Leonard Skinner - Escape Under Sail

Dedicated to Bill and Laurel Cooper, whose generosity of time and knowledge has ignited the dreams of a thousand liveaboards.

We were dreamers once. Dreams can become a reality. It is hard work, rather than magic, that gets it done.

Bill and Laurel Cooper, authors of Sell Up and Sail

Contents

Thirty years on (and more) from writing Sell Up and Sail, I am still contacted by people happily cruising long or short distances, saying, You and Bill were our inspiration, or Its all your fault!

One such couple was Leonard and Mary, who several years ago, while over for the Boat Show from Ireland, asked to come and see us. They were at the beginning of their escape under sail, and had some questions to ask. When I learned recently that they had written a book that might answer those and many more questions and would like me to look at it with a view to writing a foreword, I was seized with panic. Was this going to be a Sell Up and Sail lookalike, desperately needed as it was?

I need not have worried. Leonard and Mary are their own people, and both strong characters. The framework of the book has to be similar because of the ground to be covered, but while many seagoing issues are still the same after centuries, much has changed in the last 30 years.

When we wrote our book there was no internet, GPS, social media or smartphones. Communication was by letter or frustrating sessions in hot phone boxes with a weighty pile of coins. Navigation was by eyeball, sextant, paper charts and the seat of our pants. In mid-ocean, weather reports were hard to come by except from passing ships.

Leonard and Mary provide up-to-date chapters on navigation by electronic chart, using GPS and AIS, useful apps for your smartphone (what a blessing that is for todays sailors), and whether a TV is a useful addition, as well as traditional skills that dont change, such as knots, rigging, first aid for long-distance cruisers, weather forecasting, anchoring, storing ship, cooking and catering. They are home schooling their two teenage children as they sail, and their words of wisdom on that topic are an invaluable addition to the book.

They also have a great deal of advice on what it will cost. In todays climate it is harder to budget than it was in our day (we had a big house to sell and Bills naval pension as a back-up), so these chapters will be of great help to todays escapees, always remembering that what it will cost depends on what you want for your money, and that is as long as a piece of string.

Also covered is the inevitable occasional clash between two (or more) opinionated and intelligent people trying to get along in a smaller space than they have been used to. Finding out how much you enjoy the cruising life the discoveries, the excitement, the healthy environment, the instant companionship with the boat next door, and, yes, the occasional moments of danger successfully overcome all help to get past the hurdles and pitfalls. I look back on the many years and many miles of cruising with Bill with immense happiness, and memories both wonderful and heart-stopping.

Here it is, thanks to Leonard and Mary of Faoin Spir, long awaited and much needed, a worthy successor to Sell Up and Sail.

Laurel Cooper, 2019

So, is this another book about how someone bought an old boat and sailed off into the sunset? Thats certainly how it started out but it grew into a catalogue of all that weve learned along the way. The easy lessons and, more importantly, the hard ones. It started with a simple conversation around the kitchen table one evening, and continues with us living and cruising on a sailboat, without it costing the world. Before we get started (and Id like to think that this is part of the draw of this adventure), we should point out that when we began, we were not experts in anything to do with sailing or boats. What we write on this topic has been learned from books, from other sailors who were generous with their time, or good old-fashioned trial and error. What we are pretty good at, perhaps, is seeing ways through difficulties and executing plans that others might deem impossible.

It will be useful to note that Mary and I (Leonard) write with independence throughout the book. That is to say, we dont always agree on how things should be done. And youll know whos writing at any one time because youll see an for Leonard and an for Mary.

In all seriousness though, one of the most wonderful things about escaping under sail and sustaining a life on a sailboat is that no two people do it in exactly the same way. So even on the same boat, people have different (sometimes wildly different) ideas about the same experience, and its important to recognise that each idea is as valid as the other, for wouldnt life be rather boring if we all found the same meaning in every experience?

To the superhumans, the racers and the endurance athletes, you have my utmost admiration just dont expect us to keep up. We have found that, for us, sailing around the world actually translates to sailing about the world. Moving from port to port as and when the mood takes us, sometimes we stop for a day, sometimes for six months. Liveaboard cruising is as varied a lifestyle as the personalities who engage in it. If you do everything that we do, one of us is doing it wrong. Once youve read this book and the many other excellent publications available, remember the lessons but do your own thing regardless.

When Leonard and I set out to become liveaboards we had no idea what it would really entail. We read other cruisers books on how they managed to achieve a similar goal. We didnt follow any one of these exactly; instead we read and distilled from each what might suit us or be relevant to our path to the liveaboard lifestyle. I know that these days everybody searches the internet for the solution to everything, but I have more faith in the written word. What I hope you find in these pages is our unique perspective in terms of our particular experience. We have achieved a cruising lifestyle on a budget, and although we are very explicit in sharing figures with you, they are our figures and no two boats are the same. We do believe, however, that the cruising lifestyle can be achieved on any budget. It is also our belief that it is possible for anybody to develop the skill set required for cruising, but allowing yourself the time to practise is necessary. We started, genuinely, with nothing no experience, no money and no sailing skills and we want to encourage people who are in the same position as us to achieve their goals.

There are two noteworthy points about starting from scratch: first, you do find your own way, and second, when you find your own way into sailing you have to trust your own instincts, too. There is a significant amount of horse manure that abounds in the yachting world; it would be a great pity to let that put you off when you encounter it, but encounter it you will. Contrary to popular belief you do not need a certain type of product on your boat to make it safe; you do not need a certain type of jacket or pair of shoes to sail and feel the wind in your hair and the freedom of the high seas. All you need is a seaworthy boat, a sound understanding of tides, currents and winds, an awareness of health and safety, and a level of competence for manoeuvring the boat safely. All of this is achievable with time, patience and practice, and to anybody who wants it and is willing to work hard and learn. The yachting world is also filled with kind, supportive and generous people who are eager to share their experience and skill, and it is useful to take every opportunity to learn from them. However, one of the main reasons we wrote this book is to encourage those who are just starting out to learn what they can from as many sources as possible and to value their own judgement, too.