I like my job very much but a trip like this changes the way you look at things. The different lifestyle and attitude towards life in general, especially in the Caribbean in a way opened my eyes.
Over there, people live with what they have and what life brings them and they make the most out of it, which sometimes isn't very much. Over here we're more focused on what we don't have and want to achieve, missing a lot of what we actually do have, which for most people is a lot [more].
On a trip like this you are where you want to be. If you don't like it, you move on. There's no real plan, you just go with the wind. Even with only the wind as variable it's not easy to really plan ahead where you'll be in a few days. At work you're supposed to plan ahead for sometimes up to a year while there are at least 15 variables you can't really influence, let alone control...
Anyway, in just less then a month I have to fly back to St. Maarten to pick up my boat again. It's hard, but bearable :-) Actually, although it'll be quite a different trip, it's really exciting to get in the planning mode again.
The crew for the sail back was one of the very first things set last year. However …. Andy and his family is moving to Thailand, both Marc and Clare switched jobs and can't take the time off.... so, I was back to square one...
Not for long though :-) when you put out the word, you soon get a lot of responds :-)
There are two different kinds of people that respond. Those who would like to join but have to think about it. Most of the time you don't here anything. The others are those who say: hmm, okay,... let me check some things and get back to you. They usually do so the next day and they're in or out.
So when I got in touch with Frits, Dick and Arie, they all called or mailed me back the next day to tell me the very much wanted to join me :-) We met, talked things over and the click was there. Unfortunately for good reasons Dick later had to decide he couldn't go after all. However, by that time I had met Eline. She also had to check some things and the day after .. she was on too :-)
So the four of us will fly out to St. Maarten by the end of May, planning to leave there the 28th .
In the mean time I also had some of the instruments repaired, got a replacement for the broken AIS, got the nautical almanac 2012 and other stuff like a knotmaster log. I guess we'll have to share the whole load or have to check in extra luggage :-o
Also based on a number of sights we took during the crossing to the Caribbean. Marc and I did our exam and upgraded our RYA qualification to Ocean Yachtmaster. It was a joy doing the exam and go over the whole trip again. That really triggered the planing mode again for me :-)
Anyway, this and not next [as I learned from Clare :-)] Saturday we'll have an all crew meeting and talk about the preparations, route planning, watch system and stuff. So from next week on, I guess I'll have to work real hard to stay focused :-)
