HOW DOES ONE GET OVER A DISASTER?

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CANE GARDEN BAY, TORTOLA

“Be strong!”  “You will recover!” All words that are spoken with the best intentions from your family and friends. But the reality is that loosing everything, loosing your possessions even though they are material items, loosing your home – it is difficult. With all of the horrendous disasters that have occurred this past year, from hurricanes to fires to earthquakes, I could not help but reflect on how we felt after our personal disaster.  When we hit a container at sea and our boat sunk.  When we  lost our home, our livelihood and our lifestyle.  

I remember the day after we landed in Tortola, BVI after our ship wreck.  We went to Mass at the local Catholic Church.  It was not typical for us to attend mass, nor for the 3 crew members with us (one of them is Jewish).  But we all felt the draw to go some place and give thanks that we had survived.  We went there in what clothes we had been given from the Phillipino crew members of the freighter that saved us.  Clothes that didn’t match, clothes that didn’t really fit, miss matched flip flops and two of us, Whitey and Andrew, were in bare feet. 

We finished the service with tears in our eyes.  As people left the church they stopped at our row to give us condolences, blessings and ‘thanks be to God’ that you survived and are still here with us.  Most of these people we did not know, or had only met briefly.  Then a lady named Mary walked by.  Mary was a friend of our friend Sandra.  She looked at Whitey and Andrew’s feet an exclaimed ‘you have no shoes!’.  She was appalled.  Within minutes, Mary had called the owner of People’s Shoe Store to open up so we could go get some shoes.  They opened their doors on a Sunday and Mary, or someone, paid for 5 pairs of shoes.  I tried to decline anything for me but they insisted.  Their kindness was overwhelming but I remember the simple act of choosing a pair of shoes was overwhelming.  Ask yourself, when you have NO SHOES! what would be your first choice?  Do I get some flip flops?  Or do I get sneakers? Or do I get top siders for a boat when I don’t know when I will be on a boat next?  And I knew in a month or so we would be heading for a North American winter.  In the end I got a pair of top siders (boat shoes) that cost at least $90US. Everyone was thrilled to be helping the refugees on Tortola. 18964277_s

But the reality is it is difficult. And it will be difficult.  But with time, the memories you had – of your home, your boat, your life – with those things that you lost, will over ride the sadness that  you have lost something.  You will begin to remember some kindness and compassion someone showed you after the storm, as I do with Mary and the owner of People’s Shoe Store. You should accept that kindness.  Let people choose for you, when it is so difficult for you to choose.  Let people do things for you. This kindness will carry you until you are at a point of making decisions and doing things for yourself.  And remembering the good times and rebuilding for future good times.

Eclipse it! (San Blas Islands, Panama)

Nalulaga Island.jpegExperiencing an eclipse is just that – an experience.  Whether it is total or partial – or whether it is solar or moon. It is an interesting moment to experience on this Earth we live.  Today, Monday, August 21, we will have a total eclipse to be viewed across most of North America.  It has been anticipated, talked about and the crowds are lining up in different parts. Whitey and I have had a few viewings of eclipses in the past.

A more memorable solar view was when we were in the San Blas Islands (Kuna Yala), located on the Caribbean side of Panama.  Years later we would spend more time there but this was our first visit to this beautiful archipelago with its indigenous indians.  It was mid-July, 1991 and we had been there for about 2 months.  This was way before internet and we did not have any access to any media or news.  (Which is a good thing, most of the time.)  We had plans to move our boat from the islands back to Portobello on the main land.  Whitey went ashore the afternoon before to check out with the Port Captain which was necessary when departing the Kuna Yala.   He said ‘But tomorrow is not a good day to go.  An eclipse will be happening’.  This conversation was in Spanish and took Whitey a minute to understand what he was saying.  First thought through our heads is ‘How do they know (it will be an eclipse)?’  Second thought was ‘Why (can’t we leave tomorrow)?’ 

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DAY ONE – SAILING AGAIN! (BELIZE)

Our first day getting away from work and the marina provided everything you would expect. The last few weeks of getting the boat ready for departure at the same time we were finishing work as the Operation Managers of Ranguana Caye had left us exhausted both physically and mentally. So our plans to leave one day, got put off to the next. And then to the next. Finally, we were ready to leave the marina but weather reports had high winds for offshore so we would not be going all the way to Lighthouse Atoll until those died down. We decided a sail to South Water Caye was just what we needed. Get away from the marina and drop the anchor for a few days in a nice anchorage just inside the Barrier Reef.  We could have a rest while we waited for the weather to calm down.

SAILING TO SOUTHWATER CAYE

SAILING UP THE CHANNEL ON STARBOARD TACK

We departed Thunderbird Marina at 6:10 a.m.  We were still inside the lagoon in protected waters when we raised the mainsail. As expected, after being stowed for 4 months, it got stuck a few times. We motored out of the lagoon, past the end of Placencia Peninsula and Placencia Caye before pulling out the head sail.   The wind was from the direction of East to South East. As we headed north, we had expected to have to tack around Sittee Point but with these winds we were able to point East of North. Straight up the channel with no tacking – it was beautiful. The winds were strong but with the protection of the cayes the seas were flat. Whitey and I fell in love with our boat, Gypsy Blue, again as she sailed along at 6.5 to 7 knots all of the way up the channel. Feeling the wind and sun and a slight heal to the boat.  We couldn’t have asked for a better day. We had planned for a 6-hour sail but it looked like we would arrive at South Water Caye within 4 hours.

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WATER SPOUT PIZZA (OFF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN COAST)

With full fuel tanks and jerry jugs, we departed Mexico from the southern port of Zihuateneo. Those first few days heading south to Costa Rica and Panama were uneventful with not much wind or excitement. Even the dreaded Bay of Tihuanapec in Southern Mexico, which can have gales of 80 knot winds come up with no warning, was tame. The seas were flat and there was very little wind as we moved down the Central American coast. We had both sails up but at times, we were moving at only 2-3 knots. We would start the engine to charge the batteries but needed to conserve fuel as much as possible. It had been a slow boat to China, or Panama to be precise. Whenever conditions are so calm, it is a perfect time to cook up a meal that you wouldn’t normally attempt while under way. A pizza sounded just perfect to us. (more…)

KUNA POLITICS (SAN BLAS ISLANDS, PANAMA)

We had heard so much about the San Blas Islands of Panama that we were naturally excited to be arriving there for the first time. This archipelago of over 365 islands and cayes are part of the Comarca de Kuna Yala and located to the east of the Panama Canal. It sounded like such a perfect cruising ground. Unfortunately, our first days there comprised of a depressing loss and search of our inflatable tender.   The reason it was lost wasn’t theft, it was just simple human error. But, as always with boating, lessons are learned and eyes are opened as we visit new countries. (more…)