In bed, the cockpit, or on the couch. That's some of the places you will have best chance on finding me these days. Can't resist the temptation of reading one another chapter after chapter of this poignant story and fascinating destiny of Nitta Sayuri, a story so breathtakingly beautifully told. I take the occasional break to boil up some ginger tea or bake another coconut or cinnamon banana cake, while Alex is swearing in the background about some screws he can't seem to find again that he needs to be able to finalize a random new installment. And then he heads out, board in hand, to catch a few waves on the small break by the entrance of the bay before sun goes down and it's time for dinner. Tonight Alex's peanut butter chicken with rice and a cheap bottle of red with it. All is as should be.

The way we live right now is pretty much the way we had imagined our sailing life to be when we first started, yet due to the massive load of projects we've been occupied with ever since we got to the Caribbean, it is not before now that we can fully begin to appreciate the simple quietness and time for ourselves and each other. Isn't it beautiful to be able to look back on previous chapters of life and be able to agree on the fact that, yeah, that part of life is finally done. Over and done with it. We made use of it to the max and it led us to where we are today. Let us close that door and be happy for the time and place where we are in this very moment. I find it amazing that we humans can always start it all over again. It is never too late for a new chance or a new beginning in life. Put your mind to whatever you dream for and eventually you will be able to find yourself reaching that goal. I am amazed by our own abilities to redesign and reinvent ourselves, over and over again.

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. 

What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. 

That is precious indeed. 

The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, 

the most precious thing there is.” 

Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now, 1997

How do you spend your Monday afternoon?

And yes I should stop smoking completely but tell me something that is more reposeful and enjoyable than burying your feet in the sand on a beautiful beach, having a good book in your lap, a bottle of red stripe in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The simple pleasures of life that I allow myself to devour at times... Have you ever read anything by Michel Houellebecq by the way? I'm in love with his daring, uncensored way of storytelling. Check out one good book here.

Late, by myself, in the boat of myself,

no light and no land anywhere,

cloudcover thick. I try to stay

just above the surface,

yet I'm already under

and living with the ocean.

- The Essential Rumi, poems by Rumi -

On our Twitter the other day, I was marveling at the fact that we've been out sailing for almost one full year now and I have had time to read only five of the 80 books we have here onboard. To be completely honest with you now, neither Alex or me still feel that we have started this tour completely as yet, for many reasons, primarily because we have had our hands full with all kinds of other projects, job, writing, dealing with our two boats sales and purchase and so on.. We haven't yet had one full week where we have had our mind and our body in complete rest, which might sound odd thinking that we have had 12 months since we left our home in Barcelona, but that is the honest truth. Another reason is also that Caribbean was never on our primarily itinerary, we stopped here only because we kind of "had to" - we were completely worked out and tired from those hectic months of preparing our dear Caos for this journey and on top of that, the very tiring ocean passage made us pull the break and realize we "needed" to make a stop here before heading out into ocean number two. This stop was good for us in many ways of course and we are glad we stayed so that we could sort out all that needed to get sorted out, but still, it was never the plan and we look immensely forward to begin our real tour, if that makes any sense. 

So for those factors, for all of what that we have taken on our shoulders and committed to here and because we still do not feel completely settled in our own pace and preffered route and routines of this journey, I haven't yet came to peace to read too much. I have started on several books, read 20-30 pages, put that one aside and then back to the work that has been more important only to forget that I had started on something. It may seem to you that we are only here enjoying life and cruising in peace from one place to another, but there are so many details that constantly has to get fixed with that the reading has been left in the shadow. And as much as we love Caribbean for many reasons (and also dislike for some), I cannot tell you how much we both look forward to get out of here to begin our journey, the journey which hopefully will mean more peace of mind, more time to reflect, more time to read and write about those things I truly wish to be reading and writing about, more time for Alex to begin his "real" projects and we simply look forward to become even more open for mental and physical exploration of all what this journey originally was created and planned for.

One book that I have on the side of our bed that I pick up from time to time, reading another chapter from when in need of mental stimulation, particularly now when living so close to the nature, is a book that I have been reading a couple of times already in my life. It is a book that over and over manages to inspire me and move me profoundly, no matter how many times I've read those phrases before. There's something new to discover, new details to analyze and the meaning of all things natural rhymes well with my current way of living. Peter Camenzind is a novel written by 1946 years Nobel price winner in Literature, Hermann Hesse. A writer whose thoughts and nuanced writings still feels modern and compelling and who have had the talent to write in such timeless ways about life, spirituality, wanderlust, nature and love that he moves even the most inexperienced reader of his prose, spiritually.

Peter Camenzind was Hesse's breakthrough as a writer, his first novel that was published in 1904, and it became very popular throughout Germany where he lived at that time. Sigmund Freud even praised the novel as one of his favorite readings of all times and I have no hard to understand that as of the sense of spiritual meaning of which the novel is based upon. This novel is a somewhat autobiographical story of a young man from the Alps, trying to find his way in the world through love, friendships, family relations, always connected to the beautiful nature which he describes with absolute excellence.

Hesse has written many top notch novels and books that has served as great inspiration and I have often referred to his thoughts when wanted to describe some things with simplicity. What I mostly adore with the lyrics of Hesse is that you can feel that the man has underwent many stages of physical, intellectual and spiritual journeys in his life. There are those constant paradoxes, wonderings and the never-ending search in life and inside of the human mind that I most certainly can empathize with.

A favorite quote from the mind of this man, from another great novel of his, Demian from 1919.

Here you can get Peter Camenzind on Amazon, and here's another favorite: Demian.

I could also recommend the Glass bead game (although that's a very heavy one which I myself haven't had the time and peace to completely finish as yet), or this another very moving story, Steppenwolf.

Which ones are your favorite authors?

 

I get many emails and inquiries every month from other women who are about to begin their own life afloat with their partner and they want to know what is required to be able to get out cruising the big oceans. Many are worried that they do not have the right amount of experience and knowledge with everything from boat handling to safety routines and they ask me about how it really is to be living on a boat, how much do one need to know about safety, what should they do if something happens to them or their partner and are they really able to take care of it all in case something would happen. I understand these insecurities as it is quite a responsibility you take on when setting off for adventures on the sea. A responsibility for yourself, for your partner and the boat - your home. A sort of responsibility that mainly lays on the one who has the most experience onboard, but also on the crew - the woman in most cases, as you basically will be the only one in charge during your watches on night passages and obviously also in case something would happen to your partner.

For me personally, who never had been sailing in my life before I met Alex, I never really questioned these type of things too much as I know that everything is possible to learn with time. If so many people love the sport of sailing and feel confident in that, why wouldn't I be able to learn it myself? Obviously I also felt very secure with Alex's sailing experience. I am a learning by doing kind of person and I refused to start reading sailing books before I actually got out sailing for real, as I believe that I learn better and faster when I practice with real things rather than with only books.

That being said, there are loads of good and informative books which I found out about later on and some of them are great to get started with. My absolute favorite one, which I think I showed you for some months ago as well, is The new complete sailing manual written by Steve Sleight. A fantastically well written and informative book which covers everything one possibly needs to know about the basics of sailing, boat terms, safety equipment, navigation, boat handling and much more. Every time I have a doubt on for example how to really put an anchor (mainly when Alex and I have an argument about it) or when I need to learn about different navigational lights etc, I go straight back to the book and I easily get the information needed. There are also some really good websites out there, Boater Exam is one that I recently ran across and they have a great boater education course and a boat safety course on the site with easy and informative videos teaching you the basics of boats and sailing and the safety around them, in a very easy and understandable way.

I have understood that there will never come a time when you are fully "ready" or completely in the know of everything. I know some guys who've been boaters for 50-60 years and they still learn things about sailing, so do not make the whole thing greater than it is. Sailing and the life on the sea should be fun and fulfilling and as long as you have the right attitude towards it, the rest will come with time. One other thing that I've learnt is that many couples have very hard to communicate when it comes to boat handling. Naturally, the man (I say man here as the skipper in most cases are men) have to take a dominant and leading role as the skipper and if you're a woman like me and you have extremely hard to deal with authorities and people who are telling you what to do and not to, the communication can easily (and often) fail.

Because of the verbal fights one might have to deal with when learning to sail, I have came to understand that it's best that I try to learn much of the basics by myself and for that my book and different websites have been a great help. Less fights occur the more I get sailing and the sea into my veins, but still the most important thing to remember is that you definitely need to make sure that both of you uses the same vocabulary and terms so that misunderstandings doesn't make your life too complicated. Living on a small boat is tight as it is already, so every precaution you can take to make life easier for each other while sailing is essential. This goes for both the skipper and the "crew".

I have loads of more things I could write about this but I'll stop here for this time. Lastly I want to remind you of that I know how hard it can be to get started just like with anything new in life, but believe me it is all so much worth it in the end. A life on the sea is painful and a bit hectic in small doses every now and then, but the reward you get when getting into the rhythm makes it all worthwhile.

Remember now to get that book I told you about, I can see that they have it on sale on Amazon and also try getting out on the sea as much as you can - the warmer and sunnier it is, the easier it is to get addicted and the easier will you learn. And do let me know if I can be of any help for your planning of your first circumnavigation or any new sailing adventures you're about to take on. 

We're half dead today after only been sleeping for 4-5 hours - although it was much worth it. We hired a car and a driver last night for taking the opportunity to experience Casablanca - at least for a couple of hours. There were apparently no yacht marina established for smaller vessels in Casablanca at the moment so we had to take the roads to get there. It was a lovely night on one really amazing restaurant which I will show you pictures from later on. Now we're getting ready to leave Bouregreg and Morocco and head West towards the Canaries. Weather looks good with a calm sea and light wind and we're expecting to land on one of the islands in maybe four days from now. I don't know how our satellite connection will work along the way but I'll keep you posted if I have the chance to get connected. This will be our longest passage together so far and it is good that we're well prepared with loads of food, fresh veggies and fruits, tons of good books, good music in the ipod's, new sails and perfect weather. All we need really. See you on the other side.