Untie the lines

Setting off sailing or cruising can be extremely intimidating and even scary. I almost decided against buying a sailboat to sail around the world because I was afraid of not knowing how to sail. Plus traveling to new countries by boat can be overwhelming. However, life cannot be ruled by fear and at one point or another you should untie the lines and enjoy this big wide blue world we live in. Six years ago I only stepped aboard a sailboat 5 times and was a total rookie. The unknown can have us paralyzed into taking a step forward. But all you can do is try and maybe fail but if you don’t give up and keep going you still might come to the conclusion that sailing isn’t right for you. I’ll try to show you that you just need to untie the lines and not overthink these things. As a good friend often said “you can over plan these things”. 

Your boat will never be perfect. There always seems to be something to repair or upgrade on a sailboat. Especially a 40 year old one. And by the time you have gotten most things under control it will be time to go back around and seal the portlights all over again. Something which has worked for us with both our 1981 Hunter 33 and 1983 C & C Landfall 43 is to make a list of things to be done. We organize it by priorities of “Must be done before going in the water”, priority 1-2-3 and it would be nice to renovate this at some point. We tackle the priority 1 items, safety things and then set sail. Many projects can be accomplished while cruising, or at least while on the water where you can test more of your systems at the same time. Although make sure to get your supplies in areas where they are readily available and maybe more affordable than in the Bahamas for example. We have met many sailors who have been stuck in the boat yard for several years just trying to get their boat ship shape with no end in sight. Alternatively, other couples have put in years to get the perfect boat and years to get it ready only to realize that the cruising life wasn’t made of them or that they could not handle the stress of sailing alongside constantly being together 24/7 in a small space. Instead get your boat good enough and give cruising life a go. Untie the lines

Learn the basics in a safe area and master the skills as you cruise. As I’ve mentioned before I did not have much experience with sailboats prior to buying our first sailboat. Having gone on a handful of short afternoon sails with sailors I met while walking the docks at my local marina. When Cory and I first considered this life, back while looking at a sailboat on a beach in Thailand we quickly pushed aside the idea. We thought we had “to be born into this life” so to speak in order to be able to do it. It all just seemed so hard. It didn’t take long for a family friend to convince us it wasn’t so hard to pick up the basics, mastering it on the other hand takes a lifetime. I remember the first time taking OUR sailboat out. I was nervous, we had run the jib sheet on the wrong side of the stays which a fellow sailor pointed out. We took baby steps and went out in light winds and no waves at first, slowly building our confidence. After a few sails we decided we were ready for stronger winds and bigger waves. An hour later we had enough adrenaline and we spun the boat back towards the marina, docked safely and cracked open a beer celebrating a new milestone. Looking back at it it wasn’t rough sailing at all but back then it was a huge accomplishment. This is what slowly makes you a better sailor without getting in over your head. Over the years every new storm, squall, and situation has built our confidence. Especially sailing with a broken engine for 6 months throughout the Bahamas and back in the USA. We learnt tremendously by trying and building up the experience without scaring ourselves off too much. Even taking your boat just a few miles away to drop anchor and experience what life off-grid is as well as getting familiar with your systems is super important. Just try it and slowly get out of your comfort zone, one little step at a time.

The boating community is amazing and is a great resource to learn from. It did not take long to realize that we needed tons of skills in order to run an off-grid sailboat, which was needed for the kind of cruising we were hoping to do. I became a mechanic, plumber, seamstress, cook, electrician, sailor, and now mother of a 1 and 3 year old little kiddos. The new skills you gain are invaluable and you’ll be proud of everything you have accomplished. Remember though that you do not need to be a master of all and that there are so many resources out there which weren’t available before. The internet and YouTube are also great tools to learn from. Boatyards are also great places to gather wisdom from someone who has been at it for years or decades. Keep in mind that in the boating world everyone will have an opinion and some will believe their way is the best. Take everything into consideration and then come up with your own decision. When we first got into sailing we had very limited knowledge and should have talked with more boat owners prior to going ahead with certain projects or things we bought.

Cruising is absolutely amazing, it will show you a whole new world with the highest of highs along with some intense lows. We wouldn’t trade it for anything despite the struggles we’ve had over the years because it is magical. As a captain you make every decision and reap all the rewards and consequences that come with it. From having manta rays the size of our boat glide right underneath our boat, to sailing amidst bioluminescence draped with millions of stars above, to the surreal islands we’ve sailed to and friends we have made along the way. Now our biggest reward is watching our two youngsters marvel at this life and experience so many new things from eating too much sand while learning to crawl on the beach to playing with little crabs and starfish, going on dingy adventures in the mangroves to watching the sunset while playing on deck. This life has so much to offer and the only way to get to experience it is to untie the lines. “If something is going to happen, it’s going to happen out there”, Captain Ron

Anne Alexandra Fortin

Cory and Alex share their adventure with weekly videos on their YouTube channel “Wildly Intrepid Sailing”. Their dream is to travel the world and to live without any regrets.