Life is Like Sailing

“Hark, now hear the sailors cry, 

smell the sea, and feel the sky 

let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic...”

― Van Morrison

Wild seas tear the hatch open while crossing from Bahamas to Turks and Caicos

Life is like sailing. 

I am writing this blog as we make our way from the Bahamas to the Turks and Caicos.  This leg of the journey, about 300 nautical miles, has been difficult. The trade winds out of the east have been robust and the sea swell has been relatively large, and we had to make our way into both.   We took seas over the bow that rolled into the cockpit, none of us could stand up without being tossed, the wind howled, a couple hatches were opened and bucketful’s of green sea water drenched bedding and galley, and we sailed through two days and two nights, with nights being hardest because you could not see what was coming next. On board Sea Angel are seven; Weston my first mate, close friends from California with their son, my son Colton and his girlfriend.  Early in the passage a few of us discussed how we like this sailing stuff and there was a consensus that some only desire “fair weather” sailing.  It was posed as a question to me, as if I was an anomaly, if I liked the difficult conditions. It got me thinking. Most on board are fair weather sailors. Myself, I am a sailor and I know there are days that are perfect but there are days that are not; there are certainly days that challenge me.  As a sailor on a long journey I have to accept it all.

The Sea Angel fights through choppy waters

Water on the Deck!!! "Quit that!" 

Sailing is like life.  We start somewhere and we finish somewhere and along the way there are periods of beautiful calm but there are the storms too. If we consciously choose to reach a destination, be it a position on the globe, or the place we challenge our hearts to be when we “finish”, then we have to accept  and yes, even be thankful, for all the parts of the journey, even the uncomfortable.  Each turn of the rudder, shift in wind, condition, event, or relationship along the way when put it together form our unique path from our beginning to our end. So do I like sailing in crazy uncomfortable conditions? No, not particularly. To me, sailing is a journey between cultures and people.  It is ultimately about human relationships.  Reaching new places and people.  Sometimes it is beautiful, sometimes painful, and sometimes difficult.  Sailing and life are a lot alike.  I personally love all of it.

Sunrise brings an end to the uncertainty of wild seas.. for now.

The comfortable life of Turks and Caicos

Life's little blessings, smooth sailing and happy. 

The Sea Angel is sailing to the South Pacific for a cause- Sea Mercy is a benevolent program developed for disaster and critical care needs for remote islanders. Sea Mercy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health care volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as island nations develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure, when critical health care need opportunities are present, or when disasters occur. Read more about Sea Mercy's 2014 Impact.

 

If Sea Angel's journey resonates with you, we welcome you to consider donating on our behalf to Sea Mercy - there are several ways to get involved. 

 

Sea Mercy's Corporate "We Care" Program is designed to help organizations attract and engage clients, vendors, and employees in the spirit of social responsibility and provide a wonderfully enriching partnership. There are several ways to participate with "We Care". Visit Sea Mercy's website for additional information. If you know of an organization or would like to involve yours, please share this information forward. The more we sail, the more we understand how important it is to foster these types of relationships in everything we do. Our journey still has a long way to go, and we thank you for being here with us. 

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Nassau

 

“Believe. No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted island, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”
― Helen Keller

Approaching St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Nassau

Sunday, December 14, 2014

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Nassau

The crew of Sea Angel attended St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Nassau.  It is the country's (Bahamas) oldest church edifice, dating back to 1802. It sits solemn in the middle of a very old and very unattended cemetery.  The old and weathered exterior is in distinct contrast to the beautiful and alive inside. We enjoyed two special moments. The first was a long pause mid-service to exchange blessings, and when the congregation took special time to greet us as guests to their church. 

But the most powerful and moving was the “singing” of the Lord’s Prayer.  The entire congregation held hands and we all sang from the depths of our hearts. To me, it emphasized a discussion I had the previous day about the power of prayer when two or more joined together.  It was a very beautiful continuation and connection delivered by God. Later in the afternoon I returned to the church to photograph it in the evening sun for the blog, and was then blessed to meet Gerald.  

Gerald is a man who lost his wife last year.  He stood alone over a grave with a tombstone that gives only the names of his wife’s mother, her grandmother, yet even though his wife rests there now too, the stone does not honor his beautiful wife Bren Hilda.  He knew she was there and that may be all that really matters.  He is 59 and he knew her since he was 6, was married to her for 22 years, was deeply in love with her, and returns each week to her grave for strength to go on.  We spoke of the true value in life being relationships, being love.  We spoke of his children and their not yet realizing it is love and relationships that make life a beautiful thing. We spoke of life as a journey and we each arrive to that realization at our own time, when we are ready.  I respected Gerald’s love, his faith, and his wisdom.

The real rhythm of this journey is beginning.  It is about people, connection, and Love.  Thank you Gerald for your reminding us of that.  Tomorrow we start moving south again, down the Exumas and to Georgetown, God willing, by Monday the 22nd.  

dl

The Sea Angel is sailing for a cause. Sea Mercy is a benevolent program developed for disaster and critical care needs for remote islanders. Sea Mercy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health care volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as island nations develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure, when critical health care need opportunities are present, or when disasters occur. 

 

If Sea Angel's journey resonates with you, we welcome you to consider donating on our behalf to Sea Mercy - there are several ways to get involved. 

 

Sea Mercy's Corporate "We Care" Program is designed to help organizations attract and engage clients, vendors, and employees in the spirit of social responsibility and provide a wonderfully enriching partnership. There are several ways to participate with "We Care". Visit Sea Mercy's website for additional information. If you know of an organization or would like to involve yours, please share this information forward. The more we sail, the more we understand how important it is to foster these types of relationships in everything we do.

Hello from the Exumas!

WEEKEND SEA ANGEL UPDATE FROM CAPTAIN DAVID LAWN 

The dingy riding the weather out in Nassau, Bahamas

Captain Dave was able to get a message out on Saturday to update us on the boat's travels:

Hello everyone!  The wind has finally moderated and the forecast into the upcoming week is for modest winds out of the north and east. Yesterday we had a few squalls, rain, and winds gusting mid and upper 20s.  We spent the night on the hook at Rose Island outside Nassau. 

Today, Saturday is the first day we have seen in a long time with moderate wind, beautiful and pleasant.  The wind is 14k out of the NE and we are on a beam reach sailing 7 knots, plus on our way to Norman Cay in the Exumas.  What a great day to be sailing!  The boat and crew are all doing well.  We expect to stay for a while in the North Exumas until we have to return to Nassau for flight connections with visiting friends and passengers.  Updates again soon, thanks for your love and support on our journey! 

Perfect sailing weather as Sea Angel heads out to explore the Exumas! 

The Sea Angel is sailing for a cause. Sea Mercy is a benevolent program developed for disaster and critical care needs for remote islanders. Sea Mercy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health care volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as island nations develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure, when critical health care need opportunities are present, or when disasters occur. 

If Sea Angel's journey is valuable to you, we welcome you to consider donating on our behalf to Sea Mercy - they have several ways to get involved and are so grateful for your support. 

Sea Mercy's Corporate "We Care" Program is designed to help organizations attract and engage clients, vendors, and employees in the spirit of social responsibility and provide a wonderfully enriching partnership. There are several ways to participate with "We Care". Visit Sea Mercy's website for additional information. If you know of an organization or would like to involve yours, please share this information forward. 

Island Time

Island Time

By: David Lawn 

Location: Grand Bahama Cay, Northern Berry island group.

Sea Angel left Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA on Wednesday, November 24th for its first international destination.   

New to me was the power and speed of the north bound Gulf Stream that passes very close to the coast of Florida. In addition we had left about 4AM in the morning darkness and entered the gulf stream just as 50 or 60 gigantic cruise ships were inbound (actually 5 or 6, but it seemed like way too many). It was a game of nighttime cat and mouse that had me perplexed. Our small boat was crabbing kind-of sideways in the strong current, with the direction traveled much different than the direction of the bow of the boat. It made it challenging figuring out why a ship I saw off to the port was actually passing on the starboard. We made it fine and powered through the stream passing the islands of Bimini to our south. We sailed the great Bahama bank through the afternoon and through the night, and arrived at the northern end of the Berry Islands just before dawn.  

Captain Dave raises the quarantine and courtesy flags upon arrival at Grand Bahama Cay.
It is procedure to raise the quarantine (yellow) flag when you arrive until your passports
have been stamped. The courtesy flag is the flag of the country you've arrived to. 

We took safe harbor at Grand Bahama Key marina where we later enjoyed Thanksgiving with the crews of a couple boats that arrived with us.   

Yesterday we rented a “jeep” and toured the small island. Great Bahama Cay has a population of about 700 people and it is the largest of the Berry islands. It has a fascinating and at times a sordid history.  We heard about an old lodge (now in ruins) that was built by the “Rat Pack” (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop). It was their playground in the mid to late 1960’s, entertaining the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Bridget Bordeaux, and other beautiful women. I had to find it. We succeeded at the remote north end of the island. 

The exterior of the Rat Pack playground of the 1950's. Per Weston's observation,
many locals did not know who the Rat Pack were, making it an even more
attractive getaway for the famous friends.

The lodge foundation overlooks the beautiful Sugar beach, but today sits in ruin and is totally overgrown.  Long after the jazz, cigars, and card playing days of the Rat Pack, the lodge was taken up by a drug cartel who used it for their private escapades, of which there are interesting stories as well. I admit it was tempting to take a couple of bathroom wall tiles for coasters, wondering what those tiles might have seen in their time. 

The view from the Rat Pack Playground, enjoyed by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.

The most memorable and reflective moment in Grand Bahama Cay was when we chatted with a fisherman that gave us a ride into the original town settlement on Thursday. I had asked him if he was from this island and he said no, that he was from a smaller island to the south. When he explained his bone fishing business and his life journey, he said, “No, I’m from the smaller Hoffman Cay to the south, I just moved here, in 1984.”  That is a pretty good indication of island time here.

Sailing the Grand Bahama Cay, Berry Islands

So after a few days of exploring we are ready to get the wind back in our sails. This morning Sea Angel departed a comfortable anchorage at Little Harbor Cay in the central Berry Islands and are heading the short run farther south to Chub Cay at the southern end of the islands.  We are just in front of a strong cold front pressing in. A high is behind it so the wind gradient is high and increasing over the next few days.  It is blowing a strong 22+ out of the NNE with seas about 8'.  As the saying goes, may you always have the wind at your back!  Sea Angel and the crew are doing great.  DL

The Sea Angel is sailing for a cause. Sea Mercy is a benevolent program developed for disaster and critical care needs for remote islanders. Sea Mercy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health care volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as island nations develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure, when critical health care need opportunities are present, or when disasters occur. 

If Sea Angel's journey is valuable to you, we welcome you to consider donating on our behalf to Sea Mercy - they have several ways to get involved and are so grateful for your support. 

Sea Mercy's Corporate "We Care" Program is designed to help organizations attract and engage clients, vendors, and employees in the spirit of social responsibility and provide a wonderfully enriching partnership. There are several ways to participate with "We Care". Visit Sea Mercy's website for additional information. If you know of an organization or would like to involve yours, please share this information forward. 

Gulf Stream Crossing

The Sea Angel is sailing!

After speaking with crew member Weston Williams, we learned that the Sea Angel has done a good bit of provisioning in South Florida while awaiting favorable weather. In the week spent in Ft. Lauderdale, the Sea Angel crew: installed a new cockpit door lock, repaired a refrigeration system, upfited the wind turbine with a new system and new blades, re-stitched the lazy jack that was ripped along the way, and "cleaned up way too much iguana poo off the deck". Nobody said ship life was as laid back as it sounds! They also had some fun riding around the area in the dingy and visiting beautiful South Beach. And on Monday morning they put all of their hard work into action and set sail from Ft. Lauderdale on a revised course. A Monday evening course update was provided by Captain Dave:

"Ft. Lauderdale to Great Harbor Cay, Berry Islands. After speaking with Chris Parker on the morning SSB call, I have decided to continue on past Bimini (Moselle Bank waypoint) with a final destination of Great Harbor Cay and the marina there. Reasoning is the winds build overnight and into Tuesday from the SSE sustained at 20, seas SW 5-6 off the nose making the run over to Nassua across the Tounge of the ocean a bit sloppy. I think the Berry Islands will be a good place to hang out until conditions lighten sometime soon! There was also no good opening between now and December 2nd to get from Bimini to Nassau. I'll have a better chance from Great Harbor Cay. All well as we are now on the back side of the Gulf Stream with reasonably nice conditions. Feels good to be underway again. I'll update later. - DL"

As much as the Captain and crew have prepared for their crossing of the Gulf Stream, weather has the ultimate say. Chris Parker, Chief Forecaster for the Marine Weather Center, was mentioned in Dave's update. Read Chris's bio and forecasting philosophy here.  The Sea Angel is grateful for the Marine Forecasting provided by Mr. Parker.

You can view the original/projected Sea Angel charter here.  We will provide updates right here on the blog as the Sea Angel navigates the realities of weather along their path. You can also track the boat as coordinates are shared. Leg #2 is in progress and it looks like the Sea Angel will be spending Thanksgiving in Great Cay Harbor before heading on to Nassua. There are still opportunities to sail with Sea Angel and if you are interested in traveling a leg with the boat feel free to get in touch by emailing info@seamercy.org or commenting your interest below!

On behalf of the Sea Angel and with Thanksgiving just a few days away, we'd like to extend our thanks for keeping up with the journey. Your support means so much. That's all for now! We'll share more photos and updates soon!

The Crew waits out the weather in Fort Lauderdale, FL 11-19-2014

The Sea Angel is sailing to the South Pacific to be a part of Sea Mercy. Sea Mercy is a benevolent program developed for disaster and critical care needs for remote islanders. Sea Mercy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health care volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as island nations develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure, when critical health care need opportunities are present, or when disasters occur. If our journey with the Sea Angel moves you, we welcome you to consider donating on our behalf to Sea Mercy - they have several ways to get involved and are so grateful for your support. For more information on how you can help, click HERE. 

Sea Mercy's Corporate "We Care" Program is designed to help organizations to attract and engage clients, vendors, and employees naturally in the spirit of social responsibility and providing a wonderfully enriching partnership. There are several ways to participate with "We Care". Visit Sea Mercy's website for additional information. If you know of an organization or would like to involve yours, please share this information forward. Thank you and God Bless!  

The "Fear" question

The “FEAR” question..

By: David Lawn

The Journey Ahead...

The Sea Angel will travel from Carolina Beach, NC to the South Pacific,
to work with Sea Mercy, a 501(c)(3) - www.seamercy.org

        

  In this first blog post I thought it appropriate to say a few words about the topic of “fear”. This trip, this journey of over 10,000 miles by open sea to the South Pacific, the unknown of getting there and working in a culture and environment I do not know, of leaving family and friends, has finally come to fruition.  It is interesting to me that what began several years ago, a calling, followed by simply putting one foot in front of the other, finally had lead me on November 3^rd, 2014 to the lands-end.   The time had finally come to actually face the inevitable outcome of specific decisions made over the last few years.  I had said a year prior when someone asked me what the hardest leg of the trip would be, I said “the first three feet from the dock”.  I knew back then that the point would be uncomfortable, and it has proved itself to be.  

The Crew prepares to leave North Carolina for the adventure of a lifetime-
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS SUPPORT!

In the last few weeks of preparation and saying good-byes, the question among my friends of being afraid was prominent;  it was sometimes masked in comments like, I would love to do that but I couldn’t, or more specific like what about pirates, or storms, or….  Some may call it fear but since I don’t really like that word, I chose to look at it as the feeling of simply facing the unknown.  An absence of understanding.   Stepping into faith.  Whatever you call it, it is a distinct feeling that comes when we finally admit that we have to surrender control. 

In reaching deep to try to understand it more I admit that for me there are at times, at departures or bad weather, a whole flock of butterflies flutter in my stomach, or that physical uneasiness that comes when you step out of your comfort zone.  I don’t think that it is a bad thing, it is part of really challenging yourself in life.  As my departure neared I instead began to “fear” what my leaving meant in my relationships. In a relational sense, I was leaving by myself even though I have great crew and friends that will always stay in touch.  I was “afraid” of that.  But what I didn’t realize was something profound would happen as I prepared to leave.  My close friends and people that I love, opened up their hearts in a way that touched me deeply.  In day to day life, people, myself included, guard our vulnerability and we don’t always say what is deep in our hearts.  Beautiful things are kept guarded.  It took something big, a life change, for those special words to be spoken, written, or shared though hugs.   I want to thank everyone who opened up and exposed their deep thoughts and heartfelt sincerity.   I have learned something very valuable.  Our hearts are full of love and it is a shame to not open them up every day and be vulnerable.  I don’t want to wait to my last day arrives and wonder if I should have opened up my heart more.   May we all step out and rid ourselves of the fear to speak of the love in our hearts.  God bless.  dl

Editor's Note: To track the Sea Angel's journey, navigate to our Locate Sea Angel Page

Sea Mercy is a benevolent program developed for disaster and critical care needs for remote islanders. Sea Mercy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health care volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as island nations develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure, when critical health care need opportunities are present, or when disasters occur. If our journey with the Sea Angel moves you, we welcome you to consider donating on our behalf to Sea Mercy - they have several ways to get involved and are so grateful for your support! For more information on how you can help, click HERE.

Hoisting the Sea Mercy Flag

Sea Angel tried on her new Sea Mercy flag today.  It fit pretty good.

Sea Mercy Notice

Everything is looking good for a November departure!  It is such an exciting time.  Here is the official notice from the Sea Mercy web site....

http://www.seamercy.org/node/80

Offshore Sea Trial

On Thursday March 13th I took Sea Angel out for its first real off-shore sea trial.  Weston Williams and Mike Bartz were the able crew.  We departed Carolina Beach at about 11AM, stopped for lunch in Southport and departed there about 3PM.  We sailed 24 hours to arrive Charleston Mega Dock at 3PM on Friday.  We wandered beautiful Charleston till about 3PM on Saturday when we departed for home.  It took a long 34 hours to get back home due to a calm night and a fierce NE headwind approaching the Cape Fear river.  We experienced a variety of wind conditions and sea states, broke some things, learned some things, saw dolphins, hosted a finch for most of the day, saw ships, dredges, and were generally exhausted on arrival back home a little after 1AM Monday.  Thank you Mike, Weston, and Sea Angel!

She's a Beauty

Sea Angel was out on Sunday, March 2nd for an afternoon sail.  I have been hoping to find a way to get some pictures of her from a different perspective and a friend of a friend shot these as we were returning to the dock.  Thank you Robbie Johnson!