Matt's Sailing Trip

Tchauzinho Cheio de Saudades

2008-10-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Fellow Armchair Sailors,

Yes, including me. I am now an armchair sailor after moving off the good ship Kehaulani September 1st to begin my next great adventure. I was accepted to the Escola Brasileira Administração e de Empresas at the Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro. (That's Portuguese for the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.) The school is the number one business school in Brazil and the program is for a Masters in International Management. Entirely taught in English, the two-year program will allow me to stay in this beautiful country to continue my love affair with Brazil.

I must have been Brazilian in a previous life. Almost immediately after making landfall on May 18th I felt at home. The food, people, beaches, forests, mountains, music, arts, dancing, language, and the collective positive energy and optimism all convinced me I found my second home. I just had to figure out a way to legally stay.

A foreigner who wishes to legally stay in Brazil for longer than their tourist visa allows (an initial 90 days with an allowed extension of 90 days within any 12 month period) will find it to be tricky and complicated. It can be done; I could have a child or get married to a Brazilian, invest US$50k in a Brazilian business, retire after the age of 65 with an income of US$2k/month, get hired as a director or C-level officer at a company with operations in Brazil, manage a research or other scholarly project, or study.

After a few unexciting job interviews and a good but misplaced pitch to import wine to Brazil, I found the English masters program and immediately submitted my application and was accepted just a few days later. I also received a small scholarship and a part-time work/study job. This was very exciting for me, I get to stay in this beautiful country for two years, establish a positive presence and make connections in the country that will be the next world power, and after being out of the business game for 15 months, a masters degree sure would look good on my C/V.

All I needed to do next was to present my enrollment documentation provided by the school to the Policia Federal and they will change my tourist visa to a student visa. Easier said than done. The Federal Police turned me away and after escalating my problem to the Minister of Exterior Relations and the Department of Justice I discover this process can only be done in a consulate or embassy in my home country. It is illegal under federal Brazilian law to make this change from inside the country. The nice Federal Policeman even advised me that it would be easier to have a kid with a Brazilian to receive permanent residency than to change my tourist visa to a student visa while in the country. Thanks for the advice, but my tourist visa expires November 15th, I don't have 9 months to wait for a bastard kid to be born.

I was devastated. What else could I do? I thought of sending my passport to an agent in the US who could apply for my student visa for me, but it's illegal to be without my passport while in Brazil. And if it gets lost in the mail? Or what if I am denied my student visa but still in Brazil after my current tourist visa expires on the 15th? I could stay in the country illegally and just pay a fine when I leave (currently a maximum of R$720 or about US$330). But because I would be illegal I would put my Brazilian friends and the school in a difficult situation. Being illegal also doesn't help me achieve anything for the country; I want to be in Brazil to learn and help this country grow, not to exploit the very system that needs my help to be fixed.

The only moral and legal thing I can do is return home to properly apply for my student visa. Unfortunately I estimate the student visa application and acceptance process (with the possibility of denial) to take 20-30 days and a round-trip flight home of about $1700 means I would fail my first semester based on poor attendance and I'd be broke. Therefore I have been forced to withdraw from my classes and I arrive to Portland on a one-way ticket October 29th.

However, there is the possibility of return and things look positive for next year. The school has agreed to hold my acceptance and scholarship for re-enrollment in January or September 2009 and I get to continue my work-study project while I am in Oregon. The project is to enroll the school with the US Department of Education so US students attending the school can receive federal US student loan funds. When I am successful with the project I will have registered the first school in Brazil to participate in US federal student funding programs and I myself will have access to student loan funds. A pretty good deal. With proper funding and my student visa I will return to Rio and focus my attention entirely to my studies (Ok, ok, ok, also beaches, food, music, and sun!).

John and Patricia whole-heartedly supported my decision to stay in Rio to study. I am very grateful for the love and experience they showed me since joining them in Geraldton, Australia on June 27th, 2007. The two of them are successfully continuing the trip and are currently in Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago off the northeast coast of Brazil. John designed the boat to be sailed by one person and Patricia is quickly learning John's superior sailing skills. They'll be fine together and I am sure they are enjoying their first extended period of being alone on the boat since early 2006!

Besides my project with the school and spending some much needed and missed quality time with my family and friends, I am not exactly sure what I will be doing in Portland. Skiing would be nice, Taco Bell sounds good, also getting a temporary or part-time job would be necessary. I'll figure it out when I get there.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me during these past 17 months. I am very fortunate to have family and friends like you who supported a wild and crazy idea to quit my life and move to a small sailboat. I don't regret the decision at all. It has been a wonderful experience, thank you for sharing it with me.

Much love,
Matthew Propeck

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2008-06-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Whoa, Brazil has been a whirlwind of fun since arriving over one month ago on May 18th. One month! I sure hope the pictures below explain some of what I've been up to. Time sails by when you're having fun!

Life here is plush at the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro (ICRJ). We've got a couple of swimming pools to choose from, excellent shower facilities, a water taxi service gets us to and from the boat, the restaurant serves delicious traditional Brazilian fare, and the snug location in the morning shadow of Pão de Açúcar is centrally located in relation to all the Cidade Maravilhosa offers.

My seaman skills were put to the test the day after Skipper John and Admiral Patricia flew home to Estados Unidos to visit family and friends for about six weeks. After venturing out for the day to explore the city I returned to the boat and the nice water taxi driver informed me we've drug our two anchors. It was a windy day, more than usual, but nothing strong enough to alert me to any potential problems.

Where before there were a few boats furthest away from the club, Kehaulani now held that honor after dragging a couple hundred feet. Careful inspection for damage returned no evidence of her making acquaintance with other boats. A remarkable feat of solo navigation.

The taxi guy told me he wants to move us to a mooring buoy (large block of concrete resting on the bottom with a line attached) and to call him on the radio when I'm ready. After releasing the remaining anchor chain (in hopes the extra weight would keep us from dragging any further) and eating dinner I called the taxi guy over. I informed him that I would prefer to move the next morning to have the advantage of daylight and hopefully the wind would calm. Waiting for daylight provides an additional advantage; before moving the boat I would visit the Clube and recruit a helping hand. I was in for a long night of anchor watch.

However, this was not necessary as included in the water taxi came another member of the Clube, Pedro. Pedro speaks English and helped communicate my plan to Pingo, the taxi driver. Hah hah! Pingo and Pedro! I'm sure it's just coincidental...

Anyways, Pedro said he would assist me in raising the anchor and moving to the buoy. Pedro, as it turns out, is a professional skipper. He spends his days here at the yacht club repairing his antique Rio-built sailboat. But I didn't know that until after we successfully moved the girl to her new home closer to the channel and on a mooring buoy. Great location, she'll love it.

I had Pedro at the bow and myself at helm. We began on the secondary anchor. At first the ball on the end of the chain came easy. However, once taking aboard any slack the ball became an even larger headache. Dragging an anchor along 200 feet of bay within a metropolis brings up interesting things: mud, sea weed, fishing line, ancient ropes, even the rode for the primary anchor.

Pingo played a particularly important part (say that five times fast) clearing off the primary anchor chain, however I was called in to assist in removing the rest. The anchor then lifted snugly into her roller. The primary anchor was less of a fuss with the electric windless, however, I forgot to tell Pedro to flake the chain as it returns to the anchor well under the windless. It then piled up too high and jammed, stopping the electrically assisted action. This caused Pedro to believe the anchor got stuck on something resting on the bottom (rocks, stumps, old mooring buoy foundations, chain, cables, pipes, engine blocks, airplanes, human corpses, you name it).

After that was figured out we brought up the anchor with no problems and I motored over to the mooring buoy while managing to avoid several others. We found one closer to the main channel and in the row furthest from the yacht club. A nice location with easy outs in the event the mooring buoy drags!

This was my first real solo experience in harbor navigation and I´m happy to say it was a success. Kehaulani now has a safe and more permanent home and Pedro and I have become friends.

This passage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil provided us with many opportunities to try different sail combinations. Here we´re stretching out our full mainsail, full staysail, and full Genoa. For about a week or so we had a strong low pressure weather system to the south of us which gave us variable winds and often times winds coming from exactly the direction we needed to go.
It got so bad that we were even thinking about changing our plan to catch better wind by sailing to Salvador da Bahia in the northeast of Brazil. One particularly depressing day our distance made good was three nautical miles. In another twelve hour period we actually had a negative distance made good of one nautical mile! Another morning that was particularly frustrating I found on my morning watch that our tack was so off course we were actually sailing towards the sunrise! We´re supposed to be sailing west, not east!

Here we´re exercising the spinnaker, she sure is a pretty sail (Go Ducks!). We use this sail when trying to squeeze out as much speed as possible from light winds behind us.

Winds calmed to almost nothing about three days out from Rio so we had to resort to the Iron Genoa (and old sailor's nickname for the diesel engine). This method of travel isn't preferred because it's loud, smelly, polluting, expensive, and makes a hot boat even warmer. Sailing is much more peaceful. However, without wind comes calm seas and for some reason this amazing sunset. Trained sailors´ eyes can spot our first sight of land in almost three weeks; Cabo Frio is in the right third of this picture at the horizon.

The view entering Baia da Guanabara. Copacabana is the beach in the center backed by buildings that make up the neighborhood of the same name. Corcovado is the mountain that is home to Cristo Redentor and can be seen above the center of Copacabana. Pão de Açúcar is the tall hill on the right of this photo.

We crept past a large and extremely slow moving turtle that guards the entrance of the bay.

Sugar Loaf with Christ the Redeemer in the background. How many tourists get this photo?

A view of Rio from across the bay in Rio's sister city, Niteroi. Kehaulani is in the center of the photo with all the other little toy boats. We kept her here for two weeks because the facilities here have water and electricity on the dock and it's a walk-on/off stern-to mooring which makes things a little easier. Although this Clube had very nice facilities as well, the distance across the bay to all that Rio de Janeiro offers wasn't as attractive, so we moved the boat to the ICRJ.

Me on my birthday in front of the famous statue. Clearly it was cloudy that day so we weren't able to get decent photos. I'll return on a clear day for the view and photo opportunities.

Sunset from Pão de Açúcar. Kehaulani is now in the midst of the boats below. She'll be the star of thousands of tourist photos! Okay, okay, an extra.

Myself on the summit of Pão de Açúcar with the winter sun setting in the background.

Discussing bamboo bicycles with bamboo.

The whimsical face of the bonde that for R$.60 will take passengers up to the neighborhood of Santa Teresa. If one is willing to brave scraped ankles and knees then it's free to ride if you hang on off the side.

I visited an art installation at the ruins of an old colonial home in Santa Teresa. This message is especially accurate in this stage of my life.

Two cool looking "buildings." I write "buildings" because they're actually Transformers. In the lower right corner the happy yellow bonde is crossing the aqueduct.

Holding on for my life on the side of the bonde. Seriously folks, this thing is old but quite fast and if someone isn't paying attention -- like a tourist taking a picture of himself -- he could get seriously injured by passing street signs.

A mico! Cute little monkey's that look like tiny old men.

That's all for now! I've got about another month in Rio before Skipper John returns on July 22nd and then it's a quick overnight sail to Ilha Grande, Parati, and Angra Dos Reis where we plan to hang out until August 19th when Admiral Patricia returns. Supposedly there are 365 tropical islands and thousands of anchorages in this area.

After that we'll come back to Rio for a couple days to stock up on food and supplies and then the plan is to visit the following Brazilian attractions as we make our way north to the Caribbean by November:

Cabo Frio
Buzios
Vitoria
Abrolhos Islands
Iheus
Salvador
Recife
Fernando de Noronha Archipelago
Fortaleza

Many good times to come!

St. Helena Island

2008-04-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

A few days out from St. Helena Island and we're rewarded with this strangely beautiful sunset.

St. Helena Island as seen from the south east. We sailed from Walvis Bay, Namibia on the 7th of April and arrived to the Island on the 16th. It was a very pleasant nine day sail with following winds and beautiful weather.

James Bay as seen from the top of Jacob's Ladder on Ladder Hill. Kehaulani is the small white boat just below the big blue freighter in the top left of this photo. There is no breakwater here so being at anchor can get a little rolly. Taking our dinghy to shore (I think I'm naming the dinghy Kehaulanita) is challenging because there's no place to tie it up, instead we call a ferry every morning. We must get to shore before 7:00am when the warf closes for rock-fall prevention work, which can be seen here along the hillside in the middle of this photo. Also notice the horizon at the top of this photo; is this the curvature of the earth or my camera lens?

This photo is looking down onto Jamestown from the top of Jacobs ladder, which consists of 699 steps built into the side of the hill. John and I climbed it, but no, we didn't slide down like some of the local kids do by hooking each ankle over both railings and using their hands as brakes.

Jamestown is a very old city dating back 500 years. It was a crucial stop for sailing ships to take on fresh provisions and water for an Atlantic crossing. Today, many yachts visit the island for this purpose, but sailing ships gave way to modern steamers and diesel powered freighters, which can make the trip in a much shorter amount of time.

We spent a couple days touring the interior of the island. It's very lush and green with rolling hills; sometimes reminding me of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

John and I hiked through thick fog and heavy rain to Diana's Peak, the tallest point on the Island.

After our wet and sometimes muddy Diana's Peak hike we stomped our damp and soiled selves into Longwood House, the "prison" where Napoleon was exiled to in 1815 and later died in 1821.

Sunset over the local fishing boats moored in James Bay.

Namibia

2008-04-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

A view of Luderitz from the Goerke Haus. Kehaulani is resting at anchor at the far left center of this picture. Notice outside the city nothing but rocky, sandy dessert is found.

Just a few kilometers outside Luderitz is the abandonded ghost diamond mining town of Kolmanskop. The desert has slowly re-claimed it's disturbed land and is filling the buildings with sand.

Kolmanskop was a very active and modern town in the early 20th century but was abandoned in 1954 due to lack of new deposits. They had the first x-ray machine in Namibia, made their own ice (in the middle of a desert!), a gymnasium, a swimming pool, and even a bowling alley. Sorry Hugh, I think it's closed.

Sailing to Walvis Bay from Luderitz was extremely cold and foggy. Much of the time there was no wind so we resorted to motoring. I really hate motoring; it's loud, smelly, and wasteful. Although it provides us with hot water and heat to warm the cabin (hot engine coolant is circulated to the water heater and the cabin heater, warming the water and air, respectively).

John and I decided we'd tour Walvis Bay Lagoon by sea kayak since it's much too shallow to sail the yacht around.

We spotted a few flamingos on our tour (it looks like a large number, but normally the lagoon is home to 60,000 of these birds). These are rarely seen in Walvis Bay this time of year as they're supposed to be in Etosha breeding in the shallow fresh water pan (Etosha is the famous Namibian game park about 800KM from Walvis Bay).

These are cape fur seals. Notice their funny little ears hanging off the sides of their heads like worms.

An oasis in the desert. With flooding in the north and almost nightly thunder showers here in the desert, Namibia has seen unusually large amounts of rain this year.

Mother City, South Africa

2008-03-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

South Africa has been one hell of a stop on this trip. We've done some amazing things here. We've made many friends, seen many sights, and we also have done a ton of boat work; virtually every inch of this boat has been repaired, replaced, or inspected.

Here are some of my favorite pictures...

This is a shot off the stern of the boat at night. As the boat cuts through the water it disturbs microscopic organisms called phosphorescence which light up and produce what looks like a flaming blue-ish green tail off the back of the boat.

There's a saying in South Africa, "This is Africa" or simply "T.I.A." It's an ironic observation usually made when something is funny, out of place, or just doesn't go your way. Gun drop off at a casino in Port Elizabeth...TIA!

A bomb bag in a shopping mall complete with examples of Soviet bombs that could be left in the open; simply place bag over bomb to prevent injury. TIA!

A photo of a township near Port Elizabeth. Townships are shanty filled neighborhoods where the vast majority of South Africa's population resides.

Serenity in the sunrise in Mossel Bay, South Africa.

In 1488 Bartholomew Dias was the first European explorer to make landfall in South Africa. This tree stands near the springs where early sailors collected fresh water. The sailors used the tree as a "post office" by leaving their letters in an old shoe tied to the tree.

As we rounded the infamous Cape of Good Hope we finished crossing the Indian Ocean and were rewarded with this amazing sunset.

We hauled out the boat at the end of December to have her inspected for any weak spots or damages. We also had her bottom power washed and we painted the it with two fresh coats of special paint that sloughs off to help prevent marine plant and animal life from accumulating.

The mast was professionally removed so we could have all the standing rigging replaced. Standing rigging are the strong steel cables that support the mast to keep it upright.

Apart from those two large projects above we also installed a new water heater, had new galley cabinets fitted and installed, installed a new galley countertop and sink, replaced all running rigging (the lines and ropes that work the sails), buffed and polished the entire boat including all stainless steel and teak, repaired all sails and canvas, fitted new rugs for the salon, installed new chart plotter and GPS antenna, re-designed de-salinity system to more efficient layout, repaired both heads, and dozens of smaller projects thrown in for good measure.

Yeah. I sailed around that.

Penguins! You can sit right next to their smelly asses.

Hugh and I at the V&A waterfront in Cape Town with statuesque Table Mountain in the background.

Braai our friend Helene gave us yachties. We met her at a bar in Mossel Bay while she was there on vacation and she treated us like life-long friends while we were in Cape Town. Pictured from left to right myself, Helene, John, Patricia, Bastian (a yachty friend from Denmark), and Hugh.

While at Vortex, a crazy three-day music festival over New Years' we met Brother Gad, a bush doctor, family man, and generally good guy who volunteers with under advantaged children in the townships outlying Cape Town. He invited us to spend a day with them in Mitchell's Plain and while there we learned about local herbs, plants, and roots, one of the kids taught us how to break dance, we played ball games outside, and then had many of the kids clamber and climb all over us until we were worn out. Pictured from left to right are Hugh, myself, Brother Gad, Elizabeth (a yachty friend from France), and Bastian.

From the moment we saw Table Mountain Hugh and I decided we would hike up it and spend the night on the top. It was a blisteringly hot day and my massive backpack was full with only one thing, our three-person tent.

Once at the top it's really not as flat as it looks from the bottom. We found the best spot we could and sat around eating snacks, drinking wine, and watching the sunset. Pictured here is Bastian, myself, Helene, Elizabeth, and Hugh.

One of the views from the top of the mountain. Most days the mountain is blanketed in a cloud called the Table Cloth. We were lucky to be above the clouds.

We woke the next morning to pounding rain, furious wind, and a thick layer of fog all around...we were in the middle of the Table Cloth. Pictured here are Elizabeth, Helene, and Joe. Yes, we had six people plus gear in a three-person tent.

The city bowl of Cape Town as viewed from Signal Hill. Notice the Southern Cross pictured in the top right. The mountain in the middle of the picture is Devil's Peak, to the right of it, Table Mountain.

Our friend Eddy came to visit us for three weeks. Pictured here from left to right is Bastian, myself, Eddy, Hugh, Niamh (a yachty friend from Ireland), Helene, and Elizabeth.

Facing east on top of Devil's Peak, that's the Indian Ocean and yes, I sailed it all the way from Australia.

The west is behind me in this picture and also the Atlantic Ocean. Crossing this ocean is next on my to do list.

Cheers to you South Africa. You rock.

A little retro-active itinerary so you can see where we've been and I've also outlined where we'll be going next in 2008 and 2009. Keep in mind all dates and locations after Brazil are highly speculative.

2007/2008

o October 29th - November 20th
Port: Richards Bay, South Africa

o November 21st - November 29th
Port: Durban, South Africa

o November 30th - December 5th
Port: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

o December 6th - December 14th
Port: Mossel Bay, South Africa

o December 17th - March 8th, 2008
Port: Cape Town, South Africa

2008

o March 8th – March 14th
Passage: to Luderitz, Namibia

o March 14th – March 21st
Port: Luderitz, Namibia

o March 22nd – March 25th
Passage: to Walvis Bay, Namibia

o March 26th – April 1st
Port: Walvis Bay, Namibia

o April 2nd - Aptil 14th
Passage: to St. Helena Island

o April 14th – April 21st
Port: St. Helena Island

o April 22nd – May 15th
Passage: to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

o May 15th – November 1st
Port: Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

2008/2009

o November 1st, 2007 – March 2009
Passage: to Caribbean Islands (Island hopping! Specific islands are not yet known, however we've discussed visiting British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Martinique, St. Bart’s, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Kitts, and maybe even that one place that's off limits to Americans...)

o March – April 2009
Passage: through Panama Canal

o April – May 2009
Passage: to Galapagos Island

o May 2009
Port: Galapagos Island

o May – June 2009
Passage: to Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

o June 2009
Port: Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

o June 2009
Passage: to Tahiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

o July 2009
Port: Tahiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

o July 2009
Passage: to Hawaii, USA

o August 2009
Port: Hawaii, USA

o August 2009
Passage: to Seattle, Washington, USA

o September 2009
Passage: to Portland, Oregon, USA

2007-11-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

Sailing is an unfathomable experience to many landlubbers we meet. Some cannot comprehend spending weeks at sea with no land in sight, bracing oneself against a boat constantly rolling, pitching and healing from side to side. Others wouldn't go for days at a time without fresh fruits and veggies. Those practical and rational folk would never jeopardize the saftey of their lives with pirates, freak storms, submurged cargo containers, whales, and massive ships. While an imaginative few can't stomach the thought of what unknown creatures could be laying miles below the water's surface.

These same people ask me why I'm sailing and if it's worth the extreme lifestyle adjustments. One does get accustomed to the challenges of weeks on the water, and where once before I was dreading the passages for the same reasons above, I'm now enjoying them. I'm able to catch up on reading. I'm learning much about navigation and marine equipment and electronics, not to mention how to sail. I'm writing in my journal, and I'm thinking up business ideas and inventions to pursue in hopes they'll be profitable enough to provide me with the flexibility to eventually own a sailboat of my own. It's a priority on passage to make time to learn anything about the next destination; this proves to be extremely valuable since people we meet while in port are always impressed with any amount of knowledge a stranger possesses about their home. I also spend hours to reflect on the amazing place we're sailing from, the sights we saw, the friends we made, and especially the lessons we learned.

The greatest and most valuable lesson I've learned so far in each port is how kind strangers can be to other strangers. Everywhere we go we're welcomed into peoples homes and lives. We've attended numerous family dinners, birthdays, bbq's (or in South Africa, braai's), house parties, church functions, holidays, nights out, and a few times get togethers were held in our honor.

Even though I feel overwhelmingly thankful for this experience of a lifetime and to all those who've supported me with this decision--both those at home and those I've met along the way--I'm sometimes not sure if this extreme lifestyle adjustment is the right choice. I'm at an age when I "should" be settling down, focusing on growing my career, and finding a nice girl with whom to begin a family of our own. I feel I'm missing the vital early years of my beautiful niece, Rylee. I want a day of skiing with my friends. I want to watch Duck football. I want Oregon rain on my face.

Above all, I want to devote more time to family and friends. Support them enthusiastically in their life decisions with the same gusto as they have shown me in mine. To provide the people I love most with the same kindess I've received from people I barely know. I want my home to be open to anyone who needs it. I want to meet travelers in their journey and show them the same kindess I've received in mine.

The questions still remain unsanswered; is this worth the extreme lifestyle adjustment? Are these experiences worth missing the experiences at home? Right now, the answer is a hesitant yes because it's only been five months since leaving, everything is still so new and exciting. However, at six months will Christmas pass so easily? At twelve months will I be strong enough to miss Rylee's first birthday? At seventeen months can I miss another holiday season away from family and friends? At twenty-four months can I endure another month or two at sea while we sail our final return passages to Oregon?

I can't provide a solid answer now and I doubt I will until this voyage is complete. I'll have an answer when I return to share with those dear to me my experiences and who I've grown to become. I'll know when I re-meet the loved ones that are growing themselves without me and learn about the experiences I've missed. The only way I'll have an answer is to finish what I've started; to fulfill this commitment to myself.

You know you're in Africa when...

Whaddup G-Raff?

Impala? Chevy Impala?

This elephant has his front left leg up for a reason...

He was preparing to charge us. Drive! QUICK!

Yah, that's a flippin' zebra.

I only cut off rhino horns in my photos.

Clipper ships participating in an around the world race find rest in Durban.

Happy friends after a real South African braai (from left: Sam's mom Sandy, Patricia, John, Hugh, Sam)

Our Thanksgiving dinner on the boat with Sam.

My first driftwood toilet paper holder.

My second toilet paper holder made out of authentic South African driftwood.

La Réunion Island

2007-10-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

My longest passage so far has been 18 days and my shortest is 14; it was strange to arrive in a new country after a quick 24 hours. The town seen here, set so beautifully between two canyons, is St. Joseph.

Although the swells large, the wind strong, and the entrance to St. Pierre harbor tricky, thankfully we arrived safely, unlike this poor vessel.

This is Rue Des Bons Enfants (Good Children Road) the main shopping district in St. Pierre.

After spending many hours prepping the boat for this next passage, we were able to be tourists. Here I'm sitting in front of Piton De La Fournaise, one of the most active volcanos in the world.

Of course we aren't just going to sit by the volcano, we have to hike down into it! Unfortunately, the trail to the crater rim was closed due to dangerous conditions resulting from the last major eruption in April. In this picture Hugh is top left, then from clockwise Stephane, Pascale, and Lauren. Stephane lives in Réunion but we met him through a mutual friend in Mauritius while he was there on holiday.

Lauren, Pascale, and I having sundowners on the boat. We were only able to spend a few days with them as they were leaving for Madagascar for a three-week holiday...and you thought we wanted to go there to escape nasty weather ;)

John, Patricia, Hugh and I rented a car and laced our way through over 200 hairpin curves to get to Cilaos, a beautiful town set in the crater of Cirque de Cilaos. I was nominated to drive our tiny Fiat Panda, I forgot just how stressful driving is! It's not natural!

This is the village of Grand Bassin; the only way in or out is by foot or helicopter. The parallel lines that disappear into the woods are support cables for their supply cart that travels up and down twice per day.

This is the backyard view of St. Joseph. Rivière des Ramparts has cut the canyons on which the town is nestled between.

Voile de la Mariée Falls, the equivalent of our Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Stephane told us stories about a mystical place established by a runaway slave and sorcerer, where there are no roads, is populated by 650 people who live off the land, where many of the residents have never seen a car, and tourists have gone missing or have been found murdered. Please Stephane! We want to go there! So we did; Hugh, Stephane and I spent two days hiking into and around Cirque de Mafate.

This is just one of the many fairy tale views we found on our hike.

After two hours and 1500 vertical feet we finally arrived in La Nouvelle, the largest village in Cirque de Mafate. What the land can't provide is delivered by helicopter. The post man hikes in and out everyday and wears through a pair of shoes every year.

This is the gîte where we stayed the night. Gîtes are special places where the owners prepare amazing meals for their guests from their own gardens and animal stocks.

After a great nights sleep we woke the next morning to hike to Les Trois Roches, a waterfall that buries itself so deep in the rocks it's impossible to see the bottom without falling in.

Overall La Réunion Island is full of friendly people and beautiful mountain sights. If you come to visit you need at least two weeks exploring the interior and don't waste your time at the beaches, just volunteer to crew on a boat leaving for Mauritius if you want the best of both beach and mountain. Better yet, just wait for me to get my own boat and we'll sail together to these places.

Developing Ideas in a Developing World

2007-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Consider this quote:

"You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius."

--Mark Twain, 'Following The Equator' 1897

Thanks, Mark. I appreciate your observation, however, times have changed. A visit in 1897 is completely different from one in 2007.

Behind the fauxcadeville that is Le Caudan Waterfront and the smiles and helpful hands given to anyone with white skin we find a desperate people with an extreme misappropriation of wealth and raging rascism. Politicians are blatantly corrupt. The police and private security forces resort to brutal tactics of pervasive persuation. The majority of the GDP is aquired through the production of sugar, and with the EU setting a ceiling for the price of sugar, this archaic industry on which this developing country was founded could also be the death of it.

In the center of this photo is a home.

This house sits only a few blocks from the one above.

However, show me a country that doesn't have its difficulties. This country is well developed for being independent only since 1968.

Being moored virtually in the center of the capital and largest city, Port Louis, has its advantages. We're able to experience many worldy cultural offerings within just a few square kilometers. Sugar, with its ties to slavery, has made this country unexpetedly diverse. Originally discovered by the Portugese, Mauritius, being strategically located on the way to India after the Cape of Good Hope, has seen its share of immigrants, slaves, and workers over the years. People have come (or have been forced to come) from China, Africa, France, Britan, India, Australia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and others. Over 22 languages are spoken here and unnumerable religions and their various sects are represented with Tamil temples, Chinese pagodas, Christian churches, Islamic temples, and many more.

The oldest theater in Mauritius.

John (the skipper) and I outside the produce market. Virtually anything a person could want is available from the thousands of small shops and street vendors.

Inside the market there are hundreds of vendors selling their home-grown fruits and veggies. The best strategy we've found is to return to the friendliest three or four stalls once every couple days; we then are considered a "client" and receive the best bargain.

Delve into China Town and discover goods from all over Asia.

Unless you're a philatelist and covet the Blue Penny stamp worth over $5m, Mauritius is probably most famous for its extinct turkey-size bird, the Dodo; the last of which was believed to be killed in 1680. This is an actual skelton on display at the Natural History Museum. I remember learning of this fearless, flightless bird in elementary school; but more importantly learning of the impact that man can have on a local community. Catching a single fish travelling through 2,400 miles of ocean was disconcerting. I wholheartadley believe and agree with scientists' predictions that our major fisheries are at risk of vanishing over the next 43 years. Our planetary community is at an extreme risk. Did we not learn from the fate of the Dodo?

Hugh and I have made a few new friends here. The people are incredibly open and willing to show us their city. The photo above was taken after a whole day of exploring the city with our three personal tour guides, Julien, Nagimal, Dilshad (Dils!). This Saturday John, Hugh, Julien, and I will be hiking to the top of Thumb Mountain, which you can see in some of these photos.

We'll be anchored at Grand Baie next week for a week or two. This is a huge, lake-calm bay at the northwest tip of the island and is surrounded by beaches and expensive resorts. Grand Baie is a major European and African tourism destination so we're sure to meet more people, including locals who go there on the weekends to relax at the many bars and discoteques and to meet foreigners. Fine by me since the women here are stunningly beautiful and, being so open to meeting visitors, I know we'll have a grand time.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

2007-08-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

I'm scared. Is our first port also our best? Will the remaining trip be a disappointment in comparison to this? Did we fill our sails too full and blow it?

My words aren't competent enough to describe the striking beauty of this place. See for yourself...

We sailors are a little like hermit crabs...our house is always with us.

OK, I do have many words for this picture. Let's just say "I love coconut trees" and "Yes, I was able to climb really high" and leave it at that.

This traditional sailing vessel is called a Jukong. They're specifically built for the conditions within the lagoon at Cocos. Sadly, the last of these beauties was built in the '70's; tradition is giving way to petrol outboard motors and fiberglass.

Land Ho!

2007-07-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

After 14 days and 1407 nautical miles of sailing across the northeast Indian Ocean from Western Australia, we've finally made it to Cocos (Keeling) Islands, our first port of call, on July 18th. Life seems easy for the Malays and Aussies on this remote and tiny atoll 12 degrees south of the equator and consisting of 23 islands, getting here, however, was not.

The constant tossing, healing, and diving of the yacht makes life in passage extremely challenging. Every bone that comes close to the surface of my skin is bruised and beaten from the bumps, falls, and stumbles caused by the unpredictable movements from large rouge swells. Walking through a door is gambling with the well-being of your head; what was a direct pass-through a second ago is now two feet to the left and suddenly my head is physically familiar with the book shelf and my shins with the starb'rd seat bench.

Sleep apnea due to 6 hour off and on 'round-the-clock shifts, restless leg syndrome from the lack of movement, constipation, and blurry eye site as a side effect from the promethezine (sea sickness meds) complete the physical challenges of passage.

Of course, the above physical challenges are only the foundation for the mental challenges we face. The desolate loneliness of being in the middle of this ancient ocean is significantly less than "nowhere" with modern GPS technology. However, the never changing scenery of vast expanses of open water, only being able to see an 11 nautical mile radius in any one direction due to the curvature of the earth, and moving at a maximum of 7 knots can keep a mind constantly questioning we're making the progress our marine navigation technology is reporting to us.

I've found all these physical and mental challenges are resolved by a visit from an old friend; music. Pop in the ear buds and one is instantly immersed in the familiar sounds of Confessions on the Dance Floor which brings back familiar memories of all-nighters at the office. Mike Coykendall is a trip to the grocery store and back. I re-live a road trip to an Oregon Duck football away game with The Helio Sequence. Reggie Watts is a cool escape to the slopes of Mt. Hood. I'll be visiting many unique and interesting ports of call during this trip and no matter where I am, or what I'm feeling, I know I'll have music as my sanity ally.

Some pictures for you to enjoy:

Leaving Geraldton for our beacon in the sky.

Sunrise in the Indian Ocean.

Arriving in paradise. Finally!

Dolphins came to great us and show us the safe route into the lagoon. (Video to be posted soon.)

A beautiful sunset over Destination Island for our first evening in Cocos.

Geraldton, Western Australia

2007-07-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

How ya goin'?

We've been extremely busy preparing the boat for passage. Gathering & organizing supplies and food for the next couple months' passage, waxing all wood on the boat, waterproofing the canvas, and much more. However, we've already had a few fun-filled adventures.

From driving on the left side of the road:

To holding baby kangaroos called Joey's (this is Rocky):

To almost falling off the boat due to the high winds we've been having:

All's well here in Geraldton, WA. Nope, not Washington but Western Australia! Whoddathunk I'd ever be in Australia?

Australia currently has a booming economy from successful mining ventures. People here are making lots of money and prices are higher than I expected. And, over the past ten years, the country has paid off all their national debt!

We're supposed to set sail for Cocos (Keeling) Islands today, but we've had inclimate weather (8m swells, 50kt winds) which has kept us in the marina. The weather will hopefully clear for safe departure Wednesday the 3rd. Cocos is about 1400 miles norwest and will take approximately 14 days to reach so don't expect to hear from me for the next couple weeks.

I love and miss each one of you. Send me an email soon.

2007-06-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today marks exactly one week until the end of my position at Rumblefish. This does not mean my relationship with Rumblefish has ended. In fact, it has grown into something bigger. This trip has grown into something bigger.

I'm under contract with Rumblefish to act as an independent ethnomusicologist. My job is to identify and document music-centric content from around the world. And I'll be doing it all by sailboat. The results of my work will be posted on this blog. I'm turning into something bigger.

In other news, many of you have asked where I'll be for any given date. At this point, it really isn't possible to determine that information, but I'll provide an estimate. Besides the Google map I created outlining the trip, here are the approximate dates for each country to be visited:

o June 27th – July 1st
Port: Geraldton, WA, Australia

o July 1st – July 15th
Passage: to Cocos (Keeling) Islands

o July 15th – August 1st
Port: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

o August 1st – September 1st
Passage: to Port Louis, Mauritius

o September 1st – October 1st
Port: Port Louis, Mauritius

o October 1st – November 1st
Passage: to Durban, South Africa

o November 1st – January 1st
Port: Durban, South Africa

2008

o January 1st – February 1st
Passage: to Namibia

o February 1st – April 1st
Port: Namibia, Africa

o April 1st – May 1st
Passage: to Brazil

o May 1st – September 1st
Port: Brazil, South America

o September 1st - ???
Passage: to ???

The destination after Brazil is unclear. I'll definitely keep this itinerary updated as I learn more.

If you want to come visit me (and I know some of you do!), just email me and we can talk specifics.

Airfare is purchased

2007-05-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to purchase my airline tickets today. I made the booking last week but it took them until today to process the ticketing confirmation. I used Vayama.com to purchase the tickets. They're a new website that's still in beta and launched April 2007 and given my experience with launching new websites, I'll cut them some slack. I originally found Orbitz.com to be the cheapest, but Vayama.com came in $400 cheaper for the same flight. Except for the aforementioned delay, this is a pretty decent service at the best price and their customer service was very patient with my once-a-day phone calls.

Hugh and John have been working hard prepping the boat. This is a picture of it supported by slings connected to a travel lift to move it out of dry dock and back into the water! (For a sense of the scale, that's Hugh in the picture!)

The Sell-Off is Complete! Almost...

2007-05-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! I've officially sold anything that could be of interest to anyone else. All except for this damn couch. I thought for sure this thing would instantly sell. Maybe I'm the only one that's interested in it.

Here it is on craigslist.

The Sell-Off Continued...

2007-05-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

This is going well. Surprisingly well. I'm ahead of schedule, I've made a little cash, and have met some very interesting people. Meeting all these interesting buyers through this selling process has been exciting. I haven't even left Portland and my eyes are already opening. I can't help but think of all the interesting people I've yet to meet. Who will I meet in Mauritius or Durban? Who's waiting for me in Namibia? It's only 41 days until I leave to find out.

I've also learned a lot about marketing and gender demographics. I guarantee if you're trying to sell a cell phone, the majority of your inquiries will be from foreign males. If you're selling furniture, expect to hear from white females. Not kidding.

The car has sold. Oh my phucking god the car has sold. This is a HUGE stress lifted off my shoulders. Shawna, if you're reading this, thanks, and enjoy it.

This is the best couch ever. I bought it because it reminded me of a couch my grandma had in her house, then she gave it to my parents and we had it in our house for a while. Not really sure what happened to that old one, but this one is readily available on craigslist.

Next is my bike. Her and I have had some wild rides together. I can't say anymore else I fear I'll get teary eyed. Yes, the helmet, lock, and lights are included. I'm such a salesman. Also available on craigslist.

A folding chair. Great for camping! $10

Here's an awesome set of TV dinner trays. TV optional. $40

Here's a nice, clean, two slot toaster. $5

Here's a neat little desk lamp. $5

Dan, you'll remember this old sewing table! Good times. $20

Here's a trusty computer printer. $20

Vintage JVC RX-8V Computer Controlled Stereo Receiver - $50. It's the one on top in the pic. DVD player already spoken for.

Speaker Set - 100 watt 5.1 Surround & Kenwood JL-940W 150 watt towers - $50

The Sell-Off Begins

2007-05-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I got my finances in order, this week I'm beginning to sell all my stuff. I feel like a walking salesman. I'm constantly tuned in, seeking out a possible sale. Need a desk? I have it, yes, it has plenty of room for a computer screen. A car? I have a nice blue one you'd look great in.

I'm going to leverage this space and this posting to list some of the more exciting items I have for sale. Boy, this sure is exhausting.

The car...I just bought it December, '06. It's in excellent shape. Here it is on craigslist. So sad, I love that car. You'd look great in it.

This is the best couch ever. I bought it because it reminded me of a couch my grandma had in her house, then she gave it to my parents and we had it in our house for a while. Not really sure what happened to that old one, but this one is readily available on craigslist.

Next is my bike. Her and I have had some wild rides together. I can't say anymore else I fear I'll get teary eyed. Yes, the helmet, lock, and lights are included. I'm such a salesman. Also available on craigslist.

Everything else after this seems too lame to post here. I'll just provide links to the listings on craigslist as I post them.

My TV. I sure am going to miss watching The Simpsons.

Here's a really neat cell phone that I bought and never used. Golly.

More items to come.

It's Happening

2007-05-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

A sailing trip for the next two years of my life.

It's been 6 days since I made the decision to embark on this adventure. This week has mostly been number crunching and putting my finances on paper. Even though it's been about a week, today is the first day I "felt" what I am about to be doing. Understanding it is a long ways away.

Today I created a map of the currently known route. I'll be referring to this map in this blog and adding new locations as we go.

I've also begun the process of selling everything I own that is unnecessary for a successful voyage. It's so strange knowing that soon I'll no longer need a couch, chair, my bed. These things have been in my life for years, now all I really need is food, health, water, and wind.