Recalling the past few years of sailing, we have grown from ignorant and fearless novice sailors to ocean crossing cruisers by enduring the trip past the infamous Cape Horn, which is in wild Chilean Patagonia. We were not only facing the unfamiliar oceans, but also exotic countries and foreign languages.
At the time we started our journey, we left the land behind, as well as everything related to our past lives. We quit our jobs, and sold our house and cars. The only thing that we took with us was the concern of our family and friends.
Our home was a port called Durban, a busy city located on the east coast of South Africa. At the beginning of December 2017, we cut off our mooring lines and sailed down the Wild Coast, around Cape Agulhas into the Atlantic Ocean, and then further up to Namibia. Afterwards, we crossed the South Atlantic Ocean to Brazil, sailed down to Uruguay, Argentina, even to the Falkland Islands, one of the most remote islands in the world, which is located at 51 degrees south latitude. After experiencing some wildlife there during Christmas and New Year, we returned to the South American mainland and arrived in Ushuaia, the end of the world, in Argentina. After resting and restocking, we crossed the Beagle Channel to Puerto Williams in Chile, and then we went through the furious 50s and eventually came to the Pacific Ocean.
In the last two years, like all adventure stories, danger came to us several times, a life-threatening car accident in the Namib desert; a giant freighter passing us at full speed just one step away; then engine failures and autopilot failures in the darkest night. In Brazil, we got besieged by thunderstorms; in those exotic bays, our boat ran aground twice. In Chile, a southern storm tore our foresails; and last, but not the least of danger, at latitude right before the roaring forties in the Pacific Ocean, seawater entered our engine, we had to be towed to the safety of Valdivia. There were countless heart-racing moments and they were all terrifying.
However, reviewing the dangers of the past, we still yearn for the ocean, which is full of charm and magic. She is gentle and refined, like a beautiful fair lady; and she is brutal, like a terrible witch. When she is happy, she generously provides us with all kinds of food; and when she is mean, she lets big fishes bite off all our bait. She is peaceful in force, which makes us calm; yet she is also powerful and emphatic in peace, which leaves us in awe of her.
She is forgiving and bears all our filth; she also bears grudges and any small mistakes we make, she let us suffer the consequences.
She is fair, she is accommodating, she is free and easy, and she is infinitely beautiful. She is also a good friend, who will never give up on you. When you face difficulties, she will always comfort and give you hope. Therefore, how is she not fascinating!
This is probably the attachment of all seafarers to the ocean, just like the attachment of the ocean to the seafarers.