DtoA: The time has come to find the horizon!

This is what I call my 'driveway' - the docks I walk every day to get to the boat!

We decided two days ago that it was time to leave. Everything was organized and we were ready to go. We had officially checked out of the country too. It was a bit of a rush and a hasty exit but soon we were motoring out of DOSC, leaving behind a small group of people waving us off. We literally were sailing towards the stars - it was beautiful. Our exit was short-lived however. Our autopilot stopped working along with some new electrical issues. So with heavy hearts we turned around and made our way back to Dubai. We arrived at 2am and all headed straight to bed. I think the excitement had turned to despair and had taken all our energy. 

The next morning we woke up and all had a mission - we were going to get this boat ready to leave the next day. When you arrive at a port, you are allowed a 48 hr window to restock your boat or fix any issues, without the requirement of a visa. Due to the fact that we had checked out, our arrival back to DOSC meant that we had now begun the 48 hr window. So we had two days and counting...

Straight away we got on the phone and organised for technicians to get down to the boat to get everything fixed asap. For the other crew members, it wasn't too much of a worry as they could check back into the country at a moment's notice due to their passports. I, having a South African passport, require a pre-arranged visa for Dubai. This can take anything from 2 - 4 days and I didn't have the time. Therefore, we had to get the issues fixed and then get a move on. 

All the technicians were absolute stars. Coming at a moment's notice, leaving other jobs to attend to ours. We had the Satellite system fixed and working again, within hours. The autopilot was done by the end of day one too. All that was left was to fix the hydraulic arm for the steering and the air-conditioning unit. These were to be completed by day two, which is today. All should be done and fitted by the early evening and then once again, we will set sail and hopefully not have to return. 

20th April 2017 - Day of Departure from Dubai, UAE to Sydney, Australia! (Hopefully!)

Whilst we have had the extra time here, I have had the chance to make friends with a gorgeous cat and found some interesting things on the boats. I have also met some amazing people who live on the boats full time. Fascinating and inspiring how people live so minimalistically. 

Meet Cat - gorgeous little cat at DOSC

This boat had the Turkish eye of protection on board - I like this idea and should I have a boat one day, then I am putting one on my boat! 

That is all for now! Hopefully the next time I blog, I will be sitting in Kochin, India.

DtoA: Final Preparations...

Early morning shot of the Dubai shores before sunrise

The day to set sail has been creeping ever so slowly forward... The longer we stay, the more we seem to find to fix or buy. Some of the things that were left to do, was the shopping. We broke this down into items that lasted a long time (long-life) and items that didn't. We have now stocked up on all the items like toilet paper (yup essential!), water (only a trolley load), batteries, medicine and other food items like crackers, which do not have a short lifespan.

One thing about shopping is actually surviving it. I really do not enjoy the painless task of winding up and down aisles asking "Shall we get this?" "OK, how many?" for each item on the list. Of course, however, we survive the process. Not sooner have we bought everything, there is the task of getting it to the boat and then packing it within the boat. That is a challenge as everyone thinks things should go where they think and then when you attempt to pack all 6 cans of beans into a cupboard, only 5 fit and you are tempted to serve beans for dinner or throw the whole lot overboard. But of course, this didn't only happen with beans. Not even the toilet rolls fitted in the cupboards and no-one likes a squashed toilet roll.

Once the packing was finally done and everything had a home (and sometimes a second home), we settled into the evening. The evenings in the Middle East are lovely. The air cools, there is a slight breeze and the sunsets are spectacular. Even more so when the sun sets behind the boats.

Sunset at DOSC

Walking back from the restaurant which is around a 200m walk, my slops (flip-flops) decided they were going to break. Beyond fixing. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have very small feet and I like to use one pair of slops at a time. With this pair breaking on me, this meant the rest of the walk was barefoot (not a problem) and of course the realization that I would need to shop for new ones. So off I go. I can't be without slops and we were leaving soon, so no time to waste. 

We decided to make an evening of it and have dinner at the Mall of Emirates. Once there, we made our way directly to the sport shops so I could look for a particular brand I liked. I am not a fan of plastic slops, as they never last. So I wanted a nice leather pair or something similar. After failing at a local shoe shop, we found Adidas. I walked straight in, found the shoes, tried a pair on and that was it. Before buying them however, I did do a quick check at Go Sports and they didn't have any slops to begin with. So back to Adidas, found my size, put them on there and then and I was very happy with my new slops. I can highly recommend the brand - Adidas Parley. They are very comfortable (and blue!) and I wear them every day.

We decided on curry for dinner and found this lovely Indian restaurant. A little expensive and so we made the most of it. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and the people were very friendly. The curries themselves were incredible. Truly worth the extra pennies and certainly made us feel nice and full once we had eaten. On their menu, there was a saying which I loved. I will share it with you:

I found this saying a great way to begin a life-changing trip. All we ever really need in life are the simple things. And yet so many of us chase the big things. I hope that this is what this trip teaches me. To embrace the simple, the easy and the good. I look forward to where this journey will take me.

DtoA: Introduction to the journey Dubai to Australia

Each time that I think about writing a blog post, I am shocked by how long it has been since the last blog post. It leads to one conclusion, in that life goes so fast. Considering that it has been about a year since I last wrote, so much has happened. Memories have been made, laughs have been had, dreams and plans created and life has ticked on. But let's jump jump straight ahead to the latest adventure...

Realising a dream is nothing short of magical and I am starting my new experience now. Two years ago, my sister and I completed BST STCW '10 courses in Dubai with the aim to sail for a few months in between studies and work. Whilst doing the course we had the pleasure of staying on the boat, Sydney. My sister, a few weeks after the course, was able to join a boat and sail around Spain and even popped in to Ibiza. She enjoyed three months of blue water and loved it. At that stage, my potential opportunity fell through (gotta love visa issues) and I put sailing aside for a while. Then, two weeks ago we get given the opportunity of a lifetime. The owner of the boat that we stayed on when in Dubai had left the UAE and was settled in Australia, without his boat. This meant that he wanted his boat in Australia and was offering for my sister and I to be crew on the boat for the delivery. This meant for the whole trip: from Dubai to Sydney. As Lolly is busy with her degree she is unable to join but because I am in between studies and can't get work on land, I am taking the opportunity and going to work at sea.

After I arrived in Dubai, I came straight to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) and settled in to my new home. Being back at the boat brought back some great memories from the week spent at the boat before. I am the only one staying on the boat (until departure) and this has given me time to unpack and find my way around. There are many little compartments that require exploring as everything has it's place. Living on a boat teaches you to live minimalistically. You manage with the bare essentials and learn to conserve space. Whatever space you do have, you use it optimally to ensure that you aren't wasting. Space and 'big' items (such as excessive amounts of clothes) are luxuries. Organization is key to good boat living.

I have lots to learn but so far, everything is good. Doing the courses make a big difference as all the names and ways to do certain things comes back to you. On Tuesday, we are racing in the weekly race held at the club. This will give us an idea of how each of us works and thinks, but also getting a feel for the boat when it's performing at it's peak. For the sail to Sydney however, we won't be racing. We will make sure that we enjoy the time on the water and get the boat there safely. So to squeeze in a race is actually going to be fun. After the race, there is a social at the club and so this will be our 'farewell' although we aren't sure when exactly we are leaving yet. So far, our departure is set for Thursday. Everyone is invited to join us!

In terms of life on the boat, so far, I have been sleeping amazingly. The slight rock of the boat clearly does me well and even after only six hours, I feel refreshed and ready for the next day. Also, because the boat is not stocked with food, I find myself eating so well too. This suits me just fine as it's a chance to get healthy! I have made a friend in the form of a duck that waddles down the dock with me when I go to breakfast in the mornings. I have broken one pair of pants, four nails and had two blisters pop on my feet. This isn't so great but it is all worth it and nothing beats the feeling you get when, after a long day in the sun and organizing or cleaning the boat, you sit under the stars and listen to water move around you. You can hear gentle murmurs coming from people doing the same thing on their boats. One feels like it is a little village on water with everyone living peacefully and calmly. It has to be one of the most relaxing places to be.