Welcome to 4Wheeler Sailing

4Wheeler sailing update

2009-05-21T13:35:00.001-07:00

Home at Last

After wandering around Central America, Mexico and the Bahamas for the last 17 months (496 days), having traveled 12,186 miles, visiting 9 countries and 16 states we have finally arrived home. Our journey, both by land and sea, has been a life changing experience and we remain profoundly humbled by the blessing of such a great family adventure.
The kids have loved moving back into their rooms and seeing our cat Ike. Marshall has constructed every known Lego figure possible and routinely runs up to show off his latest creation. Amy is also enjoying her new elbow room and after going through all her cloths (yes she tried them all on) found only 10 things that still fit. I guess that is what happens when you go from a little girl to a young lady.
Susan and I are overwhelmed by the house and all the stuff. After living on the boat with all our possessions in a closet no bigger than the average entryway closet the excess of our house seems a little silly. Susan assures me that I will turn back into a consumer once again but it is amazing to us how happy and content you can be without all the stuff. Living on a boat, even one as large as ours, may seem spartan to some but we lacked for nothing and we were very content. Perhaps the hardest thing to get used to is how quiet the house is at night and that nothing is moving.
I wanted to close this final "sailing" update by saying thanks again for your thoughts and prayers over the last year. They were much appreciated and tangibly felt. Having been gone for so long we are eager to reconnect with friends, and with no summer plans our schedule is wide open, so put us back on your party invite list and social calendar. We are well rested and ready to kick up our heels again.
Thanks for journeying with us over the last year and a half. We are blessed to have you as friends.

The 4Wheelers
Mark, Susan, Amy & Marshall

Going Home

2009-05-16T14:28:00.001-07:00

Going Home

The concept of going home holds for me many warm thoughts and appealing images, yet the idea of "home" has always intrigued me. It seems in most cultures home is usually associated with a dwelling or specific piece of geography. The significance of the permanency or stability of "home" as a place is not lost to me, but living on a boat taught us that home is less about place and more about people. We were home on Mima and it felt that way because we were a family. The "mobile" home that Mima provided gave us the opportunity to explore and adventure outside our own paradigms and by so doing we expanded our understanding of self and the world around us.

In a broader context however, we are realizing that being back home in the United States is truly a delight. We are enjoying many of the luxuries of living in the U.S. that we used to take for granted. Smooth roads, abundant potable water, a really good steak and readily available goods and services have made us feel like we are being treated as royalty simply by being here. Even in these trying economic times the general ease with which life takes place in the U.S. is nothing short of exceptional.

As I write this we are in northeast Montana 65 miles from the Canadian border. Over the last few weeks we have traveled from Florida, visiting National Parks, historic landmarks, a Presidential Library and a host of other notable and interesting locations covering almost 4000 miles. Marshall still asks, "Dad how far are we driving today" and once an answer is given he quickly computes how many hours we will travel on land versus how many days it would have taken at sea. This new life at 60 miles per hour is still taking a while for us to get used to.

The hours spent driving have allowed us all to reflect on our time sailing and like happens so often the trials of the journey seem to be fading into the distance and the triumphs are becoming treasured memories. We are all missing the ocean and the amazing environment it is and the opportunities it afforded us as a family.

The lessons learned at sea would be hard, if not impossible, to replicate on land and the people and places we visited have forever shaped who we are. We are almost "home" and as we look forward to being back in familiar surroundings we find ourselves thinking about and longing for the slower and less structured life of a sailor. Whether the kids will ever "go" to sea again only time will tell, but for Susan and me we sincerely hope that life will afford us the opportunity to set sail again to explore more of this amazing world we live in.

Thanks for journeying with us over the past 16 months, the 4Wheelers

4Wheeler Photo

2009-04-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Here we are with the motorhome in front of Boothill in Dodge City Kansas.

Mark

2009-04-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

"Mima Goes Aground"

We awoke to clear skies that contained a tangible chill and a foreboding that today would be like no other we had experienced before and one we would not soon forget. The past 15 months had seen us visiting new countries and meeting wonderful people, who have all added greatly to the tapestry that is our lives. But this day, day number 455 aboard Mima, would be like no other we had ever experienced. This would be the day that Mima went aground.

Actually, only the crew of Mima went aground, but as we said goodbye to our home for the last year and three months we felt like we had run aground. The life we had become accustomed to and the one which had provided so many new experiences was now behind us and a new adventure was underway. Having moved our possessions onto a motor home we were beginning the journey back to Idaho. Visiting friends and family along the way, we are excited to be home, but we are realizing daily how deeply we will miss the sailing lifestyle.

I will reflect a little on our time at sea in my article two weeks from now but for this one I have included a few excerpts from the kids about their time cruising. I trust you enjoy them and we look forward to seeing you all soon back home in Idaho.

Amy writes;

The Ups and Downs of Leaving Mima

I am excited to be heading home to see, my cat Ike, our house, friends, and family, but as a result I am truly going to miss great friends, who felt like family, and hopping from island to island. What's nice about cruising, that I personally will miss a lot, is that you make good friends quickly because you don't know when you will see them again since you are always moving from place to place. The nice thing about living a stationary life is that you never have to say "good bye" to people, which I'm not very good at. But I think that's better than not having met them at all. I think at least if you have to say "good bye" you'll get to say "hi" again sooner, and with most of our friends it's not "good bye" just "see you later." I have no doubt that we will see some of our fabulous, fishy friends again soon. As for old friends, I'm over exuberant to have our paths cross again.

Some people ask where my favorite place that we have been to on this trip is, but I really don't know, but it's definitely not the time I got stranded on an island for 6 hours…ALONE! I very much enjoyed the San Blas Islands in Panama and the Rio Dulce River in Guatemala. The San Blas Islands were great because the water was frequently warmer than the air, and keep in mind it was ninety degrees. The white sandy beaches were wonderful and we met some of our greatest friends there. The reefs were untouched and flourished with life and the brilliant colors of the fish made me stare in awe. What I loved so much about the Rio Dulce wasn't where I was but who I was with. I met so many great friends there. Spanish school up in Xela, a small town in the mountains of Guatemala, was a blast. The very kind Guatemalan lady we stayed with was great and so was my Spanish teacher who only knew about one hundred English words. I loved Antigua, a small town in the middle of three of Guatemala's most active volcanoes, where my grandma and grandpa Wheeler came to visit us. We had fun being tourists and even hiked to the top of an active volcano (which I'm extremely proud of my grandma for doing).

Even though there were some things I disliked about living on a sailboat, it was worth it for all the friends we made and all the places we went and all the really awesome things we were able to do. I am sure I will never forget this trip.

Marshall writes;

Looking Back

Now that I look back after living on our boat Mima for 15 months I can state some of my favorite things and some of my least favorite things. Some of my favorite things and places are meeting the sailing vessel Side By Side, seeing the Goliath Grouper on Christmas Day, going to Atlantis, and making wonderful friends in St. Petersburg, Florida. Some of my least favorite things are not having my own space, missing friends and family, and home schooling.

When we left Mima in St. Pete I knew I would have lots of great things to remember about living on a boat. I was very happy when we became sailing buddies with Side By Side who have a 12 year old boy named Parker who likes almost everything I do. We were able to sail with them for over a year. We became really great friends. It was awesome when we saw the Goliath Grouper that was 8 feet long and weighed 100s of pounds. It was so cool seeing something that big right under our boat. We fed it a chocolate chip pancake when we ran out of fish and he spit it back out. We got to take Mima to a resort called Atlantis in the Bahamas that was really beautiful. Seeing and learning about all the marine wildlife like the Hammer Head Sharks and Giant Mantas at Atlantis was definitely a highlight of our trip.

Even though living on a boat with white sandy beaches to play on and clear blue water to snorkel in is pretty awesome there were a couple of things that were not so great. It was hard not being with family for Christmas like we always do, and I missed not having lots of friends to play with. Now that we are done sailing I can look back and say that the trip was worth it with the places we saw, the things we got to do, and the friends we met.

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Love Well the 4Wheelers

Life in the Slow Lane

2009-04-14T16:41:00.001-07:00

"Life in the Slow Lane"

I recently saw a t-shirt with a quote from famed race car driver Michael Andretti that said, "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." I chuckled at the notion and then began reflecting on the last 15 months that we have spent sailing along at a blistering 7 knots. At times even that snail's pace seemed too fast and I wished I could slow down.

I coincidently received an e-mail around the same time from a friend back home inquiring about a few things related to our time at sea that I have not written about. The reality is that cruising, in many ways is not much different than life on land. The everyday tasks of living and life must continue. Sure there are additional challenges at times based on our limited space and often exotic surroundings that are new and unusual, but for the most part they are much like life at home. The personal and interpersonal challenges you face on land still exist at sea. The issues that are a challenge in Idaho are still a challenge in Panama, Guatemala, Belize, or wherever life takes you.

The more challenging questions asked by my friend revolved around lessons learned and how one integrates back into life once we return home. I was particularly challenged by a question asking how we would find fulfillment in Nampa Idaho after such an exciting and life changing experience. Everyone who chooses to live out a life dream understands somewhere deep in their heart before they attempt it that the experience will change them. The scary part is wondering if I will like the change and the challenge really becomes how to take the adversity and triumph experienced while attempting the dream and mold them both into character building events.

How a particular individual or family, in this case the Wheelers, achieve a positive end-result is as varied as the individuals who choose to live out a lifelong dream. The real key, it seems, is learning to take adversity and triumph and use them BOTH as building blocks. Not steps upon which one props themselves up but foundational building blocks that become the core of who an individual is.

Amy and Marshall have seen more and experienced more in the last 15 months than they or we could have ever imagined. Susan and I have experienced highs and lows entirely new to us even after 22 years of marriage. We are learning that finding fulfillment is not about arriving at a place but about the process. For me life provided great fulfillment at 7 knots learning and becoming proficient at the process of sailing and living in harmony with the sea. Others like Michael Andretti find fulfillment in the process of driving a race car at 180 miles an hour. One does not take the place of the other and they are simply different avenues for different people to live out a dream.

We decided to take a chance and go for a dream that had been incubating within us for over 10 years. Deciding to go was the hardest part. Once we had decided to go we committed ourselves to making it happen and then the journey of discovery we found ourselves on provided daily opportunities for us to expand ourselves.

The key for me was slowing down enough that I could get the target in focus. I had spent 20 years in the fast lane and the result was a blurry image of life. Many who knew me questioned whether I could stand moving at a sailor's pace for any extended period of time. Not only did we tolerate it but we got to liking moving along at a slower pace. Still, I would presume that some might need to find a way to add some speed to their journey to bump them out of a rut and onto new and fertile soil. Whichever tack you choose (sailing pun intended) the message is clear to this sailor, dreams are worth attempting and fulfillment comes not from arriving at a destination but learning from and enjoying the moments of the journey.

The 4Wheelers

4 Wheeler Sailing Update

2009-04-14T16:37:00.001-07:00

Attached is my most recent article that appeared last week.

Enjoy and Blessings, Mark

4Wheeler Photos

2009-03-23T05:21:00.001-07:00

Losing Little Red

2009-03-22T04:13:00.000-07:00

Losing Little Red

The passing of a dear friend or the closing of a chapter in life is tough on the best of days and yet we sadly said goodbye today to a steady companion who has traveled with us daily over the last 10 months. I am getting a little ahead of myself, so first a little background.

One of the things that especially Marshall and I looked forward to prior to going sailing was the chance to do a little fishing. We have always enjoyed fishing together and the notion of catching something big in the ocean really intrigued us. Having said that, Idaho is not the best place to outfit a boat for deep sea fishing and I was pretty sure my trout rod would not hold up to the rigors of ocean fishing. With the generous help of Susan's dad (an accomplished fisherman in his own right) we left equipped fairly well but sorely lacking in knowledge about how to ply the depths for food, not to mention how to catch "the big one".

Shortly after arriving in the San Blas Islands of Panama 13 months ago Marshall and I took it upon ourselves to reach out to another cruiser and ask for help. We were exploring in our dinghy at our first anchorage in the San Blas and noticed another boat that appeared well equipped on the fishing side of the equation. After introducing ourselves we asked for suggestions and help getting rigged and preparing to do deep sea battle. It turns out we were talking with a retired commercial fisherman from New Zealand and his advice has served us well over the months that have followed.

It was in fact our very next passage that we caught our first fish. We had left a group of islands called the "Lemons" headed for the "Eastern Hollandes" and everyone encouraged us to fish. So we got serious about getting rigged and off we went. It was one of those perfect San Blas sailing days. We had 15 knots of wind on the beam with flat seas behind the barrier reef. We were all listening to music and enjoying the sun and tranquility of the day and then it happened. Without warning, out of nowhere, line began screaming off the reel. Now what do we do? We have the sails up and need to slow down while keeping a close eye on navigational hazards and not wanting to lose our first fish.

The Chinese fire drill that followed would easily have made fodder for late night television comedians. Susan took the helm, Amy cleared the deck and helped with sails, Marshall readied the gaff and I grabbed the rod not knowing whether we had a minnow or a mammoth. After a few exciting minutes we were able to avoid going aground on the reef and got a 45' King Mackerel on board. It was great fun, not to mention wonderful eating, and we were hooked (pun intended).

The months that followed saw us fishing anytime we could, and yet it seemed we just were not catching many fish. A few mackerel but nothing of real significance. Not until we ran into a boat in Bocas del Toro, Panama did we get our lucky break. The husband and wife aboard s/v Lone Star Love were not only avid fisherpersons but actually sold a line of fishing lures. We skeptically acquired a few of their lures with strong guarantees that these would catch fish. Sounded like a fish story to me but I was willing to try anything.

The very first time we used them we caught fish. A small shiny red, silver and black skirted lure hooked up first and then again, not once but 4 more times during our 3 hour trip. The best part was that we finally caught a Tuna, the fish we had been hoping for and our favorite fish to eat by far. Over the next few weeks we tried all the different colors but it seemed that without fail it was the little red lure that scored 90% of the time. The fish log that Marshall had started early in our voyage was finally being updated on a regular basis.

Whenever we sailed "little red" was always in the water. On our sail from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to the Dry Tortugas of Florida alone we caught 11 fish, and 10 of the 11 were on Little Red including our largest fish to date a 47 inch King Mackerel. Little Red provided an abundance of fresh fish not to mention hours of fun and numerous wonderful memories. Upon reaching the Bahamas in January we decided to retire Little Red after successfully bringing to the boat Mackerel, Barracuda, Bonita Tuna, Blackfin Tuna, Dorado (Mahi Mahi) and Jack Crevalle. In total, over 30 fish with this one little lure. Not bad for a $7 investment. We thought we might have a plaque made with the lure mounted on it and a list of the fish caught for the trophy room back home in Idaho.

Our sail to and from the Bahamas and our fishing while there saw us hook up 5 Dorado (Mahi Mahi) but no tuna and by the time we started to head back to Florida Susan asked if we could bring "Little Red" out of retirement for one last shot at a Tuna. Ironically I had just met and got acquainted with the crew from one of the most famous professional fishing boats in the world. When I told them about "Little Red" they emphatically said, "If a lure is hot fish it and never retire a good lure."

I reluctantly agreed and am now learning it is almost always risky to make decisions with your stomach. Arriving back in Idaho with Little Red and one last meal of seared Blackfin Tuna was not to be. Somewhere over the Florida banks he disappeared. We do not know whether Little Red snagged on flotsam, a wayward crab pot or a giant fish. All that remains now are the memories and a lot of left over sushi supplies.

For 10 months "Little Red" faithfully followed behind Mima never complaining and never letting us down. From Panama to the Bahamas this little lure logged over 1500 nautical miles. I am not one to anthropomorphize animals or to give to inanimate objects more than their due, but suffice it to say our journey would not have been nearly as memorable if "Little Red" had not come our way. Good bye old friend and thanks for the memories and the sushi.

The 4Wheelers

4wheeler sailing article

2009-03-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

Atlantis Found and Bahama Mamma

2009-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday February 21, 2009

Location: Warderick Wells Cay, Bahamas

N 25 22'55

W 076 37'25

Sail Log: Atlantis Found and Bahama Mamma

Atlantis has intrigued philosophers since Plato's day and continues to fascinate dreamers and scientist alike. Did an entire civilization once flourish on a mythical or now extinct continent? It is said that on Atlantis the arts reached heights of expression never before seen and that scientists and scholars of the island made great discoveries and built wondrous machines. Its' people traveled far and wide in sleek, fast ships, trading with distant lands and countries. This evolved civilization thrived for years, until one day it was submerged by an unforeseen volcanic eruption. The entire island and all its' treasures were drawn into the depths of the ocean. In a single day the ocean swallowed Atlantis.

I have always liked the idea that somewhere waiting for the right adventurer Atlantis will be discovered and its' riches revealed to the world. But then again I always liked Indiana Jones movies as well. The truth is, we are learning, Atlantis can be found and it may be in the Bahamas or wherever you are.

Having spent all of January in Florida during a particularly cold spell we were eager to get back to the islands and to be at anchor. Our marina experience in St. Petersburg could not have been any nicer but we are wanderers at heart and a month at a marina when there are islands/Atlantis close by and the chance to meet Bahama Mamma is more than this mariner could stand.

We had been in the Bahamas for just a couple of days when Susan's Mom, Step Father and Aunt arrived and met us on Mima in the Atlantis marina. That's right; Atlantis does exist in the form of a super-resort on Paradise Island. Las Vegas has nothing on this place, add to that the largest man-made marine habitat in the world along with literally miles of water park activities and you begin to understand what this Atlantis is like. We were treated like royalty and learned a great deal at the same time. The Manta Ray feedings and predator lagoon presentations allow you to view up close some of the oceans' most intriguing marine inhabitants and learn more about them. Did you know that after feeding Manta Rays do back flips to aid in digestion? What a thrill it was to see it firsthand. Our three days playing and experiencing this Atlantis is an experience we will not soon forget, but I was still longing for a different Atlantis, and when do I get to meet the famed Bahama Mamma?

We said goodbye to Susan's Aunt and with Grandma and Grandpa still on board headed out to a chain of islands called the Exumas. A short 30 nautical miles from Nassau this chain of islands has much to offer sailors and island lovers alike. We are still getting used to sailing along with only 6-10 feet of water under the keel when we are in "deep" water, but so far only water and the occasional wayward jellyfish has touched Mima's underside.

Anchored a few days ago on the south side of Norman's Cay, within view of the old hangout of drug lord Carlos Lehder and a downed airplane in 5 feet of water, we began reconsidering what defines Atlantis and who Bahama Mamma is. A no expense spared man-made Atlantis is one thing but the dozen or so small islets along with good protection from Norman's Cay made for an idyllic anchorage. Is this Atlantis? While enjoying snorkeling around the airplane wreck Susan (aka Little Fish) began looking for conch.

I must tell you that in the last 14 months I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys snorkeling or that is more comfortable in the water than Susan. She is routinely the first one in the water and the last one out, hence her new nickname. Combine all of that with her uncanny ability to spot delectable items from the ocean buffet and then prepare them to perfection and she is perhaps the real Bahama Mamma, and so cute besides. Today she discovered the conch "mother lode".

We are very careful to not harvest any juvenile conch and adhere to all local fishing laws. But with six people onboard our limit was quite high and after "Little Fish" had 31 in the dinghy we called it quits. Two hours later all the conch was cleaned with help from Grandpa Rob and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon onboard. If you ever get a chance to try Conch Fritters, Cracked Conch, Conch Ceviche or my favorite, Thai Coconut Curry Conch you are in for a treat. To this mariner this is my idea of Atlantis and add to it a real Bahama Mamma on board and what more could you ask for?

The following day we made our way to Hawksbill Cay. This uninhabited island played host to Mima and a single mega yacht. We never saw the mega yacht's inhabitants on or off the boat so we had miles of white sandy beach all to ourselves. Amy and Marshall (our children) swam with Grandma and Grandpa and made sandcastles while we walked the beach hand in hand looking for the next seashell for our ever growing collection. As we turned to walk back down the beach we were joined by a sea turtle that swam just 15 feet off the beach all the way back with us. He occasionally raised his head for a breath of air, looked at us and then continued on down the beach with us following close behind.

I was reminded once again that Atlantis is not a "place" in the minds of dreamers and adventurers nor is it the man made result of fabulous imaginations and untold millions of dollars. Atlantis is a state of heart and mind not a place. More and more we are learning that each day is defined by what or whom we put our faith in and the relationships we invest ourselves in. I am convinced that Atlantis can be found, but we must stop looking for the place called Atlantis.

What are we to make of the famed island beauty and legendary Bahama Mamma you ask? Well, what can I say, if you want to meet her come visit, I am sailing with her.

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Love Well

The 4Wheelers

4wheeler sailing article

2009-02-09T12:25:00.001-08:00

2009-01-28T19:47:00.001-08:00

St. Petersburg Update

2009-01-28T19:29:00.001-08:00

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

January 28, 2008

N 27 46'05.8", W 082 37'44.6"

It has been quite a month since arriving back into the United States on December 26^th. We enjoyed a perfect sail up the coast of Florida from the Dry Tortugas to Venice and then on to St. Petersburg. We got settled into the marina and the kids quickly made friends, and then we were off to visit some of Susan's family in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and on to Orlando to act like tourists for a few days. Amy and Marshall even got interviewed about living on a boat during their visit to DeSoto State Park for an upcoming television special.

I had a number of repairs to make on the boat and all has gone well and we have enjoyed St. Petersburg and the marina community here a great deal. We plan on leaving in a few days to head to the Bahamas for a couple of months. We are excited to get back out to the islands to snorkel and explore. We had forgotten what it feels like to be cold and we all had to buy pants and jackets to stay warm here as Florida has experienced an unusual cold spell during our stay.

For those of you who were around when we left you will remember that our original plan was to be gone roughly a year and a half before returning home to Idaho. As we begin to sneak up on that time frame we have to fight the tendency to look to the future instead of enjoying the present. Enjoying the journey and the day is in fact one of the things we have learned on this little soire. Speaking of learning experiences, I had a number of people e-mail me at our one year anniversary and asked about what we have learned or how we have changed.

In many ways that is a difficult question to answer because the last year has presented times of great joy and others times that were quite sobering. Four people living 24/7 on a boat creates opportunity for tremendous relationship highs and lows. Like life everywhere I guess, there are pluses and minuses. But having been asked I started to make a "top ten" list, here goes;

10: I do not need the t-shirt. This is not a justification to become a nudist I am referring to the "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" mentality. I still want to "do that" but I am growing less needy of wanting to possess the t-shirt to prove it.

9: Getting "corn-holed" by your cousin is a lot of fun. While visiting with and meeting new family members on Susan's side of the family in Florida we were introduced to a lawn game which appears to be a cross between horseshoes and ladder golf. In essence you try to throw a bag of corn into a hole, hence the name. If you successfully get the bag of corn into the hole everyone yells "corn hole".

Hold the presses. While in St. Pete our good friends Kelly and Becky Stover from Boise came to visit. We had a nice time together just hanging out. The wind was fickle and the weather cold so we did not get to sail like we had hoped but none-the-less, we were together. We played cards, snuggled with the kids and like getting to know new cousins and their strange lawn games, we were reminded once again of the priceless value of family and friends. When all else in this material world disintegrates what a timeless treasure relationships are.

We all went to dinner together one night in St. Pete and after a wonderful Tapas dinner we stayed to listen to some really good live music. While listening to the music Sue and I began to dance. Not a big deal really except we were the only ones dancing. Sue looked at me with a tear in her eye and said, "I am so glad we have learned to dance".

She did not mean we "know" how to dance. In fact we would tell you that we both have two left feet. Neither of us grew up dancing and we would certainly never have taken to the dance floor by ourselves before this trip. In our journey we have meet many who seem to be running from something in their lives. We have learned that we went sailing not to escape from life but to keep life from escaping us. For us that has meant learning to dance.

8-1: Dance. We won't pass up the opportunity to dance. I know many of you can remember a time when you saw someone dancing, maybe even by themselves, when no one else was. Their arms may have been in the air and they seemed oblivious to the fact that lots of people were watching them, but not joining them. We used to observe that person from afar, but from now on we may be that person as we have realized that they are simply dancing to what their heart feels and not as concerned about what others think or do.

As we head out to the Bahamas on what appears to be the final chapter of this journey we are looking for more chances to dance.

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Dance Often,

The 4Wheelers

Dry Tortugas Update

2008-12-22T04:01:00.000-08:00

Dry Tortugas, USA

December 22, 2008

N 24 37'29.1", W 082 52'15.5"

Greetings from the southernmost waters of the United States of America. We arrived safely after a 49 hour trip from Isla Mujeres, Mexico and are now anchored in the Dry Tortugas at Garden Key in the shadow of magnificent Fort Jefferson. (Look this up on Google and learn more!) During our approach to the anchorage Amy spontaneously began jumping up and down chanting, "U.S.A., U.S.A." and Marshall kept saying "Yeah! They speak English here."

It appears we picked our weather window well as we only experienced one brief episode of the "washing machine" effect of the gulf and even that was mild and short lived. We had the wind and waves on our nose the entire way forcing us to motor sail all but a couple hours of the trip. Not to worry however, as the light winds and small seas made for a pleasant ride aboard Mima. Even though we didn't get to enjoy the serenity of true sailing, Susan had always said that she would literally pay for this kind of crossing of the Gulf ahead of time versus potentially having a really rough ride like so many we had heard about from other people.

Marshall started the trip feeling a little "off" and ended up throwing up 4 times over the first 24 hours. He never complained once and always commented that beside the bad taste throwing up wasn't so bad because afterwards you feel better. Amy on the other hand could hang upside down eating sauerkraut through a hurricane and never get sick. I have told her it appears her stomach was made to be at sea. Who knows maybe she will sail again someday.

Enroute we were graced by the presence of a giant sea turtle. We only got to see it for a brief time but the immense size of this archaic leviathan was something to behold. We also had our best fishing day yet. The best fishing was within30 miles of Isla Mujeres and we hooked 8 Tuna and 1 Mackerel as well as what Marshall calls a few "no see-ums." Day two was not as productive as we only caught 2 Tuna and 1 King Mackerel. The King Mackerel was caught as we were pulling into Fort Jefferson and is our largest fish yet at 45 inches in length and weighing in over 25 pounds. We handed out generous portions to our cruising buddies on s/v Side by Side, to another boat in the anchorage and tried to give some to the park ranger but evidently they cannot take gifts. That is a lousy commentary on the times is it not. Oh well more for us and we have already invited new friends on s/v Summer Wind over tonight for grilled Mackerel medallions marinated in a sweet chili soy marinade. I just wish the park rangers could join us.

We spent the afternoon exploring the fort and then enjoying the sun on board. The other boat in the anchorage said they had a nurse shark hanging out under it so Sue, Amy and I decided to snorkel over and take a look. Imagine our surprise when we got there and discovered it was not a nurse shark but a giant Goliath Grouper. Not until swimming down next to it do you realize that the fish is as long as you are and the fish's girth is mammoth. I am no expert at guessing fish weight but if I weigh 165 pounds this fish was easily over 200 pounds. He was not too concerned by our presence, why should he be, and allowed us to view him quite closely. What a thrill and this is easily the largest fish we have ever seen in the wild. The day before they said there were four of these so called nurse sharks under the boat and we are hoping they all return tomorrow.

While I was preparing some of our tuna for dinner, seared with a black sesame seed and pepper crust, Marshall baited a hook with some scraps and quickly had a nice jack on the line. We let him go and as we were finishing dinner preparations Marshall yelled "shark" not that big of a deal really as we have had nurse sharks near the boat when we had scraps off fish, but when his second outburst was, "Hammerhead Shark" suffice it to say it cleared out the boat with all of us on deck and Amy and I scrambling to get our snorkel gear on. We jumped in the dinghy and stuck our heads in the water and Amy got to see a Hammerhead Shark underwater. Wow what a cool creature and one I have longed to see since our first trips to Baja in the early 90's. With all the excitement of the hammerhead we missed an evening check in with our friends the Johnsons on s/v Side by Side who had continued on to Florida to meet family for Christmas. We know they will forgive us and understand when they hear Amy and I were trying to see a Hammerhead Shark. Sorry Johnsons, the next fish dinner is on us and Sue says next time she will set a timer so as not to miss a check in. We hope that they made it safely to Ft. Meyers before the cold front hit full force and hope to see them while we are in Florida for a month or so.

Well, another boring couple of days at sea come to a close. After 49 hours of sailing we safely anchored in a beautiful spot. Having set a new daily fish record, caught our largest fish to date, seen our largest turtle so far, swam with our largest fish yet, and seen a Hammerhead Shark we savored our seared tuna, watched half a movie and went soundly to sleep.

We like this spot and think we may stay and celebrate Christmas here and then sail on to Florida. One of my fond memories from childhood is snorkeling with my dad and brothers on Christmas morning in Jamaica. Amy knows the story and asked if we could do the same. As you wake up Christmas morning to your family traditions we will be loading into the dinghy to snorkel and we will pause and say a prayer for each of you and your families.

Celebrate with us the birth of our savior well this Christmas,

The 4Wheelers

A Sailors Christmas Tale

2008-12-15T19:35:00.001-08:00

A Sailor's Christmas Tale

T'was the nite before Christmas and all through the boat not a sailor was stirring though tempests they blow…

The past year has been a wild and wonderful ride. Having never sailed before we jumped into our new life on January 7, 2008 with both feet and boy have we gotten wet. We have experienced much and in the process learned a great deal about the world we live in and ourselves. The reality of living on board a cruising sailboat is a far cry from the romantic images often portrayed at the end of a Hollywood movie or that seen in a Hallmark greeting card. Yet, the people we have met, the places we have visited, and the lessons we have learned living on the sea, we would not exchange.

At this Christmas season I am struck by the similarity of the Christmas message and the journey we have been on this past year. Like the simple message of Christmas the things we are learning to enjoy most are the very simplest. I am learning that what I desire most is not bigger and faster "stuff" but slower and deeper relationships. Sure we miss home on occasion and all the conveniences it provides but our conversations around the dinner table almost always focus on who we miss not what we miss. Not to say that I haven't longed for a big juicy Banzai Burger on occasion, even conch and lobster get old after a while, but mostly we miss each of you.

From the smell of jungle blossoms carried out to sea on the wind, being escorted by a pod of dolphins, diving with turtles, or sunrises and sunsets painted daily for us by our heavenly father, these are the things we are beginning to see with new eyes. Joseph Conrad wrote, "Everything can be found at sea, according to the spirit of your quest." We are learning that the sea is a hard task master. Not an unfair or vindictive teacher but one who is clearly unrelenting and yet consistent. We came to sea not in an attempt to take a prolonged vacation from life but in hopes of reconnecting with each other and life at a more basic and meaningful level.

Today as we wait for a weather window to sail the 550 plus miles from Belize up to Mexico and then across the Gulf of Mexico just north of Cuba to Key West Florida we wanted to pause and say thanks at this Christmas Season. Thanks for sailing along with us on this journey. Your thoughts, prayers and e-mails have meant the world to us over the last year and have made many days feel like Christmas for us.

Our prayer for all of us this Christmas, among all the fun and festivities of the season, is that we each take time to see each other with new eyes. Eyes that see ourselves and our world through the loving and grace filled multicolored lens of Christmas.

Merry Christmas,

Mark, Susan, Amy & Marshall

Tale of Two Islas - Part One

2008-12-13T04:08:00.000-08:00

The Tale of Two Islas

"It was the worst of times, it was the best of times, it was the age of wisdom…" Originally penned by Charles Dickens in The Tale of Two Cities, no words could more accurately describe our last day sailing in Belize and our first day in Mexico.

We arrived with great anticipation at Lighthouse Reef excited to see this often spoke of and widely proclaimed natural wonder. One of three atolls in Belize and home to the Blue Hole it was the final atoll for us to visit and we had heard so many good things about the water clarity, healthy coral and abundant sea life. After a lazy 3 hour sail from the Turneffe Island Atoll we anchored in the lee of Long Cay and along with s/v Side by Side and s/v Siren's Song we began exploring this magical place.

Before we had even dropped the hook we could see the water was crystal clear and abundant coral life assured us we were in a healthy reef system. We spent the next few days diving and snorkeling the reef. We have seen many turtles on our trip but Lighthouse afforded us the opportunity to see a giant, mature Loggerhead Turtle. Although protected, and harvesting is clearly illegal, large adults are not commonly seen and this was a real treat to swim with a gentle giant. Lighthouse was to be our last stop in Belize before heading toward Isla Mujeres, Mexico to stage for our crossing to Florida. Belize has been a wonderful chapter for us and we lamented leaving.

During the winter season the majority of wind comes out of the North. We needed to head 250 miles almost due North and when an unusual weather window presented us with 15-20 knot winds out of the southeast we chose to take advantage of the favorable winds and prepared to head north. We arose to clear skies and a beautiful sunrise. We took advantage of the good light and all headed out for one more snorkel along the reef wall. It was in fact on this snorkel that we were visited by the afore mentioned Hawksbill Turtle along with a big hogfish, a few marauding mackerel and barracuda and 1000's of reef fish. Marshall even managed to shoot a couple of nice fish for dinner.

An early lunch of grilled Hogfish, one of my favorite fish, and we weighed anchor on what can only be described as our idea of a perfect sailing day. The sun was out and we had a steady 15 knots of wind on a starboard run and the seas were flat. We hooked up with a large barracuda within the first 10 minutes and Marshall and I got excited about our fishing prospects. With a little help from a favorable current we spent the day averaging over 8 knots all while reading, working on our tans, and Marshall and I serenading the fish with our fish song. You know the one, sing along with us "I want a ten pound tuna, I want a ten pound tuna, I want a ten pound tuna, it will be sushi for my tummy". Alright it may be a little corny but hey what can we say, it works.

It was simply the best of times. As we all sat watching a spectacular sunset Amy commented, "I think God has fun painting sunsets". I could not agree more and this was one of his more inspired works. As we sat watching the sunset and discussing whether this thing mariners call a "green flash" really occurs or is it just the result of an overactive or tired imagination at sea, both our fishing lines were hammered. This created a real dilemma for me. I wanted to watch the sunset but our fish song had worked once again and Marshall and I began working on our lines. We had one Blackfin Tuna on board (this is when you sing the "sushi for my tummy" line) and we all paused to watch as the sun vanished below the horizon.

Then it happened, at the instant when the sun finally sank into the liquid abyss we were treated by an intense burst of green light. We all seemed to yell in concert, "I saw the green flash, I saw the green flash." I guess I have to apologize for making fun of this imagined event by others. While lamenting the fact we did not capture the green flash on film we were reminded by line screaming from Marshall's reel… we still had work to do. After another five minutes we had our second Blackfin Tuna on board and after securing our tackle we all got back to the business of enjoying the close to a perfect day at sea.

The kids take watch during the day but mom and dad cover at night and with the kids in bed we settled into our night routine. The sea state changed around midnight and we began to encounter much lumpier seas. It made rest difficult between our night watches but as the sun rose we still had averaged over 8 knots in 15-20 knots of wind with the sails reefed. Based on our current rate of sail we were a full 8-10 hours ahead of schedule and realized we would make Isla Mujeres in the middle of the following night instead of around noon. We decided to tuck into Cozumel and after tying to a mooring ball we realized we had just had our best 24 hours of sailing ever. Averaging almost 8 knots even with 2 fishing interruptions and a sail change we had covered just less than 200 miles. Dinner was fresh tuna sashimi and as we retold our green flash fishing story, sang a few bars of our fish song, and watched the cruise ships come and go we were reminded once again… It had been the best of days. We went to bed tired but wondering what would tomorrow bring?

To be continued……

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Love Well

The 4Wheelers

Tale of Two Islas - Part Two

2008-12-12T03:19:00.000-08:00

The Tale of Two Islas-Part Two

"Calling all stations, calling all stations, this is the sailing vessel Side by Side over."….. "Calling all stations, calling all stations, this is the sailing vessel Side by Side we have been dismasted, repeat we have been dismasted over."

As the sun rose gently over the horizon and a new day dawned in Cozumel we enjoyed a cup of coffee on board after a peaceful night of rest. We were excited about continuing on to Isla Mujeres, our final destination before heading to Florida. We untied from our mooring ball and with the morning sun still coloring the sky and warming the air we slowly made our way along the coast of Cozumel enjoying the waterfront scenery. As we rounded the point of the island and headed across the channel towards Cancun we lamented not being able to spend more time and explore this famous resort island and it's waters.

With our sails set we settled in for what was to be an easy 45-50 mile day sail. Shortly after entering the channel we realized that this often turbulent and current tormented piece of water was to be kind to us today, and we were loving being on a sailboat. As I scanned the horizon I realized that a ship in front of us looked to be a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter. As we got closer the distinctive orange stripe of the Coast Guard came into view. It was shortly after 7:00 a.m. and I decided to hail the Cutter.

After the appropriate introductions were made and we identified ourselves as a U.S. flagged sailing vessel the radio officer changed his tone from all business to as if he was talking with a neighbor. We wished the captain and crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Confidence a Merry Christmas and told them about our time with Commander Crabbs on the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis in Bocas Del Toro, Panama last May. Like our prior experience seeing the Coast Guard it was great to see "Old Glory" flown over such a beautiful vessel and I must be candid here and say that when the professional mariners of the U.S. Coast Guard call me "captain" on the radio it makes this wanna be sailor puff out his chest a little. They blew a greeting on their ship's horn and we both continued on our way.

As I strutted around the cockpit referring to myself as "Captain" and teasing the kids we tuned the SSB radio in for our prearranged daily check in with our sailing partners on s/v Side by Side. We had left Lighthouse Reef ahead of them and were out of VHF range necessitating communication via SSB radio which is the marine equivalent of a Ham Radio. As Susan established contact she looked out into the cockpit and said, "Side by Side has been dismasted." I slumped into my seat at the helm and with tears running down my face prayed that everyone was safe as Susan learned the complete story.

The prior evening around midnight while sailing in 15-20 knots of wind with a reef in the main sail under very mild conditions a thunderous bang was followed by the mast crashing onto their catamaran and then into the water. Thankfully they had been on a beam reach and the mast and boom, along with the sail and rigging, mostly ended up in the water on their port side. To a sailor, few events at sea are more terrifying than being dismasted. Normally the result of violent weather, but in this case it was a manufacturing defect in the rigging. As Marc and Angie attempted to calm the kids and assess the situation and their alternatives Marc did the single best thing. With bolt cutters in hand, the stainless steel rigging and lines were cut and the entire mast, boom, sails, rigging and other miscellaneous equipment sank into 2000 feet of water. Many sailboats have been "holed through" by a captain trying to "keep" his mast and rigging when a rogue wave turned the mast into a battering ram and drove itself through the hull.

It had gone from the best of days to the worst of days. Had we heard of a dismasting on another yacht we would have been concerned, but we have been sailing with Side by Side for the last 8 months and they have become like extended family to us. Their safety is as important to us as our own. We also understand the additional responsibility they feel regarding their concern for their kids. Using their engines they were able to safely make it to Isla Mujeres, and suffice it to say, dinner was our treat onboard Mima, complete with homemade brownies.

I am sure all of us have experienced those days when the range of personal emotions rivals the very best of roller coasters. As Susan reminded me of Dickens words and as I have considered the events of those two days I have been most struck by the less often quoted third component of Dickens sentence, "it was the age of wisdom." We are well served, it seems, reflecting on both the good and bad days life brings our way as much can be learned and wisdom gained from them both.

This life at sea, however, has the effect of instilling a different kind of wisdom. Perhaps it is a less cluttered and simpler wisdom: a wisdom that places great value and gain in making the simple and less convoluted choice. In the case of Side by Side your single concern becomes the safety of your ship and crew. You cut the rigging and lines and remove permanently the thing that with one rogue wave or event could sink the boat. It is not about insurance, saving the rigging, or the cost; it is about doing and making the single best choice. Robert Kurson in his book, Shadow Divers, describes the challenges of deep water diving and when faced with a danger or unplanned event states, "Fix the first problem fully and calmly before you even think about the second problem."

My father always told me, "Mark, when your priorities are straight decision making is easy." Perhaps that is the land based equivalent. The safety of ship and crew come first. All other considerations are topics for discussion at the yacht club. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and we are learning it has been a time where we have grown wiser.

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Love Well

The 4Wheelers

Note: S/V Side By Side was able to successfully motor to Ft. Meyers in time to be with family for Christmas. Their catamaran is currently under repairs and their hope is to be able to leave for the Bahamas in 4-6 weeks.

Thanksgiving-A Bird of a Different Feather

2008-12-03T05:12:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving – A Bird of a Different Feather

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I cherish the traditions and time with family and friends that Thanksgiving provides. In recent years we have had the privilege of spending time with dear friends and loved ones and have begun to create a few traditions of our own. I usually fry a turkey and along with oyster stuffing, gravy, homemade ginger Grand Marnier cranberries, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie no one goes hungry.

Another new tradition we have is to go around the dinner table and share something that we are most thankful for over the last year. This year Amy beat us to the punch by composing the note below to a few family and friends and with her permission I have reprinted it here;

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for friends, family, animals and a wonderful world that God gave us to enjoy.

We are at Glover's Reef, Belize, one of the four atolls in the Northern Hemisphere. Two days ago we went on two fun scuba dives. On the first one we went to a wall. Imagine thirty feet to two thousand feet. That's what we were experiencing. We saw massive hogfish and grouper that could have eaten me for lunch. The coral was beautiful. The arches and caves where fascinating. Also the sponges where so delicate yet gigantic, they glowed pink, purple, orange, blue, green, white, and even fuchsia. After forty minutes under the surface we went to have lunch and then take another dive. The second dive wasn't the best. My dad couldn't equalize his ears so he swam at the surface and acted as our compass, lol. But the thing that made that dive memorable was that we saw a mother and baby dolphin and the baby was suckling.

Then only yesterday we went kayak surfing. Basically you ride waves in a special kayak and fall flat on your face. It was great fun until you caught a wave then like in surfing you needed to turn your kayak away from the way the wave is pulling you. If you don't, like I said you are flat on your face. Then you have five seconds to get to your kayak and flip it over jump in and face the next wave head on. Which if you let go of the oar was pretty impossible. But when you caught a wave it was a blast. But in the end the wave owns you. If you're an adrenaline junkie you should try this!!!

Thanks for keeping in touch!!! Amy

It was a fabulous day for us but definitely a bird of a different feather. Susan and I started the day early by going snorkeling. We were looking for conch and fortune shined on us as we found 9 very large conchs. While cleaning them back on board Mima Marshall started fishing with bits of conch scraps and 9 fish later he finally quit. That's right 9 fish; two grouper, three grunts, two snapper and two porgy…all catch and release since we were inside the "no take zone". In between helping get fish off the hook for Marshall I made conch ceviche, and by lunch we had already had one of those amazing days you go cruising for.

We relaxed in the sun reading all afternoon trying to get ready for our "traditional" thanksgiving celebration. The island we are anchored off has two destination resorts located on it. One is a dive center called Off the Wall and the other a kayak adventure resort. Cully, the owner of Slickrock Adventures is a world class kayaker and was our patient and capable surf kayak instructor. He had invited us to join him and his good friends Ed and Audrey Snyder and his staff for a traditional thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, stuffing and cranberries. We eagerly accepted the invitation and brought with us a couple of pumpkin pies.

By 6:00 p.m. we were enjoying a wonderful meal compliments of Ed and Audrey who own Eddie McStiff's restaurant in Moab, Utah. We ate, played speed scrabble and even went searching for giant land crabs. Susan and I were both missing the idea of having turkey and we are so grateful for the invitation and hope to entertain Cully, Ed and Audrey in Idaho in the future.

We all went to bed tired but reminded once again of all we have to be thankful for; faith, family and friends. We trust your thanksgiving was blessed and even if it was a bird of different feather like ours you were able to enjoy the day and this wonderful season of the year.

Thankful for all our many blessings, the 4Wheelers

P.s. We have had a few people ask us if we ever get bored. We always laugh and tell them, "We do not have time to get bored there is too much to do". Oh, I forgot to tell you I did some wakeboarding as well.

Idaho, Gelato and Seafood Gumbo

2008-11-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

Idaho, Gelato and Seafood Gumbo

"It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small, small world." Originally penned by the Sherman brothers for the 1964 World's Fair and made famous by Walt Disney, I can still remember the very first time I went to Disneyland and rode It's a Small World while listening to this song. The animation, costumes and setting was like being an observer in a fairy tale come true. Today our kids would yawn, I am sure, at how "fake" and "antiquated" it all looks but none the less it remains a wonderful childhood memory and the song has always stuck with me. In fact the song came racing back to mind just a couple of days ago in the most unlikely of places for the second time in the past two months.

Having checked into Belize in the small town of Placencia we were waiting out a few days of unsettled weather. We took advantage of the time by doing a few small boat projects, catching up on school and stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Placencia is a laid back spot with a cool beach vibe and a nice spot to chill out. Placencia has great beaches and good diving but it may however be most famous for its incredible gelato. Made fresh daily at Tutti Frutti Gelato we have never had better. We discovered Tutti Frutti two years ago while visiting Placencia on a dive trip. We seemed to come up with every excuse known to go to town and get gelato. We can even confirm that they are open at 9 in the morning. In fact on one visit Marshall was disappointed that there was no papaya gelato today. The reason given, "the papaya this morning just was not good enough to use". Fresh fruit gelato is like eating chilled fruit on steroids. This is seriously good stuff. But I digress.

Having just finished a fun game of soccer on the city soccer field s/v Side by Side, s/v Unplugged and s/v Mima decided to head over for post game, you guessed it, gelato. While standing around outside and massaging our aching bones and muscles and reliving our finest Pele moments, a couple having just discovered the gelato store said hello and a conversation quickly ensued. After introductions were made we learned that Todd Caperon and Patty Charron were from Boise and live less than 20 miles from us. They quickly gave us an update on things "back home" and Amy was thrilled to get to make new friends from home. We look forward to boating with Todd and Patty when we get home at Lucky Peak. You meet the nicest people at gelato stands in Placencia, Belize.

While sitting at the Mario's Marina bar and having a morning cup of coffee 8 weeks ago, an energetic conversation about politics ensued that eventually turned to a discussion on state politics. As the conversation unfolded and as we began to have similar acquaintances I abruptly asked, "Where are you from". "Kuna, Idaho" was the response from Doug Dorn now living on his sailboat s/v Eyrie. Doug and his dog Maggie quickly became friends and we had many fun political conversations. Maggie, a miniature Australian Shepherd, seems right at home onboard s/v Eyrie, and as an Idahoan, former team roper and rancher, she seemed the logical pick for Doug. Maggie quit rounding up cattle many years ago and now focuses on rounding up kids and keeping s/v Eyrie in ship shape. You meet the nicest people over a cup of coffee at a marina bar in Guatemala.

The weather settled down and we headed out as fast as we could pull anchor. We island hopped for a few days and with another "northern" coming we settled into a neat group of islands called the Pelican Cays. The anchorage was originally chosen because it provided good north and west protection and along with s/v Side by Side we had the place to ourselves. For all you Google Earth people we anchored at N 16*40'20.5", W 088*11'30.5". The weather skipped over us and we took advantage of the nice weather to relax, suntan and get in the water snorkeling. In fact we made snorkeling part of school and it fulfilled our P.E. and Science class for the day. The P.E. assignment was simple, do not drown. The science assignment was to find at least one new species of reef fish or creature or explain a new fish behavior you observed.

After two hours of great shallow water snorkeling we returned to the boat with wonderful memories, new fish and coral to look up in the reference books, and 5 nice crabs, 4 lobsters and 3 large conch. After taking care of our catch, lunch was a lite fare of cheese and bread with pate and salami. As we savored one of our favorite lunches at anchor we dove into our reference books and had a great time describing our new discoveries and trying to identify them. We really love shallow water snorkeling. Often times the greatest diversity of marine life seems to be around coral heads in shallow water. The coral we were exploring was in 1-6 feet of water. This shallow coral allows you to float on the surface and just observe the interaction of all the marine life in an unhurried way. Throw in a Spotted Eagle Ray, Lobster, Crab and a little sleeping Nurse Shark and you have all the ingredients for a perfect snorkel.

Having purchased fresh okra in Placencia, Susan and I had made a roux and began preparing gumbo earlier in the day. The question was would the gumbo be chicken or seafood? Fortune had smiled on us and as we enjoyed gumbo loaded with lobster and crab we had fun talking about whom of our family and friends would enjoy this meal most. It was easy, Grandpa Rob and Grandma Sue was at the top of the list with my good friend Jay Snyder a quick second. The kids cleaned up from dinner and all four of us headed up on deck and cuddled under blankets and watched the stars and told stories. We finally went to bed after one of those days you dream about before you go cruising.

There are many things that can frustrate a person about living on a sailboat. They seem to disappear quickly after a day like today. Making new friends from "back home", spending time with your kids discovering new and wonderful things about this amazing world we live in, great food fresh from the sea, and telling stories under the stars are priceless treasures we hope we never forget. I look forward to our kids cuddling with their children and telling them stories. Maybe one of their stories will begin, "Let me tell you about the time science class turned into seafood gumbo".

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Love Well

The 4Wheelers

Cruising Realities

2008-11-17T10:25:00.001-08:00

Cruising Realities

"Dad, can I drive?" was the request made of me yesterday as we loaded onto a 22 foot long fiberglass launch powered by a 90 horsepower Yamaha outboard. Selfishly I wanted to say no because this is a fast and fun boat to drive especially when you consider we were navigating through a myriad of mangrove canals on the coast of Belize. It is sort of like being in charge of your own Disneyland ride, except that you are in control of the throttle. As we raced through the mangroves I could only smile as I thought about the stories my now 10 year old son would tell someday about driving this launch.

We had left our boat in Placencia, Belize for a day to visit a piece of property being developed by a foundation upon whose board I am a member. During our time with the founder of the foundation he inevitably asked each of us, "what is the most exciting or enjoyable thing that you have done in the last 10 months?" The kids were able to quickly list off quite a few and yet Susan and I found ourselves able to generate a list of challenges or realities of cruising faster than we could identify the "most enjoyable" events.

I have been asked by a number of people over the past few months to write about the realities of cruising. In a nutshell cruising is really not unlike any other lifestyle choice. There are those parts of this lifestyle which appeal to you and are the ones that cause you ultimately to choose this path. In the case of cruising on a sailboat it might be the challenge of harnessing the wind to sail the ocean, visiting remote and exotic destinations, the sense of freedom that comes along with life on the sea, or many others. In talking with cruisers over the past 10 months the motivators to go cruising have been as varied as the individuals we have met.

Then there are those much less talked about realities which in one way are simply the mechanics of the endeavor. Cruising like any other undertaking has as part of its makeup certain requirements or expectations that cannot be avoided. Some of these are known prior to casting off the dock lines yet the majority are not understood and certainly not fully appreciated until one makes the commitment and finally leaves. Many of these realities do not often get written about because they are frankly not that enjoyable and certainly not "fun" to write about.

The mundane activities of life continue on a boat much like they do on land. There are meals to be prepared, laundry to do, a boat to keep clean, dishes to wash and school to attend to. Keep in mind that most of these are more difficult and take more time on a boat as well. Add to these the unique requirements of living on a boat and what you have is a long list of things that need constant vigilance and attention. In writing this article I realized we do not even have many photographs of the everyday routines on board. You don't usually grab the camera to preserve the image of someone preparing a meal, cleaning the head (bathroom) or polishing stainless steel.

The real nemesis of all those who live on the sea is salt. Salt on a french fry makes an ordinary snack suddenly cause one to pause and consider all that is good in life. Every electrical connection, pipe fitting and interface is under constant attack. The Gameboy DS that Marshall brought on board less than one year ago has already been rendered useless, even though it was always stored in its own case and transported in a dry bag. Place any device or object not originally designed by God to live in a salt water environment and what you have is an unrelenting race against time. The very best materials and engineering in time all give up to the tireless attack of Neptune.

To some people life's daily routines or maintenance and upkeep is a fun challenge, to others it is a constant irritant or simply the cost of going sailing. To me, sailing author and editor of Latitudes and Attitude magazine Bob Bitchin summed it up when he said, "Attitude, the difference between adventure and ordeal." Sailing has many lessons for it's' students and perhaps one of the most important is that we each have a choice whether life is ordeal or adventure. We are the first to admit that much of what we have experienced has been sheer joy and still other moments have made us want to pack our bags and head home. By persevering through the curve balls that life at sea has thrown us and by choosing our attitude we can say without pause that the reality of cruising has and continues to be a grand adventure.

photos

2008-11-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

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2008-11-15T03:26:00.001-08:00

300 Days Afloat

2008-11-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

300 Days Afloat-Another Chapter Comes to a Close

Since I took the opportunity to reflect upon our journey as a family after 100 and 200 days afloat I guess it seems reasonable to write a 300 days afloat article. We certainly have experienced much in the last 300 days and as I write this article I find myself struggling with two opposing emotions I believe common to most cruisers, or to anyone who chooses to live a life of exploration and discovery.

This morning we made one last round in the marina saying goodbye to so many who have become family to us over the last two and a half months. We said goodbye to Vince, Basil, and Maggie, the three boat dogs that came to visit daily and always brought a smile to our faces. They were charming additions to the marina and we will miss them and their owners.

I am the first to admit that I do not do goodbyes well, and frankly I do not like them, so I generally choose to say, "See you soon" or "take care and we will catch you on the water in Belize". The truth is we will undoubtedly see some of our new friends again and others we will not likely see again. I am reminded of the statement made by Jodi Picoult in her book Keeping Faith, "The truth doesn't always set you free; people prefer to believe prettier, neatly wrapped lies."

The reality is we said goodbye to a number of people today who we will not see again soon, if ever. Many are sailing south and we are sailing north. Still others like our friends Frankie and Roger on s/v Infinity who we planned on sailing with all the way from Panama to Florida have encounter boat and health challenges that have held them in Panama and we doubt our sailing paths will ever cross again. It is tempting and certainly more comfortable for me to construct a prettier neatly wrapped lie that denies this reality and yet I recognize it is not the truth. The leavening ingredient that makes all these goodbyes palatable is that those we left behind this morning gave us much, having invested themselves in relationship with us, and we are better because of it.

Amy and Marshall have matured so much during our time in Guatemala. A number of people commented on how nice it was to see Marshall come out of his shell, and Amy is quickly changing from a little girl into a lovely lady. We owe much of this maturation process to the individuals who took the time to befriend and get to know us and our kids. There were many days that our kids spent more time with other people in the marina than with us on our boat. I was proud of Marshall at the Halloween party for wearing a costume that most 10 year old boys would not. He liked it and wore it proudly and even won a prize for funniest costume. Amy also dressed up and won the award for most original costume in the adult category and danced the night away with all of us.

The contrary emotion I am facing is one of excitement. As we lifted the anchor and began to slowly motor away from the marina I felt like dancing on the foredeck. We were no longer tied to a dock. I could feel the water moving under Mima and the breeze blowing through my hair. It felt like I was taking that first motorcycle ride in the spring. It was as if I had been confined and bounded with no horizon and now I had been set free. Amy, with her highly social personality, liked the marina and easy access to so many people and activities but Sue and I are not marina folks. The confines of the marina and lack of privacy and independence do not appeal to us and as we motored down the Rio Dulce we began to feel free again. We dropped the anchor in Texan Bay, where we will spend the night before checking out of Guatemala and heading to sea tomorrow and begin to rediscover why it was that we went cruising in the first place.

Today we said goodbye in order that tomorrow we might say hello to new people and places. The very nature of the cruising lifestyle requires that one become proficient at saying hello and goodbye. We all admit that we like the hellos better than the goodbyes but we are also realizing that the reason the goodbyes are difficult is because we have been blessed to make so many good friends. As we journey on together as a family we remain committed to investing in our relationships with each other and those with whom we have the pleasure to come in contact with.

We wish you many happy hellos and sad goodbyes, the 4Wheelers

FW: Volcanoes, Jade, and a Picture of Love

2008-10-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Volcanoes, Jade, and a Picture of Love

Some of my fondest memories as a child revolve around time spent with my grandparents. Holidays were always extra special if they were with us, and in fact it seems that having them visit seemed to turn ordinary days into extraordinary days. For the first two weeks in October we were blessed to have our second set of grandparents (Amy and Marshall's that is) come and spend time with us since we left Idaho. I should tell you that sailing is not on my mom's list of priorities and since we are still waiting out hurricane season we decided to travel inland and see some of Guatemala together.

My parents have traveled extensively, and along with sailing, traveling to third world destinations also fell off the priority list many years ago. But as parents and grandparents have been doing for centuries they set their personal preferences aside and loaded up and headed out to see the kids and grand kids. It was quite the adventure and between a volcano melting our shoes, riding on horses and in tuk tuks, visiting some amazing ruins, learning more about Guatemalan culture, history and their only "Saint" we experienced a little of everything this country has to offer.

Our trip began and ended in Guatemala City with a week spent in between in Antigua. I am sure there are varying opinions on this, but to us Antigua is really the crown jewel of Guatemala. Built by the Spanish, this traditional city, complete with cobblestone streets, takes one back in time and feels much more like historical Europe than Central America. That is of course if you can ignore the beautifully dressed Guatemalan ladies. I continue to marvel at the color and complexity of the tapestries still worn by so many of them. They provided a kaleidoscope of color set against the rich architectural past of this quaint town.

As the original capital of Guatemala, Antigua has a footprint smaller than downtown Boise yet there are over 50 ruins, mostly churches, within its city limits. Many of the ruins have been or currently are under renovation and a guided walking tour of the city gave us a better appreciation not only for the architecture and design of the city but also the challenges faced by Antiguan residents over the centuries. At its' peak, Antigua was a thriving city, yet after the capital was moved to Guatemala City the city slowly declined for two centuries. It has been in more recent years that the city has seen resurgence in economic viability, mostly due to tourism, and this new energy is providing the emphasis to preserve this historical landmark.

Guatemala is one of the few countries in the world that mines Jade. In fact a few rare types of Jade are found only in Guatemala and Burma. Antigua has emerged as the Jade manufacturing capital of Guatemala. With numerous jade factories the variety of jewelry and decorative pieces made from Jade was astounding. The Mayans knew of and used jade, and many of the jade masks recovered by archeologists are reproduced by modern craftsmen and are a wonderful reminder and glimpse into the past. The color and variety of jade from black to translucent with green, blue and lilac in between are a jade artists dream come true. No trip to Antigua is complete without a jade factory tour. It was a treat to be able to buy Amy a beautiful ring of lilac jade for her 13^th birthday while we were there.

The other thing I had to do in Guatemala was climb a volcano, and when I learned you can roast marshmallows over flowing lava at a volcano near Antigua I signed up for the trip. Originally my plan was just for my immediate family to climb the volcano. I figured my mom and dad would hang out at the hotel while we ventured up the volcano. As it turned out they decided to go with us and we all made it to the top. My mom and dad rode horses as far as possible and walked the remainder, and the rest of us got our daily workout, hiking to just over 12,000 feet. We spent 20 minutes at the top warming ourselves over steam vents and roasting marshmallows over open lava. Seeing firsthand the awesome creative power and energy contained within a volcano is not an experience we will soon forget and served as a great lesson in geology. One word of advice if you decide to climb an active volcano; keep your feet moving or the ground will melt your shoes.

To say the volcano climb was more than my parents bargained for is a gross understatement, but to their credit they did not give up and I have to say that I was really proud of them. Numerous people on the climb told me how cool it was my mom and dad did this with their grand kids. As I walked down the volcano behind my mother on the horse, holding onto the saddle for dear life I thought to myself, "this is what love looks like." Setting aside our own personal desires to make room for the dreams and desires of those you love. My parents are "really cool" and I am grateful for the example they continue to set for me and my family.

We made it back to the hotel with our melted shoes and after a late lunch we spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing. What a great experience and memory we will all not soon forget.

Live Slow, Sail Fast, Love Well

The 4Wheelers

Terror on the Rio Dulce-Again

2008-10-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

Boarded, Bound & Burglarized

Terror on the Rio Dulce, Again

For the last 10 months most of what we have experienced cruising has really been fun and exciting. The events I relate below happened just over two months ago and I have been slow to write about them as I have tried to process through my own thoughts and emotions. As we prepare to leave the Rio Dulce It seems like the right time to relate this information. I initially submitted a revised version of this article to the Idaho Statesman back in September but this more candid and detailed account has been subsequently published by Sailing World. If you read the original article read down to learn more about significant security risks on the Rio Dulce.

We were all saddened by the tragic death of a fellow cruiser, Daniel Dryden, at the hands of bandits on the Rio Dulce on August 9, 2008. Our deepest condolences and prayers remain with Nancy as she recovers from her injuries, and the family and friends of the Dryden's as they put the pieces of their lives back together without Dan. What is not as well known is that the unrest on the Rio was not isolated to this single event.

For s/v Dream Odyssey, s/v Ctoy, and s/v Mima, August 11 began and ended with a range of emotions uncommon to this sailor and author. We had all arisen at 2:30 a.m. to weigh anchor and head the 25 miles to the mouth of the Rio Dulce to take advantage of an early morning high tide to get across the bar at sunrise and into Livingston, Guatemala. Our careful and thoughtful planning was rewarded by a smooth and "bottomless" crossing. The bar at the mouth of the Rio Dulce has a mean low water depth of 5 feet 6 inches. Of the three boats I draw the most at nearly 6 feet 6 inches. As such we had planned our crossing to correspond with high tide and we never saw less than 7 feet 2 inches. None of the boats touched bottom and by 6:30 a.m. we were safely across the bar and anchored, waiting for the local officials to check us in and purchasing shrimp from the local fishermen.

We were all checked in and cleared by lunch time. We had a quick meal in Livingston and weighed anchor to head up river. I was ecstatic to finally be in the famed Rio Dulce. The first turn in the river ushered us into the jungle, and the river was as beautiful as I had imagined with 200 foot cliffs on one side and lush jungle on the other. We had been advised of the Dryden murder upon our arrival in Livingston by our immigration agent, he also reminded us to not anchor in the middle of the river so as to keep out of the way of boat traffic, and to anchor near a town and close together if we did anchor. In his words the Dryden murder was an isolated case and the river otherwise was a safe place given the advice mentioned above. As such, we chose to anchor at the mouth of the Rio Tatin. The cruising guides suggest this anchorage and talks about the Mayan community here and the volunteer opportunities available in the local school and clinic. We wanted to check it out and arrange to do some volunteer work with our kids during the summer, and maybe visit the spring fed pools at the head of the river.

We were able to meet the local school teacher and his family and visit the spring fed pools. It was a lovely afternoon but as the sun set we all began to feel our 2:30 a.m. wake up call. All three boats did dinner early and retired. Dinghy's were lifted and locked as usual; extra lights were left on for security and visibility. After a wonderful shrimp dinner I was in bed and asleep by 8:30 p.m., thrilled to be in the Rio Dulce and excited about what the next day would bring.

At 9:30 p.m. after having been asleep for only an hour all hell broke loose. We were awoken by Greg yelling from s/v CToy that Dream Odyssey had been boarded and robbed. Greg and I secured our boats and crews and I dropped our dingy and picked up Greg and Barbara and went immediately to Dream Odyssey. What we learned from Roy and Michelle and saw onboard Dream Odyssey impacted us all deeply. Here is the account that Michelle gives.

"At around 8:30 p.m., while eating dinner, watching a movie and running the generator, at least 5 men with machetes & a gun, boarded our boat and actually came right into the salon and stood behind me before we even knew they were there!!!! We did not resist.
Before it was all over, they tied us up, gagged us, threatened Roy with a knife for the dinghy keys, took our money/credit cards, two laptops (with all of our charts, navigational guides & travel logs for the past 4 years, plus all of our photographs!!!), printer, watches, cameras, camcorder, DVD player, LCD-TV, phones, various chargers, radio/cassette player, our safe, etc., etc. They tried very hard to steal the dinghy & motor but were unsuccessful.
We estimate at least $20,000.00 worth of equipment was taken!!!! Some equipment was damaged while ripping things out but they did not otherwise trash or damage the boat & THANKFULLY we were not hurt!!! They were on board at least an hour.
We believe they got us to us via a large wooden boat but we never saw it or heard anything. I managed to get untied after they left and they had missed taking the VHF in the cockpit, so we were able to radio our friends who were safe and completely unaware, even though they both said they had made a visual check of our boat during that hour. It was a traumatic experience to say the least & we are doing our best to put it behind us!!!"

True to Roy and Michelle's personality all they kept asking me is "are your kids safe?" These two are the salt of the earth and we are blessed to be their friends. We are all thankful that neither of them had been physically hurt, never -the- less, the senseless and cowardly nature of the robbery still leaves us asking why. Crime at any time is a cowardly act and usually it is viewed from afar, but this time it was our friends and we were involved. Much of what was taken will have very little value on the street and these two wonderful individuals have been rocked to the core.

As disturbing as the robbery was it unfortunately does not end there. Later that night another boat was boarded and fortunately again, no one was hurt. We have learned that this sort of activity has been going on for years here and yet none of the guide books or internet websites gives cruisers any warning regarding the very real and palpable security risks that exist on the Rio Dulce. I have been unable to find any security warnings on local cruiser based business websites and although everyone is verbally sympathetic to Roy and Michelle and the robbery there seems to be a sense that if we don't talk about it maybe it will go away or at least won't hurt business. A local ex-cruiser now resident told me "everyone knows that if you anchor near the Rio Tatin you will be boarded". It is odd to me that no one here on the river has ever taken the time to post anything on the web or in print media for those of us who are first time visitors. In fact the cruising guides suggest anchoring where we did as an intermediate stop up the river.

The authorities learned the identity of the perpetrators within days but were unable to react because in their words it is "very sensitive." Once a raid did occur and some of the stolen items recovered the police were run out of town by 40-50 locals carry machetes and boards with nails through them and they were unable to finish their raid. Unfortunately the police and navy have such a bad reputation that they are not trusted by the local Guatemalans. Four arrests were made and the men identified as the robbers. Two of the cowards were underage and could not be held. The father and ring leader, along with his adult son, were held and then just 10 days later they were released with "not enough evidence to hold them". I guess the authorities forgot about the stolen items recovered and positive identification made. To add insult to injury, the judge presiding over the case (whom Roy and Michelle have been unable to meet with after several attempts) asked Roy and Michelle directly to be paid (bribed) to release the recovered items that were stolen from them.

Ironically, the local police force developed to protect tourists and their interests (INGUAT), although helpful to Roy and Michelle initially, seemed to think nothing of the bribe requested by the judge. The take home message is clear to this cruiser. We must never let our guard down and be aware that as good as the cruiser information web is in other parts of the Caribbean it is sorely inept here. The primary purpose of the VHF net here seems to be who has the best lunch special. The day after Roy and Michelle were robbed a local restaurant owner actually asked on the net if the information being relayed could wait until after the net was over so people could get on with their lunch special announcements. In fact a number of individuals who have taken up residency here have suggested that we should have known better than to anchor where we did. Our only question of them is how we are supposed to know if they don't communicate with the cruising community regarding these security issues. The brotherhood that normally exists among cruisers has been lulled into complacency here.

I recognize this report will ruffle a few feathers, but with a combined cruising experience among the three boats of over 12 years and more than 75 countries visited, the lack of any rule of law here, and an apathetic resident community should give all future visitors to the Rio Dulce a moment of pause. Having now spent the hurricane season on the river I have attempted to talk with every cruiser I could to get their take on the river. The feeling is unanimous among "cruisers". "Cruiser" being defined as yachtsman still on the move and who have not taken up permanent or semi-permanent residency on the river that this is the most unsafe place they have ever visited while cruising. The murder rate in Nicaragua is 3.1 per 100,000, in the United States it is 7.1 per 100,000, in Guatemala it is 47 per 100,000. The statistics speak for themselves, do the math.

It is not my desire to place blame on anyone regarding the unfortunate events on Dream Odyssey. We remain thankful that they were not hurt but also desire that everyone entering the Rio Dulce in the future be fully aware of the security risks. Perhaps Jodi Picoult in her book Keeping Faith said it best, "The truth doesn't always set you free; people prefer to believe prettier, neatly wrapped lies." Guatemala is a breathtaking country and the people are lovely but we are all best served knowing all the information not just the nice stuff.

Use the information that you can and disregard the rest, but please be careful here and in all your cruising destinations.

Fair Winds, Mark, Susan, Amy and Marshall Wheeler aboard s/v Mima

Mima Goes Mayan and Ponders Greed

2008-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Technically only the crew of s/v Mima went Mayan. We returned to Honduras to visit Mayan ruins while Mima sat safely at our marina on the Rio Dulce. One of the things we had looked forward to most in the days leading up to our hurricane season forced sabbatical in Guatemala was learning more about Mayan history and culture. We had purchased Mayan history books prior to leaving Idaho in expectation of our time in Central America and we have used our geographic location as a spring-board to learn about this intriguing piece of world history. We were also pleasantly surprised when both Amy and Marshall really seemed to get into reading about this fascinating culture.

Tikal in Guatemala is generally considered to be the New York City of ancient Mayan culture and we will make a trip there in 3 weeks. Copan in Honduras is often referred to as the Paris of Mayan culture. Once we heard that and spoke with other travelers who had visited Copan we realized we wanted to go. We loaded up and after an “easy” 6 hour bus ride we arrived at the border. Perhaps I should explain what an “easy” 6 hour bus ride in Guatemala is. The bus, thankfully was not the famed “chicken buses” of Guatemala but an older Mercedes Benz bus that I am sure started its’ life shuttling camera toting tourists around to sites of interest in comfort and class. When they have outlived their lives in more developed countries they seem to get sent here and are referred to as express buses.

The airline style reading lights and air conditioning vents are all still in place, although not operational, as are the curtains. The seats still maintain most of their padding and at least they only allow one person per seat. A big difference between this bus and buses in the U.S. is you stop a lot. I mean A LOT. We stopped for the driver to hand a car radio off to a friend, for him to say hello to a passing bus driver and about a hundred other times, some of which made sense some of which left us scratching our heads. Our driver was very nice and quite interested in the gringos on his bus and loved talking with us, most of the time while driving and text messaging simultaneously. Did I mention that he was really cool? He had the look of a guy ready for anything. Big oversized sunglasses and rings on every finger and that stylish ultra-short beard that made me wonder if he just forgot to shave. None the less, it all worked for him and he pulled it off well.

I do not know much else about our driver except to say that I think he hopes to be a NASCAR driver in his next life and takes practicing with his bus very seriously. This guy moved through the gears like he was driving a dragster, and attempted and succeeded in passing cars and trucks in situations I would not attempt in a Ferrari, but he got us there safely and on time. Once at the border between Guatemala and Honduras it was an easy 15 minute taxi ride to the charming city of Copan Ruinas.

Copan Ruinas has flourished as a town because of the ruins located just one mile from town. The city retains its small town charm and friendliness, yet the constant flow of tourists has attracted many entrepreneurs catering to the broad international base of tourists. The coffee shops, quaint hotels and shops, and beautiful town square invite one to come and stay for a while. But we were here to see the ruins, so the following morning after hooking up with our guide Mike; we headed off to explore our first Mayan ruins.

The Copan ruins are the most researched and excavated of all the ancient Mayan sites. Since the turn of the 19^th century archaeologists from around the world have been carefully studying and reconstructing this once vibrant city. Entire temples have been found intact contained within the ruins of later structures. The most ornate and complicated of stone carvings that exist today from Mayan culture were all found here, giving rise to the title, “The Paris of Mayan Society”. Much of the old city now looks like it did 1500 years ago minus the colorful paint, and visitors need not imagine much to visualize a vibrant city of over 30,000 people living and working in this valley.

As we walked through the ancient city looking at massive stone carvings called Stellas, and giant architectural structures, we kept saying to ourselves, “wow, could you imagine walking through the jungle and discovering that?” Who knows, maybe one of the 4Wheelers will be an archaeologist someday.

I also found myself thinking about the many similarities between this ancient civilization and ours. I do not pretend to be an expert on Mayan culture nor would I suggest that the practice of animal sacrifice resembles modern society. I am, however, struck by the similarities between the fall of Mayan culture and the current economic challenges facing the United States. Experts suggest that one of the prime reasons for the decline of Mayan culture was that they grew to a state of such excess that the environment around them was unable to support them.

This seems not unlike the excess we have seen exhibited lately by a few that has created such an economic hardship for so many innocent hard-working families. As Augustine noted, we are afflicted with restless hearts. We want more. Yet our wants are often unschooled, wide ranging, without limit, ready to alight on the first sweet-smelling tropical blossom that comes our way. The problem it seems in the matter of desire is not that we desire deeply but that we often desire deeply the wrong things. Not unlike the Mayans of old and the greed driven, “Wall Street” individuals of today.

The line is often very thin between need and want, and we are trying to learning how to live lives that embrace who we are as individuals married to a broader commitment to the natural environment around us and the most treasured of all entities, our fellow human beings. I continue to ask myself if I am balancing the realization of our many blessings with a generous and giving spirit. As we all struggle to make our way in this ever changing world we are hoping we can do so in such a way that addresses not only our needs but the needs of others. From the jungles of Honduras to your home our prayer is that we all are learning to live, love and share well.

Verbos Y Volcano (Verbs and Volcanos)

2008-09-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Guatemala Highlands

Mark & my Spanish Teacher

La semana pasada la familia Wheeler estuvo estudiando Espanol en Quetzeltanango. The translation for those of us not yet fluent in Spanish is that for the last week the Wheeler family has been studying Spanish in Quetzeltanango, Guatemala.

Since arriving to the Rio Dulce on August 11th we have been going non-stop. Five days after arriving we hauled out to give Mima a new coat of bottom paint. With the help of three local men we had the job done in a week and we were back in the water. It was our first time out of the water and it was quite a sight for us to see 50,000 pounds of sailboat sitting on land.

Once back in the water we got settled at Mario’s Marina and three days later we were on a bus to Guatemala City. Our good friends and cruising buddies, the Johnson’s (s/v Side by Side), were flying back to Guatemala City after 8 weeks back in the U.S. Our plan is to travel inland together for a few weeks and also to attend language school together. After a day in Guatemala City we loaded into a van together and after 6 hours arrived in the mountain town of Quetzeltanango, 182 Km from the capitol city. If you are doing the math that is roughly 113 miles in 6 hours.

Although we were in a private chartered van the sheer ruggedness of the terrain made for a very slow ride. The minutes melted away however as every turn in the road revealed another breathtaking vista. The sheer beauty of Guatemala escapes this author’s descriptive ability. In 6 hours we had gone from the metropolis of Guatemala City through beautifully cultivated fields into highland jungles and finally into pine forests always surrounded by volcanoes. As I write this I am looking out over 7 volcanoes three of which are active. The people and landscape of Guatemala are candy for the eyes, bring a smile to your face and place a joy in your heart. This is a truly spectacular country.

Upon arriving in Quetzeltanango (Xela to the Mayan) we settled in with our host family and began our week of Spanish emersion. Our Spanish program involved 5 hours daily of individual tutoring and as much Spanish afterhours as possible. We spent all our mornings in class studying Spanish and even had homework to do in the evenings. The rest of the day we spent exploring the city and its’ many attractions. Xela is the second most important economic center in Guatemala. The city is also in the center of an area populated largely by indigenous Mayans. The dress, culture and pride of the Mayan provided a fitting complement to the natural beauty of the area.

We have now moved onto a coffee finca (farm) that is cooperatively owned by the 40 families that reside here. This all organic fair trade coffee and macadamia nut plantation is a fully sustainable farm that generates its own biodiesel and has its own water purification system and hydroelectric power source. It has been a wonderful learning experience as we gain more knowledge about the history of Guatemala and the struggle of its’ rural inhabitants to carve out a place in this new democracy. Where the road leads from here we are not sure but where ever it leads we are assured of beautiful vista and charming people.

Until next time we trust your coffee is warm and your macadamia nuts sweet.
The 4Wheelers

3 Countries In 7 Days - Part 2

2008-08-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

Mima Has Landed-Three Countries In Seven Days

Part 2.

We were enjoying ourselves so much we decided to stay another day and do some more fishing and snorkeling. Little did we know that tomorrow Marshall would be robbed of one of his dearest possessions? To be continued……

The following day started like any other I guess. That is if you are fortunate enough to find yourself sitting on a sailboat in the middle of paradise. The sunrise brushed the sky with a plethora of oranges and reds beyond description, and as the sun made its daily journey into the sky the water turned from black to blue and then settled on a shade of turquoise only the sun and sea seem capable of creating.

Marshall awoke and his feet had barely touched the floor when he began pleading to call Greg and go fishing again. I informed Marshall that Greg watches more sunsets than sunrises, so after a quick breakfast we headed out for a little fishing on our own. We had experienced good fortune yesterday trolling a couple of lures around the cuts between the reefs and so we rigged up and began to wind our way in and out of the reef. If you have ever taken kids fishing in the ocean you know what the conversation consisted of. "Dad what if we catch a Marlin that weighs 200 pounds or one of those giant Tarpon we swam with yesterday?" "That would be awesome!" I said. Secretly hoping for maybe a 10 pound snapper or grouper but not wanting to dampen Marshall's enthusiasm.

After trolling for an hour and a half a squall blew in with quite a bit of rain and we decided to head back to Mima to wait out the rain and maybe get Greg to join us for round number two. As we began to head back I asked Marshall, "Do you want to troll back or bring in the lines and go fast?" "Let's troll back," he said. "Good choice" I commented "you never know when you are going to catch a fish." We were making our way slowly back to the boat when Marshall's line was slammed. "Dad I got one!" hollered Marshall as he began to play the fish. After a few violent runs the fish tired and Marshall landed a nice little two foot long Barracuda. "Can we show Greg?" Marshall asked as we slowly towed the barracuda behind the dinghy.

Once alongside S/V CToy, Greg rewarded Marshall with a healthy dose of enthusiasm and encouragement. We were chatting and telling fish stories with Greg and Barbara when Marshall suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream heard by all three boats in the anchorage. In my peripheral vision what I thought had been a chunk of coral under the boat began to move and was heading directly for us. I was so alarmed that I literally stepped back, which is hard to do in a dinghy, trying to avoid the vague leviathan approaching. A moment later a mouth appeared out of the water and swallowed the barracuda whole.

Now this created a problem. The barracuda was still attached to Marshall's line and we now had a Goliath Grouper hooked on very light tackle. If we landed this fish it will be a world record. Marshall was fishing with the equivalent of a medium weight trout rod. Perfect for small reef fish but way under powered to land a giant grouper.

Marshall handed the rod to me and as line screamed off the reel we both stood in shock at what we had just observed and Marshall realized he had been robbed of his fish by none other than a fish larger than himself. His earlier "what if" questions seemed to be coming true and for a few brief moments I just held onto the rod and Greg kept saying "Whoa! Did you see that?" As the grouper headed back to where he had come from I tried to set the hook but eventually the grouper decided this little barracuda was not worth the trouble and spit the fish out whole. Marshall landed the barracuda for a second time and he was much the worse for wear. Scarred and cut up by the grouper's teeth we got the barracuda on board and sat in awe of what had just happened. Like true fishermen everywhere we spent the rest of the day trying to catch that grouper again on stronger tackle, but in the end I guess that grouper did not get that big by falling for the same trick twice.

The following day found us sailing for Guatemala. Another 8 hours of motor sailing into the wind and we arrived in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (country number three) greeted by a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins. We spent a day looking around the town and visiting a mall where the kids eagerly hit McDonalds for lunch while we opted for tacos.

We were up and weighing anchor the following morning at 2:30 a.m. to take advantage of a high tide crossing over the bar at the mouth of the Rio Dulce River at sunrise. Mima draws a little over 6 feet and the mean low water level at the bar is 5 feet 6 inches. If you do the math that means we need extra water to make it over safely without hitting bottom or going aground. Add to that equation a rather narrow "sweet spot" in the channel and you have an exciting bit of navigation before you.

We were at the set up buoy at 6:00 a.m. and with S/V Dream Odyssey and S/V CToy in the lead, both of which draw less than Mima, we began our slow and well planned crossing. For the next 15 minutes we carefully followed GPS waypoints with Greg calling out depths to warn me of any potential shallow spots. I was a nervous wreck, Susan faired pretty well, and Amy and Marshall were still in bed asleep. Sometimes it is good to be the crew and not the captain. Our crossing was accompanied by the shrimp fleet returning and once we had cleared the shallowest part of the bar Susan quickly got in the dinghy and was negotiating for shrimp before we were ever anchored. Marshall woke up and helped me set the anchor and by 6:30 we had crossed the bar and Susan was now the proud owner of 10 pounds of fresh shrimp.

We checked in with the local authorities and spent a few hours in Livingston, Guatemala before beginning up the Rio Dulce to our new home for the next 3 months. What a week it had been. Three countries in seven days highlighted by a pristine jungle experience, snorkeling and fishing in a paradise-like setting, Marshall being robbed by a giant grouper, and finally, safely crossing the bar into the famed Rio Dulce.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, the 4Wheelers

3 Countries In 7 Days

2008-08-10T03:16:00.000-07:00

Mima Has Landed

Three countries in seven days; hiking 2000 stairs, snorkeling with giant tarpon, Marshall being robbed, what a ride but we have finally arrived in Guatemala, our new home for the next three months. Before I get ahead of myself let me tell you about the past week and our continuing adventures.

If you recall my last article the kids had just finished their Scuba certification in Roatan, Honduras. After going on a couple dives together we left the Island of Roatan for Utila, the last of the Bay Islands. We spent 4 lazy days on Utila and enjoyed our time their very much before heading to the mainland of Honduras on our way to Guatemala and the Rio Dulce. Our sail to the mainland was not one. What I mean is that for the first time we experienced a west wind. What direction are we heading? You guessed it, west. Now in fairness to all the true sailors out there we could have tacked all over the place and sailed all the way to our destination but I have never claimed to be a true sailor. So we motor sailed and after 8 hours arrived at Puerto Escondido, Honduras.

The anchorage is part of a Honduran national park and we were greeted upon entering the anchorage with the fragrant bouquet of jungle flowers and the roar of Howler Monkeys. It was good to be back in the jungle again. The following day all three boats in our little flotilla (S/V Dream Odyssey, S/V CToy and S/V Mima) headed to shore to hike in the forest. I had not been on shore more than a couple of minutes and a pair of Plain Chachalaca (Google this one) came to check us out, very cool. Our real objective however, was a hike up 1000 stairs to an overlook we had heard about. We found the trail and were off. This is a rugged coast line and the stairs were necessary as it seemed that we were going straight up.

After 653 stairs, yes we counted as it kept our minds off our burning legs, we reached the top. It turns out that the remainder of the 1000 steps is on the way down the other side so down we went. After a quick rest stop we were back off up and over the ridge as we were only an hour away from sunset. After a total of 2000 stairs and a couple miles of trail we were back on board the boat. The jungle was beautiful here and perhaps the most pristine we have yet visited. Amy commented later after seeing plastic debris along a lonely stretch of beach and in the water, "I can see why it is so important not to litter." That lesson alone is worth the trip and we certainly hope we can play an active role in preserving what is left of our pristine jungles and forests.

The next morning we left for the Sapodilla Cays in Belize, country number two, after spending two months in Honduran waters. We eventually want to visit Honduras again and explore inland. The eight hour trip to the Sapodillas was uneventful with the exception of Marshall landing a nice King Mackerel. The Sapodilla Cays are the southernmost group of islands in the barrier reef of Belize. The primary reason we came here was to get a better point of sail for our trip to Guatemala and to break up the sailing legs so as not to require any overnight passages. After searching around for a while for a good anchorage big enough to hold all three boats we settled in close to Hunting Cay and realized we were sitting in a truly wonderful spot.

We quickly launched the dinghy and our time snorkeling revealed that we were in the middle of an aquarium. Abundant fish, crabs of all sorts, lobsters, conch the list goes on and on and all were here to greet us. Dinner was sushi from the Mackerel we had caught and we all went to bed tired but excited to be in a new country.

The next day found us snorkeling once again and we even did some fishing from the dinghy. While trolling through the reef systems we noticed a number of large Tarpon feeding on a school of minnows. We threw a few lures at them with no luck so we dropped the anchor and put on snorkel gear and quietly got in the water. What we saw before us was the most amazing scene I have ever observed underwater. In just 12-15 feet of water the reef was literally bursting with life. A large school of minnows were seeking refuge close to the reef and all the big dogs had come out to feed.

Observed from 30 feet away the scene was mesmerizing but then I swam directly into the minnows. They completely engulfed me and my visibility was reduced to mere inches. As I floated motionless on the surface without warning the minnows would part like the Red Sea and here swimming directly at me was a 5 foot long Tarpon or a school of Yellow Tailed Snapper or little Tuna and on one occasion a Grouper tipping the scale well in excess of 100 pounds. Add to this mix a few larger Tuna, Barracuda, Dog Snapper and all the normal reef inhabitants and it felt like someone had set us in the middle of the greatest fish tank ever conceived. It was truly awe inspiring and I hated to finally get out of the water.

Dinner that night was a fish fry on the beach, compliments of Greg and Barbara on S/V CToy, and a truly memorable day had come to a close. We were enjoying ourselves so much we decided to stay another day and do some more fishing and snorkeling. Little did we know that tomorrow Marshall would be robbed of one of his dearest possessions? To be continued……

Fair Winds and Following Seas, the 4Wheelers

200 Days Afloat

2008-07-24T03:46:00.000-07:00

200 Days Afloat-Dreams Considered and Realized

"Dad, I went down 40 feet and saw the cutest little flounder," exclaimed Amy as she ran toward me from the dive boat. For five days, Amy (12) and Marshall (10) have been completing their Junior Open Water Scuba Certification. They are now certified and enjoying all that Scuba has to offer, not to mention the cute little flounder.

For the last month we have been living in and experiencing all that the Bay Islands of Honduras have to offer. The people and the islands have exceeded our expectations with abounding friendliness, wonderful fishing and snorkeling, not to mention many beautiful anchorages. Our slower than normal pace of travel has also provided the time to reflect on our journey so far, and as we approached our 200^th day cruising I found my mind and heart dwelling on dreams. Not those that come and go through the night but those that stay with us through life and provide direction and energy to our endeavors.

To many it seems, dreams reside as a vague notion, an indistinct vapor that appears and then quickly are gone without a trace. To others dreams burn with a white hot intensity and they become powerful motivators for action. But what are dreams and where do they come from, and perhaps more importantly, how do we respond to them throughout our lives?

In recent days I have become increasingly aware that many of the experiences we are now involved in cruising are the fulfillment of dreams started as a child for me. My childhood was one of great and varied experiences. I fell in love with the sea as a child living on the islands of Jamaica and Trinidad. In fifth grade I told my mom I wanted to be an ornithologist, and I have spent the rest of my life fascinated by birds. My favorite television programs as a kid were "Jacque Cousteau" and "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom," or any show having to do with wildlife, the sea, or the natural world around us. Now I sit here on board Mima with the sea all around me and wildlife in every direction. This truly is a dream come true.

If the last 200 days have been the maturation of dreams held since childhood I am becoming more convinced that I need to dream more, and of the responsibility I have as a parent to encourage dreaming and risk taking in order to accomplish them. This notion also convinces me that the dreams I have, although uniquely mine, are the composite of all the forces that played active roles in my upbringing. My father and mother chose to leave the comfort of the United States in the early 70's to live in Trinidad and Jamaica. They were following their hearts but simultaneously instilled in mine a deep love and curiosity about other cultures and places. My grandfather invested untold hours of his retirement to show me the wild places and to love them. A university professor, and now dear friend, took my curiosity about birds and cultivated it into a deep and abiding passion for everything that flies.

If life is experienced at its highest by the fulfillment of dreams, I have few greater tasks than to model for and cultivate in my children the desire to dream and the confidence to attempt them. The diversity of stories told by cruisers about how they embarked on their own voyage has reinforced in my mind the reality that if the dream exists, and alongside it the courage to attempt it, those dreams that are today vague and indistinct can be sharpened and honed into a burning passion that provides direction and energy to an endeavor.

What does all this mean to a family from Idaho floating around the Caribbean? What stops us from stepping out and claiming the life we want for ourselves? I continue to ask those questions but I am reminded daily that living a life based on dreams is far more worth living than accepting the corporate or societal norm. We are wonderfully and uniquely made and we are best served, it seems, living like we were designed to live. Not to fill the mold or expectation of another but to embrace with confidence those dreams residing within each of us.

What will the experience of cruising around the Caribbean mean to Amy and Marshall in the years to come? We can only guess, but I grow more convinced daily that by living in response to dreams we weave into the tapestry of their lives diverse, challenging, and unique experiences that will create a platform upon which they can begin to dream good dreams and muster the courage to attempt them.

Until next time, dream well and fair winds.

The 4Wheelers

Guanaja

2008-06-26T03:36:00.000-07:00

Guanaja-Island of Charm

Las Islas de la Bahia, Honduras, the bay islands are comprised of three major islands and numerous cays. Guanaja, Roatan and Utila lie just 20-30 miles off the northern shore of Honduras are much more Caribbean than Central American, so much so that the locals are quite adamant about the fact that they are "Islanders not Spaniards". When approached from the east, Guanaja is the first island encountered in the chain.

Guanaja is clearly the island visited least by tourists and even many yachtsmen choose to bypass the island in favor of the more developed Roatan. Isla Guanaja was discovered by Christopher Columbus on July 30, 1502, on his fourth and final voyage of discovery. Columbus was met by large dugout canoes carrying 25 Paya Indians in each and was quickly welcomed ashore. Columbus found excellent water and he noted that he had, "never tasted water of better quality." Guanaja was so covered in pine trees that Columbus initially named the island, Pine Island.

Sadly most of the pine trees that covered Guanaja were destroyed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Guanaja has recovered well but evidence of Mitch still exists over much of the land, most notably trees with the bark completely blown off them. Mitch sat over the island for nearly two days with sustained winds in excess of 200 m.p.h. In spite of Mitch the island is doing well has regained much of its beauty and was a great deal of fun for us to explore.

The only real city on the island is Bonacca which is actually located on a small cay a half mile off the main island of Guanaja. Perhaps best described as the Venice of the Caribbean, Bonacca is home to over 6,000 people all living on less than 100 acres. There are no streets and certainly no cars or scooters. In fact, even bicycles are prohibited. Everyone walks along sidewalks and paths with many of the homes and businesses being on stilts out over the water and 3 stories high. Just about everything you might need can be found in Bonacca if you are willing to look or ask. The locals all speak English so it was easy to interact. Remember they are "islanders not Spaniards."

We spent a few days anchored off a little island with a resort on it called Graham's Place. Graham's island paradise is a haven for anyone wanting to just hang out and enjoy the sun, beach and snorkeling away from the hustle and bustle of more developed island resorts. One of the highlights is his animals. Amy wrote in her journal, "Graham's place rocked, we got to swim with two nurse sharks, twenty sea turtles, twelve groupers (including a two hundred pound goliath grouper), bone fish and, many more exciting creatures. The turtles would swim right up to you and look at you with their adorable eyes while you pet them on the head, and the way the 5 ft barracuda looks at you makes you want to faint. The grouper was so big you could feel the water being pushed by his tail when he swam." If you are looking for a little getaway next winter check out www.grahamsplacehonduras.com.

The island is also home to several small waterfalls. The most beautiful of which is most easily accessed from the north side of the island. After a blustery sail we anchored in the lee of Michael's Rock on the north shore and enjoyed 4 days of solitude in this beautiful anchorage. The snorkeling and diving is great and the hike to the waterfall was great fun. We had forgotten how tired you can get walking up a trail. Apparently we have found our sea legs but I am afraid we have lost our land legs in the process.

In total we spent twelve wonderful days enjoying Guanaja, what a groovy/funky/beautiful little island Guanaja is. The islanders were welcoming and very enjoyable to interact with and made us feel right at home. The expat community redefined the word "diversity" and is a constant source of good laughs, information, and stimulating conversation. If you are sailing by or looking for a secluded getaway check out Guanaja.

Fair Winds and Caribbean Rhythms, the 4Wheelers

Stranded on a Deserted Island.

2008-06-09T03:01:00.000-07:00

Life Lesson Learned Stranded on a Deserted Island

After a fast and furious sail we arrived in a group of Islands known as Banco Vivorillo. Located off the northeast coast of Honduras, this small group of islands and surrounding coral reefs are home to thousands of birds and visited only occasionally by people. We had heard much about these islands and the wonderful abundance of sea life and we were glad to be here and anchored.

The following morning after our arrival, once finished with her school work, Amy asked if I would take her to the islands to photograph some of the birds and check out our new island home. I was glad to oblige her and off we went. For the next two hours we photographed and explored two of the three islands. It was a thrill to watch Amy get excited about the birds and photograph them. We compared the size, composition and location of the various nests as well as the size, color and number of eggs per nest. We just had a great time the two of us marveling at God's creation.

With two islands down there was just one left to explore. Off we went to check out the western most island. As we approached this mound of coral rubble with a few low lying bushes masquerading as an island I knew we were in for a treat. We were greeted by 4 Masked Boobies all lined up waiting to be photographed. We hurriedly pulled the dingy up on shore and for the next hour took literally hundreds of photographs of Brown and Masked Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds.

All my life I have read of explorers and adventurers that upon discovering new lands also discovered local fauna with no fear of man. I have dreamed of being in a place just like this for decades. We walked freely among adults and young and seemed to be nothing more than a curiosity to them. As Amy and I walked around the bottom end of the island I was keenly aware that a lifetime dream had just been realized. As I raised my head from the birds and looked out to sea my dream in a moment was turned into a nightmare. Two hundred yards off the shore I could see our dingy floating out into the ocean. In our haste to see the birds we had not tied off the dinghy and as the tide rose it carried our dinghy away.

I immediately made for the water and began to swim. As I began to swim I consciously told myself to settle down, breath smoothly and settle into a groove. Having done a few distance swims and run a couple of marathons I knew this would be a marathon swim but continued to crawl toward the dinghy. As the minutes went by and I continued to swim I felt that I was not making any progress toward the dinghy as it was moving too. I began to realize that I had a choice, return to shore or go for the dinghy. If I swam much further I was afraid I would not be able to make it back. I was tired and I knew from our charts and could feel in the water a strong current. I finally decided that today was not a good day to drown and return to shore, exhausted.

As Amy and I stood watching the dingy on the horizon we placed three sticks in line pointing to our last sighting of the dinghy and worked our way around the island. Once on the other side we were still about two miles away from Susan and Marshall onboard Mima. We found the remnants of an old tarp and made a flag and began to wave it hoping they would see and come investigate. Two hours later and still waving the reality of nightfall was settling in and I decided I needed to act. I gave Amy a kiss and promised her that I would return and made her promise me that she would not try to leave the island herself under any circumstance. I set off walking across the barrier reef to try and get as close as possible before I began to swim. I should point out here that I had no shoes and although I have swam a mile twice before this was a lot further. To my surprise I was able to walk well over a mile on the reef before I began my swim. I should also mention that it was Amy's idea to walk on the reef to get closer to the boat and end up more down current. What a smart girl she is.

As I got closer Susan realized something was wrong and heard me yelling help. I was hoping she would pull anchor and close the distance to reduce my length of swim and then we would go get Amy. As I swam and swam and Sue stood there watching I was furious. Why aren't people helping? She got in the water and began to swim toward me with my fins. Upon reaching me I asked why she had not come to get me and she informed me that once again the engine would not start. Let me tell you it was like someone stuck a knife in me. My little girl is all alone on the island and I am so tired of fixing this boat. I put on the fins and got to the boat as quick as possible.

Still no luck starting the motor and we were busy talking about what we should do. There were no other boats around to help and we tried the VHF radio to see if we could contact a boat we knew was on their way towards us earlier that day, all to no avail. So Susan packed a dry bag with water, granola bars, portable VHF radio, flashlight, snorkel gear and some clothes and got in the water with a boogie board to swim back to towards the reef to walk to Amy. Our plan was for her to get to Amy and then walk together across the reef again and swim to the boat. I did not think I could do it again and I had to figure out the motor.

I was able to get the motor running by the time Sue got to the reef to begin her walk across, with shoes, to Amy. She assured me via the portable VHF radio she was alright so I said I was going to run and see if we could find the dinghy and then get back to her and Amy. This entire time I could see Amy through the binoculars waving our flag just as she had been told. Quite the girl. I wondered what she must have been thinking seeing Mima motor away from her since she probably couldn't see Sue on the reef walking towards her yet.

Marshall and I made a beeline for the far side of the island and with the three sticks lined up (the ones Amy and I had set up) off our stern we were pointing due West, 270 degrees. We put the hammer down on Mima with Marshall at the helm manning the autopilot and monitoring the engine. I grabbed my binoculars and climbed the mast to the first spreader. I knew that at 8 knots we would close the distance fairly fast, but would we be able to see the dinghy? We had less than an hour of light left. We stayed on course and as the minutes passed I began to doubt we would find it. As I was beginning to calculate how many more minutes we would continue before turning back to get the girls before dark something on the horizon caught my eye. It couldn't be, but as I watched through the binoculars I was able to get a compass heading of, you guessed it, 270 degrees.

Within a couple of minutes I confirmed that what I thought was a just an abnormality in the water's surface was our dinghy. We came alongside 10 minutes later and retrieved the dry bag from the dinghy and tied her up and we were off, back to get the girls. The dry bag contained my Zeiss binoculars, digital telephoto equipment and Amy's camera gear, which along with a new dinghy and motor would have not been fun to replace. We easily made our way back, anchored, and retrieved the girls while watching a spectacular sunset. There were lots of hugs and kisses that evening and only energy enough to have PBJs for dinner.

Wow, what a day. The rest of our time in the Vivorillos was spent snorkeling, getting to know a couple of local fishermen and enjoying a really beautiful place. The silver lining to all these events are the lessons learned in the process. As I sat with Amy waving our homemade flag I asked her what the worst case scenario was. She correctly identified the uncomfortable prospect of spending the night on the island and the loss of our dinghy, motor and dry bag gear. Being at sea is teaching us to ask what the worst that can happen is. If the answer to that question is acceptable then we proceed, if the answer is not acceptable we make whatever change is necessary to get to an acceptable solution. I have also been trying to model and teach myself and my family the concept that if money fixes it, it is not a problem. Perhaps an inconvenience but not a problem, this was a perfect example. Sure, spending the night on the island would have been uncomfortable and we did not want to repurchase all that could have been lost, but we were all safe. "You are right Dad, a terminal illness is a problem not a lost dinghy" said Amy.

Then there was Sailing Life Lesson #78; don't take short cuts. If there is ever a master who will make you pay for taking short cuts it is the sea. I knew better, but in my haste I took a short cut, and it nearly cost me dearly. This gave me the opportunity to apologize as Dad and Captain to my crew. Then there was Sailing Life Lesson #79; if you screw up, recognize it and move on to a solution. I was just sick about my poor decision to not tie off the dinghy, and yet when I had to act to resolve the situation I did, not to be a hero, but to do the right thing and be active in solving the problem. In hind sight, my decision to walk the reef and swim to the boat not only meant we did not have to spend the night on a pile of coral, but also that we got our dinghy back. Once again our family discussion revolved around the reality that we all make mistakes but do not let them immobilize you. Maybe when this is all done I will write a book, "What the Sea Taught a Dummy".

The next day I did what any self respecting captain does, slept in, cancelled school and we all went snorkeling and spearfishing.

Until next time, fair winds and following seas, 4Wheelers