Our Island in the Sun

By Garry

I never intended to "really" read this book. My goal before reviewing it was to "peruse" it and stop now and then when a particular passage caught my attention. Just read enough to do an honest review. But I sat down early in the morning and began actually reading the book. Just to get started. Page one lead to page two and to page three and page 4 etc. and soon I was into the book. I stopped to eat breakfast but I couldn't wait to get back to the story. Garry says the book is not a "cruising handbook". Maybe not but it's certainly a "cruiser primer" in my opinion. I can't think of much he leaves out in terms of the life of a cruiser. Maybe Pirates. But that is it. I like the way Carol writes her own accounts of the adventure. It's good to see two perspectives of the same situation and experience. The psychological aspect of long-distance cruising can be as interesting as the pragmatic side of keeping a boat going. Carol and Garry both give you great insights into this very personal side of the adventure. If I were to criticize the book I'd say from a designers perspective, I would have liked to see some more descriptions of the other boats Garry and Carol encountered on their voyage. That's just me. When I finished the book I remembered saying, "Long range cruising is all about fixing your boat in exotic places". Bob Perry

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645152705

Book preview

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Our Island in the Sun

Garry and Carol Domnisse

Copyright © 2019 by Garry and Carol Domnisse

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Endorsement

Garry and Carol Domnisse bought, refit, were married onboard and cruised their Valiant 40’ sailboat, Yellow Rose, their very own Island in The Sun, and their cruising home for 8 years. They met at a sailing club meeting, fell in love with each other and the idea of a cruising life together and so began the adventure of a lifetime.

In their book, Our Island in The Sun, they have shared their great adventures and misadventures, sailing knowledge and the joy of meeting fellow sailors and new friends in small villages and secluded harbors in a part of their 8-year, 25,000-mile cruise aboard Yellow Rose.

Best of all for sailing couples who are contemplating this wondrous life style, is that Our Island in The Sun was written entirely from both Garry’s perspective and Carol’s perspective, an innovative narrative style, with great insight into the sometimes large and sometimes small differences in opinions, fears, loves and desires of male and female companions living and cruising aboard an ocean going 40’ sailboat. They have included charts, photos, excerpts from their ships log and more to inform and entertain the reader.

A highly recommended read for those who are cruising and those who are just beginning to dream of great adventures aboard!!!

Sylvia Williams Dabney – Author, The Boating Cookbook and Stanley B. Dabney – One of the original founders of Valiant Yachts & President of Offshore Atlantic Yachts Brokerage.

Acknowledgments

As with everything published or printed, there are those who contribute to the success of the book, article, or photo. These contributions make the idea of the writers better and ensure accuracy and flow.

Our deepest appreciation goes to Miss Beverly Cleathero, who spent much time reading the book in a rough draft format and made innumerable suggestions to improve the flow. An avid sailor, world traveler, and a stickler for correctness, her input put us on the right track to complete the book and make it more readable.

When we decided to use charts in the book, I contacted Dennis Mills, President of Nautical Technologies in Bangor ME and discussed the idea with him. He wanted to see a few sample chapters before committing to the idea. Once he saw the idea we had to present the routes and charts we used, his wholehearted support for the project added the dimension we needed to display the trip on a format that would be easy to follow and understand. Utilizing the CAPN Electronic Charting Software (ECS) enabled us to graphically represent the charts and navigation problems in clear detail.

Dick Davis of Soft Chart International gave us permission to use Soft Charts, using the CAPN software to display the charts in their truest colors and format. Because of this approval, we were able to develop all the charts we needed from our own library of charts and use the newest version from the company in the book to make all chart representations as accurate as possible.

There has to be one individual to be the final reviewer on the flow of the book, the correct grammar, punctuation, and use of the language, to make it look and read like a professional publication. Gail Fowler, a close high school friend of Carol’s took on this challenge. Her untiring efforts made our story come alive, flow like a river, and have balance and purpose. Her skill at editing, and proofreading, took many long hours of her free time. Her dedication to our cause is one born of personal friendship and the love of the English language.

Our thanks to all who contributed a little here and there who, while we are not able to acknowledge them all here, helped make the book what it is. Many of those we cruised with are mentioned here because they were part of our cruising family. A family that had new members around every corner and other members we would lose around another corner. Forever changing friendships made at that time have remained strong for all the years we cruised and afterwards. Thanks to all of them for making the dreams so much fun and so real.

Our thanks to Stan and Sylvia Dabney who found Yellow Rose for us; to Sylvia who married us aboard her and to Stan my best man. Closer friends could not be found anywhere. Their honesty in the boating world is impeccable and admired by others in the marine industry.

Finally, to Letta Lou Sexton, who tragically lost Lawrence so many years ago, at too young an age and who provided the inspiration for me to retain the vessel name in their honor. They had produced the Texas Cruising Guide from her decks, so the vessel had heritage before I acquired her. To Bob Perry who designed the perfect cruising boat and to Rich Worstell, the president of Valiant, who helped restore the vessel to better than new condition.

Writing about real people presents much responsibility. All the people we met during this cruise and are mentioned in this book are real, and we have tried to show them just as we remembered them, their true selves. It was and has been a privilege to be a part of this family of sailors, each doing their own thing and going their own way yet bonded together as a group to overcome some challenges as a group yet as individuals and cruising together. Most of us are classified as long-distance sailors and many of us had been inducted into some international sailing clubs based on our achievements. An honor to be sure and only mentioned here as something that may be awarded to you some day. Sailing with new found friends enriches all lives involved, so we say enjoy the experience and enrich your lives forever.

This Second Revised Edition has new content and some corrections that were found after printing of the first edition. New facts and photos have been added as well as new updated communications section.

Trying to keep up with technology is always the case in keeping a book like this up to date. Friends encouraged us to update the book so we have and we hope you enjoy the refinements and the story. When purchasing a cruising sailboat, new is not always the most affordable option so look at high quality vessels you can afford with this in mind and that is you want a boat with a proven offshore record and quality builder behind her like a Bob Perry.

Go out and find your Island in the Sun!

You can follow Yellow Rose our 1976 Valiant 40, now called Brick House in two ways: http://111.WhereisBrickHouse.com or on YouTube entitled: Patrick Childress Sailing. The boat is still having fun doing what she was designed to do by Robert Perry.

Introduction

This is a book about a dream! A dream about cruising in a small boat on oceans far away and in countries that are strange yet beautiful and unique unto themselves. This dream came true for the two of us and for many others we would meet along the way, sharing the same dream we have. When Carol and I met in Long Beach, California, at a meeting of wannabe cruisers and single sailors to listen to someone present their version of a cruising lifestyle, we would never have guessed that one day we would be telling our story in very much the same way.

When we decided to leave a comfortable lifestyle and a peaceful retirement in southern California for a lifestyle fraught with danger, hard work, and many unknowns, it seemed almost ridiculous. We have both been sailors and boaters all our lives, yet for this adventure, we had to embarked on an odyssey to get additional training in areas that we knew nothing about or to strengthen the areas we were already proficient in. Why, you may ask, embark on learning so many new things, such as celestial navigation, weather, Morse code, obtain our amateur radio licenses, on refrigeration repair, engine mechanics, sail repair, emergency rigging, food preparation, and storage? In addition, fiberglass repairs, outboard repair and maintenance, installing solar and wind power generation, use of radar, and a water maker to make our own fresh water from saltwater. The courses and skill areas go on and on.

Why install a Monitor Windvane to do most of our steering for us? Why do all this training? Why make such investments in equipment? We were about to embark on a dream in our own small vessel, to our island in the sun, wherever we found it, to make our dreams come true, to put the wanderlust in us to a test.

People through the ages have embarked on voyages and adventures far greater than ours. Some have failed, some succeeded. Some quit before completing their goals. We wanted to succeed in the dream and see where it might take us and where we might end up. If you do not live out your dreams or at least try, you may miss out on some wonderful dreams and memories. You will have let yourself down and say later in life, I wish we had gone cruising. We believe God’s plan for us will be unfinished if we don’t at least try.

When one goes cruising in a small boat (forty feet) into unknown parts of the world, languages have a different meaning to the same word in English, such as a marina is the name of a woman, not a place to dock a boat, an electrician is someone who has never seen a boat and works in voltages you’ve never heard of, and an engine mechanic is someone who repairs automobiles or farm tractors. We found that we needed to be self-sufficient, able to rely on each other as partner, friend, and spouse. Love had to be deep; we both had to be fully committed to doing this together, and both had to be able to do all jobs that needed doing. Yes, there was division of labor and favorite things to do, but if needed, each had to be able to perform as best they could, doing anything required for the safety of the boat as well as for ourselves. The safety of the vessel and ourselves rested squarely on our shoulders. Be Prepared is a Boy Scout motto, but one very much followed by us in the preparation of our vessel or home and ourselves.

In our years of cruising, we met many couples doing the same thing we were doing. Some were succeeding well, and others were not. We realized it was the level of preparation, training, commitment, and deep family bonds that distinguished those who were doing only okay from those who were doing great.

Our cruising friends came from all lifestyles. Some came with unlimited funds, and others were living on a shoestring. Not knowing at what level our friends came from made our lives so much richer. We did not care; it was not important to us. What was important was the friendships we made along the way and for our lives in the future. The cruising lifestyle was a great leveler. It did not matter where you came from or what you had done in the past. We were all simply cruisers, exploring the world and living our own dream.

Our children did not fully understand or appreciate the dream that we needed to fulfill nor the commitment we had made to complete it. We were not going to fit into the mold of retirees living close by to lend a helping hand, advice, and comfort. We would lend support and love and comfort when we could, but the children must know that we have paid our dues, and now was the time to reap the rewards and then settle down, wiser to the peoples of the world, richer in life experiences to share with the children and grandchildren. No, we were the ones who were leaving the security of a known lifestyle to experience something totally new and different.

What they did not realize was how much work, dedication, and planning went into this cruise to our island in the sun, wherever it may be or for how long it might take. So many of the cruisers we met experienced the same feelings and emotions. As a group, we were not unique, just a small group of people who wanted to travel in a small vessel to places yet to be discovered; and by doing so, achieve a new freedom not found living in the mold that most retirees follow at the end of a career. Watching others do this is the easy way out. Doing it required a lot from not only the two of us, but also, in some ways, from our families.

This book is not intended to be a primer on cruising, but really a story of two people who fall in love and prepare their small vessel and themselves for living out a dream. It is with this in mind that this book is written. We felt it important to share with others contemplating such a lifestyle that it can be accomplished by anyone who has the desire to do something different and to make it very rewarding.

Bigger is not necessarily better in choosing a vessel. What is important is finding a vessel that will withstand the rigors of the sea and weather, and one which will keep you safe while bringing you back to the harbor. A new vessel is not required and probably is more expensive than a high quality used boat. What one should consider is strength of the hull, the vessels designed by the builder, offshore or protected waters, rig layout, and ease of operation. The vessel should be set up for single-handed sailing, for when you are rotating through watches with one person on watch and one asleep, the person at the helm is basically single handing. Choices you make on the kind of boat, electronics, power, and means to produce it are all important and require considerable thought. Lightweight boats will work your body harder, because of their motion, than heavier vessels in a seaway or heavy weather. Speed is important, but also relative. Too heavy may be slower but this depends on many other factors I will not go into in this book. There are tradeoffs, so match your needs with the best boat for you and one that is built for the places you want to go to and the size you can manage with two people.

We want to thank Hal and Margaret Roth on Whisper for planting this dream in us so many years ago. Your writings, determination, adventures, quality of life, and seamanship have fueled our dreams. You have been mentor, idol, and leader in so many ways. Our hats, and that of countless others, are off to you for leading the pack. We also want to thank Lin and Larry Pardey, for showing us how to do it as sailors use to sail without all the equipment we used. They gave us a different point of view and way to cruise.

To all who venture forth, enjoy each moment. Keep a detailed log, know where you are at all times and where you are going. Do not completely rely on all electronics to do the work for you. Plan on no power to navigate and learn how to keep track of where you are at all times, just in case the inevitable happens; bigger is not always better and new is not always better, but it is your funds and lifestyle that will guide you to the right decision. In the end, you will be able to look back and reflect on a passage well-done, filled with adventure and excitement, and most of all, fun. The friends you make along the way will become your close neighbors, so be ready to assist them as they will do for you.

1

The Dream Maker

This part of the story begins with Garry and his decision years before to live aboard a vessel and live out a dream. Dreams can be any length, of any duration, and come from many sources. Mine came from my father’s tales during World War II. He was not able to get into the service, so he chose to become a commercial fisherman along the Oregon coast. He would come home from trips that lasted months, while he and his crew fished the Pacific from Mexico to Alaska, following the seasons, and bringing home many different kinds of fish. From salmon, crab, halibut, cod, to tuna—he fished them all and had tales to tell when he came home.

This journey began from a seed he planted, that being, "to dream, follow your desire for wonder, and do it until the dream is completed." With a simple telephone call saying, We have found the right boat for you, my dream was taking on a new meaning! If dad could travel all those miles in a forty-foot trawler, so could I in a forty-foot sailboat. "You must get down to Houston by this weekend and tell us what you think of Yellow Rose," the call began.

I had been looking for a Valiant 40 for some time and had let the Valiant factory know of my interest. I was currently living aboard a Valiant 32, named Oregon Mist, in Deale, Maryland. It was time to move up in size and think about the best vessel for retirement. The idea of owning two boats was not something I had planned on, but when the opportunity arose to own the boat of my choice that was in my price range, I could not pass it up. I had listed Oregon Mist for sale several months before. The broker had been doing his best, but so far, there had only been lookers. I was ready to change homes if a new replacement became available.

The call came from Stan and Sylvia Dabney, at Valiant Yachts in Gordonville, Texas. I was on active duty with the Coast Guard. It was June 1992, and I was between regular assignments. The assignments branch of Coast Guard Headquarters had transferred me to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee in Washington, DC. We were preparing for the inauguration of the next president of the United States and doing most of the groundwork for the next winning party’s inaugural committee. The preparation would take almost six months before the elections, and I was heavily involved in researching sites for balls, dinners, and the opening event as well as a host of other events that take place every time there is a presidential election.

Several months before, I had been carrying on discussions with Stan and Sylvia about moving up to a Valiant 40 but could not afford a new one. Find me one that I can work on, I told them. In the next three years before retirement, I would prepare her and myself for a cruise around the world.

I needed a well-founded vessel and I felt this one filled my needs. I did not have a great deal of money, but time and energy I did have! Oregon Mist a Valiant 32 was the seventh sailboat I had owned, so I relied on my experience to determine what was needed to make the vessel seaworthy and current in standards and technology, and more importantly, what I was getting myself into by having the work completed by professionals and me. What I needed was to do a well-founded job in workmanship in order to make the vessel seaworthy and ready to take me anywhere the dream decided to go—great ideas with lots of promise!

I made hasty leave plans with the committee, called the owner of Yellow Rose in Clear Lake, near Houston, Texas, and arranged to see the vessel that coming weekend. The owner said over the phone that all she needed was a good coat of bottom paint and she would be ready to go to sea! I looked forward with anticipation to my dream boat and to sailing the high seas in the near future.

My arrival in Houston was in 100-degree temperature and 90 percent humidity. I felt exhausted the moment I came out of the airport and headed to pick up my rental car. The next three days were set aside to go through Yellow Rose from stem to stern, doing a survey of the vessel, and listing all the equipment on board.

After checking into a local Holiday Inn, I found a map and directions to Bob Marsh Marina/Boatyard where Yellow Rose was stored out of the water. Walter Starr, the current owner, was living aboard and looking forward to the visit.

If Walter were living aboard full-time on the hard, he would not have air conditioning. I began wondering what kind of person could live in this heat and humidity and not have some creature comforts. Upon our first meeting, the mystery went away. He had installed a fan to keep the heat moving around and he slept out in the main cabin, not the enclosed private cabin. He had also installed a small refrigerator and a fan on one settee berth and slept on the other. Water came from a hose run up to the deck, and the head flushed overboard from seven feet up to the ground below. Really!

First Sight of Yellow Rose

The first sight of Yellow Rose made me feel sad and disheartened at the condition of the vessel. The bottom needed more than paint to make her ready to go in the water. In front of me were the remains of a once beautiful sailing vessel. She was covered with an orange tarp, which was suspended over the mast and tied down on each side to the stanchions. The mast, lying over the bow and stern pulpits, acted as the apex of a tent with the tarp on the sides. Walter had constructed a walkway leading up to the port side. It was very sturdy and made boarding the vessel as easy as boarding a plane from the tarmac. A black electrical cable had been hardwired into the vessel’s electrical shore tie for power. Three wires were taped to their respective mates aboard the vessel creating a semi-permanent junction. It sure didn’t meet any code I had ever seen. What a sight! It was only a prelude to the true condition of the vessel as I was to discover over the next few days.

There were over 500 holes scattered across the entire bottom below the waterline. Walter later told me that he and a friend were using a hammer, cold chisel, and a high-powered grinder to remove blisters while drinking a lot of cold beer. All the work was completed in one weekend, and if I would like, he would continue up the sides. I said I did not believe that would prove to be beneficial.

The rest of the weekend, I dragged out all the sails, gear, and equipment to log them and their condition. This was to be used as a complete listing for insurance purposes and to adjust the offer, if needed. Most of the equipment—and there was a considerable amount—would be disposed of at a dump. Some items were salvageable and some traded away for better use by someone else.

Walter and I, over several beers, came to an understanding of the true condition of the vessel and its equipment, and he told me that he would sell her for the price we had agreed to earlier in the discussions. Before I left to return to Washington, I all but told him I would purchase the boat. I would be in contact with him after I spoke with the people from Valiant.

On the Monday following my return, I contacted Rich Worstell, the president of Valiant Yachts, to discuss the vessel’s condition. These problems included 500+ holes in the hull below the waterline with some entirely through the deadwood area of the keel. Above the waterline were additional blisters that needed serious attention. The nonskid on the topsides was nonexistent. It had been sandblasted away years earlier. The deck had soft spots from water incursion. All the chain plates leaked, and the deck core was rotten around each one. The wooden hatches all leaked. The entire vessel needed rewiring. The only electronic item that worked was the VHF radio, and it was old and probably needed replacement. The engine condition was unknown.

The vessel had two marine air conditioners, and their status was also unknown. The sails looked okay and serviceable but would need replacement before leaving on an extended cruise. The water tanks leaked. The bottom of the mast was corroded and would need serious professional attention. The fuel tank had at least ten gallons of sludge in the bottom that had to be removed, then cleaned.

The rigging was over seventeen years old and needed to be replaced before venturing offshore. The teak inside was in good shape but needed a complete cleaning. Walter was a heavy smoker as was evident by the bulkheads and the overhead, which were stained with nicotine. Various other problems or questionable items were found and are too numerous to mention here.

Overall, the vessel truly belonged on a junk heap. However, there was Valiant history resting here! Like finding a jewel that needed restoration, Yellow Rose was a jewel that needed attention. Her original owners were Larry and Lettalou Sexton. They had received Yellow Rose new from the factory in Bellingham, Washington, and had taken her to Mexico, written the Texas Cruising Guide from her decks, and sailed her with love, respect, and history. Through some misfortunes, the vessel had been neglected, not by Lettalou, but by others after Larry died.

It was decision time, and a serious one needed to be made. Should I let her rot where she lies? Or restore her to her original condition, and then make her even better with state of the art equipment, allowing her to sail again in the manner for which she was designed as a world cruiser and liveaboard vessel? It would make Lettalou pleased, and I would retain the name.

I decided to set her free from the bonds of where she lay and give the vessel a new lease on life. Much like my Coast Guard career, where I had saved so many lives, I lost count; here was another one that needed help. One thing for sure, my time was going to be full of adventure and work before I even left the dock.

For the next twelve months, the vessel rested at the factory having the craftsmen restore the hull back to better than new condition using current skills and technology, methods, and materials.

Once that was completed, I had the vessel trucked to Long Beach, California, where she tasted saltwater for the first time in a long time. I motored her to the marina at the naval shipyard, and the next step of restoration began.

The photos that follow show the transformation of the vessel from derelict to a nearly finished yacht below the deck level. It was a year’s process, and the trust I put into the work and where it would be was completed. This work was done at the Valiant Factory in Kemah, Texas. I had my broker there, had met and shared my ideas with Rich Worstell, and met the people who were going to do the work. When completed, this vessel would be my home for a long time and, hopefully, would see many thousands of sea miles around the planet someday. I had no concept what adventures awaited Yellow Rose and I.

Over the next two years, while I was living aboard and working full-time, the vessel underwent a complete transformation. Old gear was removed, and professionals installed new state of the art equipment. A complete new set of sails was made, electronics added, a hard dodger installed, Grunert refrigeration/freezer installed, radios (both VHF and SSB/ham), a Windbugger wind generator, four solar panels, batteries, new decks, a Givens life raft, anchors (five with rodes), a dinghy with an outboard, charts (300 plus), and on and on.

Yellow Rose Ready For Hull Restoration

The list of things seemed to grow that I created while at the factory and even before the boat was delivered to Long Beach, California. Each time an item was checked off, there were several other things to add or accomplish. But that is what one does for the love of the lifestyle and the love of the boat with the knowledge that the designer of the Valiant knew exactly how to make an exceptional sailing vessel. Thank you, Bob Perry, for your design of the perfect cruising vessel for offshore cruising.

Yellow Rose Bare

First Launch After Restoration

Lettalou and Garry

Yellow Rose ready to go home

Lettalou, the original owner, came down from Houston to participate in the recommissioning ceremonies. What a special treat for both of us. She gave me a sailor’s cross that Lawrence had worn until his death, and I still today as an honor to a wonderful man, sailor and husband. We shared sea stories and had a grand time getting to know each other. She was the epitome of Southern hospitality and warmth and was a truly wonderful lady and sailor. She and Lawrence did a lot of cruising aboard Yellow Rose along Texas and Mexico and wrote the Texas Cruising Guide. I was even given a copy as a token of some of what they had done.

So I had my boat/home, and now was the time to look ahead to see what God had in store for me.

Yellow Rose Heading For Long Beach, CA

2

The Adventure Begins

Latitude: 33 Degrees, 43 Minutes North

Longitude: 118 Degrees, 16 Minutes West

The first year of my transfer to Long Beach was fun and rewarding, not only at work, but also with the progress of the boat. One evening, I took time off from the work on the boat and attended one of the many single sailor functions held in Long Beach. As I was standing along a large plate glass window, waiting for the guest speaker of the evening, I met Carol, a vivacious beautiful woman, a sailboat owner herself and a nurse. The first words from her after the usual introductions were, Do you have a job? When I told her I did as an officer in the United States Coast Guard and I planned to sail the world after retirement, she told me she had a passport and just needed an hour to pack! We agreed to see each other…

Carol’s Thoughts:

We made a date to go sailing, and I had my first look at Yellow Rose. From a distance, she looked great; but upon further inspection…

We had a lovely sail that day, and it was only later that Garry told me that was only the second time he had ever had the boat out for a sail. We had a second date (for dinner), and I foolishly told him that if he would continue to take me out sailing from time to time, I would help him work on the boat. That was the last real date we had. After that, Garry considered it a date if we went to West Marine, a Marine swap meet, or the grocery store. However, it was fulfilling to see the progress we were making on the boat, and we did actually get away from the dock frequently and go sailing for a weekend now and then.

A year later, we were married aboard Yellow Rose in Avalon Harbor, Catalina, California. Now there would be both Carol and I to convert Yellow Rose from a near derelict into our home and passage maker. I want to thank Bob Perry for designing such a great cruising boat.

Wedding Day on Yellow Rose, Avalon, Catalina Island, CA

This vessel was going to the land of Oz and beyond. Such a mystical beginning for realists! We are all such dreamers in one form or another sometime in our lives. I was still a dreamer and probably would always be. There was a folk music group in the ’60s called the Farquhar’s that I really enjoyed. They produced a song entitled My Island. As the song goes, we all have islands in the sun, no matter if they are across the street or across the sea. We must find that island, and when we do, we will be free!

Carol and I intended to find that island in the sun as we cruised, and then we would be free. How things change in so little time. How free can one be? Can dreams become reality?

Yellow Rose was complete, except for the watermaker. It had taken the better part of three years, including the time at the factory to restore the hull and deck, install all the new equipment, and add stores. We were ready to leave the Navy Yacht Club and set sail. The to-do list was down to one page and could be accomplished in San Diego.

Carol’s Thoughts:

In fact, we still had a wish list/to-do list, but at least the necessary things had been accomplished. If we had waited until everything was added and done, we probably would never have left the dock. We took our time researching a lot of the equipment we added to the boat. After talking with the Furuno radar rep at three different boat shows, we finally bought the show display model at the Oakland boat show. We also bought our Windbugger wind generator at that boat show. By purchasing the display models, we were able to save some money on the retail price as the dealers did not have to repack the merchandise and ship it back to the warehouse.

The Saturday before Garry’s retirement, our dear friends and fellow live aboards—Dan and Marge Valles of Valhalla, Jim and Nancy Hegland of Laughing Buddha, and Lance and Joanne Young of Malagra—hosted a wonderful bon voyage party for us. It was a time of laughter and tears.

Our daughter, Sarah, flew in from college, and my brother, Mike, drove up from San Diego. Our cruising friends, Dave and Vicki Howell of Adonde, left their boat in La Paz and rode a Mexican bus for twenty-four hours to Long Beach in order to surprise us.

We had made many wonderful friends at the marina, and while we were excited about our great adventure, it was very difficult to say goodbye. It was especially hard leaving the children behind. My daughter, Sarah, was in school and had her own life, but how I yearned to kidnap her and bring her with us. At least I knew we could make contact with her via radio when we were away from land. But when would I see her again? I would miss sharing her life with her on a daily basis. My son, Michael, had gotten divorced earlier that year and was coping with being single again. Garry and I had our dream to follow and we were not getting any younger. Our health was still good, and the time was right. Sarah was going to spend the summer with her brother, so I knew they would be with each other. There is an eight year difference in their ages, and I hoped that the kids would use this time together to grow closer to each other.

I planned to have Sarah meet us in different ports. Whenever we made a landfall, a phone call was placed as soon as we were able. Many times, I would not find either of them at home. We got very friendly with their answering machines. This dilemma was universal with all the cruisers we met. How we miss the kids!

I was a nurse and I tried to put together a comprehensive first aid kit. My biggest fear was of a massive trauma, and I made sure that we were well-stocked with dressing and bandage material. I stocked the medicine cabinet with the standard over the counter medications for coughs, colds, allergies, sinus infections, etc.