LESSONS LEARNED WHILE CRUISING by Jamie and Behan Gifford
Surprises in the Middle of Nowhere
run on the beach. To make a beach
landing in the dinghy it’s essential to
New Friends are Everywhere
time the wave sets just right. Despite
waiting patiently for the “perfect
conditions,” like countless greenhorn
cruisers in Mexico before us, we flipped
the dinghy. We got drenched and had
very unhappy kids. As the other people
on shore came to offer help, we learned
that they had all flipped as well. With
their assistance, our children were
soothed and we got back in the dinghy.
Peter, a young singlehander from BC,
helped pull us out beyond the surf to
where we could get the outboard going
and return to Totem. Without the readily
offered aid, it would have been a more
challenging afternoon.
A few months later, we reconnected
with Peter in Bahia Banderas. He was
gearing up to cross to the South Pacific.
Jamie offered to lend a hand with his
preparations. Although we would
have assisted him regardless, there
was a sweetness in returning the favor.
Before long, they had a list of essential
projects completed; including, Jamie
Impromptu dock party in Mazatlan, Mexico.
discovering that the fasteners holding
the gooseneck to the boom were
One of the great joys of cruising phone call to get help. But when you’re stripped and on the verge of a failure
is the camaraderie of fellow boaters. cruising, the aid, tools, spare parts, or that surely would have happened
On land, it’s easy to live in a place whatever could be many miles and during a squall in the dark of night,
where neighbors are mostly strangers. days away. 1000 miles from anywhere.
It would seem that traveling by boat Mutual assistance in times of need For most cruisers, the lifestyle
does not lend itself to close bonds as is a natural part of the unwritten code of presents flexibility and choices to what
we are routinely on the move from one cruisers. I’ll never forget a memorable happens on a given day. We are freed
place to the next, yet in our first year of day near Bahia de Los Angeles some from many of the things that kept us
cruising, one of the biggest surprises is years ago, with Jim and Diana Jessie more structured on land, where every
the number of friends we’ve gained. It on Nalu IV. Grey Wolf, a powerboat hour in our days was metered out from
isn’t just because we share a common anchored in the same bay, was having pre-dawn until bedtime. The pace of
lifestyle; rather, it is that we’ve relearned engine trouble. The owner determined most cruisers affords the time to slow
how to share our time. the issue and found the replacement down so that you have the opportunity
It could be that the artificial barriers part among his engine spares. Problem to get to know your neighbor. If we’re
which exist on shore are thinner veils was that the box containing the spare sharing an anchorage with another
on the water. Despite the pride we take showed the correct part number but boat, odds are one of us will swim
in our independence, cruisers can have held a part made for a different engine. over or stop by in the dinghy en
call to rely on each other in more material A collection of cruisers came together route to shore, to tap on the hull and
ways than land-based neighbors. We on the deck of Grey Wolf and spent introduce ourselves. When we pull
share information about the weather the afternoon working to fashion an into a new place we’re excited see a
forecast, nearby anchorages, what adaptor that would get the engine to boat we’ve met before, plans are often
day of the week the vegetable truck running again. made over VHF to catch up in person.
arrives, and the quality of the fishing. Last fall, after sailing for two days That’s how a chance meeting in La
Additionally, there are times our safety along the Pacific coast of Baja, we found Paz last fall with the crew from the
requires interdependence. When you ourselves in the idyllic curve of Bahia catamaran Meerkat turned into a long
need assistance on land, it’s often just a Santa Maria. Our children needed to and memorable evening in the waters
48° No r t h , Au g u s t 2009 PA g e 32
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