Cruising

It’s hard to believe that our first offshore passage was only a year ago when we sailed from Boston to Nova Scotia as a shakedown practice during our final preparations for our one-year sailing trip. And despite each now having well more than 2,500 nautical miles offshore and a couple of Gulf Stream crossings on Argon completed, Bob and I still get a bit anxious as we prepare the boat and ourselves for blue water sailing.

it’s easy to forget that even dogs need to be suited up with the right safety gear before heading out on the open waters. For example, even the most water-loving Labrador should wear a dog life jacket, as rough waters can pull under any canine. There are plenty of considerations to keep in mind when you bring your furry skipper out for a sail.

It seems like a lifetime. Or more precisely, a lifestyle ago when we started this adventure, casting off from the docks from Yacht Haven West in Stamford, CT that Wednesday afternoon in October, 2014. Somehow we made it to New Zealand without too many major difficulties, a little wiser and our girls definitely a lot more seaworthy with over 25,000 miles at sea. Now the whole family is eager to start our new chapter on land.

We have been exploring the Caribbean all winter on our Tartan 4000, Argon. After recently enjoying the pristine waters of the southern Bahamas, it was time to continue our northward path from Highbourne Cay in northern Exuma across the Yellow Bank.

Readers of our Caribbean sailing experiences this past winter know that we have especially enjoyed some of the less traveled, more remote islands. Thus I was not deterred by the obviously more technical sailing required by the extensive reefs and shallows around Turks & Caicos (TCI). Even the occasional critical comment (in person or online) from fellow cruisers did not deter me from wanting to experience the country’s pristine waters, unique coral, copious wildlife, and extensive beaches.

This is the penultimate installment in a series of dispatches from the Rath family (Colin & Pam and daughters Breana, Mariel and Nerina), who departed Stamford, CT in the fall of 2014 for a worldwide cruise aboard their Hanse 545 Persevere. You’ll find previous articles linked below.

We enjoyed Niue for multiple reasons. It has some of the best diving in the Pacific, with caves and deep chasms to explore. The water is crystal clear except where the cold springs from the island spill into the ocean and make the water look icy. It’s real cool underwater, like a frost spreading slowly within the water.

Captains learn to recognize fear in eyes of the crew. I’ve seen fear, deep fear, white eyes and long stares. I wish these moments were always on hard crossings, rough groundings, or the occasional dismasting. But alas, terror is most likely experienced during the mundane task of leaving or returning to the slip.

Third, if I really want to do some offshore cruising, and I keep saying I do, well then, I need to get over this fear of wind.

Beginning in the summer of 2013, Team Lotz worked with the Gunboat team on the rigging and layout, and had the big cat shipped to Newport, RI for August 2015 delivery.