FAQs

As we moved through the process of selling nearly everything we owned, buying a boat, moving across the world and starting to refit the boat to get her ready for an ocean crossing we have received many questions from our friends and family. The most common of which is "Are you crazy?" I won't address that one here, but here are some of the other common questions we've received. If you have others, feel free to leave them in the comments and we will either address them individually or if we receive enough we will post a FAQ part II.

Where are you going?

Our initial plans are Cape Town - Namibia - St Helena - Brazil - Caribbean. From there we plan to winter in the Caribbean and spend our summers exploring the East Coast of the U.S. After several seasons will see where the wind takes us. David is not so secretly hoping that it blows us to the Mediterranean.

When are you leaving?

We estimate that it will take us 6-9 months to refit the boat in preparation for an ocean crossing. Nine months will put us in spring here in the southern hemisphere, which will be a good time for an ocean crossing from a weather perspective.

How many people are you taking with you?

For our trip from South Africa to the Caribbean we are planning on a crew of 4-6. That's enough to get 6-8 hours sleep every night but not so many that it feels crowded on board. Since people have time constraints and schedules to keep we will likely be changing out crew throughout the journey. Any volunteers?

How long are you going to live on a boat?

We both agree: until it isn't fun anymore. 

How long will be your longest sail?

Most likely 10-12 days, depending on the weather. Our longest sail will be from St Helena to Fernando de Noronha island off the coast of Brazil followed by Fortaleza, Brazil to Tobago.

When you are sailing, what do you do at night?

Eat, Sleep, Stand Watch. Passage making is 99% boredom punctuated by bursts of excitement as weather fronts blow through. At night, 1 to 2 people are always awake watching for other boats and making sure the sails are set correctly. Everyone else usually sleeps. We also have a huge movie and music library for the insomniacs.

What will you eat?

Food! We get this question a lot. While on passage there's no grocery store nearby so it can get tricky stocking enough variety that we don't get bored but otherwise it's very much like shopping at home. Fresh foods only lasts 5 or 6 days so we buy cans of vegetables for the 2nd half of the trip. And, with 6 people to feed, we buy more than we would for just the two of us.  

What will you drink?

We have a watermaker that desalinates sea water so we'll have an unlimited supply of drinking water. We'll also stock up on beer, wine, juice, and UHT milk before we leave.

What kind of communications will you have on board?

A Garmin InReach satellite messenger for sending position updates, receiving text messages, and emergencies. An Icom 802 SSB for weather and voice communications. And an EPIRB emergency beacon if things go really south. Every boat also has a VHF for local boat to boat communications and we'll have an AIS transponder to let ships in the area know we're there too.

Do you get seasick?

People are always surprised when we answer this with a resounding "yes". Angela is much more susceptible to mal de mar than David. We use scopolamine patches and usually have our sea legs within the first three days of a journey.

Can the two of you really sail that boat?

Of course we can. The harder question is for how long. Fatigue is the biggest problem when sailing short handed.  One person needs to stay awake at all times and both need to be awake for the harder jobs like changing sails. After a couple of days we'd be exhausted so we'll bring others to help for sails longer than a day or two.

Are you concerned about your safety in South Africa?

We were...at least until we got here. South Africa is an amazing country. While there is crime in certain areas, just like anywhere else, most of the country is safe. The town where we're currently staying is as beautiful and safe as any resort town in the U.S.  And South Africans are extremely warm and gracious people. Everyone we've met has been polite and eager to help. 

Are you afraid of pirates?

Yes! Aren't you? Luckily, there aren't many pirates where we'll be sailing. We're much more likely to encounter petty thieves than pirates which is why we always need to remember to lock our boat and dinghy at night...just like you lock your front door and car at home. If you're interested in pirates, here's a live map of reported sightings.


And since all of you are asking questions, we would like to ask a question of you...when are you coming to visit?