GO small GO simple GO now (but fix the boat first!)

Lin and Larry Pardey coined the phrase ” Go small Go simple Go now “. When it comes to sailing, I think it is a good philosophy to keep in mind.

I never made a bucket list (false, I have at least “live in Buenos Aires for  a while”) or had a lifetime dream.

The truth is that I have always had several dreams running in parallel and connecting randomly one to the other.

For example I’ve always wanted to buy a small RV like the old VW van and make long journeys on it. It hasn’t happened yet but what happened is that I bought a small sailboat instead.

A small RV and a small boat have a lot more in common than the mere adjective.

Both are vessels that pursue the idea of a nomadic and self sufficient life. That is true even if for most of the people they represent a mean of transportation for the spare time. They share a destination that is beyond the horizon and they give you a cozy and comfortable support during the trip.

Why dreaming small while I could dream about a big luxury RV or a 90ft sailing yacht. Dreams are for free they say, so why don’t exaggerate?

Coziness and simplicity of a living space have a great attractive power over me. The smaller and simpler is the shell that separates you from the environment, the less is the interference with the experience. Insulation from elements has always been an important feature for a living space but it seems that today we removed ourselves from nature completely.

If you consider yourself limited and defined by the walls of you home why would you buy a mansion? If you want to travel the World why would you watch it from the window?

Going small and simple has many advantages.

Simple and affordable equipment put less obstacles in your cruising project. Maintenance,and repairs can be made cheaper and quicker, with less need for technical expertise. It means more time and more money for cruising.

Handling sailsm lines and equipment is easier and requires less manpower, even when the situation gets gnarly.

Small boat are capable of great things, allowing you an easier access to shallow anchorages and more available slips in the marinas.

A small cruising boat it was also the only possible option due to our limited budget.

The original project was to save at least 80k$, necessary to buy a certain model of boat, and investing the rest in a complete refit and outfitting, in order to have a perfect boat ready for bluewater ocean voyaging.

I soon realized that the 80k budget was not a sustainable goal for my finances, and that if I really wanted to go cruising and live aboard I should reduce my expectations and go as soon as possible, with what is at hand.

Saving up for years in order to have the budget someday was a way to avoid the problem. Maybe it would have been a wise financial move, but it would require to delay the start of the project. Instead  I checked my balance in the bank account and make a plan according to what was my real available budget.

Two events participate in the decision to go now and not wait for the future.

ùThe first one was reading about Matt Rutherford circumnavigating the Americas singlehanded, non-stop facing the Northwest Passage and Cape Horn aboard a 27-footer Albin Vega. This exploit opened my eyes on the fact a certain type of small fiberglass sailboat are capable vessels that can sail the oceans even in high latitudes.

I inevitably fell in love with the small but sturdy Albin Vega and started to make more and more research about the so called Good Old Boats, small vessels strong enough to take you everywhere you want.

Unfortunately, Rutherford’s exploit made the price of Albin Vega’s rise quite a bit  on the used market. But the Albin Vega is only one of several good old boats on the market, and with 10k$ or less there’s an universe of sailboats that can take you anywhere.

The second event was reading about Daeung Sunim, a 42yrs-old Korean Buddhist monk that is going to bike his way across Canada, the United States, Mexico, and finally on down into South America. Asked why he was doing it, the quiet monk put his hand to his chest and said, “To test my spirit.”

The shocking part for me was to learn that the monk faced this challenge with no previous experience or training and that he just took this challenge on his shoulders because he wanted to see if he was able to do it.

Another event that made go now a feasible project is the fact that my partner wanted to do it too and so finally Kate and I bought a Columbia 29 with the idea of fix it up, go living aboard and cruising around.

It’s our first move to “test our spirit” and I am sure the refit will be a very demanding one, but this is the best way we could find to follow the adage ” Go small go simple go now “.