The adventure is over...Back to reality

Dana gives Eventyr a well-deserved final hug

It's been quite a ride for Dana and me since we left our slip at the Philadelphia Marine Center in mid October 2013. Our grand plan of sailing back into our marina after circumnavigating the entire Caribbean within a year was not to be. However, we made it to within a few miles of South America, which I think is pretty good. We accomplished more than many people thought was possible. We even doubted ourselves at times. But here we sit, at Dana's father's villa in Costa Rica mere days before flying back to Philadelphia.

Our last week in Grenada was bittersweet. We did as many Caribbean Island specific activities as we could manage and said goodbye to all our cruiser friends. We spent our final night at the Tiki Bar in Prickly Bay toasting with Coral of Cowes' Richard and Katie. We promised we'd be back to the Caribbean at some point, though probably not anytime soon.

Yet another beach bar…sigh

Hog Island anchorage in Grenada

Our final day on Eventyr, we took all our possessions from our home and did our last sail a couple bays across Grenada's south coast to St. David's Bay. We took our time to savor every moment during that final time on the water. We even tried to enjoy the rough sea state and occasional salt water spray splashing in our faces. We picked up a mooring once in the bay and had one last dive and swim off the boat. Eventyr was then hauled out of the water, her bottom scrubbed, and placed in a back corner of a dirt lot amongst countless other boats. There she'll sit until someone buys her or the hurricane season ends and we have her moved to another location to sell. Either way, we'll likely never see her again.

Trying to enjoy our final sail

One final dive 

One final float

Out of the water for the first time in over a year

Little Eventyr hidden away in the back

What exactly did we accomplish on Eventyr during our adventure? Here's a run down by the numbers:

Total nautical miles travelled under Eventyr's keel since Philadelphia:                                        
     3,724
Total number of islands visited:                                                                                                    
     42
Total number of Countries visited (excluding Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands):                    
     17
Total number of currencies used aside from the US Dollar:                                                        
     5
Total number of languages spoken aside from English (and local creole dialects):                      
     3

Our route

My passport

The adventure was far more than a checklist of accomplishments. We realize how privileged we are to have such an experience, especially at our relatively young age. We tried our best not to take any of it fore granted. We were mindful to savor and be fully present to the best of our abilities. We were open to new experiences everywhere we went. We met wonderful people, both locals and other cruisers/travelers. We ate unfamiliar and delicious foods and drinks. We learned new games and practiced speaking other languages. We had close encounters with numerous aquatic and terrestrial animals. We became accustomed to living with less and treasuring the few things we had. We became more resourceful, fixing problems as they arose. We became better sailors. We learned to value and trust each other and our relationship in a way we never had before.

We learned a few surprising things about ourselves as well. We realized that living on a beautiful, secluded island is not for us. We need social interaction. Within one day of being away from other people, we were excited to be back at a beach bar or visiting with another cruiser in his or her cockpit. We especially missed our friends and family from home. It was a real treat having Hanna and Chris, Shanley and Patrick, Jon, Otis, and Beth, the whole Old City Philadelphia crew, Rebecca and Jarred, and my mom aboard Eventyr. We also realized that we value our careers. We felt somewhat adrift, at times, without the meaning and purpose provided by our jobs. I guess we didn't spend years in school studying psychology just to retire at the drop of a hat. We also realized how lucky we are to have employers who allowed us to take this time to pursue our dreams and come back to the positions we love.

Last week, we mailed five boxes of our belongings back to Philadelphia. We loaded the remainder of our things into checked luggage. I readied my surfboard bag with Dad's board for travel. We boarded a plane and flew to Costa Rica, where we originally hoped to sail. We're at a reunion, of sorts. Dana's brother, Jason, and two cousins, Kelsey and April are all here with us visiting Dana's dad Brent, his wife Victoria, and son Carlos. This vacation has been the perfect transition from boat life back to real life. We've sat by Brent's pool, relaxing. We visited the rainforest, where we hiked to waterfalls, held toucans, snakes, and butterflies, hand-fed hummingbirds, fished for rainbow trout in a stocked pond, and watched monkeys and jaguars in their enclosures. We went to Guiones beach on the Pacific Ocean, where we surfed and chilled on the beach. It's been so much fun, giving Dana and I a chance to put everything in perspective.

Kelsey, Carlos, Jason, April, me, Dana, Victoria, and Brent at La Paz waterfalls

Jason, Kelsey, April and me heading out

Me on an epic Costa Rican wave!

This is my final post for now. Many people recently asked us questions like, "what was your favorite island?" or "what's your greatest memory from the adventure?" We've had a hard time answering them. I think only time will tell. It's not until you've really had some distance from an experience that you truly grasp its significance. I think I have to wait a few months or so before I write again about what the adventure meant to us. Besides, we have a ton of amazing pictures I didn't have space to post already. Until then, I'd like to encourage everyone to pursue whatever big hairy audacious goal they have in life. Although adventures don't always turn out as expected, they will inevitably change you.

One week left of the adventure

Sunset over Prickly Bay, Grenada

Dana and I are in the final stages preparing ourselves, and Eventyr, for the end of our sailing adventure together. We’re anchored in Prickly Bay, Grenada, where we’ve been since our arrival from Trinidad almost two weeks ago. Tomorrow, we raise the anchor and motor a couple bays over to Le Phare Bleu Marina, where we’ve stayed before. After a couple days of cleaning, packing, and engine work, we’ll motor a couple more bays over to Grenada Marine, where Eventyr will be hauled out of the water and placed on jack stands for hurricane season. She’s for sale, so when we leave her next Wednesday, it will probably be our final goodbye.

In my last blog, I mentioned that we were about to sail from Trinidad to Grenada, and the weather didn’t look great, but was only worsening in the days to come. We had to leave. Well, as is the case with adventures, we got more than we bargained for. It was as if Mother Nature was giving us a clear message that we’re done with this sailing trip. After rounding the coast of Trinidad, with Venezuela looming to the west, we unfurled our jib, killed the engine and commenced sailing. Although the seas were quite choppy and we were heeled far over, we felt alright and settled in for our 82-mile, overnight trip. We even had a current in our favor and were cruising along at over 7 knots.

Leaving Chaguaramas, Trinidad under cloudy skies

Our fair sailing was not to last. After about 3 hours and 16 miles off the coast of Trinidad, our jib started flapping wildly. Upon examination, we realized that the metal ring at the clew of the sail, which holds the line (jib sheet), had ripped clean off the sail. The treads had worn over time and sun exposure, and finally gave up the ghost. There was no fix we could do underway. After a brief conference, we decided to turn on the engine, roll up the jib and motor sail the remaining 65 miles with just our mainsail. Motor sailing was what we’re used to, anyway, since we’ve had to motor sail all our previous long, overnight trips. We had plenty of diesel and the engine had been running well, so we weren’t concerned. I was able to get the jib mostly rolled in and secured, but a couple wraps were too high for me to reach and destined to flap the entire rest of the sail. Oh well, I knew I could secure it once we got to a calm anchorage in Grenada.

Losing the jib was bad enough, but about an hour later, our autopilot malfunctioned and we could not get it working again. The autopilot steers for us and keeps us on course, so the person on watch just has to make occasional checks. Without an autopilot, we had to hand steer the entire night, vigilantly watching the compass and chartplotter to stay on course. It was getting dark and we were in for 15 more hours of this.

And then came the squalls. About every half hour during the pitch-black night, the rain would start and the shrieking winds would follow. The seas grew in size and we felt like we were in a washing machine. Neither of us went down below, except for quick trips for the rest of the trip. When not at the helm, we tried our best to rest in the pitching and rolling cockpit, covering ourselves in a soaking wet beach towel in a vain attempt to stay warm. The rester was also at the ready to loosen the mainsail every time the wind really kicked up and heeled us over.

For the first time during the entire adventure, I felt scared. Not terrified, but generally unsettled. If the engine were to fail while 40 miles out to sea with only a mainsail, in pitch black rough seas, we would be in real trouble. Lucky for us, the engine motored strongly along the rest of the trip, and as dawn broke and I could see the ocean around us, I felt much better.  By that point, our speed had slowed to less than 4 knots and the final leg of the trip felt like forever. We couldn’t see sweet Grenada until we were within 6 or 7 miles of her shores due to haze. What a welcome sight! Upon anchoring at 9:30 am we fell asleep and slept until dark.

Securing the jib once in the calm of Prickly Bay

But don’t get me wrong. The sail from Trinidad to Grenada was not all bad. At points during the night when the rains had temporarily passed, while lying on the cockpit bench staring upward around the bimini, the stars were amazing. I could see the southern cross, the big dipper, and the swirl of galaxies. I also saw the little phosphorescent creatures in our wake one last time. When the sun rose, I caught glimpses of the familiar sight of flying fish shooting out of the water. Unfortunately, it was too rough for them and every flight smacked them directly in the face of a steep wave after only a couple feet. I’ll miss these experiences.

We had another positive experience during the passage. We crossed paths with one other sailboat during the 19-hour sail. It was before dark soon after we lost our jib but before we lost our autopilot. The crazy captain was flying full sails (not reefed at all), and the boat looked fast. After breaking out the binoculars, we gleaned that it was Jaguar. That’s the boat on which Hanna crewed at the Bequia Regatta when their rudder fell off back in April. We radioed, and captain Peter was happy to talk to us. He inquired about our flapping jib and we assured him we were ok. They were coming from Grenada, where their rudder was replaced and were nearing the end of the crossing. We were just getting started and in for quite a night.

Back in Grenada, things have been great. Being on Eventyr at a calm anchorage, you almost forget about those grueling crossings. Between boat chores, we’ve been engaging in as many activities as we can. We watched world cup with other cruisers from all over the world.  We went to cooking classes, learning to make local dishes. We spent a day at the beautiful Grand Anse beach. We went to a fourth of July beach party, attended by more Europeans than Americans. We did a hash in the jungle. We attended a concert on a barge in the middle of a bay where dinghies rafted up to listen to the music. It’s been a blast.

Beach day at Grand Anse Beach

Fourth of July Party with more Europeans than Americans

Dinghy Concert

Dana passing out beers to the rafted-up dinghies

And even more importantly, we ran into friends, both old and new. We met Will, Cheryl, and Bentley (their Jack Russell Terrier) on Varua in Turks and Caicos in January, and we later crossed paths with them in the Bahamas. Will sold us our outboard after we lost our first to the ocean. He was a real lifesaver. Varua is currently on a mooring ball just a few hundred yards from us, having arrived in Grenada several days before us. We’ve gotten to spend a lot of time together over the past week. Cheryl had to fly back to the states for a while, but Will and Bentley have been keeping Dana and I company.

Bentley on Eventyr

In a much more unlikely meeting, we ran into a sailing friend from 11 years ago. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Dana, our friend Chris, and I chartered a boat in the Mediterranean called Emily Morgan in 2003. The boat was since sold, and we coincidentally saw Emily Morgan up in St. Martin several months ago. Well, the other day at yoga, Dana was shocked to see the Emily Morgan’s former captain, Richard behind her doing downward dog. Richard was the greatest charter captain ever, and we had such a wonderful time with him back then. He had even joked that he could take Dana and I out into international waters and marry us, under maritime law. We had only been dating a few months at that point and didn’t take him up on the offer. We attempted to book the Emily Morgan for our Honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands back in 2008, but Richard was in England with the boat at that time.

Richard, Sam (first mate), me, and Chris in Balearic Islands of Spain, 2003

Richard is now chartering the 112-year-old, 80-foot, wooden schooner Coral of Cowes. You can even charter it yourself if you want! After catching up, he invited us for afternoon tea. With a good friend of his (and former cook on Emily Morgan) who lives in Grenada, a cool newlywed couple from England on their honeymoon, and one of his crew Katie, we sat down for a lovely time with fine china, cucumber sandwiches, cakes, and of course, rum. It was great spending time with Richard again, and we sincerely hope our paths cross again.

Tea time on Coral of Cowes

Coral of Cowes in Prickly Bay

Richard and Dana 

Richard bought our folding bikes!

Tonight, we're invited for dinner and sundowner drinks on a neighbor’s sailboat, and tomorrow we’re off to the marina. After leaving Grenada, we’ll spend ten days in Costa Rica with Dana’s dad to ease our transition back to the real world. Our apartment in Old City is lined up and Dana’s already been busy ordering furniture and scheduling internet instillation. In no time, we’ll be back to our former selves, although I think some aspects of our selves will have changed forever after this adventure.

Goodbye to Trinidad and a brief visit to the States

Dana lounging by the pool at Crews Inn Marina in Trinidad

Our time in Trinidad is coming to a close. Tomorrow, Dana and I throw off our dock lines from Crews Inn Marina and sail the 80 miles north overnight to Grenada. This will be our last major sail of the adventure. The weather looks iffy for this crossing, but it's only predicted to deteriorate after tomorrow, so it's now or never. We're probably in for one last bit of drama before this chapter of our lives comes to a close, but what else would we expect?

Trinidad has been wonderful, thanks in no small part to our amazing hosts Jordan, Alicia, Alex, and Austin. They invited Dana and I along to hashes, ultimate frisbee, world cup viewings, beach outings and numerous limes. They even joined us in Eventyr's cockpit for cocktails one evening. We met them at a crossroads in their lives. Jordan took a new job at an international school in Anguilla after teaching in Trinidad the past four years and will be leaving shortly. Alicia will join him as soon as she's done with her residency. Alex and Austin are also leaving, moving back to Toronto. Last night Dana and I got to bid Jordan farewell along with the scores of friends he made here in Trinidad. I think we'll all miss this lovely island.

Playing ultimate in Port of Spain, Trinidad with Jordan and Alicia

Jordan's going away lime

Trinidad was not the only place Dana and I have been hanging out during the past week. Over the weekend, we flew to San Francisco for my cousin Derek's wedding. It was our first visit back to the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) since sailing away from Fort Lauderdale back in December. My brother Erik and Mom were also in San Francisco for the event. Although it was weird to be away from Eventyr and the adventure, it was nice to see family, sleep in a king size bed and experience some cooler temperatures.

My cousin Derek and his wife Meagan are cut from the same cloth as Dana and me. They live on their boat Miller Time 2 at a marina in Marin County. Derek's dad, my uncle John, has his sailboat Prima Donna in the same marina as Derek and Meagan. Derek grew up sailing and crewed with my Dad on my his tiny sailboat, Ladre during one of his attempts to sail from Connecticut to Bermuda. Uncle John also sailed Ladre, helping deliver her from Philly to New York a few years ago. Derek and Meagan's wedding reception was fittingly at the San Francisco Yacht Club and the attire was nautical. The Meyers really know how to party and we all had way too much fun. For their honeymoon, Derek and Meagan are chartering a sailboat to spend ten days in the British Virgin Islands. That's the same honeymoon Dana and I had, only we didn't know how to sail back then, and had a hire a captain. Derek and Meagan don't need any such assistance when it comes to sailing.

Derek, Meagan, and I at the San Francisco Yacht Club

Happy couple knows how to party!

Derek and Meagan on their boat Miller Time 2

Dana and Uncle John on his sailboat Prima Donna

In addition to partying with the Meyers, Dana, Mom, Erik, and I got to do some hiking in the beautiful countryside nearby. We marveled at Giant Sequoia and Redwoods while hiking though the shady and cool forests. It was quite a change from hiking through the hot, sweaty jungles in Trinidad just a few days earlier. We also got to meet up with my childhood friend Dan, who now lives in San Francisco with his wife Brooke, and their baby Mona. It was great to see them enjoying their life on the West Coast. Dana and I only spent four days in San Francisco but felt like we got to see and do so much!

I think I found our next apartment

Erik the tree hugger

Descending into Muir Woods. Seems like it could be a scene from Jurassic Park

Enjoying the amazing scenery post hike on Panoramic Highway

So, tomorrow we set sail for Grenada, our final island before returning to the real world. We spent most of the month of May in Grenada and it will be nice return to familiar places and faces. The end of the adventure seems very real. We scheduled Eventyr to be hauled out of the water on July 13 for storage and we fly away from her July 17. We get to spend some time with Dana's Dad in Costa Rica before returning to Philly, but we may never see Eventyr again. She is officially for sale and hopefully someone will love her as much as we have over the past year since she came into our lives. Our final couple weeks will be full of activities getting ready to move back home and put our home for the last eight months in proper order to sell. Maybe we'll fit in some fun as well :-)

For sale

Trinidad, furthest south island of the adventure

Biking though the Bamboo Cathedral in Chaguaramas, Trinidad

Here we sit in Chaguaramas, Trinidad at 10 degrees north latitude. We're only 15 miles from the Venezuela, South American border, and not too far from the equator. This is as far south as Eventyr will sail under our watch.

Since my last post and the departure of our New Haven friends, Dana and I went through a short depression before pulling ourselves together and shaking the "missing friends" blues. We ended up staying in Tobago another nine days after their departure. Soon after Otis, Jon, and Beth left, we met the neighbors anchored next to us, Karsten and Julia. They arrived on their steel hull sailboat from Germany via Turkey, Cape Verde, and Brazil. Their route was far different than ours, involving completely unique experiences (e.g. crossing the Atlantic Ocean). We're similar age, which is rare among cruisers, and spent much of the week hanging out. We watched world cup together, went to the Sunday School party, shared dinghy rides, went out for dinners, and had each other over for cocktails on our respective boats. It was a blast and we were sad to say goodbye when we up-anchored and sailed to Trinidad. Hopefully we can keep in touch.

Toasting with Karsten and Julia

Aside from hanging out with Karsten and Julia, Dana and I accomplished a lot in our last days on Tobago. Aside from boring tasks such as laundry, filling water, diesel and gas, and scrubbing the algae off Eventyr's waterline, we made some time for fun. One day, we rented a car and hiked to a waterfall we had all to ourselves. Another day, we paid for a touristy glass bottom boat ride involving a good deal of rum. We also took a ride over to Mount Irvine Bay to say goodbye to our friend Eamon. All in all, it was a great time in Tobago.

Twin Rivers Waterfall, Tobago

Glass bottom boat picking us up right off Eventyr

Limin' in the Nylon Pool

Seemed advisable after a couple rum drinks

Our 61-mile, 12 hour sail to Trinidad on Dana's birthday was relatively uneventful. We sailed with the wind, waves and current, so finally had a more comfortable ride. We were able to sail the entire way, saving diesel. Some large dolphins swam with us for a bit, which really made the time fly. And, within 15 miles of our destination, I caught a decent sized Mahi Mahi, which was a lot of fun (aside from cleaning up the mess later). Once we picked up a mooring in Chaguaramas, I grilled Dana her birthday Mahi and we listened to a CD of soca hits Karsten and Julia gave her as a present. It was a great day.

Dolphins off the port bow with Trinidad in the background 

Dana's birthday Mahi

We were excited to arrive in Trinidad because back in Bequia during the Easter Regatta, we met several folks who live here. They crewed with Hanna on Jaguar and were a ton of fun. Immediately upon arriving in Chaguaramas and contacting Jordan, he invited us to a pool party the next day and to stay in the comfort of his home that night. Dana and I were not ones to argue, as a non-rocking, swelteringly hot bed has been hard to come by the past 6 months.

Jordan and Austin, who crewed on Jaguar, teach at international schools here in Trinidad, and Alicia, Jordan's girlfriend, is in her residency for dentistry. Alex, Austin's wife who also crewed on Jaguar, works as a management consultant. Dana and I met the group in Bequia and they were all at the pool party along with other friends they know through hashing and ultimate frisbee. It was a super fun group and soon the party devolved into people taking turns diving into the pool catching frisbees.

Jordan showing off for the ladies

Alex laying out

Something I've been excited about since before I left on this trip was being in a foreign country during World Cup. Americans have little interest in soccer, but elsewhere in the world, people go crazy for football. Trinidad is no exception. After running in a hash through the streets of Trinidad last night with Jordan and Alicia, we retired to a bar to watch the USA, Ghana match. It was fantastic to see our boys win and to watch the reaction of all the other bar patrons. I can't wait for the next game!

Getting ready for the Trinidad Hash House Harriers run with Jordan and Alicia 

And we're off! 

USA! USA!

On Thursday, Dana and I travel to San Francisco for my cousin Derek's wedding before heading back to Trinidad. This will be our first time back in the states since the beginning of December, so I imagine it's going to be a bit weird. We can't wait, however, because we'll get to see many family members during the trip. After returning to Trinidad, we'll wait for settled weather and sail the 80 miles back up to Grenada, which will be our last stop on the adventure. T minus one month until we fly away from Eventyr forever.