Chapter 1: Departure

Freedom of the sea. It’s good to be free from the cares of the land. It’s good to be able to relax the rigid control I have maintained for so long. How do you go unnoticed in a crowd? Be still and don’t look anyone in the eye. You can’t allow yourself to sweat either. Sounds easy you think? Try it sometime.

The Bahamas are ahead, Florida is left in my wake. The old Florida I once loved is sorrowfully missed, but not the present situation. In the former USA, it’s ugly everywhere, no liberty anywhere.

Even the sea is governed, but that’s not new. The seas are long governed by International laws and regulations, among the regulations, the well known RULES OF THE ROAD.

I should say, well known of, but not many actually know and understand the rules. Even those who should know them well. Under the International Rules of the Road, sailing vessels have the “right of way” over other vessels except in a few rare situations. That is what the rules mostly regulate, who has to adjust course and speed to avoid collisions. There is a lot about lights and signals. These rules are good rules, and I appreciate them. I would appreciate if eople followed them. Too many bridge officers believe in the big ship bully rule. I’m bigger than you, get out of my way. It’s true ships have the right of way in fairways and narrow channels. Some ship’s officers simplify the rule to ALWAYS the ship has the right of way.

I agree. Not that the rules give big ships deference, but safety and self preservation dictates, don’t cross in front of them. They can’t stop quickly even if they want to. Their inertia is so great it takes days to stop a big ship. As a prudent mariner, I wait on them, deer to them, and cross astern of big ships. Don’t tempt fate standing on principles or paper rules. Dead right isn’t a good epitaph.

In addition to relying on courtesy and the navigation rules, I have an electronic passive AIS. AIS is automatic identification system and displays for me a list of vessels near me, with their course, speed, destination, and CPA. Closest Point of Arrival. My preference is that nobody comes closer to me than a two nautical miles CPA. My system is a low current drain passive receiver that does not transmit any of my information. Commercial vessels and large pleasure boats are required to have active AIS transponders broadcasting their data. I appreciate AIS too. It eliminates my need for a power hungry radar.

Radar? Sonar? Nah. Several electronic fish-finders that read out the depths at the outside bows and sterns in shallows is all I really need.

A GPS electronic chart shows me where I am and where channels and buoys are supposed to be. Quite often, buoys aren’t exactly on location or are missing entirely. They get dragged about by boats, currents, and weather. They get run over and sunk, or break loose from their mooring and sail away. Even crossing overseas.

A hand held dish BIG-EAR concentrates and amplifies sound and can be turned to any direction to detect where danger lies. An aid while navigating in low visibility and hazy conditions, especially around high trafficked areas frequented by other small craft without active AIS transmitters. A magnified chance of hearing what I can’t see, is comforting in tense situations. Comes in handy for detecting surf breaking on reefs and finding off location shifted bell buoys too.

Cheap yellow polycarbonate shooting glasses are an important aid also. One sunglasses vendor called their high dollar yellow lensed driving glasses, blue blockers. Allows improved visibility in rain and fog. The cheap amber shooting glasses from the sporting goods department at the big box stores, work equally well.

I can afford dozens of pairs as spares for the price of one pair of once trendy Blue Blockers.

I never navigate in fog, only in haze. If the skipper on another nearby boat logs he is underway in fog, shame on him. He is confessing to breaking the law. It’s only hazy where I am. Law requires all vessels to proceed at a safe speed at all times and that’s defined as the ability to stop within half the distance of visibility. Obviously follows, speed in zero visibility is required to be zero. Never ever seen any fog myself, and wouldn’t log it if I did. Hazy plenty of times. The ship’s log is evidence, a witness against the captain in his own handwriting. Talk about self incrimination!

I’m very careful about what I enter in the log. It is not a diary for recording my moods and fanciful thoughts. Terse data entries only!

The area I’m eventually sailing to has lots of big dangerous cats. Panthers, jaguars, leopards, cheetahs, ocelots ect. Did you know a black panther is actually a black leopard? It’s spots blend in with the dark fur color but are visible up close. If you want to see them that close? Best look it up on the net or you can just take my word for it.

As guards, companions and security crew members, I bought two cross bred Irish Wolf Hound half Scottish Deer Hound puppies, brothers, from a breeder in Appalachia. The breed was created to hunt and kill wolves. Can they kill a big predator cat? One on one, I have misgivings, but two wolfhounds coordinating together, I’ll bet on the dogs. Fortunately, the huge hounds like fish. The fish are boned before feeding the dogs. They actually prefer iguana meat. Fish and iguana are both plentiful in the islands. A supply of iguana jerky has been dried and stored. They receive a daily ration of nutrient enriched dry dogfood and train with vitamin enriched treats.

Their diet and weight is carefully monitored. To weigh them, I step on the scales with the pup in my arms and weigh both of us together. Then subtract my weight and log it. They are growing by leaps and bounds. When mature, they will weigh as much as I do, and be taller.

I’m also growing in knowledge daily. My waking hours are full, attending practical matters and cleaning up after the pups and myself while studying a myriad subjects and revising my plans everyday.

The three of us, the pups and I, are becoming friends and very close companions. Each dog wears their own life preserver and are secured to the boat by a leash. Me too! I keep a safety line clipped on. Sailing solo, there isn’t anybody else aboard to circle around and pick me up if I fall overboard. Better not to fall overboard so I take precautions. The dogs are very laid back and seem happy. They have adjusted to life afloat. They are friendly with our ducks. Yeah, I brought ducks along and a pair of geese. The geese set up a ruckus if a stranger approaches. The dogs have never barked. Not yet anyway.

Anyway, we are easing our leisurely way south through the Bahamas, taking our time and sometimes anchoring for days at a time. When night falls, we are always already at anchor for several hours at least and usually go ashore for a good run. No need to push ahead. Morning runs are enjoyed before getting underway, weather permitting. Weather doesn’t hamper the runs, but why sail in bad weather if I have a choice? Hunker down and wait it out, pitying sailors enduring the storm while I sip my spiced tea in dry comfort.