breaking the literary fast

I have been onboard now for 6 weeks, it feels like forever. My beard has continued to sprout and my memories of the past month have slowly begun to smooth around the edges like a stone tossed about in the waves. The tough times and cold nights fade to memories of having other crew members onboard, playing cards, and cooking for more then myself. It was a lonely stretch from Norfolk VA to my present location of Beaufort NC. The reality of the situation was long days on the tiller with little or no time to make a cup of tea or simply relax under the shade of a long blink. The nights have seemed long with the darkness enveloping the boat around five and not lifting until seven in the morning. With such limited light I have pushed on but look forward to the addition of two crew soon to join the adventure.

The solitaire has been challenging for a social butterfly such as myself but there certainly have been some upsides. It forces me to meet more people (is that possible?) and tell the tales of Moxie to all who are interested. That is probably the most intriguing aspect of the trip so far. I have met couples, families and singlehanders who are all on their way somewhere. The boats they travel on are as varied as the folks themselves.

I have spent the last few days in Beaufort where I have been able to rendez-vous with a colleague of mine from Outward Bound. Will Herbert Davies, also a captain at Thompson Island, is making his way from Baltimore to Seattle on a 38' catamaran (check out his website at www.sailbravo.us) This guy is crazy just look at him. There is some low level chatter about jumping onboard with him to sail to Seattle. It just so happens there is a girl in Seattle I have talked with a couple times and it would be great to see her. What an anachronistic throwback to an era of romance that was easier on the environment and warmer on the soul (that was Will's sentence!) I told you that kid is crazy.

As I mull about towns and meet various folks the most asked question seems to be how I can afford a trip like this. As I briefly reflect on my response I realize just how spartan my accommodations are. When any sailor estimates their latitude by the viscosity of their olive oil you know they are lacking in their electronics budget. The ice box has not yet seen ice, clearly illustrating off-season rates do apply. When you wash your dishes in the shower at the marina you haven't payed for, you might be a Moxie sailor.