Stonehenge

While in England last week, I was able to make it to Stonehenge.

The structure is a collection of massive stones sitting out in the middle of no where with no rock quarry near by. It is believed to have been assembled around 2500 B.C. There are about as many theories regarding its purpose and origin as their are people.

The people vibe, in the area, is much like Sedona Arizona. There is wonder and amazement in the eyes of people as they circle the structure. There is a feeling of magic in the air.

But these are just rocks. The power of these "just rocks" lies in them sitting in an unexpected location. The power of these "just rocks" lies in them arranged in an unexplainable way. The power of these "just rocks" lies in the people whom look at them and wonder.

The lesson for me is that even if someone is just a "rock", if they are in the right arrangement, in the right place, and viewed by the right people, they can be magical.

More Island Time Time

When Ariel was first moved to Savannah, Island Time was experienced ... that slow pace everyone on the island has that you have to adjust to otherwise frustration can be easily had. This past 4th of July weekend, we not only acknowledged Island Time, but we began to understand from where it stems.

When we set out for the 4 days of boating, we had a grandiose list of things to be done. We would sail from this point to that point by this time, we would eat this particular food at that particular time, we would be regimented and go forth with our boating at our pace for the short 4 days. We learned, in short order, that isn't the way Island Time works and when we did try to work on our schedule, versus that of the surroundings, we got over tired and made mistakes.

The ocean, the sun, the tides, the winds, the waves, and natures tempo dictates what we would do and when. By the 4th of July, 2 days in, we were in tune with the rhythms. As we began to flow with the surroundings, moving to accomplish only what was needed to be done and when, more was done and we didn't get as tired. Watermelon was consumed at the right ocean time. Engines were started at the right tide times. Sails were raised at the right wind times. Work was done at the right Island Time. It brought home again the whole concept of Island Time, except with a knowledge of its source.

In the end, we learned that Island Time isn't a choice by those who live the life of the ocean. Rather, it is forced upon them just as it was us.

Back in Atlanta, I'm still on Island Time. Everything seems to be moving around at a frenzied, unnecessary pace. However, this is Atlanta Time and every place has its Time. Just go to New York City! :)

Independence Day - Boat Style!

This is our second 4th of July on the boat. Talk about independence! Last year Ariel was new to the family and we were sitting on Lake Lanier taking in all the fireworks. This year, as we progress on our journey, we are on the Atlantic Ocean preparing to enjoy more fireworks. Tybee Island is said to have one heck of a show, so we will be sailing to another location this afternoon for prime viewing.

Independence. That is ultimately what we are after. This adventure, this throwing off of the shackles of "normal life", is proof that we are truly independent. The USA threw caution to the wind in 1776 and told the mother land it wasn't needed any more ... that the USA could survive on its own. This was gutsy. The world was (is) a turbulent place with nations all vying for more land and power.

Fortunately for our family, the USA succeed in its quest for independence and we've enjoyed all the fruits that come with it. It was that initial risk, that moment of braving it solo, that we are thinking about today. Independence Day for the USA, the 4th of July, serves as an awesome example of courage.

The edge of decision, the moment of facing that final choice to go. We are on the edge. We are about to embark on a style of living that is so counter to the currents we live in. It is different, it is far more independent.

Will we have the guts in the end to push off from that marina dock and say, "See you later!"? We believe so. Compared to launching an entire nation on a new path, ours seems easy.

The mental hardening of the "YESification" process continues.

Living or Surviving

Waking up on the boat this morning, I wondered about the fish below. Are they living life? Or are they surviving life? Are they enjoying the ocean and all it offers? Or are they merely avoiding being eaten? Thinking about the whole cycle of life going on below, I couldn't help but draw parallels to us humans and our life above.

It seems to me many people are surviving life. They are just trying to avoid being eaten. A fish, I get. They are operating purely on instincts and they have legitimate, life threatening predators hunting them. But how many legitimate predators do we humans have hunting us? For people, almost every predator is imaginary. Heck, most of those don't even cause physical, mortal, harm. Instead, nearly every predator for a human attacks a sensibility of some sort.

Life is a wonderful gift and it is hard to imagine spending it surviving life, especially when we are in the fortunate position to not have a life threatening predator around every piece of coral. The only restraint we have is our mind. As FDR said, “The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself.” It is fear that puts us into survival mode, and for a vast majority of us, that fear is based on some false foundation.

Today, I chose to live life. I chose to enjoy every amazing offering that is before me. I chose to not put myself into a protective place for fear of an imaginary monster. I chose to take advantage of this incredible experience of being alive. I chose to live life.

Time to take swim and enjoy the ocean.

Disney was AWESOME!

What a wonderful week. The girls and I joined Bill in Orlando, FL , after his conference. We stayed at the recently renovated, Holiday Inn - Downtown Disney Resort Area. The hotel has a great pool with a zero entry area.

We spent Wednesday at the pool and Downtown Disney, which was an easy walk from the Holiday Inn. We had a late lunch at T-REX. The food was good, but the scenery and animaltronics were fantastic. After lunch the girls played in the dino dig area.

Thursday was our day dedicated to Magic Kingdom. We caught the resort bus to the park and started our day with... ICE CREAM in front of the castle. We spent the next 8 hours riding rides, watching the parade and shows, meeting princesses, and just soaking up the Disney experience. Dy's favorite ride was the Tea Cups, while KJ loved Space Mountain. We were disappointed to find Ariel's Grotto gone, but excited about the new area being developed for Ariel and Belle.

Friday we decided to go to Epcot. We only spent 4 hours at the park. Not long enough to do it justice. In hindsight, we should have given ourselves a day or more between park visits. This is a lesson learned for our 2012 Disney visit. After the park, it was back to the hotel pool to cool off.

Saturday was a full day. We spent the morning at Downtown Disney, the afternoon at the pool, and the evening flying back to Atlanta.

WHAT A GREAT TRIP!! Now that we have refreshed our minds, we are eager to get back to our Ariel. This coming weekend is 4th of July and we are planning on taking our Ariel out for a couple of days. Lots to do to get ready.

No Savannah This Weekend

Unlike every weekend for the past 6, we are not making our way down to Savannah to work on the boat. We are still in Orlando enjoying all things Disney. We trust Ariel, our sailboat, doesn't mind us staying and playing a bit longer. We visited her namesake yesterday, Princess Ariel, and she said to pass along a warm ocean hug.

This hiatus, 2 days, from the boat and journey preparation has already produced some clarity around truly important tasks. We may have been a bit too close to the work ... focusing on task after task after task, rather than the big picture. At times, one must come up, survey the landscape, and then go back down. This pause is a good one. Not only has it produced some clarity, but it has further energized our efforts. It is like walking across the desert. Those who make it the furthest the fastest are those whom stop at the oases along the way.

Mousing Around Boats

Work has me in Orlando today, so the family has decided to stop all boat related activities, fly down to see me (thank you Frequent Flier Mileage!), and we are all going to Disney's Magic Kingdom!

Dy gets in free, and that's good .... but Val, KJ, and I still have to pony up the money. Like many other families, we really enjoy the Magic Kingdom. It is a wonderful place, and I totally revert back to being a full on kid. My favorite attraction is the Haunted Mansion. KJ's is the castle (we end up hanging around it a lot since KJ wants to see a glimpse of a princess coming out).

One of our Magic Kingdom rituals is to enter the park as soon as it opens and immediately find an Ice Cream vendor. We then proceed to buy giant chocolate Mickey Mouse ice creams and parade through the park gregariously eating them like royalty. Ice Cream so early in the morning adds to the magic of the place. Plus, the looks from other families (and you can imagine those based on the role of the observer) is priceless.

Our pilgrimage to this place is yearly. Once we set off on our journey, however, that won't be the case. That is, in 2011 we won't be visiting Mr. Mouse. However, we do formally plan on being back in 2012 to drink up all that is Disney in Orlando.

It is Mouse Time!

Life Modes With A Boat

This past weekend, the entire family enjoyed 3 days on the boat. With each moment aboard, we feel more of life, the life. The life of enjoying each moment on its own merit, the life of an unhurried pace, the life of caring for ones place of residence not just for sleep but for physical safety, the life of being so close to nature, the life of flowing with the tides, and the life of being. The shift in attitude between being a professional, modern world denizen, with many parts of life abstracted away to one of a water dweller whose focus is on simplicity is quite profound and it has taken me a few days just to reconcile.

The responsibilities are still present in both worlds, but the hurdle of what constitutes importance changes: on the boat, fewer of life's tasks are deemed as “important.” When one tries to artificially inflate the importance of an effort, the effort pushes back and slows everything down. There is a pace to boat life, and it will not be altered. The consequence is that those tasks marked as important get more of the present moment focus and each one is more fully enjoyed.

After the 3 days, we drove back to Atlanta and that evening I boarded a plane for a work trip to Orlando. There was no grace or warming up period. I jumped from one extreme to the other and this made the contrast between the 2 types of life, and how it manifests within me, clear. My mood, my thoughts, my food, and my drink all are complex and wrapped in artificial (read: man made) importance in the non-boat world. Given societies machinery, non-natural stimulus for importance is intrinsic to its functioning and has its place. The bigger question for me is, do I have a place within it? At times yes, and other times no. Today, I am straddling both worlds.

Fathers Day On The Water

Ahhh, amazing .... nothing like waking up on fathers day and having 2 beautiful daughters give you kisses and hugs and boatmade Fathers day cards. Yes, this fathers day, I've woken up on the boat. This is my first fathers day afloat, and it feels oh so good.

The past two days we got a lot done on the boat. 2 more cushions in, radar system is getting closer to operational, supplies loaded, stuff organized, radios tested, generator fitted, and more. We will be spending the next hour or so cleaning up the boat and then we will be back on our way to Atlanta.

The "YESification" process continues full bore.

State Of Perfection

The journey towards our new life has solidified a number of new perspectives for me. One of them is around "perfection", "a state of perfection", and "ideal" versus a "goal state."

There is a subtle distinction between internally identifying something as an "ideal" and identifying something as a "goal." I'm defining an "ideal state" or "state of perfection" as some ultimate, correct, form. A "goal state" is just a form that you would like to turn into.

For many years, I measured myself against some ideal. An ideal that I had concocted in my head. Some of the attributes of ideal were consciously added, others unconsciously. For example, an ideal that latched itself onto my psyche somewhere along the line is that the ideal state, or perfect state, of earning a living is entering the corporate workforce and becoming an executive. This, I believed, is perfection. This, I believed, is the ultimate state as it relates to working. This, I believed, is what every other working path should be measured against. I was wrong. Being in the corporate workforce, and becoming an executive, is an electable goal, but isn't a state of perfection in the vein of work. It may be a goal state, but it isn't the gold standard.

Another way to view this is by looking at a tree. What does the ideal form of a tree look like? Short of thinking "there isn't an ideal" (the point I'm trying to convey), for any ideal image you mentally create for a tree, I would ask "says who?" Is there some ideal state that every tree is measured against? Who concocted the definition of the perfect tree?

Every person is on their own path, and one must be very careful to not put a state of perfection before themselves. One mustn't have more of this, less of that. One may chose to have a goal state that possesses less of this and less of that. The two views are very different. In my world, there is no state of perfection, only goal states.

Time to return to working on the radar.

Should We Sail Away Today?

We spent Friday night on the boat. It was glorious! The sounds, the smells, the relaxation, the new life. Ariel is getting closer and closer to being ready.

With our sailboat on the Atlantic ocean, the big question, “Should We Sail Away Today?”, gets more action. Each morning, Val and I look each other in the eye and make a conscious choice that day about sailing off in the sunset.

When we started the journey back in 2007, we thought it wouldn't be until 2016 that we could go. Over the past 3 years, however, we've learned that in actuality we can go at any time. One by one, a myriad of false assumptions have been stripped away (amount of money, type of boat, age of kids, etc.).

Many mornings, when we talk of the big question, I ask myself, “in one year from today, if I found out I was going to die within a week, would I rather have spent the previous year working a bit longer or embarking on this journey to sail around the world?” Easy answer. This mental exercise helps set the stage for the bigger question.

So, Should We Sail Away Today? Not today. There are a few more modifications to the sailboat that we want to make before we go. But once those are done, then the probability of answering “YES!” on any given morning goes up a lot. … and the blog post of that day, the “YES!” day, will be quite spectacular to say the least!

Happy Sunday everyone. We're working on "YESifying" Ariel.

Abby Sunderland and Back to Savannah GA to work on the Sailboat

This morning we were grateful to learn that Abby Sunderland has been found and that she is fine. Her sailboat, Wild Eyes, is upright but her mast has been knocked down.

We have been tracking Abby and her quest since its start so when we learned of her being feared as "lost at sea", our hearts and best thoughts went to her. Val and I had it in the back of our minds that Abby would be found, but we couldn't tell if that was hope or intuition. Fortunately, Abby has been found and she is safe. Yay Abby!

We commend those taking bold quests. Bold quests stretch the soul of the individual and of mankind. We know the fervor of "she is too young" is about to whip up (and probably already is), and we know the fervor of "sailing around the world is too dangerous for kids" is about to be stoked. Life, itself, is an adventure. Those whom don't get this are already dead.

Young people have been taking adventures since they could venture past the cave hole. Adventurous young people serve as inspiration for so many others, both young and old. Was Abby in danger? Yes. She was in a danger of her, and her parents, choosing. She was well equipped and well prepared. I don't know too many 16 year olds that can have the same thing said about them and their daily lives.

With Ariel in the water, it is doubly hard to resist seeing her on the weekends; we want to spend every extra moment we can on her getting her prepared. The sooner she is ready, the sooner we would be able to go on the sailing trip. To this end, I've taken today off from work and we are on our way to Savannah to make some progress on the boat. This weekends tasks include putting the boom back on, getting the sails back up, install the new splash well plates, get the engine running (it hasn't been started in over a month), and begin installing the radar system.

Of course, the draw of the beach will be strong. Tybee island is only about 20 minutes from the boat so KJ, Dy, and I may make our way over for a few hours. This will allow Val some quality uninterrupted time on the boat.

Interestingly, with the news reports of the BP oil spill in the gulf, there seems to be a push by vacationers to make their way to the Atlantic for their summer holiday and Savannah/Tybee island seems to be one of the more popular destinations. We may see lots of folks in the area!

Oh yeah, Yeah Abby! Go Abby!

Great Omens - Sunset - Sunrise

On Friday, once Ariel was splashed into the Atlantic, I decided to get some food and bring it back to the boat. I was glad that I did, because I got to see something wonderful. While sitting in the cockpit, eating my McDonald's hamburger, I heard a "poof" of air and then I heard it again. It was getting closer. I looked off the stern of the boat and there was a small dolphin. It came right up to Ariel and swam along the side, as if it was doing an inspection and saying welcome to the neighborhood.

The sunset on Friday was beautiful. That night I got a great light show as thunderstorms moved through the area. I didn't go to sleep until after midnight and was up before the sunrise.

The first evening and morning on Ariel were truly magical. Foreshadowing things to come! Life is good!

Memorial Day - Remembering Sailors

Today is Memorial Day; a day to remember the American service members whom died in the service of the United States of America. This day is a no work day for many American's, including all federal workers.

Sitting here, sipping my coffee, visions of an American cemetery in the Philippines floods my mind. Back in 2006, my job had me visit Manila and Cebu. While in Manila, I went to pay my respects to the fallen American military members buried there. I was unprepared for what I experienced.

What hit me was the magnitude of the number of crosses that marked each American entombed within the soil. There are over 17,000 of them, most sailors, whom lost their lives during World War II in and around the Philippines. When you see row after row after row of white crosses, you are struck by the savagery of war and the appreciation for how much is given for a cause.

Thank you to all service members, and their families, whom gave all to help secure the freedoms I now enjoy. I will not disrespect what you've given up by wasting a single moment of my freedom.

Living On Purpose

I have a purpose, a reason for being, a goal and aim in life. It is a purpose that helps guide my every action.

My formal purpose statement is: To Remain Awake, and to Awaken The Remaining.

This statement summarizes how I feel about life.

Too many things in society are hypnotic and we become entranced by it, forgetting that we own our lives and can live it on our terms. Thus, I must remain awake.

There are not only parts of myself that still need to be awakened, but I receive tremendous joy in awakening others, and watching how their "awakenedness" manifests and cascades back through all of life. Thus, I will awaken the remaining ... not only in my self, but in all those I can touch.

This living with a purpose has manifested into the public sharing of SailboatFamily. This site keeps me awake, and allows me to awaken the remaining.

Thank you to everyone whom reads this blog; you allow me to live my purpose.

Gulf Coast Preparation for Oil Spill

The Deepwater Horizon's oil spill about 2 weeks ago almost caused my class to be postponed. There was talk from local officials about closing off the water ways to all but essential needs. Fortunately, the class went forward and the timing afforded me an interesting opportunity. I was able to observe, first hand, how folks prepare for such disasters as a floating oil slick.

In Pensacola, FL area, I observed the place ment of floating booms to help keep the oil from touching the shore. In the photo, you will see all the yellow booms all strung together.

I saw floating booms put into place at both ends of Big Lagoon, along the Gulf Island National Seashore, wetlands on Johnson Beach, and around various oyster beds in the immediate area.

In the second photo, you can see what these booms look like when placed in the water.

There is a lot of concern about the potential environmental effects this oil spill will have on the area and the Gulf. When talking with local folks, local small business people shared with me that they are already feeling the economic effects of the disaster. Most immediately impacted were the commercial and sport fishing businesses. The marinas, charter companies, and marine rental businesses are keeping a close eye on the oil spill too, not only in terms of revenue impact, but they are also watching the oil because it is extremely damaging to boats and equipment.

Our thoughts and well wishes go out to everyone and everything effected by this oil spill.

Tune Ups For The Trip and The Ironman Triathlon

Today we are in South Carolina, near Newberry. I'm competing in a Sprint triathlon, the shortest distance of all the triathlon races. I'm using this race as a tune up for the Ironman race I'm competing in, in July. Races like these are great for working on the mechanics of transitions (from swim to bike, and from bike to run).

Such races are analogous to the weekends we will begin taking in Savannah to practice for sailing around the world. The Sprint triathlon provides a way to experience all the same actions as the Ironman race, but compressed into a 2 hour period. This is exactly how our weekends in Savannah will become. 3 days out on the boat will micro tastes of the trip to come. As August rolls around, we will start taking week long trips on the boat, adding even more to the tune up experiences.

Going for the full distance, even if one has done them before as I have with my past Ironman races, without some tune ups increases the odds of encountering problems. Lower the odds, practice in small containable periods. Plus, you get all the joy of doing what you love.

Life Is Full Of Donut Choices

Val is due back today. Yeah! It has been one heck of a week without her; she is truly the energy of our family. How does this daddy celebrate her return? By taking his daughters out for one final "mommy's away at sailing class" food outing .... to our local donut shop!

As I watched KJ point out the donuts to her sister, and listened to KJ provide an assessment of each donut in the case ("That one has blue sprinkles and tastes really good", "But that one has pink sprinkles and it is really good"), my mind took a step back and focused on the choices Val and I face today.

Each day, Val and I make a conscious choice about me continuing to work. From a financial perspective, we now have the option of sailing away any day we want. However, I have an amazing job, I work with amazing people, and there is still some professional growth to be had. Plus, more money in the sailing kitty is always good.

When we go sail, I will have a blue sprinklely donut. While working in my current job, I have a pink sprinklely donut. It is true win win scenario.

The trick is to enjoy the pink donut just long enough to still enjoy the flavor while not letting the blue donut get moldy before eating it too. That is the balance point Val and I find ourselves on right now ... judging how best to have both donuts.

This reflects the wonderful position we are in. We are not picking from a trash can full of rotten apples, we are picking from fresh donuts in the bakers case.

In life, there is far more control about where you eat from than most will admit. If they did admit it, then they would have no one to blame but themselves for the crap they eat.

You are the baker of your life. Pick your ingredients and get to work. It is time to make the donuts.

Oh, KJ and Dy both ended up with the pink sprinklely donut.

Island Time

While pushing through last weekends tasks of settling Ariel into her new home, a big red HALT sign flashed in my face. Val and I faced "Island Time." You know Island Time, it is that more relaxed, it will get done in time, attitude.

The contrast was made even more clear by the simple fact that it was Friday and I will still in professional Bill mode.... pushing pushing pushing .... moving to the next task. Well, those on Wilmington island (where Ariel is berthed) don't care how fast your professional life moves, things will get done in their own good time.

This became clear to me while I waited to have a sub-sandwich made. I was typing up an SMS to Val with the following text "Sorry it is taking so long ..... everyone everywhere on this island is moving slow" Just as I was about to press send, it dawned on me: they weren't moving slow, I was moving too fast. I needed to operate at the pace of those around me. I needed to slow down, and enjoy the Island Time pace.

Val and I had experienced this before, while on vacation on some remote islands a few years ago. It took a couple of days then to realize this.

Here I was again, carrying my hurried pace baggage to this wonderful place. It was time to drop the luggage. So, I deleted my SMS text and sent instead, "This is wonderful place. It is so relaxed. We are operating on Island Time. Will be out when the sandwiches are ready." In flight course correction. Ahh, it felt good.

Now when we head down, we will be dropping the hustle bustle attitude the moment we make it over the causeway. We will be on Island Time. I can't wait to get back!!

Simplify Simplify Simplify

We continue to chip away at the unnecessary marble of life to reveal a new sculpture of existence for our family. Our new art of life is focused on being simple, having as few parts as possible. While considering the approach of simplicity, the following quotes were unearthed:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

Leonardo da Vinci

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

Confucius

“Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify.”

Henry Thoreau

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

Albert Einstein

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

Hans Hofmann

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.”

Ernest Hemingway

“Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.”

Edwin Way Teale

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”

Bruce Lee

“Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.”

Plato