It was an impromptu beach party in Antiqua. Eighteen cruisers from around the world had gathered to greet the New Year at a beach bistro. There was a prince from Malaysia (he picked up the tab, thank God), a much-pierced, skinhead musician from England, a scientist from South Africa, an old biker from the U.S., a young couple from New Zealand, a cafe owner from Scotland, a business woman from Germany, two sisters from Australia, and a couple from South Africa. Some were single, some were married, and some were gay. We were cruisers, so we were family.
All of us were doing something that only a small percentage of people on earth will ever do. We sailed the world under wind power, an adventure that equalizes all who attempt it.
There are very few true adventures left on this earth. Only out here, in Neptune’s Kingdom, do we all become equal. There is something about fighting a 100-foot wall of water, and coming out on top (literally) that brings us into one group.
There have been plenty of doodads made available to make a cruiser’s life easier, but in the end it still comes down to just one thing; surviving in the most inhospitable environment on earth – the sea.
Everyone has the picture in their mind of pristine beaches with tall palm trees and crystal blue lagoons, or pulling into ancient Greek ports. This is what drives us to cruise. But the truth is, before we sit on that pristine beach, or visit the ancient worlds, we must fight our way across thousands of miles of a very unforgiving ocean. This is the adventure. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, right?
Arriving at a port after you have fought the dragons of a sea crossing can make you swell with pride. Going there is the meat, but sailing there, ahh, that’s the gravy!
Knowing that you, with just the wind and your self-reliance, sailed there, makes your visit all the more sweet. You are not a tourist. The cruisers you meet along the way? They’re your family. You find that the things which used to be important, like status, what kind of car you drive, and what you do for a living, pale when compared to the realities of how a person handles himself in a real crisis. If you meet someone who has cruised awhile, there is automatic mutual respect. You know what it took for you to get there, and you know the people you meet have passed that test.
The ocean is the big equalizer, and all who sail her waters belong to a select group. Membership is free, but anything but easy, and once attained you belong for life. Good sailing!
