11/18/2023 0 Comments Staying afloat tinashe![]() ![]() Instead of passages planned around scheduled pick-ups for crew, I tuned into my own intuition about when and where to sail. Traveling without a lot of money pushed me to connect with more people, use local transportation, waste less, and become more resourceful. I stopped worrying about having a photographer with me and started to love sailing solo. Upon arrival, I decided to take more time to explore. Then, at my own pace, I set off toward the South Pacific late in the season of 2007. While other sailors were choosing to speed across the greatest expanse of ocean on the planet, I decided to let myself enjoy a few of the first south swells of the season in the islands off Panama. I decided to slow down, try to let go of financial anxiety, and really do what I wanted while my savings lasted. So I took a deep breath and embraced an actual change in course. I was shaping my whole trip around assumptions about what other people wanted. I thought people would get bored and lose interest in my enterprise if I didn’t sail quickly enough to ever-new destinations. I realized I had been moving and working at an unsustainable rate for almost two years in an attempt to keep my ‘followers’ entertained. What did I want from this voyage? Why was I really doing this? These unsettling questions flopped around in my mind like a luffing jib. I began to re-think the entire enterprise, stem to stern. A month later, I woke on the cabin sole amidst scattered tools. An underlying dread about my finances persisted. I kept busy between repairs to Swell in Panama City and writing emails at TGIFridays hoping for new sponsorships. The window to cross the Pacific had already begun. My only stable sponsor stopped sending money. Every site on the coast of Central America with internet became a happy port of call in my mania to network, produce, and trawl for additional income.īut a year after I sailed away from California, I ran fiscally aground. I invited adventurous friends as crew who could double as amateur photographers in hopes of attracting sponsors. In hopes of not draining my savings too quickly, I composed articles and blog posts in a frenzy. ![]() Covers on adventure magazines like National Geographic Adventure, feature articles in Foam and Wend, shoutouts in Outside, and the opportunity to write monthly columns for Surfing and Latitude 38. ![]() ![]() My travels on Swell as a young, female captain earned me considerable attention during my first year of sailing. Barry agreed to prepare Swell for the high seas, but I would have to fend for myself financially once the voyage began. That was the original deal I made with my mentor and sponsor, the late Dr. I wish that were true! But truly, every dollar spent since leaving the dock has come from my own efforts. Many suppose I’m some sort of trust fund kid. People often wonder how I manage monetarily. Sailing to find surf was exhilarating, but I spent much of my time wracking my brain about how to stay financially afloat. I met high and low seas during first year of my voyage. Having the courage to do so is always rewarded! Photo: Dominic Mosqueira We have to find a way to blend our passions and skills to provide something for the world. We all need money, but it isn’t always easy to do what we love AND make an income. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |