Is there some sort of unwritten cosmic rule stating that everything has to start going down the tubes in the last week or two before a trip like this? The arrival of Hurricane Irene on the eastern coast over the weekend had us all on edge at home. All over Facebook I found pictures of the road to Cape Hatteras in pieces and news of people cut off from the island, unsure of when they'd be able to get back home. The nerves set in as we all thought about how soon we would be passing through this region on our sailboat. Hurricane season is a definite threat on a trip like this and something we need to pay close attention to.
Add to these concerns feelings of guilt and nervousness over leaving home and family, the rush of winterizing boats, cars and the house over the past week, packing everything we will need for ten months of travel, and the overall nervous anticipation of a looming departure date, and you end up with a pack of seriously stressed people. Yet regardless of all the worry there has been an underlying current of excitement because the trip is finally about to begin!
So with this combo of nerves and exhilaration brewing in my stomach on Wednesday Mom, Dad and I arrived at the boat to bring a final large car load of stuff and to spend the weekend sailing in the islands with Brooke. We loaded canned goods and other food stores, kiteboarding gear, scuba gear, clothes etc. and brought the refurbished spinnaker pole. Unfortunately the spin pole end fitting is not compatible with the mast fitting, so that adds more work for Dad.
Other than some other minor issues we had no problems until just before bed last night when our plans for leaving next Wednesday came to a screaming halt. We read online about the Erie Canal being closed...possibly for the season. Hurricane Irene caused flash flooding and damage in many places along the Erie canal and the Hudson River and it seemed as if every place we read about in the news was somewhere we were planning to be in just a few weeks. After Dad watched a video of a bridge being washed away on the Catskill Creek in New York (the exact place we are planning to have our mast put up after the canals) it became apparent that our trip may not be possible anymore.
As you can probably guess we went through some serious emotional upheaval in just a few short minutes. Would this all be over before it even started? What other options do we have for getting down south? Is the world trying to tell us something by hurling these barriers in our way? Dad quickly looked in to taking the Champlain Canal to the Hudson River. Although it seemed to be a clear path, this plan disappeared into the night with the realization that our keel is slightly too deep for some of the locks.
After some rapid Internet searches and emotionally charged thought about our options we determined three viable choices:
1. Pay to truck the boat down to the New York coast (expensive).
2. Give up and delay the trip for a year (this one sucks to say the least).
3. Sail the St. Lawrence to the east coast and then head south (my favorite option, but the most fraught with complications. i.e. Lack of information, navigation charts, knowledge of the route and timing required).
Today we began to research the third option in hopes that we can pull it off. Dad purchased some charts and cruising guides, has been chatting with people on sailing forums to get info about this route, and remains in close contact with our friends from Raftan about what their plans are. It is looking like it may be possible, although it is a longer route and will take more time. One of the first concerns to arise was whether it is too late in the season to go this way. But it is becoming clear that anyone hoping to get to the Caribbean from our region of the world right now will either be hitting up the Champlain Canal or the St. Lawrence to Nova Scotia route. We even had a fellow sailor on the sailing forum tell us that from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to Bermuda to Tortola in the BVIs is just over 1550 nautical miles...only slightly longer than the Caribbean 1500 route from Norfolk, Virginia. So there is hope yet!
The past few days have been quite the emotional roller coaster, but I am determined to believe that dealing with these issues now will simply make the trip all the more worthwhile in the end. This morning Dad recognized an important possibility...that the world is trying to test us. It may just be asking, "How bad do you want it?" Well for me the answer is...pretty damn bad. Given that nothing good ever seems to come easily in this life, it is likely that this is just one more challenge sent to test our resolve. That being said, safety will always be our biggest concern and factors in to every decision now and in the future.
So despite this pretty major setback we are doing our best to strengthen our resolve, adapt our plans and continue planning a safe trip to the Caribbean. We will keep everyone posted on our plans and decisions over the next week. Wish us luck!
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