Captain's Log, 2-3-2015
"Faces"
I have recently been
lonely. It is a melancholy feeling of loneliness, even though I have a great crew on board and I am not
really alone. We have completed some of our
longest passages so far; Dominican Republic to Jamaica, then Jamaica to
Panama. Each trip was day and
night, back to back, multiple days feeling like the day before it. When we stop in port we just get to know some
of the people and culture before we have to depart again. We barely connect before we have to say goodbye. That creates a loneliness
in me. It is compounded by the growing distance between my
family and friends, nations away. Communication out here is spotty
at best, so staying in touch can often be disappointing if I can’t get
through. I have had a chance to reflect
on this and here is what I have come up with:
Sailing is more than a vehicle. It is a way to travel; it is a way to take your home and
move it cost effectively. I always kid
about the convenience that if you don’t get along with your neighbor, you can just move
your home up the way a bit. Boat life is a
transient way of life if that is what you desire. I have found that I enjoy the
challenges and adventure of this type travel, but what I have also found is that I mostly enjoy the people along the way; the staying, connecting, learning, loving,
engaging. The sailing is fun (don’t get me wrong, I am a Captain), but
you may laugh... it is not why I sail. I
sail for the people I get to meet, for the destinations and landing spaces to set my anchor. So in this blog I wanted to share some new “faces”,
the faces of people I have had the pleasure of meeting, of connecting with even
if briefly on this stage of the journey. They are the faces that break the loneliness, they are the highlights for
me of this lifestyle. There are many
smiling children, upside down ones, rooftop ones, basketball ones. There was Terry the Muslim, on Little Farmers island, that seeks the
same good in the world that I do. The man mourning at his wife’s
grave in Nassau was a touching connection. And then there was Caroline, who I got to give a beautiful “dress of Becky” to in
Nagana; Nester the kind man of the Guna Yala tribe who sails the Ulu; a Congo
man named “Spider” in Portobello; the boys at the store; and the list goes
on.
That is why I sail. I am discovering that it takes putting yourself somewhere
alone, somewhere only you can go, to understand what is paramount in
life.
My dear friend Mike
Bartz thought of me and shared this quote when he read it a few days ago;
“I
went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the
essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and
not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live
what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation,
unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the
marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that
was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a
corner, and reduce it to its lowest term.” Henry David Thoreau.
The timing of the quote was
perfect, as it very eloquently begs for introspection and conjures questions each of us
should try to answer. How do we live
deliberately? What is essential? What can we learn through being alone? Are we
resigning ourselves or are we sucking the marrow out of life? What is life’s
lowest denominator, what is really important?
I now know that I
sail to reach the anchorage and people. I am looking very much forward to staying someplace for a while, to connect and share with new faces what I have learned by simply being "alone". We leave the Caribbean Sea on Saturday,
and on Sunday we will push the bows of Sea Angel into the Pacific. A new Ocean and new peoples. I will be happy to stop and stay a while when
we reach Tonga.
-DL
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A boy in Luperon, Dominican Republic |
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Playing basketball, Island Nalunega, San Blas Panama |
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Beautiful! Sea Angel, Bahamas |
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The children of Nevel's home, Island Nalunega, San Blas |
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Church of San Felipe de Portobello, Panama |
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Girl with a Gap, Luperon, Dominican Republic |
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Green and Red Girls, San Blas Panama |
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Guna Yala Man, Coco Bandero, San Blas |
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Gerald, a man mourning for his wife in Nassau |
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Nevel's son, Nalunega, San Blas |
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Nevel's younger son, Nalunega, San Blas |
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Pig Friend, Staniel Cay, Bahamas |
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Rooftop Boy, Island Wichubhaula, San Blas |
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Sailing Boy, Island Nalunega, San Blas |
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School Girls, Luperon, Dominican Republic |
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Sidewalk Boy, Island Nalunega, San Blas |
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"Spider", Portobello, Panama |
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Street Boys, Luperon, Dominican Republic |
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Sunshine! Hill atop Wardrick Wells, Bahamas |
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Terry, Little Farmer's Island, Bahamas |
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Thanksgiving Friends, Sea Angel, Great Harbor Cay, Bahamas |
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Traveling friends Miriam & Dave, Luperon, Dominican Republic |
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Upside Down, Island Nalunega, San Blas, Panama |
Don't forget to read about our cause below! Sea Mercy will be at the
Miami International Boat Show next week with more information as well. Thanks for following.
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.
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