Well well well. This should be good for me. Running out of money. I've been whinging about it for some time now, trying to get some millionaire to feel sorry for me. Or maybe I feel sorry for myself? Perhaps I feel that doing this and running out of money is somehow more heroic? Who knows...
When I first left Cairns, I was concerned about having enough to write about. "I am deeply concerned about the contents of my stories. I do not have any desire to capsize, be attacked by sharks or loose my mast." You see, a good story always has drama in it. A pleasant cruise with no hardship and no amazing survival of the most appalling situations is hardly an adventure, is it?
When we arrived in Cape Town, 11 January 2006, my visa card had stopped working. For four days I tried to contact my bank with no reply. Finally I e-mailed my dad who managed to get through to them in Finland. The news: I had 500 euros left. That's a lot of money, unless you're in an Australian yacht, moored in the Royal Cape Yacht Club, with the club asking for money for your mooring, with not enough food to cross the Atlantic and with only two weeks left until immigration kicks you out.
So for me, 500 euros was not a lot of money. I had a pile of broken vind wane parts and a dream of not having to hand steer 5500 miles to Trinidad.
I am the prodigal son, I have spent all the money that I had, including a gift from my father which was a generous share of his brother's inheritance. Yesterday I had the nerve to e-mail my dad and ask if he would be willing to lend me a little so I could fix a few things on the boat and keep going. He said "no". He said a few other things too, but I'll leave them out of the website.
Bugger! I regret sending that e-mail. Think about it, a 39-year-old asking daddy to give some money... Fucking hell! I think I paniced, thinking that I'm going to end up in the Royal Cape Town Marina with Immigration ready to kick me out, the yacht club still after the fees, the food stock still in the shops and... hey what could I do? Can't go, can't stay... But it turns out that there's still about 700 euros in my account and that will cover food cost, marina fees and fixing an old wind vane that was given to me in Durban. We will be able to continue.
But this is good for me, good for the adventure and good for you. You see, the panic and sudden realisation that I need to sail 5500 Nautical Miles to Trinidad as soon as possible and then try to get work in cruise ships or something, is inspiring me to write. Suddenly there is something to write about. There is life. Suddenly I feel as nervous as I felt leaving Australia. 5500 miles... Will I get work?
Now, please don't think that I am looking for your sympathy or anything. Money is one of the most limiting factors in cruising and it is the lack of money that keeps so many cruisers in their home ports. We've met many cruisers who are truly living the lifestyle, working and saving and then cruising again, living onboard, for decades. I hope our trip is going to go well and I hope the money-matters and getting past them is going to inspire a few people to go. At least Life is Adventure again. So, Atlantic Here We Come!
PS. A few days later, after writing the above, my dad decided to donate 2000 euros for the continuation of the trip. In addition, I have some payments coming from articles written in a Finnish boating magazine. Apart from self steering problems and lack of antifoul, Aliisa is doing well and we should be able to continue with ease. We will still be able to go ashore and have a burger and chips, I can still sit down for a cold beer and I may still be able to continue straight to Finland from Caribbean, this year.
Man must choose whether to be rich in things or in the freedom to use them.
