When Sue first suggested to Curtis
that he needed a diversion to take his mind off work, she was
thinking he might choose something independent and local, such as
hiking, photography, volunteering, or a home improvement project.
When Curtis set his sights on bluewater cruising instead, Sue's first
thought was, “Maybe this is just a phase.” But the books,
magazines, and websites kept accumulating. Curtis quietly put the
ones he particularly liked on Sue's bedside table, and she read them
too, which is how her thinking started to evolve. She began to ask
herself, “What exactly is this cruising thing? Do you have to do it
100 percent, or can it be part-time? Does he need me to go along?”
Stage 3: “I'm not signing up for crossing oceans, dodging pirates,
and rebuilding the head while underway in a gale.” Stage 4: “I
might like coastal cruising and gunkholing.” Stage 5: “The Sea of
Cortez is only six hours away, and we already know it's great for sea
kayaking. Plus I could work on my Spanish.” Stage 6: “We need a
boat.”
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| Sue with Mike Norton on Pandora, an Ingrid 38 |
Sometime between Sue's 4th
and 5th stages, we started our preparations and education
in earnest – just in case Sue came around to the cruising idea.
Being by-the-book types, we signed
up for a series of ASA (American Sailing Association) classes to get
certified in Basic Keelboat (101), Basic Coastal Cruising (103),
Bareboat Chartering (104), Coastal Navigation (105), and Advanced
Coastal Cruising (106). We took the first three classes through Blue
Water Sailing School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and the last two through
Seaforth Boat Rental in San Diego. We also sailed with friends on
their Ingrid 38 ketch in San Diego Bay. Curtis began “shopping,”
intensely studying different boat manufacturers and models. And we
continued to read books, articles, blogs on everything from the
science of anti-fouling bottom paint to methods of storing carrots
and cabbage onboard.
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| Curtis on a sunrise paddle near Gonzaga Bay, Baja Norte |
I should add that we're not exactly
new to sailing and boating. Sue grew up sailing a Sunfish on both
salt and fresh water. Her dad raced them on summer weekends in
Connecticut, and her mom taught her to tack, jibe (the first jibe
ended in capsize, so she also learned to right the boat), and come
into a dock under sail. She also canoed, ran small powerboats, and
was invited onto a cousin's Laser (before she knew the term “rail
meat”). Curtis sailed in Sea Scouts as a teenager, ran powerboats, and
crewed on friends' Hobie Cats and other sailboats. When he met Sue, he introduced
her to sea kayaking, which has taken us many times to the fabulous
Sea of Cortez.
