No captain wants to hear the words “we are taking on water”, but if it does happen I hope you can resolve it as successfully as we did! Sadly, I ran our Lagoon 410, Guiding Light, onto a reef out at Glover Atoll in Belize. The charts for this area are spotty at best and as we were leaving the atoll along a route I had mapped out from the anchorage we turned into the morning sun.
This is the age-old question – Are you better off buying a cheaper boat and re-fitting it, or finding one that’s ‘turn-key’? What if all you can afford is a doer-upper? Will it save you money in the long run, and how long is that run likely to be? Weeks, months or years? Do you need to be a jack of all trades and have experience in marine restoration projects, or can any Tom, Dick or Harry do it?
This previous owner had sailed Sirocco all the way from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean during his one-year sabbatical. What drew me to Sirocco was its blend of factors that perfectly aligned with my vision. I was on the hunt for a 29-34 foot boat, ideal for solo sailing, and it had to fit within my budget, which was around $20,000. In the end, Sirocco not only met these criteria but exceeded them, as I acquired her for $17,000.
When a trip with a sailboat becomes a mission it means timelines, schedules and commitments and that is never an ideal situation considering wind and weather, boat speed and distance. But a situation presented itself early in 2023 and I couldn’t resist. A trip to New York City with friends to meet more friends while using the boat for a worthy cause. The rewards certainly outweighed the potential issues so the decision was made, we would sail to New York!
I’m a music journalist, singer/songrocker and event producer originally hailing from the Great Lakes region who transplanted to the San Francisco Bay Area just before the millennium flip. My main gig is Frets Editor at Guitar Player magazine, and my main artistic endeavor is making modern/classic rock with Spirit Hustler. My two solo albums have heavy New Orleans influences and feature members of Galactic and the Honey Island Swamp Band.
For 29 years, the Baja Ha-Ha has inspired thousands of boaters to “Cruise to the Cape” in an annual rally from San Diego, California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Some turn around and bash back north to the states after the two-week cruise, but many use it as a jumping point to continue up the Sea of Cortez or head over to the Mexican mainland, and beyond.
Cielo Lodge is situated in Golfito, Costa Rica. A little town that exists because it was once home to the largest banana exporter in the country.
The trip was to include 5 would-be sailors, split between two Windrider 17s trimarans traveling the 175 kms from Dar es Salaam to Mafia Island.
After spending 11 years in the Virgin Islands and Eastern Caribbean running charters aboard my Lagoon 410, Guiding Light, it was time to set sail westward
From the Editor: Meet the Adventure Crews: Cole and Emily Crews, Runners-up for Photo of the Year at the 2023 International Cruisers Awards in Annapolis. The Crews are a fun couple who said goodbye to societal norms, bought a sailing catamaran, and now travel full time, documenting all the ups and downs of boat life on their YouTube channel.
