A 2000-Mile Crewing Passage
In 2016, I decided to take my sailing life to a new level. After working as a computer consultant for 20+ years in California, the stresses of my job and lifestyle were starting to take their toll. I was introduced to sailing in Belize in 2011, where I boarded a sailboat and didn’t get off again — except to go snorkeling or scuba diving — for a week. That experience sparked something in me and changed my perspective for the rest of my life.
Over the next 4 years, I took sailing lessons, joined a yacht club, and went sailing almost every weekend. But I wanted to take it to a different level. I was in between contracts and felt it was time to take a break.
In June 2016, I flew to Barcelona and took a 3-month course that culminated with receiving an RYA YachtMaster Offshore Certificate. Technically, this qualified me to skipper a vessel offshore, commercially. We put in 2000 nautical miles of sailing, during the course, by making passages to Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco, and Tangier. We sailed actively in the waters where orcas are causing problems today.
It was one of the best times of my life. I made lifelong friendships and memories. It was a great way to learn — living on boats and working together on the same goals — with my class/shipmates. I loved it. Not since my trip to Belize in…
