Sailing in Sausalito

 3/10/12
Today was a great day sailing!
Winds were moderate, mostly 15-20 knots, enough to reef the mainsail. I was at the helm all day, while John trimmed the sails. This was our first time sailing the boat by ourselves. Usually, owe invite a friend or two to help with boat handling, but today it was just us. I'm glad, because I learned a lot. I learned NOT to sail by the instruments, but to feel the wind as it fills the sails and powers the boat. We are both learning about the Wizard and her motion under sail. We are pleased with her speed and how she glides through the water and is very responsive.

The weather was partly cloudy at the first and winds increased with looming weather. I got cold and realized that weather changes quickly in the bay, so always being prepared, I donned my beautiful red foul-weather jacket, to cut the chill, but too late...even though it was sunny, I shivered most of the day. I look forward to warmer sailing waters!

The Wizard

Our boat is named Wizard. She came to us with that name and it seemed kinda fun, so we kept it. Anyway, we heard it's bad luck to change a boat's name! (Since, we're new boat owners, we didn't want to upset the"boat gods".) We heard the name comes from a 70's comic character, the 'Wizard of I'd, who spoofed on human nature..but, I like the magical, whimsical Wizard name...and so, the name of our blog, Off to Sea, the Wizard...

Wizard is a 40 ft  Dennis Choate designed IOR 2 ton racer modified to be a cruiser by the previous owner who sailed her down the coast from Portland Oregon. By cruiser I mean, she's equipped with a water maker, two solar panels, a wind generator, auto pilot and furling jib and other added systems not common on a racing boat  including a fully canvassed hard top dodger. We can't wait to test all this equipment on our cruise "down the yellow brick road" and beyond to the South Pacific next year!

Day on the boat...

12/15/11

Day on the boat…cold, wet winter day doing  nothin’ really.. .just puttin’ around trying to finish some of the projects on our “list”. John’s concern is connecting the wind generator.  My project is  less essential, yet just as important… how to make the inside of the boat more “cozy”.

I’m deciding where a privacy curtain will be in the aft double berth. Not that there is ANY real privacy on a boat, but just having a curtain to close off the sleeping area to designate a private space is needed. So, I’m using a lightweight fabric attached with Velcro webbing to the boat hull to create a curtained bedroom. This is a temporary solution to see if I like the curtain idea.

Wish I had a stateroom.... I’ve envied over the interiors of other larger boats that have a separate cabin, private with lots of storage and a door that closes but, I’ll have to "make do" with what I have….Something I know how to do, as I’ve learned to make do with my of husband of 35 years! Ha-Ha.

On that subect, there will be a whole lot of COMPROMISING living on a sailboat! The space alone, or rather lack of space, requires deep thinking on what is really necessary to have aboard. Obviously, 6 pairs of jeans and 10 pairs of shoes are NOT necessary on a South Pacific cruise. In fact, most of the timthe loathing will be optional! The personal articles needed on a boat are few, making way for the more important items; spare engine parts, extra pumps, head gaskets and two "what-ya-ma-call-it's".

Shelving, storage bins and hammocks are neatly arranged to hold the gear and personal items planning for easy access. The galley (kitchen) area also needs efficient, easy storage for spices, cooking utensils and food.

I won’t truly know where to put all these things until I actually live aboard.  The natural flow of life’s essentials will dictate what I need on board and where to store everything!

The beginning....

9/3/11
It's official! We did it! The kids are gone, the cars are paid off and the husband is retired! I guess it’s time to start planning the retirement years…..
Or not…
…so, we bought a sailboat.
“What?”  they say…”you’re kidding!”
“No, we’re not kidding…we REALLY did buy a  sailboat.”
“Why?” they say.
 “For the adventure!” we say.
This is the beginning of a new adventure for us.  The transition time, the “golden years”, the time when you decide do something different; when all the commitments and responsibilities of raising kids, paying bills are done( well, that never goes away)… when you move from one world into another.  Yes, we’re a little nervous about  the change in the "status quo" and wonder what will happen when we leave our comfort zone to let “whatever comes” be the norm, but we are ready and willing…
We always wanted to “sail away into the sunset”… sounds exotic, doesn’t it? A tropical paradise image pops into mind with warm waters and no worries…. but, we never thought it possible and didn’t have the courage or the  means and thought if anytime,  it would be later in life. So, we forgot about that dream for a while, stopped to raise a family and make a home of 25 years. 
Now, that that’s done,  we feel it's time for a new adventure! The “wonder-lust” is tugging at our sleeves. It’s time to go before we settle back down on the couch and watch the world go by.
 We do have some sailing experience.  Years ago, in the pre-children life, we sailed with friends to Hawaii following the trade winds up to Alaska. Another trip we sailed down the coast to Baja, stopped in Mexico for a few months then and back up to San Diego.  We were seasoned sailors then... but , now a little rusty. We know the basics of wind and sail. We hope it will be like riding a bicycle…some things never change, other things will be a learning experience this time around. Our bodies are older, wiser, slower and heavier and balder ..and “ I can’t see without my glasses!”
(oh, boy…really)
The first step is the decision, the next step is the actual going….can we really pull away from the dock of land bound life and cruise on a RV on the water?
To steal a line from another cruising blog: "You won't know, if you don't go!"

                                                                  

                                     So....here goes to the next adventure of our lives!