Category Archives: Itinerary

The Loud Family?

Kandu at Ventura West Marina
Kandu at Ventura West Marina

Many types live aboard their boats, of varying sailing ability and experience. An odd thing about boat owners: live-aboards or otherwise, most infrequently, and some never, take their boats out for a sail or a motor.  Rare is the sailor who leaves the dock monthly.  This includes Kandu.  We went nearly 2 years without leaving the dock.  Too few untie their dock lines. Live-aboards with extensive cruising are rare in a marina because they are typically sailing the blue yonder, or they’ve moved land-bound.  Far more boats capable of cruising the world sit tied to a dock than sail the seas.   As live-aboards in a marina, households (or perhaps more appropriately, “boat holds”) live nearly side-by-side, closer than mobile homes in a mobile home park.  With many live-aboards being retirees, marinas in some measure take on the feel of an adult community.  As such, we appreciate that many prefer children be “seen and not heard.”  Non-liveaboards still working, having worked all week, like to spend a weekend sleeping in on their boats, bathed in seaside sounds while gently rocking.  They don’t want to awake to kids playing near, and certainly not on, their boats.  For this reason, some marina’s don’t allow live-aboards with children or large pets.  Kids wake up early, either for school or for play.  Fortunately, Ventura West Marina (VWM), where we’ve lived for nearly a year, allows both.

To offer a little more privacy, VWM staggers non-live-aboard boats between live-aboards.   When in September we gave our required 30-day notice of departure based on our intention to leave with the Baja Ha-ha Cruiser’s Rally in late October, we gave up access to the live-aboard slip we’d occupied until then.  In an effort to help us find a temporary home, the marina management asked and received permission to place us in-between two live-aboard boats.

Something of which some sailors may not be fully aware.  A crew in final preparation for a multi-year long-distance voyage, as compared against a typical marina-bound boat, is significantly more active.  From morning and into the evening, we are in and out of our boat, bringing on equipment, testing it, modifying it, and testing it again–add to the mix two active boys–et voila, ruckus aplenty. As compared to a more mature, perhaps sedentary neighbor, we are considerably more animated and thus relatively “loud.”

After only two weeks of this temporary arrangement, marina management informed us that one boat left the marina because of our higher noise generation and the boys’ handling of their boats, with even more boat owners threatening to give notice.   “Noisy children” was the main reason given for the complaints.  Ironically, none of them spoke to us directly about their issues, chosing instead to have others speak for them.  Now, we’re not up too late.  We’re in bed by 9:30 p.m. and up around 6:30 a.m. (I’ve been waking up around 4:30 and working on the computer).  To abate the exodus, management moved us to another location, a slip with only one adjacent live-aboard, someone younger than me.  When asked by other live-aboards why it was that we were moving so much, we’d tell them, “‘Cause we’ve been told we’re too loud.”  They laugh and say we’re not.  Some say they’re louder than us.  But none of these people live directly adjacent to us or others for that matter.  We hoped that management’s plan would work.  After the first weekend, two days spent working with the boys, doing such things as filling water tanks, sorting sandpaper by grade, and showing them how to repair a polyethylene kayak (welding a narrow plastic rod to close small holes), hacksawing bolts of a Secchi disk (a device to measure phyto-plankton density), management notified us that they had received yet another noise complaint; this time from our new and only neighbor.  Previously it took two weeks to have someone complain.  This time it curiously only took two days.  Although only feet away from each others “doors,” and having seen our new neighbor several times enter and exit his boat, he like the others, preferred to make his concerns known to “the office.”

Although for some über sailors it may be easy to prepare a twenty-eight year-old, 42-foot sailboat for a five-year circumnavigation with one’s family; and during the final two weeks of preparation have no one walk in and out of the boat, or talk or use tools, . . . for me, with or without a teenager and a pre-teen as crew, it is not.  Understanding the unusual nature of our circumstances, we appreciate how the more typical, less-active of our live-aboard neighbors could be easily annoyed by our higher than normal activity.  We are saddened that our neighbors find it difficult to appreciate our circumstances, that they feel uneasy discussing their concerns with us, electing instead to approach us through management.  Management says we must leave their marina by November 30, the Sunday following Thanksgiving.  Fortunately the Ventura Yacht Club is ready to receive us then, and another marina in Marina Del Rey after that.  Some adventures start with a whimper, others with a shout.  I suppose ours is starting with the preverbial door hitting us on the way out.  It’s all good, for Leslie and I are making terrific progress, while Trent and Bryce find great ways to enjoy their time in pictoresque Ventura.

Post Script:

Several days before the required Nov. 30 departure, Ventura West Marina management offered and we accepted to stay in a newly vacated live-aboard slip, through the date of our choosing–Dec. 20th.  On this, our national day of Thanksgiving, we are grateful for their thoughtfulness and the convenience it provides our family and effort.

Trent, Sunday evening, enjoying a little twilight bodyboarding after working on Kandu. Bryce catching waves in the distance.
Trent, Sunday evening, enjoying a little twilight bodyboarding after working on Kandu. Bryce catching waves in the distance.

Flight Delay

“The captain is sorry to announce that our flight has been delayed.”  But not for long!!!

We have to remember that we’re leaving for a 5+-year circumnavigation, not just a single-season cruise to Mexico or even to French Polynesia and back (something I’ve done twice!).

Too long, but not too late
Too long, but not too late

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Starting with the cost; 1) important equipment has yet to be finalized and commissioned: the self-steering wind vane, anchors (new chain and rode), the desalinator, the HAM radio weather fax, the HAM radio email, the satellite texting device, the outboard motors, the generator, the air compressor, the gennaker sail (having to have a sailmaker remake it after hoisting it for the first time this weekend and finding it too long), the medical training (IV administration and suturing) and provisions are not complete, and we have not loaded the boat with all its currently land-stored equipment, finding a smart place to stow the items; 2) important services are not established: boat insurance (awaiting survey report) and mail forwarding; 3) land separation is not complete; consolidation of storage into one location and buttoning up that storage against possible water and earthquake damage, valuable items not yet sold (cars, drone, refrigerant, etc.), and business banking circumstance not yet established.  4) media capture (video production and post) and communication component (school dialog, website administration, blog, Facebook/Twitter/Instagram) of trip not yet firmed up; and 5) I do not want to leave port having to complete the above tasks under significantly more complicated circumstances of added time (shipping), costs (cost more to ship parts, plus import fees, and less room for error), and access to assistance and expertise, all of which would add stress to an already stressful situation.

The most important reason for me personally, is that for years, and especially this last year, particularly the past 6 months, I have been working non-stop to prepare the multiple aspects surrounding our family expedition, with little to no attention paid to family–especially Bryce and Trent.  The number one reason of the trip is to bring us closer together as a family.  Ironically, preparing for this trip has made me less accessible than had we stayed on land and I continued to work in my previous career.  There is an expectation that once we leave the dock and the trip begins that Bryce and Trent will have their father back and Leslie while have her husband.  I do not want to leave the dock with nothing but my rear-end and elbows visible to my family while I finish up the above tasks.  I do not want to remain working on the boat in foreign ports while the family goes off to visit the host country without me.  I do not wish to miss the opportunity to document our experiences.  I feel such would be to break my promise to my family and to myself.  For this and the other above reasons, we have decided to forgo joining the Baja Ha-ha in ten days.

Although we will miss the high energy camaraderie and potential relationships that may have otherwise been forged, as well as an earlier start date; we will instead be able to meander down the coast of Southern California coastline at our own pace, stay at reciprocal yacht clubs, and finish up last minute (but important) details and purchases along the way.  The boys will be able to celebrate Halloween with the middle school friends and we’ll all be able to attend the wedding of a close family member, visiting with family and friends from afar who will come to attend it, especially my brother, Curtis, who is flying out from his home in Sydney, Australia.

Adding two weeks to our departure from Ventura and two or more weeks more before we leave the country to foreign ports in exchange for a more pleasant, safe, and familial beginning to a multi-year adventure seems an obvious course of action.  I am satisfied with our decision and sleep well.  Although smaller things will be left to complete after our departure, I now smile as I go about the business of finishing the major items on my list, no longer constrained by the artificial deadline I imposed on myself.

 

 

 

 

Date Certain: Baja Ha-ha

Baja Haha

Today, May 1st, at the moment registration opened, at noon, we registered our entry with the Baja Ha-ha’s 2014 Cruisers Rally (http://www.baja-haha.com), celebrating its twenty-first anniversary.  This event kicks off the start of the popular Mexico cruising season, getting boats to leave ensemble at the tail end of the North Pacific hurricane season–which technically ends mid-November.  Boats from all over the North American west coast will meet in San Diego to commune with other cruisers with one common goal: head southward to adventure in foreign ports.

For many cruisers, sailing in a rally counters the benefit of self-sufficiency and remote access.  How much of the native culture can a crew enjoy if they arrive with 400 other countrymen? And why would a skipper wish to adhere to someone else’s schedule?  Before the crew even have a chance to truly explore the region, the rally is off and running.  For these reasons, many cruisers abhor herd sailing, and would rather go it alone, quaint and free.  So why would we want to join 125+ other cruising boats; more invasion than cultural exchange?  Well, for us, we need to hurry down further south, no dawdling, and this event is quick and offers a “hard date,” a day of departure for which we must be prepared in order to participate. And while amazing and filled with wonder, a deeper dive into Mexico will have to wait until our return to North America.  If we wish to cruise her more fully, which we may do, that’s easier than circumnavigating. Right now, we’re focused in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Galapagos, and Easter Island.  Weather windows require we descend rapidly so we can be in French Polynesia and parts further before tucking out of the southern hemisphere’s hurricane season which starts in October.

For some of the boats, sailing down with the Baja Haha rally offers support for their first overnight sailing. For others, it’s a friendly way of getting to their traditional cruising grounds, a big reunion with many friends.  For us, it’s several things: 1) It sets October 27 as the hard date for our first foreign port departure.  Without a hard date, a skipper may delay departure until all is “perfect” with the boat, which seldom occurs.   2) It provides an opportunity to meet and travel with other cruising families, “kid boats,” with whom we may buddy boat well beyond Cabo. 3) It provides assistance in navigating Mexican paperwork requirements; customs, immigration, insurance, and fishing licenses.  (Greater enforcement of existing Mexican import laws last year caused the temporary confiscation of several dozen foreign flagged boats, mostly American.  Some were chained to docks for up to five months while the necessary paperwork was obtained and processed.) And 4) the Baja Haha Rally offers a festive, friendly, and organized way for the crew to kick off our voyage.

Along its way southward, the rally make port in two bays, Tortuga and Santa Maria, before arriving BajaMapin Cabo San Lucas.  The first is a sleepy fishing town with a fuel dock.  The second is a fishing camp that only comes to “life” when the rally comes in, hosting a large party with food and music trucked in from far away.  Were we to sail directly to Cabo, it would take about 6 days.  With their activities, including Halloween trick-or-treat for kids dinghying from one boat to the next (boats are asked to bring candy for the event), the rally takes about 10 days, plus award ceremony and beach party days in Cabo.

What’s the benefit in registering as soon as registration opens?  Registering early increases a boat’s chance of getting an expensive marina slip upon arrival in Cabo, offering hot showers and restaurants just steps away.  There will be a limited number of slips available upon arrival.  The rally organizers in collaboration with the marina officials reserve what’s available for rally participants and offers them to the boats in the order within they registered.  Kandu will likely be among the first two dozen boats signed up, providing us good chance of securing a slip.

Although we haven’t officially added crew, we’re likely to add one or two to lighten the watch schedule, providing more sleep for all, and adding to the adventure.  They would then fly out from Cabo with one or two more flying in to take their place, helping us get to Costa Rica and beyond.  All this has not been sorted out or decided.

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

“Westchester Family Prepares for Trip Around the World” – Hometown News Article

Starting this October, Westchester’s Rigney family will embark on the trip of a lifetime as they leave their home, their friends and most of their possessions behind to spend the next three to five years traveling the world and its most exotic locations on a sailboat.

For Eric Rigney, the trip is the culmination of a lifelong dream that started when he was just a teenager, when he and his uncle, Bill Kohut, sailed to Hawaii on a cement sailboat they built together. Later they would travel to French Polynesia and spend 18 months living on the island like locals. The experience left Eric with the dream of working hard and one day recreating a similar experience with his own family.

Now Eric and his wife, Leslie, and their two children Bryce, 12 and Trent, 10, are renting out their home, tying up loose ends and getting their 42-foot sailboat named “Kandu” ready for the trip that will bring them to 70 different countries if everything goes according to plan.

While the snug living quarters or the danger of sailing in the open sea may scare most families from making a similar trip, the Rigney’s see this as an experience to grow as a family and take a break from the instant gratification, video games and fast food culture that is prevalent with a lot of teens these days.

“We are trying to pull them [the kids] out of the commercialism a little bit and pull them out of the Internet and the texting world. Life seems so fast right now, that we are going to slow things down. It’s also an opportunity as a family to grow,” said Eric. “I think it’s rare that parents get the opportunity to live with their kids, shoulder to shoulder, almost like back in the day when people were farmers. We have that opportunity where we can work along side each other and then have a unified goal to take care of the boat, maintain the boat and get to where we need to get. We need to rely on them and they have to rely on us, so it makes us a stronger family unit.”

While the chances of encountering a pirate ship, a whale bumping into their sailboat, or a direct lightening strike are rare, the Rigney’s are confident they can handle any situation that comes their way. They have carefully calculated their route to avoid storms and they will stay away from areas where pirates are known to congregate. They have been studying navigation, practicing first aid and will have shipwright, “Uncle Bill,” on board for the first seven month. He brings decades of ship maintenance and sailing to the team.

When the group sets off this October, their first stop will be Cabo San Lucas for the Baja Haha, a sailboat cruisers’ rally. There they hope to meet up with other like-minded families before heading off to such exotic locales as the Easter and Pitcairn Islands. For the Rigney family, the more far-off and unusual destination, the better.

While their days will be filled with cruising the oceans of the world, learning about the cultures they are visiting and all of the chores that accompany life at sea (laundry, fishing, taking care of the boat), a few creature comforts will be smuggled on board, including the Xbox that the boys will be allowed to play every once and a while. Leslie and Eric hope that once the trip gets started the experience and the hands-on learning will far outshine the lure of electronics.

While their friends and their family’s reactions to their trip range from excitement to concern, the Rigney’s hope their trip will motivate people to go back to basics and spend more time with their families.

“For a lot of people what [this trip seems] to do is inspire them to want to do something with their family and do something as a group for an extended period of time,” said Eric.

Interested in learning more? The Rigney’s will be detailing their travels through their website at rigneyskandu.com. They are also looking for schools or organizations to team up with to collect data and information.

Posted August 2013

http://www.thehometownnewsonline.com/familypreparesfortriparoundtheworld