Southern Cross...

So I've been thinking about it more, and I'm starting to develop my plan...

First I need to back up a minute... last summer, I went sailing. And got bit by the sailing bug, bad. To the point that, in my life, I'm reasonably serious about doing an around the world sail. Now, that all sounds fine, but let's be realistic. Sailing around the world is something you plan for years, it's the Everest of sailing, and here I am in my late 30's just getting into this. I don't even own a boat yet.

So I was perusing Cruising World (sailing magazine, not alternative lifestyle magazine) which, oddly enough, a couple of people at a place in the desert that is Iraq get brought to them by the post office. Whatever.. anyways I started to get bit again.. so on my first vacation, I'm going to spend part of it, down in the Caribbean, or possibly in the Mediterranean, doing some instructed sailing and getting some certifications.

So then, I'm thinking of phase II, where I actually buy a boat. probably something in the mid 30-40ft range. Set up so that it can be single handed (sailed by one person) which is not impossible, but does require some thought and planning. I'm seriously thinking about buying a boat out of Turkey or the med somewhere, working it in hops through the med and to Ireland. This will be the time to learn the boat and get the sailing experience as well as get plenty of port time in various places like Greece, Italy, France, Spain, etc. Then in Ireland I'll refit the core equipment, and make the hop across the Atlantic to the US. Then down to the Caribbean, and back up the US coast.

Then I can seriously look at doing a circumnavigation. Dunno for sure how far along this plan I'll actually get, but I am pretty sure I'm taking the instructed sailing courses.

"Got out of town on a boat goin' to southern islands.
Sailing a reach before a followin' sea.
She was makin' for the trades on the outside,
And the downhill run to Papeete Bay.
Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline.
Nicely making way."

-Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills and Nash)

Regards,
-Bouncer-