What Am I Trying To Do, Anyway?
In 1996, I was invited to join a sailing trip from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to New Orleans, Louisiana. It is not hyperbole to say that voyage changed my life. At that time, I had been sailing for less than ten years, and only on inland lakes. Suddenly, I found myself on a 600 mile passage straight across the Gulf of Mexico. What magic! The color and shape and texture of the sea, the brilliantly starry night sky, the twinkling mystical bioluminescence in our wake, the pods of curious friendly dolphins, the green and gray and cobalt blue water . . . It simply blew me away!
It wasn’t only the sea. I was enchanted also by the craft of the voyage, the strategic challenge of charting a course, planning a route, and timing a departure that made use of wind and tide and current and daylight. I was able to utilize the skills I had learned on the lake back home, but on a vastly larger scale, with bigger stakes, and a more complex array of variables. I loved the adventure of it, and I wanted more.
I have been fortunate. I had other opportunities to sail offshore with friends before we started sailing our own boats along the US coast, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean.
But for many people, it is not easy to get offshore sailing experience. What if you dream of sailing away one day, but want some experience first? What if your boat isn’t quite ready for the ocean? You can do bareboat charters. And you should. Bareboat charters are great fun, provide access to excellent sailing areas, and give you real sailing experience. But you’re typically limited to a defined cruising ground, and you’re explicitly prohibited from sailing at night. It is not passagemaking. If you want the real experience of sailing offshore, there’s no real substitute – you need to go sailing offshore.
This is what I am trying to do: I want to create opportunities for people to gain real ocean sailing experience. Not a few hours in the harbor. Not champagne cruises at sunset. Instead, I want to take sailors on multi-day voyages during which they are part of the crew: They take the helm, trim sails, stand watch, prepare meals, keep the logbook, and live with others in tight quarters. Not every moment is wonderful. But it’s the real thing. It’s great memories and fantastic stories. It’s an adventure.
I set up Offshore Adventure Sailing LLC as a profit-seeking venture. I want and need some revenue to keep a bluewater sailboat well-maintained on a retiree’s income. But it’s not really about the money. If money was the objective, I’d get a job. It’s really about sharing the experience of offshore sailing. Since I started this in early 2018, 47 people have sailed with me. They have been 47 interesting, adventurous people. I’ve been impressed with them all. I’ve genuinely enjoyed spending time with every one of them. As with much of life, it’s really about the people.
(Updated November 2021)
