Turning Your Cruising Dreams Into Reality

Jeanne Socrates (at the time of writing) is back on her boat in Canada after an extended (land) stay in Australia (Covid). She is busy prepping her boat to sail to Australia. What drives Jeanne to keep sailing and traversing the long distances...?

Jeanne is a powerhouse of energy and smart thinking.  “I am small I needed to think of the location of everything!” She has manuals for everything and has no problem repairing her engine while at sea. San Francisco and Alaska help her plan for single-handing, and upside down fixing the autopilot. Boat confidence is important as is taking charge of a vessel at every opportunity (not relying on someone else). Jeanne explains what drives her to go for records, the psychology of the why AND the psychology of losing her boat and almost her life!

Jeanne started her love of the water with surfing and dinghysailing. Soon she found out that although sailing is simple there is a lot to learn, Navigation, Col Regs, Passage Planning, weather.Hear about her first sailing experiences, her loves and losses.This is part one - part, two and three to follow

Imagine for a moment.... months at sea - 12 metre waves (great walls of water) being knocked down and sliding across the ocean top wondering if you'll come out of it.No one there physically to bounce ideas off.... reassure... give you a cuddle or a high five.Icebergs threatening and then icy rigging adding weight and stability problems... and on it goes..... Lisa is an extraordinary women.

Lack of sleep, knockdowns, icebergs, broken equipment, repairs at sea.... alone... the thought of her previous dismasting looming.... 

The scene is set on an 'open road' anchorage. Jackie and I sit, outside Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador... the day we supposedly finish a two thousand, eight hundred nautical mile journey. This odyssey cruising the ITZC with all its associated calms storms and lighting and running before a hurricane warning - after 4 weeks are nerves are shattered.We have just missed the pilot to a safe harbour for 30 short minutes. 

Distilling the essence of life at sea: It's a love-hate relationship, a roller coaster. The journey becomes etched on our skin. Vibrant bruises match vivid sunsets. There are tremendous stresses on equipment as well as our bodies. We learn something new each day, about sailing and ourselves. Sailing the oceans isn't easy, but offers magnificent rewards with perseverance. We whinge about the effort, but secretly we are glad, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

With nothing more to worry about than craving succulent roast chicken and gooey ice cream, we sliced through the ocean, enjoying the stuff dreams are made of. The concerns of motoring much of the way temporarily held at bay. Leaving Acapulco, Mexico for Isle de Cocos we were blessed with perfect sailing for four whole days. 

With a charming mix of mega yachts and masquerading pirates onboard 7-metre sailing ghettos, San Diego is like a melting pot of poverty and prosperity. On the edge of America, with Mexico insight, here lies the stepping-off point for cruisers. San Diego is not a cruising ground as such with its king's ransom fees and stifling regulations. It is a gateway to the Pacific Ocean. Late in the season, most cruisers are already in Mexico and beyond by now. But a few cruisers lurk, mainly small sailboats with no fixed agenda. Vessels that ‘live' here are all pristine. 

Chatting to my dad on Skype, he in England me in Ecuador, I told him how we planned to sail to Panama to collect our new sails. “You talk about it as though you are popping off to Supermarket” he laughed. With only 560 nautical miles to traverse, we thought the journey a breeze. But the trip grew to epic proportions, even before we started.Farewells are a continuous part of the cruising life that can pitch and roll the equilibrium that sailing bestows. After seven months anchored in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, we had collected many friends; most we would never see again. But tipping the scales into a whole new level of sadness was the news.....

San Francisco is one of the most diverse and exciting cities we have had the pleasure to visit. It has a unique cultural tapestry and is a gay hub in more ways than one. Open water vistas are just waiting for a breath of wind to kick up into a brutal chop. Combined with a myriad of shallows, this recipe can cause even the seasoned sailor some difficulty.

 We are 15 metres underground in a silent, echoing cave.  Only the solemn plop of icy, freshwater can be heard, woven between our awed whispers.  I take two big breaths, the chill of the encompassing sapphire water temporarily forgotten.  Two metres down, with lungs bursting only moments after a big breath, I turn underwater to head through to the next cave.  My thrashing arms and legs fight for propulsion and I feel stuck in a current that does not exist!  Suddenly I see the torchlight from our guide in the next submerged cave and head to the surface, seeking much-needed oxygen.  I am that close to being able to breathe again, I think I can just make it, when a firm hand reaches down and pushes my head back under.  I am coming up too early, my soft head-on course for sharp, jagged rock.  Fighting to withhold my panic I swim further along and the hand releases me, I break back into my world with the sweet smell of air.  In reality, I have been underwater a few seconds and swam a few metres.  “That was pretty easy” I grin. 

 First stop, Salinas, an over-nighter from San Diego, into a new marina. The entrance is narrow and has a distinct ‘east coast of Australia bar’ feel, creating a strong desire to make use of a rather large blindfold. The marina is reasonable at $30 US per night, but there is no running water directly to each slip. The key advantage is the assistance in the arduous process of checking in. A personal chauffeur ride to Ensenada (checking in port about 30 km south), helps smooth the historically renowned paperwork trail for Spanish speaking countries. The officials desired our company for the day, together with the entire contents of our bank account. We didn't really understand what was happening; the officials wrongly assuming they were dealing with intelligent and capable listeners. We wrongly thought everything was squared away. We smiled a lot, mimicked nodding dogs, filled out blank boxes with personal details and gave everyone we met money. We purchased a fishing licence for all persons on board (a requirement - we thought). With these licenses and new fishing gear, our first (and only) fish so far has cost about $300! 

“Kia Orana  - may you live long”, she adds, “enjoy the show and help yourselves”, comes the offer. “Only polite to do what the host asks!” The magic of Aitutaki, find out what I wanted to help myself to!

A shroud of mystery envelopes the modus operandi for traversing the Panama Canal. Gossip, rumour, and dare I say, a little tittle-tattle gave the crew of Mariah II some serious forehead creases as we approached the infamous isthmus.

The level of tranquility of the San Blas Islands was a surprise. With the warm and fun welcome from locals, pristine beaches respected by the few that visit, the San Blas have a special place in our hearts.

Jackie was convinced I was a raving lunatic in need of sleep and external restraints; preferably off the boat and furthermore at a considerable distance from her very fair self. Imagine my shock, my horror, to find that my dearest thinks my keen judgement and decision making skills were shot. This is why I made the essential cruising peacemaker - the Flopper Stopper

“He’s lost at sea and unwell?” “The information we have,” the clipped, efficient tones state, “he is 55 years old, in a four metre tinnie.  He has diabetes and rang his wife from a mobile at 7.15 am to say he felt ill.  That’s four hours ago, the mobile’s battery has run out, he has no radio equipment on board, he has not returned to shore.”

‘Turning back’ are two words that as a sailor do not bother me.  But I have come across a startling number of sailors who would not consider this an option.  To me, (and the crew of West Wind), the decision to turn back was the brave decision.  It is a success, not a failure to understand the strength of the oceans and unpredictability of such places as Bass Strait, say nothing of self, crew and boat preservation.

In the 18th century, Cook was sent to Tahiti to study the planet Venus, Bligh has sailed to these striking shores. Robert Louis Stevenson’s father designed the lighthouse that proudly sits on Venus Point, while Mr Stevenson junior wrote the inspiring stories of Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe.  Parry, well the Parry’s circumnavigated the island in 2005.

We’ve made it across the Atlantic to Barbados, arriving just in time for celebrating New Year’s Eve. Two weeks later, Den (my Dutch friend) and I are still hard at it, every day, in a Bridgetown brothel. There’s not much privacy either, we work at the rear of the establishment, in an open shed, exposed to the derisive laughter and unasked for advise from the local Cajuns. Just what went wrong...? (Caribbean music supplied by: http://www.freesfx.co.uk

Can the cruising lifestyle be civilised. YES. Is the resounding answer from most of our salty buddies. Well, it’s what each of us term as civilised is where the question becomes a little ticklish.

With a hankering for small villages, we still savor the animation big cities and their inhabitants offer. These thoughts lead us back into a conglomerate of memories; here are a few, from deck level.

Suddenly I had an affinity with middle-aged women, after all I was one! The emotional effects of self-inflicted pressure, learning something new, coping with a female body at a certain age. I had experienced being launched into the boating world in my twenties and now I was stepping up to a new challenge in my forties.

Anchoring by the axis of our desires we find a cure for wanderlust in the creation of a static voyage at Greenwell Point.

Are you buying a boat? Are you selling a boat? We have done both (several times). Listen to one of our challenging experiences.

Come with me on a journey to Suwarrow, an island in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. We sailed there a few years ago and it is a particularly special place.

The cruising lifestyle isn't a lazy way to live - if you want to be successful at it. A "typical" (if typical exists!) day on anchor in San Diego. Life on board is like occupational therapy; as long as you accept it as such it is mostly smooth sailing. You still have to live with your partner, and more pertinent but often not considered - you still have to live with yourself.

Do you dream of sailing around the world? Do you dream of combining the cruising lifestyle with work? Meet Erin Carey, with little sailing knowledge she has done just that. With fabulous advice and honesty that makes you smile, learn how Erin and her family (husband and three, yes, 3, kids!) achieved the mind-bending goal of sailing off into the sunset and making it a success.

Do you love dogs? Do you love cruising? How can you combine both? Tanya Rabe is the founder of Dogs Who Sail and has all the advice you need, fun stories, a life well lived and some exciting news!

Come on a journey with several other women, who share some sailing tips, advice, and inspiration.

I’ve discovered that travel is your mind’s view, not just your eyes. Travel changes you. You change while everything back at home stays the same. Here, at our home, there’s surprising synchronicity - time, place and people are changing together.

Amidst a crisis, Alison feels life's not worth living, but Buster, a Beagle puppy, will change everything...

Terrified of water and unable to swim, why would an upstate New York farm girl contemplate an ambitious trip on the high seas? But that is exactly what she did. At the age of 55, in freezing winter over a shot (or two) of Aquavit, Carolyn and her Viking husband, Gert, hatch a plan to buy a sailboat and embark on a five-year circumnavigation of the globe. But like so many dreams, this one does not go quite as planned.

It is 1820 and a young, female sea captain sets sail aboard the schooner Destiny bound for the sugar plantations of Cuba and then on to the Baltic for iron. Political intrigue and mystery dog the voyage, and those who underestimate the captain's skill and business acumen do so at their peril.

A terrifying night at the Gambier Islands shows just how important it is that we, as mariners, interpret, adjust, and prepare, especially where the weather is concerned!

A lightning storm through ocean reefs. Sailing into Sri Lanka and flying fish!

Join us on our first trip through France on our 1920s Dutch Barge.

Enchanting, enticing, but also at times, terrifying; the sea beckons many of us. To others it is a ‘necessary evil’, something to endure as we seek to experience exotic locations, foreign cultures, or unusual wildlife encounters. Some are chasing a dream, others are following someone else’s. Experiences are different - and Facing Fear is a common thread. Here's one true story, with three bonus pieces of advice from three other authors. While the things we fear may vary, the experience itself links us like an invisible thread.

Have you dreamed of puttering along the European canals? We found buying a boat in a foreign country incredibly daunting, scary, and hysterical (all at once) - join us on the buying-a-boat-in-France debacle...

Are you just stepping into the cruising world? Or are you a seasoned salty? I've journeyed from newbie to professional mariner - I get it - I understand what it is like. Here I look at it from both points of view - both will learn something from this story. (As well as a gem of tip!)

Surviving is nice but being rescued is even better! Compiled here is years of collecting great grab bag advice PLUS the wonderful wisdom of the Women Who Sail Australia FB group.

After many years travelling the world via oceans it was time for an inland adventure by boat. Part 3 of 3.

A bit of fun highlighting the unusual realities of living on board.

After many years travelling the world via oceans it was time for an inland adventure by boat. Part 1 of 3.

After many years travelling the world via oceans it was time for an inland adventure by boat. Part 2 of 3.

A pirate attack and a sailing injury - two stories to prove that long-range radio (HF and SSB) still has its place on boats.