THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GOING TO SEA!

 

Posted in Sistership Magazine

BY Linda K. Ford

 

The cruising life fuelled my passion for being in, on, or by the ocean. Sailing to foreign shores has the ability to weave a kind of magic’ where you fall under a provocative spell. Once smitten, you have a passion for life.

 

“Caution to the Wind,” is all about sailing out into the unknown, where nothing would be predictable. How does one prepare for the psychological impact? I personally don’t believe that you can prepare. I was a novice when we first started and I hadn't been on a long, offshore crossing. In theory, one week, two weeks, or even three weeks at sea had no real meaning for me. It was hard to comprehend how I would feel, and what it would be like, as I had not yet, experienced this.

 

Looking back, I recall various poignant moments. Leaving New Zealand wasn’t easy. Firstly it was very hard emotionally, especially to leave family behind. We also had various teething problems with our yacht ‘Ebony,’ and encountered unfavourable weather conditions, with strong winds and rough seas, in several attempts to getaway.

 

We had made it up to Port Taranaki, in the North Island, of New Zealand, and were waiting for a change in weather. I remember feeling trapped and concerned about our ability to get away before the winter set in. Doubt crept in; will we be able to complete this ocean crossing, to Sydney, Australia? I began to question, whether or not, we had what it takes to succeed? The greatest impact for me was encountering severe storm conditions as in the following excerpt from “Caution to the Wind.”

 

“Geoff and I were cocooned in the yacht, with no radio contact with the outside world. We were truly alone!

Ebony, like a fearless warrior, battled against the elements; there was nothing else we could do. A sense of hopelessness filled the small cabin, enveloping the profound silence that was created between us. My mind raced with a jumble of thoughts; what if things worsen; will Ebony incur any damage? One of Geoff’s fears was the dread of Ebony doing a 180-degree turnover, would she right herself?  It was as if we were living out our worst nightmare. Ebony was sliding down huge wave’s broadside on, hitting the bottom with a loud crash, and knocking her violently over onto her side.

“Are you all right, Lin,” Geoff called?  

At the time, he was lying wedged in on the saloon floor, as I lay in the quarter berth.   

“As right as one can ever be at a time like this! Geoff, do you think we’ll…well, what I mean is, do you think we’ll come through this a.....live? “The Storm, page 48”.

 

 

What was paramount at this time was the possibility of dying, and never seeing family again. What really stuck in my mind was the thought that if we didn’t survive, no one would know what had happened to us, we could be lost without a trace. With all aspects of cruising and especially when sailing with only one other person, being able to work together 100% of the time is paramount. We were both very lucky to be a great team and could rely on each other always. We had to deal with whatever the weather dished up, and was faced with many challenges. We had to push beyond any fears and just do what needed to be done. For our own safety, and to ensure that “Ebony” didn’t incur any damage.

 

Cruising can also be like a retreat from the world, with the experience of solitude while out at sea for days on end. These times provide special moments with time to think and reflect, and alternatively very social when in port. At times being together so much created a few hurdles, which were well worth jumping over, as overall our cruising experience was truly amazing, an epic voyage that I will never forget.

​