Saturday, March 5, 2011

Bella Star is Going Cruising

Well, it’s official.

As of April 1, Aaron & I will be unemployed.  Although “retired” may be a better word for it.  Bella Star is going cruising!  Woohoo!

There’s a flurry of activity here, as we prepare for our voyage.  We’re busy researching and buying and installing all sorts of goodies – from a new chartplotter, radar and life raft to canned goods, guide books and sunscreen.  Our dream of quitting our jobs and cruising the world is actually becoming reality.  Holy crap!

So you might be wondering what our plans are.  Well, the only real plan is to not have  a plan.  But since we know that isn’t a very good answer, here’s our best guess*.
*Guess subject to change at any time. :)

Spring and Summer 2011: Canada
Sure we’re aching for warm water and tropical beaches, but the magnificent cruising grounds of Western Canada are not to be missed.  We’ll circumnavigate Vancouver Island and hopefully make it north to the Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands).

Late Summer and Fall 2011: California
As late summer approaches, it’ll be time for us to make the “left turn” and head south down the West Coast of the U.S. to California.  San Francisco Bay, the Channel Islands and San Diego are all on the list of places to check out.  Due to insurance regulations, we can’t enter Mexico until November 1, so we’ll bide our time in California until then.

Fall and Winter 2011: Mexico
Bienvenidos a Mexico!
  The Sea of Cortez and mainland Mexico are next on the list, although the “plan” I mentioned gets a little shaky after Baja… All I know is that we’ll be drinking plenty of Coronas and sunning ourselves on the foredeck come December. Es muy bueno.

Spring 2012 and beyond: Mexico?  Central America?  The South Pacific?  Who knows?!

Stay tuned as we post more about our preparations and projects – and soon (very soon!) our escape from the rat race. 

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain

14 comments:

  1. Congratulations!

    And I absolutely love that Mark Twain quote.

    bob

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  2. Don't do it!!!

    (JUST KIDDING)

    See you out there.

    Livia & Carol

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  3. Holly cow guys, THAT IS AWESOOOOOOOOOOOME!!!

    I am so happy for you guys and so jealous at the same time ; )

    I wish you guys the best, good winds and calm seas!

    Andy

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  4. We just trained up to Olympia, WA and checked out Gig Harbor. Puget Sound looks like an awesome place to cruise. We thought of looking you two up, but didn't really know where to start. Anyhow, if you are cruising down the California coast, please stop in Morro Bay for a weekend. We'd love to have you! Lauren and Truman

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  5. Been following along and thought I would say hello!! My last day at work is April 1st as well..Yee Ha Jeanne is already done, having sold her practice. We are slowly heading up in to the Gulf Islands for the summer then head down the coast some time mid August. We dont plan on going around the island, just enjoying some down time exploring. We will keep our eyes open, should our wakes cross!!

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  6. Have a great adventure! Maybe you can stop in for a Squadron slide show on your way south?

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  7. We look forward to crossing paths with you two this summer! Our plan is to set out from Olympia in late June, heading for BC as well then down the coast in late August/early Sept. Love your boat-- our first boat was a HC33, beautiful!

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  8. Hey guys-- SO exciting! We still don't know exactly when we're leaving, but should definitely keep in touch about it, it should be in 2 or 3 months. So good that you're following your dream.
    -Becca

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  9. Hello, everyone! Thanks for all the enthusiasm and support. It feels great to finally be living our dream (almost), and we're thrilled at the prospect of seeing a number of you out there. Keep in touch!

    @Livia: Haha. Can't wait to share an anchorage with you and Carol...

    @Lauren and Truman: We'd love to stop by! How fun.

    @Tom: You guys are on Eagle, right? We'll definitely be on the lookout for you!

    @Bill: We'll certainly be taking lots of pictures... if we have time before heading south, we'd love share them with the Squadron.

    @Sara: Aren't the HCs great? Good luck with your preparations, and we'll see you and the family up north.

    @Becca and John: Keep us posted on your departure date -- we'd love to meet up (and see the new boat).

    -Nicole

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  10. Congrats you guys! Sooooooo exciting! I guess that visit to the spa was to pretty you up for the long voyage :)

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  11. WOO HOO!!! It's so exciting... like Christmas Eve when you were a kid. The anticipation, the excitement. WAY TO GO!!! We look forward to seeing you up here in Nanaimo or Sidney BC and maybe even in Port Hardy! (Ship tour anyone?!)

    We will be faithfully following along with your blog and living vicariously through your adventures while we get familiar with Syrah and plan our own escape!

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  12. @Carol and Lance: You know, we had our first Nanaimo Bars a couple of months ago (yum), and we're dying to try them again IN Nanaimo. :) Looking forward to catching up and seeing Syrah in the water!

    -Nicole

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  13. First of all congrats! We've just embarked on our first cruising adventure down to Baja, so I know how exciting it can be.

    Second, screw the insurance regs. I'm not sure what the issue is. My broker (Oversea Insurance) has been very accommodating even given our very limited experience. But either way, you should sail down as part of the Haha (http://www.baja-haha.com/). We'll be doing it along with a ton of other cruisers, we've heard it's a lot of fun, and the entry into Mexico date is something like October 25th.

    Third, give us a buzz when you're headed for San Francisco. We'd love to meet up, have you over for dinner, or go for a sail. Or all three. There are a bunch of Hans Christians down here, and I've been thinking we should try and rouse some of the local owners for a group sail. My email is sflanker at hotmail and my cell is 206-669-6428.

    Best of luck,
    Paul & Jen
    S/V Serenity (HC38)

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