The BIG test

In two days, we will fly to St. Petersburg, Florida and set sail for 8 days.  We won't be alone. A Captain will, apparently, make sure we don't die...or crash the boat.  The four of us, plus one Captain, for 8 days on a 40 foot catamaran should at least let us know if we can handle the tight space.  This isn't just a boat like the boat we'll be on. This is THE boat we'll be on:

I think there are several ways this will be a "good" test and a few, important ways that it won't. We'll definitely figure out if we like this idea.  Do we like it enough to try it for real?  I think that's a question we can answer.  And we'll definitely figure out whether the space is adequate.  This is about the size we can afford. Finding out how the sleeping arrangements work out ahead of time is a serious luxury.  And can we cook and to what extent will be decided.    Even with all of the reading I've done on provisioning, I still feel clueless about it.  I know that this experience will give me a handle on what we can reasonably carry and how long it will last. And seasickness - how bad will it be?  Will I be able to acclimate or will I be wretchedly ill any time the tide kicks up a bit?  These are my questions I think we can answer. 

The biggest question this can't answer, though, is how it will really be.  This isn't our boat.  So there will certainly be big differences there. There will also be an additional person on board.  As unobtrusive as he can undoubtedly be, we will still be "on" to some degree.  Having that fifth person on board ensures, perhaps, that we won't be able to fully relax. Then again, maybe it's like reality television. You get used to the cameras being around 24/7 and eventually you just learn to ignore them. 

Stay tuned....

The Big Test!

With the celestial navigation class under his belt, Henry is officially better versed in sailing than myself.  This wasn't hard to do, quite frankly.  He had likely surpassed me before we even started. After all, I still can't remember how to tie a bowline unless I do it two or three times. 

A side note: Gotta brag about the big brain I married. He scored a 98 percent on the celestial nav test, a test which apparently only about 50 percent of students pass.  WOW!

Anyway, the real test awaits.  On December 25th, (yep, we're traveling on Christmas Day) we fly to Florida for a week-long charter on a 41 foot FP.  Will we hate sailing by the end of the week?  Will we hate seafood?  Will we hate each other?  These are questions for which we must find answers before we can commit to this plan full force.

The four of us, plus Captain Frank, on a 41 foot boat for 7 days, 8 nights.  His plan, he says, is to take us out of the marina and not return there until January 2nd.   Just to give you an idea, this is the boat shown on the Charter School's web site:

Now, it's not all fun and games. We are getting a class after this as well, ASA 114 (otherwise known as Multihull Fundamentals).  We already have the book.  And here's what I've learned so far:

1) Nothing you've learned so far is of any use to you, because multihulls are different in every possible way than the boats you've already been on.

Yep, that's it. 

You know how you learned to tack on that 23 foot sloop?  Yeah, that's useless now.  Catamarans have no momentum.

Oh, and you know those hours upon hours of Man Overboard Drills? Yeah, kind of useless.  We do those different on a Cat. 

Okay okay.  To be fair, the cooking part will probably be similar, but I didn't really take a class for that.  And sure, the radio will be about the same too.  lol 

We're letting the kids bring their tablets.  I'm taking bets on how long after their batteries run down before the mutiny begins!