New Home: One World | Current Location: Curacao

My new home, s.v. (sailing vessel) One World, is a 50 some odd feet steel schooner (not counting bowsprit, etc). If you can picture in your mind a pirate ship, you're picturing a schooner. We haven't actually been out sailing yet, so I can't speak to how she handles, but I can say that knowing how to sail and knowing how to sail a schooner are two different things. There is just under a mile of *working* rigging on deck. I can't even count the number of halyards and sheets cleated off on anything stationary. There are 9 working sails. NINE! (I'm used to 2 and sometimes 3). Todd swears it's easy once you get the hang of it. And new-ish crew member Melissa says she's catching on pretty quickly. I suppose the really nice part of this boat is that it was built to run (sail downwind) and that once we hoist all there is to hoist, everything just sits there and off we go, at 8 to 9 knots! Soooo, doing a downwind circumnavigation is the best plan to have.

Down below, she's not like any boat I've ever been on. She was refitted in 100 days, and it shows. Some of the wood is finished, but most is just plywood quickly thrown up. There are haphazard step ups/downs kinda everywhere, and innumerable places to bump your head (which I seem to do at least twice daily). There are 3 proper cabins with doors, 2 of which have double berths (Todd's and Alex's), and 1 which has 2 single beds (mine). There are 2 more bunk areas walled off with curtains, the nicest one is Melissa's and the other is open. There's a small workshop and a nice nav station. There are a couple of really charming things aboard - a ship's clock (8 bells for change of watch), ratlains (ladder) for climbing into the rigging, companionway steps that are made from 100 year old wood. Here's the thing though, while she isn't terribly comfortable, she's obviously very strong and sturdy. I mean, she's steel. Supposedly she handles weather beautifully.

On to the folks....So there's Todd Duff, he's the owner and captain. He's 55 I think, divorced, with 3 boys and a girl. Originally from the states but now calls the BVI (British Virgin Islands) home. He's been a yacht broker and all other things marine for several years.

His son, Alex, is also aboard for the duration of the circumnavigation (at this time anyway). He's 17. I was already out of the house by the time my brother became a teenager, so I've never experienced "teenage boy" before. He's mostly fairly quiet, cooks, makes messes, is learning to play the guitar and sing, gets his heart broken...typical teenage stuff. But in other ways he's had a lifetime of experience already in cruising. I think he's already cruised 20 some odd countries. Last night, I had to chuckle, he was describing his perfect vacation...going to a house on land with big tvs where he could sit and watch tv/movies all day eating ice cream. Yep, I guess that'd be the vacation you'd be after if you'd lived all your life on a sailboat. :-)

Melissa, 28, is from the midwest but most recently lived in North Beach in San Francisco. She was previously on a catamaran that didn't work out, so she joined One World. She's very agreeable, positive, likes to have a good time, and oh did I mention, beautiful?! My self-esteem is gets a good workout when I stand next to her. I don't know too much else about her, but I'm sure we'll get to know each other better as time and watches wear on.

The overall vibe on board is cordial, but I wouldn't say we click. Everyone seems to want to do their own thing. This is much more my style than sing-a-long family-style, so that's good. But between you and me and the rest of the world, I think I'd like a little bit more click. Maybe that will come with time.

I find myself comparing this boat and situation to my 2 other crewing experiences. The most recent of course was on the Spirit of Nyami Nyami. Don and I clicked, boy, like I said, I would adopt him as my other Grandfather if I could. Ben and I got along fine, though we have quite different personalities. The INside of the boat was amazing - soooo comfortable and cozy - more like a little country cottage than a boat. The OUTside, well, that was what troubled me as you all know. And of course the experience level of the 3 of us left a little to be desired. And last, the financial situation was a cost-share, meaning I had to pay a share of the food and fuel. Reasonable, of course, but not ideal, as I have no money coming in. Then there was my passage from Trinidad to Panama on Robb's 45' cat back in 2006 was it? Maybe 07. Anyway, that experience may have ruined me for a while. Super duper comfortable boat, all expenses paid. Robb was a little tyranical at times, but he knows he is. It was also a clothing optional vessel. This is the only configuration that makes sense for long passages - I mean, laundry concerns right? :-) Anyway, I'm coming to the conclusion that there's no "perfect boat" out there if you're crewing. There's always going to be something you don't like - whether it's the people/a person, the living situation, the sailing situation or the money situation. I guess this is why people buy their own boats, but that's a whole nuther conversation.

For now, obviously, I'm going to make this work. I'm gonna get across the Pacific dammit!!