Today was my first real sailing experience. What better way to take the adventure head-on then to take your first sailing ride on boat 2041, a 67 foot yacht traveling the world on a“Voyage for Cleaner Energy.” After seeing Robert Swan tell his crazy and enthusiastic stories at my school, San Diego City College, of walking to both poles, sailing around Africa and speaking to students and country leaders on the affects of human actions on the environment, the only way I wanted to spend my twenty-second birthday last Wednesday, May 7, was touring the boat that carried such an amazing message. With a little persistence, and a return visit the following day for a second tour (where I also was able to take a bay tour and meet the full crew) I annoyed Maura enough to allow me to come with the crew for a sail up to Newport Beach. This was an amazing opportunity, there’s no way I was going to pass it up! I was invited alongside my Anthropology professor Steve Boucaren, a student from San Diego State,and a couple of fellow City College students, Beau and Marsha.
The morning started off. . . interesting. I awoke later than expected and got to the Harbor as fast as I could after picking up Beau. We boarded the yacht a little after 7:15 AM. Being that this was going to be my first real sailing experience, I was a little nervous as to how my Ohio-born, land-locked body would react with the motion of the ocean. To take extra steps, I bought some Dramamine the night before. We got on and got all settled in by running through a quick intro of ourselves to each other. The eclectic collection of different individuals aboard was the element that excited me most for the day ahead! As we departed the harbor, we put on our harnesses and became familiar with the boat. Hannah, the crew chef on board, brought up some muffins as a muncher for breakfast. This was the only thing I ate so far. The morning was actually a lot colder than I thought it would be with gray skies and cool winds. I think it was the first morning in San Diego since I have moved here where I wore jeans, two shirts, a fleece sweater and winter hat! The ride was smooth at first as we passed beautiful San Diegan cliffs and departed from the harbor. I was feeling great, until about twenty minutes later. . . .I most likely tripped my mind out and could not ease it as I kept thinking of the possibility of sea sickness. For precaution purposes, I took a couple of Dramamine, but it was too late. Within an hour after taking them, I could feel my mind swimming in nausea and all of the blood was sucked out of my face. I went to the bathroom and looked in a mirror - even my lips were white! It didn’t take long for others to catch on as I sat their quietly in the doghouse, hands folded in front of my turning stomach with a grim, green face. After multiple remedies from ginger, to fresh air, to simply taking deep breaths, I proudly puked my guts up onto the beautiful and great yacht that is 2041! I left my mark! I felt terribly embarrassed and even worse when the deckhand, Jake, had to help me clean it up.
I knew if I just started over,I could get myself together. I napped in one of the bunks for almost 2 hours and it was awesome. I never thought sleeping on a boat (especially after puking all over one) that it would be that peaceful. I slept like a baby in a rocking cradle that was the ocean. I awoke a million times better and was stoked to enjoy the rest of the day with my new friends and the sea. Today, there was never a dull moment. I got my sailing experience as I tugged a few ropes and manned the jib (I have no idea what that means or if that is what I really did, but it’s a learning process, right?!) From great conversations with educated, aware, interesting and passionate people, to catching fish, to great meals, to the relaxation that only floating upon the sea can bring you, to even the pukers (I was so happy to hear I was not the only one who had barfed up their pride). When I woke, Hannah prepared us hummus and pita chips for a snack, and a delicious pita-turkey-swiss-possibly Italian dressing-sandwich with a perfect pink lady apple. I chatted up with Brent, the laid-back handy man and first mate on board, on Aussie politics and the open sea. Maura, the paparazzi and group coordinator, had so much to say about her passionate biology-related knowledge and cool hiking stories. (I was excited to hear that she was a Berkeley Alumni and even more excited to go!) The Captain did a great job at explaining the workings of all the technicalities on board, from the bio-diesel engine to the solar panels overhead, and was knowledgeable in sailing, the environment, and sea related topics. Hannah had so many great experiences from her past to relate to, especially from her time with the Peace Corps and being stationed in Malawi. Jake, the deckhand, was a quiet student that was chosen as a student to go to Antarctica. He said he had to just get up and go the day after they called! Pretty amazing people.
I spent alot of time on the front deck of the boat. It was so amazing to look out and just see open sea, and only the horizon. At the very front, I just sat there, with no other view of the ship in front of me, and it felt like I was floating alone along the sea. It was an ecstatic and very blissful moment. I was eventually joined by the rest of the crew and guests and we just got to know each other more and laid out in the sunshine. Later, as if they day could not get any better - we started to see at a distance what looked like fish jumping up out the water, all over around the boat. We turned around and we didn’t have to go far to find a massive pod of dolphins swimming all around us. There had to be way more than a hundred in the pod, as they surrounded the area around the boat. They playfully rode next to us, getting so close that they were actually hitting the bottom of the boat. Gliding back and fourth and cutting rapidly through the water, they jumped up out of the water and cut across each other, showing us tricks and turning over on their bellies. We were just as interesting to them as they were to us.
I am so happy to have experienced today on this boat. It symbolizes action and hard work of those that are fighting to make a difference in this world and live through earth, not just in it. At the same time, Maura put it perfectly today: “See, working for a cause and living the right way can be fun!” Indeed it can be, as today I participated in learning how to live a sustainable lifestyle and act respectively toward the environment, and it was all a blast! Thank you to the crew of 2041 for this amazing experience. I hope I can join the cause even further in Antarctica one day.
- Ryan Ballard, San Diego City College Student
