Sail Panache

Panache is a good boat, but now that she is resting in San Diego, I have made a complete mess of her interior. There is just enough room for everything to have a snug home. If you want anything from inside the boat, you need to take three other things out before having access to it. I call it the "cruisers shuffle." This shouldn't surprise me since I have been livingaboard for two years now, but it still somehow bewilders me. When everything is stowed, nicely stuffed into the numerous hidden cubbies of the boat, Panache looks clean, like she is straight out of the vintage photos lining the original Catalina 30 owners manual. I'm looking forward to getting the cabin back in picture perfect shape.

Part of the reason Panache is in such disrepair right now is that I haven't been in places where I can buy any replacement parts. So now that I'm in San Diego, I can finally take everything apart and fix it. Remember, taking anything out, even a tissue, requires the cruisers shuffle, so naturally my boat is a disaster. The best part about being in San Diego is having access to the shelfs and knowledge of Downwind Marine and West Marine. Every evening these chandlery shops have seminars geared towards cruisers heading south. Everything from emergency rigging while underway to cooking with a pressure cooker. The people I have met and the things I have learned will definitely aid in my journey.

Above deck was definitely the more challenging area to get picture perfect. The standing rigging is a little old and the running rigging looks the same. I had Casey from Pacific Offshore Rigging come out to give a pre cruise inspection, and he said I should probably replace both, but since I'm on a budget I should just use it until something breaks and then fix it. That seems to be the cruisers motto: No point to replace something thats working, but be ready to fix it when it breaks. After I told him I didn't have the money to replace either, he talked very candidly in terms of easy cheap fixes and contingency plans. Casey was running a business, but he dropped a sails pitch (pardon the pun) to give me straight talk and provide truly useful information for someone on a budget. He didn't have to, but he was happy, even excited to do it.

This is the sailing community in a nut shell: if you are in need, there is someone that will happily help. They are the friendliest, most innovative bunch of people, and this stems from sometimes a very real life or death situation when on the water. If someone sends a distress call, the closest boat has the responsibility to make contact. Its a responsibility to the community you are a part of, and this mentality bleeds onto sailors shore life. Also cruisers are just naturally curious people - they will go out of there way to see a unique island/harbor/boat. Its like every day is your first day of camp; Your so excited to meet these new people and find out where they are from and what they do. The eager positive outlook and a responsibility to community is what binds cruising lifestyle.

San Diego is ripe with cruisers right now, and its wonderful to be a part of it, to share what little I have with an overwhelmingly generous community.

Back to work. Next time you hear from me I will be across the boarder!