many more places to visit,and people to meet.Callisto is having her spring cleaning as she gets ready for the next leg. We are perched up on the hard,rather like living in a tree house,as she is scrubbed,maintained,polished and painted,inside and out.
I am ready to get back in the water.
MY 3 MOST beautiful places
Beveridge reef,
Islands of Vava'au in Tonga
Moorea
MY 4 MOST frightening experiences
Grounded on a coral head in a stormy night in Tonga
Near lightening strike in Costa Rica,as Callisto sizzled and lost her engine
Engine failure in Raitea in mouth of a marina
Climbing the mast in a pacific storm in order to retrieve a jammed halyard
MOST THANKFUL for
The good friends we have made especially for our 2 guardian angels from SV Delos,who came to our rescue on that stormy night in Tonga when we were grounded. (check the recounted event on their Dec.2010 posting @ sv delos.blogspot.com , our names have been changed in the story)
2 MOST favorite things
I love exploring new places,walking through the local markets,trying the local food and soaking up the vibrant colours,exotic smells and sounds of another culture.
I love getting hooked into a good book and having no guilt spending the day reading it from cover to cover.
I had many anxieties and fears as realization set in. My 8 biggest questions
1. How will I conquer severe "mal de mer " ?
I tried homeopathy,over the counter remedies in the US and England,numerous old wives suggestions,such as all forms of ginger,horizon watching etc,regular pressure point wrist bands,wrist bands with electrical stimuli. Nothing worked until I took prescribed scopolamine,the patch delivered too much of the drug with extreme side effects whereas the tablets every 6 hrs work perfectly for me. I am occasionally queasy,but I have not been sick.I take the tablets religiously when underway,after a few weeks I can reduce the dosage.I finally gained my sea legs,I never believed that it would happen. The only problem is that every time I am on land for more than a couple of days I have to start the whole process again!
2. How will the Captain and I manage each others company 24/7 afloat 54 feet?
24/7 in a confined space was a daunting thought,realizing that realistically we probably spent no more than 3 waking hours a day together in the 33 years we have been married (except vacations,and some weekends). Those 3 hrs were shared with family,EMC,cell phone calls,Internet,tv and friends!! To my very thankful surprise spending time together has actually been easy and rewarding. We have both finally had uninterrupted time for each other instead of being too busy being busy! I recommend to all those over scheduled out there to make this choice and find yourselves again.
3. How will I cope with leaving behind our family and the support of my friends?
Leaving family and friends has been very hard,there is loss and guilt involved.I Am coping as time goes by,but I still find it difficult sometimes.
To help me through this I made a point of taking a couple of trips away from Callisto to spend time visiting family and friends (54,000 miles of flying in fact).it was also wonderful to have our daughter Jenny sail with us for 5 months in the pacific. Also one of our other Daughters Josette will be joining us in Fiji for 8 weeks next month.having our good friends Ron and Joanne,plus cousin Benny join us on some of our legs has been a bonus.
I hadn't anticipated the meeting of wonderful new friends in our yachtie community from all over the world,they are all experiencing and understanding the same thoughts and feelings ,with this shared lifestyle. There is a true community spirit which is fun and reassuring .
4. How will it be to live without the communication security of a cell phone and regular Internet ?
Not having the regular communication took a little getting used too,like loosing an appendage !I have the comfort that we have a satellite telephone for emergencies,that works anywhere . We did need to use it when we were all alone in a bay in Cost Rica and had a near lightening strike in Feb 2010! Now that I have become used to this way of life I find it more relaxing not being accessible ,we both have so much more productive time ,a total opposite of what I expected. Mind you skype is a wonderful invention and it is a wonderful treat to talk and see family and friends when we have land wifi. We also have a boat email address that is accessible wherever we are,this is a good feeling.
5. How will I overcome my fears of big seas and strong winds with no land in sight? I am a novice sailor and a bad swimmer!
I was able to put one fear to rest immediately,I realized that I don't need to be a good swimmer, I have a life jacket.
As a novice sailor I trusted my captain explicitly to teach me,he continues to do so. For my first offshore overnight passage in October 2009 we had 2 very good friends, Ron and Joanne join us, they were kind and understanding,this helped me through my maiden voyage! Now after gaining more experience I am less fearful.I have gained tremendous respect and I am humbled by the forces out of our control,I take nothing for granted where weather is concerned.
6. As a 'Terra Firma barefoot gardening girl" how will I adapt to living on water?
After 56 years as a land lubber this was going to be a challenge,more to my psyche than in practicality.I found our garden to be relaxing,therapeutic and rewarding.I made up my mind to try to be open to this new experience and not to put up resistance.This is a difficult task especially as I get older and more set in my ways!Having a positive attitude has helped me embrace the beauty of the sea and all it has to offer.I love to watch the moon rise and set.whereas before I had only noticed the sun,now I have them both!Being far from land on a calm clear night I am astounded by the billions of stars that cloak over us,having the illusion of being so close ta ht you can reach out and touch them,twinkling like diamonds and then now and again one shoots across us.Removing my watch and turning off the cell phone took structured time away allowing my clock to be run as it did in times gone by.
The phosphorescence of the plankton and fish swimming along side us is an incredible sight,a first for me.Large fish or dolphins look like fluorescent torpedoes flashing by.Birds follow us and become stowaways keeping us company in the most remote of places.Nature is all around,I am not alone out there.I still miss the land,and have to visit for a quick fix,but I have discovered that the wonders of the ever changing seas and skies are also relaxing, therapeutic and rewarding.
7.Are we both up to the challenge of a completely different lifestyle,carefree and unscheduled? Will Michael get bored? Will I ?
"Where there is a will there's a way".
Michael has always followed through with any goal he has set himself, So I had the confidence that we would rise to this challenge of a complete 180 degrees in our life;that he would leave behind his former well earned identity,fore go his hectic structured work day and embrace this new lifestyle 110%.I would follow,with his lead .I would never have had the confidence to change my lifestyle without him.
I find him to be a less stressed and a much happier person with no regrets.He never gets bored and has a true enthusiasm for living.We are discovering new places and people all the time,there is always something new and challenging,no more mundane.I am proud that I have been able to accomplish these challenges ,it has given me a new found confidence.I has allowed me to read,think, take time for introspection.Living life before was full of stresses from outside influences filling our days , I hadn't even realised they crept up on us.Now we have a new freedom, I recommend reconnecting to life as it was meant to be,stress free.
8. After 18 months of this journey do I want to continue? Does he?
Yes, we both want to continue with the next leg of this journey.We have so many more places to visit,and people to meet.Callisto is having her spring cleaning as she gets ready for the next leg. We are perched up on the hard,rather like living in a tree house,as she is scrubbed,maintained,polished and painted,inside and out.
I am ready to get back in the water.
MY 3 MOST beautiful places
Beveridge reef,
Islands of Vava'au in Tonga
Moorea
MY 4 MOST frightening experiences
Grounded on a coral head in a stormy night in Tonga
Near lightening strike in Costa Rica,as Callisto sizzled and lost her engine
Engine failure in Raitea in mouth of a marina
Climbing the mast in a pacific storm in order to retrieve a jammed halyard
MOST THANKFUL for
The good friends we have made especially for our 2 guardian angels from SV Delos,who came to our rescue on that stormy night in Tonga when we were grounded. (check the recounted event on their Dec.2010 posting @ sv delos.blogspot.com , our names have been changed in the story)
2 MOST favorite things
I love exploring new places,walking through the local markets,trying the local food and soaking up the vibrant colours,exotic smells and sounds of another culture.
I love getting hooked into a good book and having no guilt spending the day reading it from cover to cover.
New Sat Phone number
I just got some more minutes for the Iridium Satphone prior to our departure.
The new number is 011 881632564296 should there be an emergency. you will be billed if you call theboat on this number.
You can send text messages up to 120 characters for free by going to messaging@iridium.com and follow the instructions.
Email to the boat is still callisto@uuplus.net
The new number is 011 881632564296 should there be an emergency. you will be billed if you call theboat on this number.
You can send text messages up to 120 characters for free by going to messaging@iridium.com and follow the instructions.
Email to the boat is still callisto@uuplus.net
Whangarei, New Zealand
We are sitting on the boat in its cradle on the hard in the Riverside Drive Marina on a very rainy Easter Monday or Anzac Day as it's called here. We have been out of the water for almost 2 weeks now and it has been quite difficult to get work done in a timely fashion. The bottom paint has all been done now and I am still waiting for the Volvo guys to do the timing belt before we leave. The electronics man also let me down after promising to show last week. It would appear that they got a large commercial job at the last minute and had no time for little me. I still have some electronics issues since the lightening strike last February that I cannot resolve myself. Hopefully, there is a guy in Opua who can help us next week when we get there.
Haulout on a nice fall day. The bottom was filthy after sitting for almost 6 months
the prop and entire hull was coated with mud, slime and barnacles
good as new after a lot of scraping, filling with epoxy, sanding, priming and finally red anti-foul paint
The river at Whangarei
Callisto should go back into the muddy river on Tuesday or Wednesday and we should be able to leave for Opua on Thursday or Friday. It isn't very far but we will take it slow over three days so we won't have to sail overnight.
Final provisioning will happen as soon as we can get the boat in the water as we have no working fridges on the hard.
I am looking forward to tropical skies and some warm weather, it's getting quite cold here now.
Haulout on a nice fall day. The bottom was filthy after sitting for almost 6 months
the prop and entire hull was coated with mud, slime and barnacles
good as new after a lot of scraping, filling with epoxy, sanding, priming and finally red anti-foul paint
The river at Whangarei
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