Back in 2004 i sailed off from UK to the Med.
Without any sailing experience, and after some searching I managed to buy an old swedish sailing boat in Dover .
At the time I was living in Ramsgate and therefore I had to move the boat to the local marina after the first month. I manage to do that easily, with only a couple of trial sails.
Then in Ramsgate marina I lifted the boat out of the water,took apart everything and put it back together just to learn how things work.At the same time i was studying for my skipper's license which i got after 2 months of training/studying.
The next 3 months were all trials and setting the boat as a home.
I slowly moved my stuff in the boat ,and started living onboard as if i didnt have a flat.
Then after only 6 months from the day it all started ,i was saying my goodbyes to the UK,and made my passage to Boulogne.The game was on!
At the time I had the idea that maybe it would be nice to record the adventure on video,but as I had other priorities to think about (tides,currents,learn pilotage for each port i enter,resupply the boat,etc)
And i feel a bit bad because at the time I was saying the I dont need to record/take photos for anything as i dont care to share it with anyone ,and for me it is enough that i have the memories in my head.I was wrong I admit today.I should have made more of an effort towards recording everything.
I see today the TV programs abt people who make money by recording for TV programs like this.
And it pisses me off a bit that they pretend that they make an effort when sailing with their fully equiped 45 ft yaghts with hot water and shower,auto pilot and radar....
I had to negotiate 220 different marina entries in tidal waters,all along the Atlantic coast of Europe,and all I had was a GPS ,charts and a depth sounder..and i was feeling lucky to have them!!
Unfortunately I have no records to prove anything I am saying,only the people I met ,the friends I made can testify for me.
I am left with a bitter taste ,only because i had to leave the sailing life not due to my decision...
Anyway,as I said ,memories live inside us for as long as we are alive.
After I m gone ,they can claim in 2019 to be the first to do what I did in 2004 .
.....
I know for a fact that where I ve been ,no Greek sailor has been before.
Albewrach and Lezardieux are only 2 of the places I wouldnt try to enter again ,now that I know better!
But I ve been there,done that!
I ve passed the Il de Quesan and the Alderney race and i lived to tell the tale.
and many more horror stories.
The old but not bold sailor.
PS1:There are some photos from the trip,but only after Lagos in Portugal.
The first leg was recorded on film camera and were lost in France where i gave them for development.they lost all my films.so that was that.
PS2:There is a Maria out there that lived alongside me through all this.But she chose to forget and become like those who never had anything like her experience.Maybe in order to fit in,blend in with the "drylanders".
Oh well,there s so much you can do for others,especially if they dont appreciate you ,and want to be "average",live but not live,hide in the crowd.And above all to avoid your own guilt.Because when you use and disregard humans ,there must be a part of you deep inside that knows the truth and feels shame.
Without any sailing experience, and after some searching I managed to buy an old swedish sailing boat in Dover .
At the time I was living in Ramsgate and therefore I had to move the boat to the local marina after the first month. I manage to do that easily, with only a couple of trial sails.
Then in Ramsgate marina I lifted the boat out of the water,took apart everything and put it back together just to learn how things work.At the same time i was studying for my skipper's license which i got after 2 months of training/studying.
The next 3 months were all trials and setting the boat as a home.
I slowly moved my stuff in the boat ,and started living onboard as if i didnt have a flat.
Then after only 6 months from the day it all started ,i was saying my goodbyes to the UK,and made my passage to Boulogne.The game was on!
At the time I had the idea that maybe it would be nice to record the adventure on video,but as I had other priorities to think about (tides,currents,learn pilotage for each port i enter,resupply the boat,etc)
And i feel a bit bad because at the time I was saying the I dont need to record/take photos for anything as i dont care to share it with anyone ,and for me it is enough that i have the memories in my head.I was wrong I admit today.I should have made more of an effort towards recording everything.
I see today the TV programs abt people who make money by recording for TV programs like this.
And it pisses me off a bit that they pretend that they make an effort when sailing with their fully equiped 45 ft yaghts with hot water and shower,auto pilot and radar....
I had to negotiate 220 different marina entries in tidal waters,all along the Atlantic coast of Europe,and all I had was a GPS ,charts and a depth sounder..and i was feeling lucky to have them!!
Unfortunately I have no records to prove anything I am saying,only the people I met ,the friends I made can testify for me.
I am left with a bitter taste ,only because i had to leave the sailing life not due to my decision...
Anyway,as I said ,memories live inside us for as long as we are alive.
After I m gone ,they can claim in 2019 to be the first to do what I did in 2004 .
.....
I know for a fact that where I ve been ,no Greek sailor has been before.
Albewrach and Lezardieux are only 2 of the places I wouldnt try to enter again ,now that I know better!
But I ve been there,done that!
I ve passed the Il de Quesan and the Alderney race and i lived to tell the tale.
and many more horror stories.
The old but not bold sailor.
PS1:There are some photos from the trip,but only after Lagos in Portugal.
The first leg was recorded on film camera and were lost in France where i gave them for development.they lost all my films.so that was that.
PS2:There is a Maria out there that lived alongside me through all this.But she chose to forget and become like those who never had anything like her experience.Maybe in order to fit in,blend in with the "drylanders".
Oh well,there s so much you can do for others,especially if they dont appreciate you ,and want to be "average",live but not live,hide in the crowd.And above all to avoid your own guilt.Because when you use and disregard humans ,there must be a part of you deep inside that knows the truth and feels shame.
