Aloha! So I have been super excited about the Vic-Maui 2018 race! I have been reading offshore sailing forums and reaching out to fellow sailors to see what challenges they faced when they were offshore. Did you know that a sailor needs over 3,500 calories in a day to maintain their weight while sailing offshore?

I have also been reading several nautical themed books… Here’s a few:

  1. Passage to Juneau: A Sea and Its Meanings – Jonathan Raban
  2. Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing – John Rousmaniere
  3. The Proving Ground: The Inside Story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race – G. Bruce Knecht
  4. Sailing Alone around the World – Joshua Slocum

vic maui

So, back to Vic-Maui…

I have been very excited about the thought of doing an offshore race. However, an unexpected phone call from my grandfather a few weeks ago has changed everything. You see, he has an Aloha 8.2 Spindrift that he has been hoping to pass on to me. Great! The challenge is that it is located in Montreal. Yikes. So, as much as this is SO exciting for my family and I, we now have to figure out how to safely get her out here – and no I am not interested in sailing the North West Passage! So, land shipping it is! Hello mucho dinero…

Sailboat-Cradle

With this unexpected gift comes the realization that I cannot afford to do it all. As such, I have had to re-evaluate my offshore racing goals and have decided to put off the Vic-Maui Race to 2020. I am disappointed, but now I can get Spindrift in order, brush up on my celestial navigation (joking!), get new foul weather gear, and prepare myself for the race so I can fully appreciate and embrace the experience. And, even more exciting, Sail Nelson is expanding its fleet and Irish Mist II will have a new buddy to sail with!

The next adventure will be shipping her out here… Stay tuned for lessons learned!

Captain Penny

 

 

Leave a Reply