I’m so excited to see this in print; it’s the final installment of my three-part series on lessons learned while cruising the Pacific last year! It was really important to me to distill what my friends and I learned to help cruisers to come, and I hope you’ll check out the whole series. Here’s an excerpt from Part Three, about having a whale of a time:
“For first-time Puddle Jumpers, the journey across the Pacific really is a leap — a leap of faith. It’s a decision to cast off the security of your docklines and venture into challenges unknown, to surrender to the will of wind and sea, and to believe that somewhere in the warm trade winds, your soul will find satisfaction. A successful cruise is about more than just being well provisioned and keeping the boat moving; it’s about creating a tapestry of unique memories that will last you a lifetime. While alumni from 2019’s PPJ had many practical tips for sailing the South Pacific, they had far more thoughts on how to craft a satisfying journey.
The Long Passage
Every boat is different, but we all pass through the initiation of sailing 2800-4000 nm across the Pacific Ocean. When you’re not busy with sailing, staying entertained is key. “Audiobooks are a must!” says Jolanda de Boer of Bliss, a Pearson 385 from Berkeley. Others, like singlehander James Mace of Moonrise from Falmouth, UK, recommend listening to podcasts.
“If we didn’t have movies, we would have gone crazy,” said Cody Heath of Zoë from Houston. Bring high-capacity external hard drives to facilitate sharing digital media (as well as cruising guides, weather data, and e-charts).
“Take advantage of calm moments when there aren’t any issues,” advised Katie Nolet of Zoë. “Use this time to do stuff that’s good for the soul, because you may not find time for it otherwise.””
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