Get Lost On Purpose

Category: Selling the Boat

Back to NZ – The Plan

After a short month in the states visiting friends and family we returned to Auckland on New Years Eve morning. Due to some previous planning, we knew to expect our friends Geoff and Julie from s/v Flashback in the same hotel as us overlooking the Viaduct Harbor (actually our hotel overlooked the Viaduct but our budget rooms had more of a city/parking garage view). We haven’t seen them in over three months, which, in the scheme of things, isn’t all that long. But regardless, the champagne came out and the festivities quickly began. About two hours before the countdown (almost one full day before you guys on the East Coast of the U.S. were even thinking about it) we headed down to the harbor to join up with a bunch of other cruising friends on board Wayward Wind. As the clock struck twelve we hugged those aboard, many of whom have been a substantial part of the memories we created in this past year living aboard Dosia and having these islands of the South Pacific be our home away from home.

We spent the first days of this new year with Geoff & Jules packing in as much as possible. Two very quick day trips-one to Bayswater Marina just on the other side of the harbor from downtown Auckland to see our dear friends Richard & Krista of m/v Karma & then one to Waiheke Island and its beutiful wine vineyards to see our buddies Tane & Tomas of s/v Kena. We could have spent many, many days seeing vineyard after vineyard but alas, Dosia was waiting for us in Whangarei, we were anxious to see how she held up by herself for the past month and a half, and because of one very important reason there was work to be done…

While it is bittersweet for both of us, we are getting Dosia ready for our last big trip aboard. We have a good feeling it will not be her last. As you already know, Dosia went up for sale before we left Vava’u, Tonga back in October. Well, she actually went under contract only a few weeks after we began advertising her. The new owners, Trevor and Ali Curtis, a young couple from Gold Coast, Australia are anxiously awaiting delivery.

We agreed to take care of a few routine maintenance issues (like new bottom paint and batteries) here in New Zeland before delivery. So for the last week, we’ve done just that. Dosia hauls out tomorrow morning for a fresh bottom painting, few days to dry, and then we’re looking for the weather window that will carry us acorss the Tasman Sea to Brisbane. From there, we’re not quite sure of the plan. We have no reservations or tickets for anything and it’s the height of tourist season in both countries. We want to see as much of Australia as possible while we are there and then return to NZ and tour the South Island. But we also already have jobs lined up back in the States and can’t spend too much time touring around!

January 9, 2010
Tsunami in Samoa and Tonga 2009

2009 Tsunami Damage-Latest Death Toll is 150 and Rising

A story fresh off the AP covers the latest news on the tsunami that hit American and Western Samoa and Tonga on Sept 30, two days ago, while this brief article from Latitude 38 covers several cruiser’s experiences around the Pacific. Sitting here in Neiafu, Tonga we didn’t experience much; only a small rise and fall of a few feet in water depth. There was a lot of misinformation going on in the harbor. One boat would come on the radio and announce that they just witnessed a 30 foot drop in water while seconds later, a boat no more than 500 yards away would say they just dropped 2 ft.   Meanwhile I’m sitting on one of the moorings closest to shore watching the water rise and fall maybe 1.5 ft, covering and uncovering a tire on the beach a few times. Several boats only a few miles from here did see some crazy tidal shifts and standing waves. A couple of boats dragged across the reefs, while others dropped their entire anchor chain to quickly escape to deeper water.

We managed to escape the bad parts although the epicenter was only 250 miles north of here. As peaceful as it seemed here in the harbor, the chatter on the VHF and SSB kept reminding us how different it was for others out here. Thanks to everyone who checked up on us through email or on facebook.

The past several days have been nothing but work for me. The cockpit lockers are getting a complete makeover and now they’re so organized I’ve convinced myself they need a paintjob. Yesterday, I did a complete engine fluids changeout, changed the belt, reorganized all the wiring, adjusted the transmission, and decided that if I’m painting the lockers, may as well paint in there too.   Today, I took apart the entire top end of the outboard for a thorough cleaning and inspection. The carb needed some work and I replaced the spark plugs, but other than that the engine is in great shape. I can’t explain how nice it is to have the Short Bus back!

Meanwhile, Margie found the benefits of third world dentistry. Two days ago, she tagged along Neiafu’s dentist and spent the afternoon teaching the importance of proper dental care to Tongan children. The next day, she visited that same American trained dentist and had a filling replaced and a complete cleaning for $30US. Now she has a lead on free crownwork from the Mormon dentists down in Nuku’alofa on our way to New Zealand!

Speaking of New Zealand, our second family on Zen left this morning. We sure will miss those guys. They had to leave early since Zen is coming out of the water for a huge refit including a new paintjob. They are moving ashore in Whangarei while the work is completed. Everyone else around here is starting to think about the weather too. As for us, Marge and I begin looking at windows in 10 days! Chances are, we’ll still wait around till the end of the month, but if a really good opportunity pops up, we seriously have to consider taking it.

For all those who have emailed me about the sale of Dosia, I’m working as hard as legally allowed here in Tonga to get the page finished. I decided on pricing and the equipment list is building as I clean and organize the entire boat.   There’s a ton more photos coming in the next few days. I promise to get back to each and every one of you! Thanks for your interest!

October 1, 2009
Our Dinghy Rides the Short Bus

There are certainly worse places in the world to hang out and wait for your dinghy to catch up with you. We’re in the out islands of Vava’u again; currently in anchorage #11, Tapana Island. Until this point in my sailing career I’ve not felt the need to give the dinghy a nickname but after a saga like ours has seen, I’m thinking it deserves one. We’ve seen and heard names like Splashback, Monkey Business, Red Rocket, and Cadillac in recent months. My pick is Short Bus. You figure it out.

The decision has been made to pass on the islands of Fiji this year. We don’t know if and when the dinghy may arrive from Niue (we still may have to go get it ourselves) and we’re quite happy here in Tonga. There’s still two more island groups within Tonga to visit and looking at the chart of Fiji, we’d barely scrape the surface with its 300 islands and strict cruising laws. I don’t really mind. Hopefully they can get a new government settled in and we’ll make it through there on our next cruise before another military coup takes over. And there’s always the possibility of sailing back up there next year so I can market the boat to boat NZ and Australia without paying any sort of import duty. So we’re here in Tonga for another month and we’ll start looking for a weather window to New Zealand. We certainly won’t be alone. Kena, Follow You Follow Me, Karma, Carinthia, and many many others will be right here with us. Our second family on Zen, who is currently anchored about 100 feet away, will be moving on earlier than the rest as they have a huge refit planned for the boat in Whangarei and need to get there early. Luckily they are more accustomed to cold weather being from Rhode Island. We’ll be seeing them again on the big island.

The pilot berth is filled with crap to sell or give away and I offloaded three huge bags of trash off the boat this week. I think the waterline rose an inch. I dunno what I was thinking with some of the crap I brought on this boat. Did I not think they would sell paintbrushes else where in the world? Five foot SS Piano hinges…seriously? How many times have I used this sleeping bag? And when exactly was I planning on creating and using all those CD labels? Umm..never. The important stuff stays; the spare autopilot, the 10 gallons of oil, and the Wicked Weasel catalogue.

As I sit here and type this post, Tom from Zen just came over the net and reported that a boat was lost yesterday on an uncharted reef near Fiji. LaurieKouek, a single hander, who left here a couple of days ago lost his boat but luckily not his life because he happened to be sailing near the family on Bravado who was able to pick him up. It’s a little crazy to think that within a couple hundred miles of us, there is a guy working to salvage what’s left of his life by picking through the wreckage of his boat. I have no house, no car, no furniture, and barely any clothing that’s not on board. If I were to lose Dosia I would lose practically everything I own. It’s kind of a ghostly reminder.

Here’s the cordinates on that reef:

17 23’S 179 08’W near Mago Island

September 16, 2009
Dosia, Bluewater Cruising Sailboat For Sale

I put off writing this blog post for the past several months but alas, it is time. The need to admit the facts not only to the readers and fans but to myself has finally come. At some point next year, we will return to the states for what I like to call “a nice, long while.” In the next couple of weeks, Dosia will enter the international yacht market; for sale to anyone, anywhere. She is my finest work of art; a modest American production boat turned world cruising yacht. November will mark my 7th year of ownership, a fair amount of time to get to know and fall in love with a boat. She’s carried me halfway around the world in safety and comfort and for that, she will always remain a part of me.

My choice to leave the cruising lifestyle is a mixed bag of wants and needs and obligations. I want a family and a career. I need money (for a bigger boat one day). And I feel obligated to my parents and my grandmother, who deserve to see that the time and money spent on my rearing was not wasted, and to Margie, who without hestitation left behind her huge circle of family and friends to join me on this adventure. It is not a sad time at all. I’m 31. I will have spent four years off and on traveling the world. I crossed the Pacific Ocean and saw places and things most people only dream about. I have no doubt I will return to do it again, most likely more than once in the years to come. My hope is that by returning now and starting to build a life at home I can make it back out here sooner, rather than later. And that when I come, I have with me my family, my new big-ass boat with room for visitors, and the same spirit of adventure I live with now.

And there it is. The plan. En famille to the next stage of my life. As for now, we’re still heading to NZ. We have no intention of stopping this adventure early! New Zealand and Australia are both on the list of places to see before we return to the states. If the boat sells before then, as it will be priced to do, we’ll move onto land and continue our travels till it is time to head home.

Got an opinion on this? Please, please, please leave a comment on this post. I’d love to know what others have to say.

September 7, 2009