So we decided to go to Monterey this summer. Big deal, you might say. Get on the freeway, follow the signs, take the exit that says “Monterey”. Simple, right? Ummm, well, we’re not going there by car. We’re going by sailboat. Dragonfly will be dusting off her ocean cruising legs and taking us there in her 42-foot style, but of course she’s just a boat, so we’ll have to be in charge of all the planning. Thus the picture above. To get from San Francisco Bay to Monterey Bay by sailboat there is, to say the least, some planning necessary. It’s a new adventure for us, and promises to be epically beautiful (we’ve heard), but still the planning. The ‘map’ you see is called a ‘chart’ in nautical terms, and it shows us everything about navigating the waterways out under the Golden Gate Bridge and along the California coat. It tells us water depths, locations of stuff to avoid (or risk damage to our dear boaty), the exact spot where we might expect to find the place we want to go, stuff like that. It’s not rocket science, but it certainly is very nautical. We whip out the ‘dividers’, ‘parallel rules’, the tide charts and the like to plan the route we will take. We have to plan on staying out of the way of very large cargo ships as we exit the Bay, and we want to stay close enough to shore for comfort and trip distance while staying far enough out to avoid annoying stuff like kelp and pesky sharp rocks. So, thus the picture…
Tonight, we wrote out the list of boat projects we must complete before departing the Bay this summer. It was a bit long, to say the least. Our boat is very well setup, a seasoned cruiser with all the bits and pieces one typically wants from such a beast. But of course, we want more. The list includes everything from “fix that annoying hole in the forward watertank” to “call England and ask the guy about our toilet”. Now that’s something I never thought I’d say! But alas, it, and all the other items on the list, must be done if we would like to be comfortable, safe, and responsible. Boat projects are fun, though. It’s just like improving your house – a hassle, a bit expensive, but definitely worth it!
So, back to the charts, tide tables and dividers. We’re not just goin’ to Monterey! We’re goin’ there in style! 🙂
Go Stand Next to That! 