There
you’ve crossed the Atlantic, finally landing somewhere in the Caribbean
or the Azores perhaps. You have enjoyed your first cold beer in the
harbor, reaching the bar with considerably swaying steps. The first
night, you’ve slept the soundest of sleeps, only to abruptly awake in
the morning bewildered why everything is so quiet?!
You’ve then cruised the islands, your pace has slowed, you’ve pondered a
million thoughts at the stars above, and you’ve had all the time in the
world to make a closure on the book of your life up until this very
moment.
So - what’s next? People’s destinies vary greatly after an Atlantic
passage. Some end up hating the whole journey, leaving the boat up for
sale in the nearest Marina sell her for whatever I can get! The
experience might have put an unbearable strain on relationships, with
divorce and a vow never to return to the oceans as a result.
Others have had the passage made by a paid crew, thus adding an
Atlantic-crossing feather to their hat of accomplishments, at landfall
quickly returning home for business. The boat stays for charter for a
while, finally she too returning to socialize at home waters.
A third group are pals crossing together on one of the friends boat,
partying on the passage, partying at landfall, eventually returning to
their families back home, with a happy smile still plastered all over
their tan faces.
The last group is the smallest. These are the people that have fallen in
love with the ocean, the boat, and each other perhaps. You will find
them at the most remote parts of the oceans. At the deserted islands of
the Venezuelan coast, or cruising randomly the south Pacific or anywhere
else, sailing waters un-crowded and distant.
They will stay out for a long time, 2 years, 5 years or even 20 years or
more. Some stay forever. These guys continue to the Pacific Ocean, the
Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea - sometimes even far Northern and Southern
latitudes.
There could be a book written on each one of them. There usually isn’t.
Away from the public eye, they live silent lives of greatest adventures.
They often come from unusual backgrounds to begin with. They take on the
uncertainty of foreign land and waters without fear. They seldom have
insurance or pensions; they have no need for lawyers or governments.
These are the people that have printed their footsteps on the most
marvelous of sands, plucked the wildest of flowers and often survived
quite a few hair-raising situations.
At times, when life has reached the final, they have simply just stopped
in an enchanted harbor, left the anchor to grow into the bottom,
spending their final years onboard their boat in safe waters. They often
become a part of the family at the local marine bar and close friends to
the local villagers and their rising children.
Your choice will determine your fate. But once you have crossed the
Atlantic nothing will be the same. The ocean will stay with you for the
rest of your life; the waters silently call you back whenever you watch
a horizon and the sea forever remember your name.
