About 2,5
years ago, Marcus bought Alita and made a plan for the trip from Canary Islands
to New Zealand. Looking back at our journey, he has done an amazingly good job.
We have met all the dates; no one ever missed a plane back or had to wait for
us. Only once, in the Chilean channels, did we have to change a destination,
which turned out to be for the good of all guests.
But let me
look back. Beautiful sailing conditions made the last leg a very nice closing
down of the whole trip. I did not think about where we are going I just enjoyed
the trip and looked forward to arriving at our next destination. Then, early in
the morning, 3 a.m., as I was out on my last shift, I started to realize what
was happening. The mountains and sea rocks I was able to see in this still full
moon night belong to New Zealand. NZ is the final destination of this planned
trip, which started in Gran Canaria 17 months ago. It was very quiet outside.
We had just entered the borders of the Bay of Islands Marcus and the girls were
in bed, the waves started to calm down, a nice breeze made its way over my
face. I felt so alive, enjoyed the cool air - which put a nice reddish color
into my face - and loved the smell of land. It smelled different than arriving
at any one of the atolls or islands this year. There was way more land and
flowers behind that smell. Trying to find my way in the dark, following the
lights that I could see and cross checking the electronic map I had to think back
how it all began.
2 years and 2
weeks ago I boarded Alita for the first time. I flew in to Turkey for a 5 week
trip, helping Marcus deliver Alita from Turkey to Lanzarote. I was very
emotional when we left the harbour of Marmaris to the soundtrack music of “Conquest
of Paradise”. Some little tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks in that
moment, on Nov. 15th, 2011. That trip across the Mediterranean Sea
actually was the most demanding part with the worst weather until today. We had
cross seas, lots of strong wind, rain, thunderstorms, water sprouts and traffic
in our 4 weeks of sailing (we had a 1 week construction stop in Spain). It was
there I learned that I will get a little bit seasick if the weather is very bad
or the waves very uncomfortable but it was also there that I saw my dream of
youth, sailing out on the oceans, came closer. We arrived in Lanzarote on Dec.
18th and I hated to leave Alita. A couple of weeks later we decided
that I join for the long trip.
Again under
the music of “Conquest of paradise” and passing by waving friends we started out
to the big water world of the Atlantic and the Pacific on June 18th,
2012. Another very emotional moment. My childhood dream had come true. I was
going to live on a sailboat for a while and discover the world from the sea. Almost
to the day 17 months later I was on my watch early in the morning, the birds
started to sing, I saw some light coming up in the horizon, smelled the land and
listened to the music of “Conquest of Paradise” as some tears again tried to
make their way through from the eyes. We had really made it, we were arriving
in a port in New Zealand. I had already talked to “Whangarei Maritime Radio” to
let them know about our arrival in Opua Marina, where we had to tie up at the Q-dock
(quarantine dock). Marcus was with me then, at the moment of our lifetime, a
moment, we will never forget. And then there was State of Mind. They had heard
us on the radio (although they were still in bed at 5am in the morning). When we
arrived the Q-dock, Rod jumped out of his bed, onto the dock and came to help
us with the lines. How nice, after all this trip, to be welcomed by friends. They
had left Minerva Reef South together with us, but with a slightly longer (on
the waterline) boat and more sail area they quickly left us sailing alone in
the light winds, which we had in the beginning. So they arrived half a day
earlier. The downside to that: there was no one there to help them with the
lines as they were the first ones. We all did help the next ones arriving. By
the time customs arrived around 8.30am there were 8 sailboats at the Q-dock.
So we have come
to an end of this trip of a lifetime, a trip of joy and fear, demanding and
relaxing, solitude and partying, learning and teaching, laughing and crying, ….Especially
the long passages were very hard on my body and nerves. I learned to be patient
on the situation, which I can’t change – although it’s not easy, especially in
rougher sailing conditions when you don’t feel too well. Yet it is a trip I
would not want to miss in my life and I can only encourage everyone to do it,
if it is your dream. There is always a way to follow that dream.
