Opening The June Mail Bag

By Bernadette Bernon

Moored around us in Brenton Cove, which is tucked into the southeast corner of Newport harbor, is a Kentucky Derby of sleek racing boats, all newly arrived from around the country to compete in the Rolex Regatta, a week of grand-prix sailboat racing. Among the screamingly fast one-designs here is the Farr 40 Barking Mad, which we rooted for all week during her daily sprints in Narragansett Bay, as she was Ithaka's stable mate in Newport Shipyard over the winter.

The Newport Bridge glimmers in the black June night.

Hannah in full fairy regalia for her dance recital.

From our position in Eisenhower Park, we can see in the distance the first arrivals of the racing fleet, as they mill around the committee boat before the start of one of the sprints in the Rolex Regatta.

Fresh Air

Walt, in Ohio emailed us, asking Douglas if we have air conditioning on Ithaka. "I don't recall any mention of it in your logs," wrote Walt, "so I assume the answer is no. Assuming this is correct, did you purposely avoid getting air conditioning in a pathetic male attempt to keep your wife from wearing clothes at night? And if this is correct, does it work?"

Ithaka's awnings make an incredible difference in keeping down the heat below decks. We strolled the pretty streets of Cartagena's old town day and night, and felt secure.

From Douglas: Okay, Walt, I admit it. We had a superior air-conditioning system on the boat, but I never told Bernadette about it, and one day when she was off somewhere I ripped that puppy out and threw it into the drink, just hoping the maneuver would have the effect you mentioned. Of course it did. Now I have to plead with her to wear clothes, cause I'm so exhausted. This just proves that if men would completely sack their expensive, mechanical heating and cooling systems, we'd save oodles of dollars, get lucky more often, and be less reliant on foreign oil, proving that nudity is the key to world piece.

Overcoming The News

"How do you get over your fears of traveling to a place like Colombia?" wrote Walt. "Am I just reading the paper too much? These days I find I get worried about flying a charter plane with four co-workers to the next state. Spending several weeks in a place like Colombia just boggles what's left of my mind. That's what's inspirational: you've taken what many of us would consider an impossible dream and made it a reality."

The beauty of Cartagena

Sails Calls

"Isn't it a pain to fight with the sails all the time?" Walt asked. "I'd be pitching that genoa thing overboard with the anchor! It's a total lack of understanding of sailboats speaking when I say this, but more than once I've been reading your logs and silently screamed, 'Start the damn engine!' "

Sailing is rewarding and fun, but when the wind dies the engine goes on.

On The Fence About Going Cruising, And Filled With Questions

Wayne F. wrote to us recently, after reading my story, "How Much Does It Cost To Cruise?" (To read it, click here: www.ithakasailing.com/stories/cw_stories_9.htm). In this report, I analyzed the annual expenditures of a dozen cruising couples with a wide range of annual cruising budgets - the smallest was about $12,000 a year; the largest was $75,000. Wayne had several follow-up questions about the people in the story.

Cruising is more expensive than most sailors realized before they set out. See Bernadette's article on the real costs, so you can plan accordingly.

"What surprises came up, both pleasant and unpleasant?"
All of the couples were surprised that cruising cost more than they budgeted. Whatever you budget for cruising, be prepared to spend about 40 percent more than budget for year one, a period packed with expensive surprises as gear breaks, you get to know your boat's foibles more intimately, and you become accustomed to a new life style. After year one, most people normalize to their original spending goals. Another unpleasant surprise is that gear breaks down and needs replacement far more quickly than anticipated, no matter its quality. Constant daily use, especially under the tropical sun, is far more demanding than weekend sailing over a finite period. On the other hand, the best surprise for everyone is how important cruising friendships become. Everyone sets out to see the world, but the treasured memories are of people along the way.

Boat maintenance and gear repair takes up more time than most cruisers expected before they set out.

"How did they handle health problems? How did they get approval from insurance companies when they were out of the country?"
People in the story all have had some connection with the medical system while they've been cruising - it's inevitable. Mostly, problems have been routine. But, one man did have a serious infection from a cut; he tried to arrest the infection by going to a local doctor in Panama City, and taking antibiotics. It was persistent and began to spread, so he opted to fly home to deal with it. One woman required surgery for a cyst; she flew to the States for its removal, as did a man with a cancerous skin lesion. For the routine stuff - fillings, rashes, sprains, and that sort of thing - everyone seeks medical attention locally, in the nearest city, generally at private hospitals, which tend to employ the finest doctors. Such care costs a miniscule fraction of the same care in the States. Most American cruisers do keep their domestic medical insurance, with a large deductible to keep premiums lower. If you have no serious pre-existing conditions, you'll probably qualify for one of the vastly less expensive travelers' medical policies that are open to people who are outside the US for more than 6 months a year. Douglas has that kind of coverage and he's paying less than $2000 annually. (He got it from www.cassinins.com.) If you have pre-existing medical conditions, you'll have to buy one of the more expensive domestic policies, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield - although, BCBS will only cover your treatment inside the US, unless of course it's an emergency.

Bernadette enjoying another world.

There are sea cows. And then there are sea cows. This one is on the side of delicatessen in Middletown, Rhode Island. Douglas relaxing.

"What would they do differently, such as boat or equipment?"
Cruising World has just done a feature on this question in their June issue. They interviewed several couples who've been cruising in the Caribbean for at least two years, and asked them what they'd do differently (regarding their boats) if they had it to do over again. Mostly, people said they'd get the biggest engine they could.

Douglas relaxing.