Stories from a stowaway: Michael

I expect that the majority of visitors to this blog come looking for a glimpse into a dream – a dream that two intrepid souls are living out daily on a sailboat as they cruise between Portland and Panama. Because these two souls belong to two of my dearest friends in the world (and because they are fantastically generous people) I had the opportunity to get an even closer look at their dream during a glorious two week stay aboard the Serenity.

Even just in gauging people’s reactions to hearing about my brief visit, I realized that some people may have a fundamental misconception about this experience. Someone at home thirsting for a lovely vacation says something to the effect of “Sailing around tropical islands in western Panama as dolphins play alongside the boat, reading a great book in a hammock on the beach, making friends with a boatload of fisherman, drinking piña coladas as thunder and lightening create a dazzling spectacle across the horizon: that sounds like paradise.” Indeed all of these things (and so many more) were a part of my wonderful visit, but for some reason – maybe prompted by a sense of guilt or humility – an involuntary apology for the experience seems to leap forth in response: “Yes, it’s amazing, but the elements are constantly trying to devour the boat, rough seas can make your grip on sanity slip, and numerous other difficulties constitute an ongoing intrusion on what might otherwise be a serene and idyllic setting” (Nota Bene: none of these things happened while I was on the boat this time). What results is an uneasy equilibrium between a heady, optimistic take on the adventure and a gritty, pragmatic take on the behind the scenes trials and tribulations that come with it. I think that this dichotomy is a false one and I’d like to take a stab at clearing if up.

For almost as long as I have known Jeff, which at this point is longer than I care to recall, he has had a romantic ambition – one that he and Harmony are fulfilling right now. It’s something very personal, something that I deeply admire about him, and something I hope he won’t object to me sharing with the interwebs. It doesn’t have anything to do with a boat, nothing to do with Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama or anywhere else they’ve visited, and it never involved hammocks (although what isn’t improved by the addition of a couple hammocks?). It’s about living by your wits. It’s about using all of your resources – body, mind, and soul – to get by longer with less, to overcome unexpected obstacles, to adapt to new circumstances, and to win today by making it to tomorrow. Success is often hard won and rarely pretty, but the accomplishment brings a sense of glory that surpasses all comparison.

To list examples hardly does justice to them precisely because they are personal victories – the outcome when two people, functioning both as a couple and as individuals, set their wits against the wilds of the world. The creativity, ingenuity, and pluck (yes, I said it…pluck) that it takes to rebuild the Doctor, perform seemingly constant sail repair, refashion the rudder, power the boat, and cook delicious meals in sometimes unforgiving conditions is staggering and Jeff and Harmony do it day in and day out. It frequently requires a lot of sweating and swearing, but somehow they find a way to make it work. Their wits win out and this is the surest guarantee that come-what-may they will always have the tools to face life’s obstacles be they dramatic or mundane. This is the dream fulfilled and the realization of a lifelong ambition. It happens to be unfolding on a boat, but it’s really not about a boat. It’s about two very special, smart, passionate people who will create their own success wherever they venture.

I don’t know whether this will make sense to everyone who reads it, but I hope it will make sense to at least two people because it is my love letter to them and their dream – my thank you for letting me tag along for a stretch.

-Michael