We can’t direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.
Who the heck even said this?
Way back when in my homesteading days, the saying the “grass is greener on the other side of the fence” made literal sense. It seems we were always chasing fugitive goats back into the lush, green pasture, shooing chickens and ducks back into their yard(no matter how high or secure the enclosure seemed), or corralling sheep, supposedly less-able escape artists, back to their hillside. Goats preferred freshly baked bread, ready for delivery, waiting in racks in the station wagon, hatch left open to avoid overheating while packing was finished. Clean laundry waving in the wind on the clothesline also tantalized the goats. Yes- goats may really try buttons, particularly if they are distinctive and shiny. They are curious creatures.
A trio of farm ‘kids,’ Violet and Andris with Timothy, one of the future escapees.
The chickens and ducks seemed to want to stride about and harvest their own food in my garden, oblivious to the dangers of the bird-hunting labradors eager to help protect the crops, restore order and perhaps enjoy a fresh fowl for dinner. Meanwhile, the birds’ yards were rich with greens and rejected baked goods. The sheep? They may have been seeking the company of the children or knew they would earn a bucket of grain to tempt them back home.
So, yes, it seems that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence for more than just humans. As I cast about for a nautical comparative, the above title presented itself.
We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”
Is this even something sailors say or was it made up by singers or philosophers? When I googled to try to give credit where it is due, the names of both Dolly Parton and Jimmy Buffet appeared. I am satisfied with that for so many reasons. Jimmy Buffet is a seasoned sailor and Dolly Parton- one of my sheros.
And these sailors on SV Adiona? It’s the old story- too much wind or not enough wind. Joe and I have been waiting, waiting, anchored in Lake Worth, West Palm Beach since last Tuesday evening. It is Saturday stretching towards dinner time as I write this. Did I mention we’ve been ‘stuck’ on the boat?
Below: saying goodbye to Carl, Patt and shore.
People have asked for a tour of our boat. Above is Adiona when she was for sale two owners before. At that point, she was called Shadow. We purchased her from the next owner who named her Lift. We chose Adiona, the goddess of safe returns for travelers and schoolchildren. We like to think we’ve made lots of improvements but we believe she was beautiful to begin with.
We pushed off the pier at Fort Pierce City Marina last Monday afternoon, hastily completing all those pre-departure tasks, to steam out at high tide. We did not want any more bottom paint sanding after our repair period. The marina’s channel, as well as the area around the south bridge, are subject to shoaling. We would spend the night anchored in the inlet to steam out at slack or ebbing tide, avoiding the current working against us.
All told, we spent over a month in Fort Pierce, checking off a huge number of tasks, many on the original list. That is always a boon in this life-on-a-boat, when the emergency list doesn’t crowd out the planned repairs and upgrades.
My dock mate, Ann Marie, from SV Nami. She has been my yoga companion and all-around great neighbor and friend. She and Greg sailed behind us to Lake Worth.
We said good-byes to new friends, family and familiarity. We shared ‘last drinks’ with Carl and Patt at Sailfish Brewery after they graciously picked me up at the car rental return. We’ve been “itchy” for a while though. When I can find my way to the big box stores and in fact, know more than one way to get there, it is time to stop spending money, stop the seemingly endless task list(I call it madness)and get back on the seas.
View from our boat at Fort Pierce Marina.
About an hour after anchoring in the inlet, our most recent neighbors and new friends, Jill and John on SV Sea Lion, pulled up beside us and dropped their hook. We would buddy boat to Lake Worth and hopefully on to the Bahamas. We had hoped to leave Fort Pierce Inlet together last Monday around midnight or even at that early morning time, sail south and then across but the weather window shortened. We would just go further south. The trek across the Gulf Stream is generally easier from more southernly departure points.
Greg and Ann Marie, on SV Nami, were not quite ready to go but we hoped they’d make it to Lake Worth before we left. We hoped we would have a weather window to cross to the Bahamas before week’s end. We wanted to see if we could cross together.
We agreed to weigh anchor at 4:30 am the next morning. I set the alarm for 4 am. The alarm sounded after a mostly sleepless night for me. I jammed my feet into my boots(no more wet feet for me while weighing anchor) and began bringing it up. The anchor chain wrapped itself like nothing we’d ever seen. This turned out to be a fortuitous event. Joe investigated the bow locker where —- feet of chain reside and found a tangle, as well as the windless motor and controls swinging. The glue that fastened it to the hull had given way. After a delay, we were underway, hoping all the electrical connections would still be sound after bumping 45 miles down the coast in the ocean. The repair was added to the work list.
The day was otherwise blissfully uneventful. Joe and I alternated our watches and a nap for each of us. We motor-sailed as close to the wind as we could,(close-hauled to pinching) using the jib as long as we could.
We spotted a few dolphins and kept watch on our friends aboard Sea Lion as we both headed south. We spotted the high rises that signal the entrance to Lake Worth, we heard Nami and Sea Lion conversing about possible anchorages on the radio. Surprise! Ann-Marie and Greg had also risen at 4, pushed off the pier and were just an hour or less behind us. With the diesel engine, I hadn’t heard them hail us on the vhf. So exciting to be together again!
We all dropped the hook in different spots of this large and so far, bumpy anchorage. We tidied up, grabbed some sundowners and toasted to being “on the road again.
Four days have now passed. Each day, we wait for the weather updates from Chris Parker, check our Predict Wind models for comparison, study destinations and create multiple route plans to the Bahamas. We check in with our neighbors, brainstorming and discussing possibilities. It is at least as intense as March madness.
A little beach time on Peanut Island. Jill and John from SV Sea Lion(left) and Ann Marie and Greg right. We look like we have melded into one person with two heads. We are certainly having a lot of togetherness!❤️
In our deep draft boat(6’4” draft), we have to be mindful of the water that is under us as we negotiate the many shoals and select anchorages, planning for protection in the weather. We also want to end up in Eleuthera mid March for a vacation with both Joe’s sisters and family. How special that will be. Two parts of the family sailing in, one flying in!
A cross in the water off Peanut Island
We took a picnic to nearby Peanut Island. History buffs may know that President Kennedy used an underground bunker there as a command center during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Today, the island, a mile in diameter, is a popular destination with picnickers, sunbathers, and even kayakers seeking the lagoon.
Below: Windy day project: buckwheat pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup from Sugar Daddy’s Sugar Shack(Heisey Hill). I also made pancake mix for the weeks ahead.
Mangrove on Peanut Island.
Mostly, the incessant wind has kept us on the boat, as well as planning and repairs. Remember that windlass control box? ✅
We have also spent hours working on the “busyness” of life. All these task, onerous themselves at best, make me even more impatient than I already was. Three hours on the phone with the student loan people. Four hours on the phone with phone companies. No phone service yet on my cell phone. Yep, still part of the life while “livin’ the dream.”Yesterday, as I practiced yoga for about an hour in our tiny home, trying to breathe my way out of my emotional doldrums while the wind raged outside, I had to laugh at my grumpy mood and remembered the creed Joe and I created for the boat.
Info on Rose Island https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Rose_Island
Welcome Aboard- Adiona Creed
The *Republic of Rose Island has decreed that unhappiness is outlawed in the confines of this vessel.
From this moment forth, all crew is permitted to express their happiness as follows:
Formerly happy
Slightly happy
Sorta kinda happy
Drinking happy
Happy
Very happy
Drunk
Dear Reader, do remember that this list is at least somewhat in jest, created while in the midst of working on boat projects and downsizing our belongings. It was enough humor to pull me out of my funk last evening and malaise from being “stuck” on board. Meanwhile, Joe was similarly inspired and began setting up the mood lighting. We ended the day, a little dancing in the main salon, then cozying up for the evening.
As I am finishing this, the wind has decreased. Jill and John stopped by to check on voyage planning. Joe changed transmission fluid(I held the flashlight), checked the oil and worked out several different plans. I called the marina in Great Harbour Key to see if our boat can fit in there as a possible place to check in. It can.
We are planning a phone conference tonight and a run ashore tomorrow morning to shore up provisions. We will wait to hear Chris Parker’s input, watch the wind direction, sea state, see if there is the “right” amount of wind and plan accordingly. We will adjust our sails. I hope I will be writing the next post from someplace warm and sunny with the ‘right amount of wind’ somewhere in the Bahamas…
We met up with cousin Suzie, visiting from California, and a second visit with Aunt Janet for brunch on a squally Sunday.