I think the bones of this trip began in 2023. I was leading a group of boats from San Diego to La Paz Mexico and I knew I was headed through the Panama Canal and then to the East Coast, but I also knew I needed to get back to the West Coast one day. I guess I decided to do it then, but deciding to head back “over the top” does nothing to get you ready for the voyage.
Preparing for a trip from the East Coast to the West Coast via the Northwest Passage is not something to be crammed into a few weeks before you set out. That’s obvious perhaps, but how long is long enough to plan? How do you even start? Though we’re not “officially” leaving Portland Maine until July, there are a million and 99 things that have to be thought through. Of course I had to think about the boat; is she ready, well maintained, well provisioned for the trip. The weather and timing is an obvious factor to deal with. But a trip like this means long stretches at sea, extreme isolation, and three months with the same people, and only those people, to help. The crew just might matter most and that’s where the planning had to start.
Who has the right experience and can walk away from their lives for months? What assets do they bring in terms of their experience. Can they fix things? Can they fix people? Do they know the boat? Can I actually live with them in a small space for months? There was a lot to consider. My first choice was tried and tested. Jon, a very old friend, was definite.
The only man I know with more hours that Jon does on Sarah-Sarah is me. He knows the boat, he knows the systems, and always pushes through and gets the job done. He also turns three shades of green in rough water and is just miserable out in it. Despite having a ton of time at sea, he just doesn’t …enjoy it enough to make large open-water crossings. To manage this reality, Jon would only travel from Nuuk Greenland to either Prudhoe Bay, AK or Nome AK. The theory being, more ice, less fetch, and calmer seas between those two points.
Next was Sam Devlin. I have known Sam since 2003 when he designed and built a boat for my father and me. He has been a friend ever since. He is calm, thoughtful, experienced, and this was a life dream of his so I knew he had a spot. Once Sam and I started talking about the crew, I set out and talked to a few friends that I wanted to share the experience with…but alas…they had lives and plans and could not make it work. Sam then introduced me to Pim Van Hemmen, an Editor at Soundings Magazine. He was originally planning on Nuuk to Nome but he couldn’t get away from work for that long.
Mario was originally going to be on the boat from Portland to Nuuk but once Pim had to bail, he signed on for the whole excursion. I had an opportunity to test him out on a short trip from St. Thomas to Marathon Key and he passed. Mario is smart, very experienced albeit not on this vessel and he made us laugh non-stop. I figured at this rate, I might have abs by the end of the trip simply from laughing. He is a great storyteller and a pleasure to be around.
Daniel, frankly I don’t know yet. He is a friend of Sam’s and I am relying on Sam’s good judgement. He is only making part of the trip…from Portland to Nuuk Greenland. It will be great to have another experienced boater to stand watch as we likely have a straight 175 hours to cover. I’m glad he’s coming along.
Finally, my oldest son Bill. Bill is getting permission to work remotely and will travel with us from Nuuk to Nome. I am very excited to be able to share this trip with him. He and I have had many trips together and he is great to have on board. He is easy going and always looking to help wherever possible.
Sadly, I’m going to have to leave one of my favorite travel companions at home. Ivy, my 85 lb Rottweiler and Sarah-Sarah’s head of Security, thinks that all living creatures should love her and want to play. She would run towards, not away from a polar bear and I just can’t take that risk.
Much of the joy I get from making passages and traveling aboard Sarah Sarah I actually get from sharing the experience with people. I think I’ve got the right people for this trip and I’m glad that part of the plan is done. Only one million and 98 things to go.
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.