Schedules can kill. In the maritime world, weather is perhaps the biggest variable that WILL determine comfort, speed, and most of all, safety of any voyage. Commercial vessels are often driven by schedules and this is reflected in their vessels, crew, and a vast support system. Ships must ship, Crabbers must go out during Crabbing Season (winter), and so on.
Perhaps one of single biggest risks to recreational boaters is a date. ‘We NEED to get to Vancouver by June 12 to x, y,z’, or ‘We only have one week of vacation, let’s go to..’ One of the advantages of a cruising life style is they have the opportunity to adjust their timing. If a passage looks snotty, well, just stay put. Or, as Kristi once responded ‘Why?’ to the statement ‘Hurry up, they are forecasting Gail Winds in the straight and we need to get going’. (That day has some good stories out of it..)
See, we have often told folks there is always room for guests, you tell us the When, we will tell you the Where (and that might change).
Yes, Schedules can kill.
Having said all that, last night we selected two Dates. . .
April 19th à This is the target date for us to finally ‘pull the plug’. On that date (or very soon after it) we will have moved out of the apartment, sold the cars, given back all the furniture we have borrowed (or some other way of getting rid of it), drop the lines and leave our slip for the last time. Our intention is to take a leisurely cruise up river to Lewiston Idaho which is the furthest point up river one can navigate without using a jet boat. 5 weeks and we will be back in the Portland area in time for a 1st Birthday of one of the grandkids.
Then we will float around the Portland area being River Gypsies. At least until:
August 23rd à The weekend just prior will be the USPS D32 Cruise. Our idea is to attend that, then when it is over, slowly make our way down river and turn Right. Will see, am told August can have some Fun winds, so…
Yup, Dates can be dangerous. But after 10 years of this, perhaps it is time to set a couple.
What? No Swiss Steak on April 24th? Ah, yes... it's time, isn't it? Then in August, you'll be wanting to fish for those silver salmon on your way downriver before you TURN RIGHT. There's a song about that: "Simple Gifts." It begins: "Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free..." (that's you to on this odyssey). And it ends: "...till by turning, turning we come round right." That's you.
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