Sunday, October 30, 2011



Hello friends and followers,

Now we wait... Over the next few weeks I will be preparing Lizzy Belle for her new journey to the sun. There are lots of logistics that need to be worked out but the idea is this. The old man and I have to build Lizzy Belle a new cradle, this could be wood or possibly steal but what is important is that it can withstand being strapped down on top of huge stacks of containers on a 400 foot vessel. On the 9th or possibly the 20th of November she will be picked up at the Port of Bridgewater and carefully packed up and loaded onto a container ship operated out of Halifax. She will be shipped to Havana, Cuba and transferred onto another ship and headed to the Dominican Republic where I will be anxiously awaiting. This should be around the 9th of December. I have to quickly put both masts back up, organize the standing rigging, redo some electrical work and book it out of there as soon as possible. From what I understand the DR is not the safest place to be unless you are on one of those 7 day, all inclusive packages. We will be heading upwind and sailing at night due to the fact that the trade winds are at their peak around mid day. Puerto Rico, which is American owned will be our first destination where we will be able to take a breath and relax. From there, the opportunities are endless...

Reflecting back on our first attempt at the Northern Atlantic:

First of all, Kevin was way too hard on himself. Although Kevin has not spent the same amount of time at sea as the Welsford's, he is a hero among men. How many people do you know would leap at the opportunity to sail to the Caribbean without ever really been sailing. I'm not sure Kevin even really knows how to swim. Yes he was sick but so was I, and so would have 9 out of 10 of the people reading this. Imagine having to endure The Zipper ride at the Exhibition for 10 days straight, take a break and know you have to do it again. That is how bad the seas were the day we left. Much love to you Kevin!

What I learned... Lizzy Belle loves it out there. Imagine waves crashing over her decks and her bow shooting right back out of the ocean to challenge the next one. Although she is over 45 years old, she still wants more. This is my kind of boat! Sailing wise, I learned that the galley is your enemy, if you have to go down for food you will be throwing up by the time you get back up. So keep the food on the deck, and lots of water. I have definitely come to terms with the idea that planning your adventure and waiting patiently for the weather is far more important than the execution. If you know me, you know i'm not a patient person. I'll be working on this, or paying the consequences again.

The new plan is a good plan. I watch the weather out there everyday and it seems as though there is no opportunity to safely sail down again myself at the moment. The best of both worlds is about to happen. I don't have to risk my life, and my dream of blue water sailing will still happen. Thanks to all my friends and family who have helped and haven't let me give up over the last year and a half!

Talk soon,
Dave




1 comment:

  1. That was a very creative solution, why did you decide not to make a second attempt at sailing her down?

    ReplyDelete