Pam’s Perspective

Oh my, what have we taken on?

I have gone from one chaotic whirlwind to another!  Making sure the boys are settled, packing up the house, wrapping up two jobs, sorting out finances, planning for the care and feeding for our dog Little Bear, and the most moving:  saying goodbye to so many incredible friends and family.  Oh, and simultaneously preparing for the sailing part:  taking advanced sailing classes and researching what we will need when we’re out there and living aboard Pamela for two years.  A lifestyle we have never experienced before.

When we left the dock I was full of apprehension and anticipation.  Had we taken care of everything essential?  How will our incredible sons fare?  And Little Bear?  Not to mention our new home, Pamela, being rigged, maintained, and stocked properly.  At that point I simply had to accept that we had done all that we knew to do and pray that we didn’t miss anything critical.

I have sailed out the Golden Gate in my sailing classes but never in Pamela.  Would I be overwhelmed standing my first midnight watch alone at Pamela’s helm?  Dennis and I would need to stand watch all through the night, alternating three hours on and three hours off.  I knew I could do it but would it be too frightening, challenging, exhausting, exhilarating, enlightening… ?  It was all of these emotions!  That first overnight passage was a big accomplishment for me.

 

I was very content to watch the sun rising on my 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. watch.

 

 

 

 

I don’t think I have ever experienced so many “firsts” in such a short period of time.  Standing watch for several days and nights, entering strange harbors and anchorages at night, refueling the boat in some challenging places (like the fuel dock at Morro Bay at low tide, 20 feet above the boat), and now my first regatta, the Baja Ha-Ha!

Seeing California from the ocean is quite dramatic.  Following the coast southward is spellbinding.  And seeing and hearing the barking sea lions, pods of dolphins and whales, huge red-and-yellow jellyfish, and playful sea otters adds a sense of relationship and connection with the sea.

One last aspect I would like to describe is the deeply touching feelings I have after hearing and experiencing the thoughts and feelings of friends and family wishing us a safe and successful journey. It brings out our deeper core love and respect for each other.  What could be more important in life?