A girl, her dog…and a dream

I’ve been putting it off and finally made the decision to put my fingers to the keyboard and begin. Isn’t that what they say blogging is all about: write, write and write some more.

Ideas have been floating around my head for quite some time, years actually. So I’ve decided to write about my life and share it with you; reflecting on the things I’ve done (and not done) and the dreams I have. One of those dreams is to return to living aboard a boat, cruising this marvelous planet we inhabit and writing about it.

Cruising and living aboard, and writing about it, certainly aren’t new. There are couples doing it, families doing it and singles doing it. I’ve even done it. I’ll be writing lots more about this in upcoming posts as I share stories of outfitting and cruising, along with photos and my thoughts about the cruising lifestyle. And just life in general.

I know I’m not breaking any new ground here. I’m not looking to set any around-the-world records or assert my feminism and independence as a woman. I’m not going to make the grand statement I’m departing on such-and-such a date to sail around the world on some time crunch. At this point in time, I don’t even own a boat. But that’s another story.

My thoughts right now are I’ll continue to work the 2 jobs I have as I also plod towards my Bachelor’s Degree, all the while sharing my process with you as I lay down my plans to go cruising. My hope is to depart one day and that you will have participated right from the beginning and shared in this marvelous journey with me. And maybe in the process I will have helped plant the seeds for you to pursue your own dreams.

Who
Me (Jacqui) and my dog Niña (pronounced Neenya). So I had thought about titling this website and blog ‘a girl, her dog, and a dream’. I thought that would be too long of a URL though – after much reflection I decided on ‘Dolphin Spirit Dream’.

Dolphin Spirit comes from my third boat, a beautiful Nor’star built Flicka sailboat formerly known as African Moon. The name Dolphin Spirit has special meaning for me and a few posts could be written about that. And they will. If you’re not familiar with Flicka sailboats, click the previous link or perform a Google Search. They are absolutely beautiful boats and I’ll be writing on this because it is a sailboat close to my heart and one on my list for serious consideration.

Me – I’m just a middle aged woman trying to make it in the real world. I currently work 2 jobs; one part-time job and full time for the Canadian Coast Guard (which is really cool). I am also in the process of pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree from Athabasca University. I began earning my degree in 1992 – if you can believe it! Life (marriage, relocation, divorce, relocation, job changes, relocation, etc…) have all contributed to dragging it on for the last 15 years now. One of the reasons I chose AthabasicaU is because they are a long-time respected institution and they offer distance education. With my life having been so tumultuous and my not being able to commit the 4 or so years in one shot to one institution, AthabascaU allows me to work towards my degree where ever I am. This will fit nicely into my goal of living aboard and cruising while I complete my degree.

Niña – uhm, well, what can I say about her? Nickname is Noodles. We were living aboard in New Orleans when she came to be. So she was first a boat dog. She’s a little whirlwind of personality being a chihuahua/poodle mix. She was only about 10 weeks old when she made her first open water crossing from Louisianna, across the Gulf of Mexico to Isla Mujeres, Mexico. More about that later as well as the special considerations and needs in traveling with our furry family members. Niña is getting on in years; not much for a little dog weighing in only at about 5lbs but they are rolling by. And I know it’s something I will have to think about. I’ll be posting pictures and writing more about her in the coming posts. She looks like Gizmo, from Gremlins…big ears, big eyes, all black with a white stripe down her nose. She’s pretty funny looking, but oh sooo cute.

What
Well sailing of course! And then writing about it. I tend to use sailing interchangeably with powerboating and could mean either. I really do enjoy both forms of boating but have been moving more towards sailboats for various reasons. I’ll be going into more detail about that decision. As a quick aside, just a few of the sailboats that resonate with me are: Flicka, Bristol Channel and Falmouth Cutters, Lyle Hess’ Nor’Sea designs and the Baba/Panda/Tashiba Sailboats designed by Robert (Bob) Perry. This list certainly isn’t exhaustive of all the sailboats I like. There are a lot of beautiful sailboats someone could consider., but ultimately, the choice of boat is a very personal one.

When
I’m estimating about 5 years to get my plan in motion. As I said, these ideas have been gestating for a long time but I’m only in the beginning stages of actually starting to lay them down. There’s a lot to consider, plan and organize. I don’t currently own a boat and I’m thinking that might be a problem…can’t go sailing without a boat. It will take time to find one and acquire it. There will be the time needed to outfit it and do any repairs that might be necessary. I’d like to spend some time as well, with whatever boat I get, familiarizing myself with it before setting off on the longer distances. But that’s what this blog is all about – sharing this process with you right from the beginning.

Where
As much as I would love to circumnavigate the globe, I’m thinking we’ll begin with cruising the Great Lakes. I grew up here and, amazingly, never sailed as a child. The Great Lakes have some of the world’s most beautiful cruising grounds. This will also give me time to work out kinks, finish (or continue working towards) my degree without too much inconvenience and tend to any special needs Niña may develop. Then I could set my sights on more distant shores and open water.

How
That’s the million dollar question…and I don’t have a million dollars. This will be the trickier part of the planning. Dreaming is easy. Financing the dream, not so. It’s not my plan to liquidate all that I own. There are a number of considerations in how far to sever land ties and I have experienced some of the negative impacts of severing them too far when I moved back on land previously. I’ll be sharing with you my experiences, as well the stories of others and their thoughts about this. As my dream develops more firmly I’ll also share with you the anticipated and estimated costs of outfitting and cruising.

Why
Why not? No really, maybe it’s my way of dealing with mid-life crisis, I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. I do know that since I’ve moved back on land I’ve done nothing but think about how to get back aboard. I personally experienced something very profound living aboard and cruising. I have always found the more ‘traditional’ life lead by the majority of people not to sit well with me, spiritually and emotionally. As much as I try. I’ve done so much soul searching and have come to realize (although maybe only just starting to believe – and that’s again, what this website is about) that my special and unique contribution in this life is going to be made through the blending of my love of the water and nature, finding peace in a simple and joyful life, and ultimately, sharing that experience with others.

Uhm, I think that might be it for an initial introduction tonight. It’s getting late and I do have to get up early. But I’ll be back over the next couple of days with the next installment. I’ll reflect some on past events, comment about what’s going on currently and of course, dream some more.

Sweet sailing where ever you are.
Jacqui and her dog, Niña