For the forseeable future, whilst my limited financial resources last and my health holds I shall spend part of my time wandering the Caribbean Sea on the good ship Bimbling. Although I shall be returning to my home in Blighty at regular intervals, that time is not covered here.
When I arrived out here, in Tortola in early 2009, I had a grand plan. The carefree life riding the wind, going wherever the Trade Winds carried me, but in that time I had become far too comfortable there, and had developed a circle of friends and flirted dangerously with the concept of ‘putting down roots’!
Having completed all the repairs to the major damage sustained in Hurricane Earl (31st August 2010) I started to get ‘itchy feet’ again, consequently made the decision to leave Tortola, now all I had to do was choose between turning left (east and south) or turning right (west) on departure. Hmmmmm……… That’s a tough one, but soon I was on my way in April 2012.
I came for a wandering life just meandering around the wonderful different islands, sailing before the wind, exploring, diving, snorkelling, trying the different fruits and foods on offer and, of course, sampling the local beers and rums whilst watching beautiful sunsets. As you know friends and family have an open invitation to join me anywhere on my travels but so far very few have taken the offer, I guess if I move to an island which requires only one flight from the UK, Antigua, Barbados or Trinidad perhaps, more, especially my daughter and her children could possibly come out to visit.
Although there are still lots of wonderful bays and beaches that I haven’t yet managed to visit in the Virgins, the option remains at some time in the future to return and take those opportunities. I guess that is the biggest attraction of this lifestyle, I am not governed by any timescale or programme, although a slave to the wind, if it is not favourable for the destination I have chosen then I can simply wait until the wind direction changes or choose another destination. As for the impact upon my circle of friends, lots of them are boat owners/crew also, most are ex-pats of one persuasion or another, so by definition all are nomadic in nature, and you’ll understand how small the world becomes because of how often one runs into a ‘friendly face’ in the most unlikely of destinations! It also helps to be a self-sufficient, resourceful and an independent spirit.
In the modern world internet is pretty widely available so communication with close family is quite easy and regular, much enhanced using VOIP programs like Skype which facilitates free voice and video calls to keep up to date. And should any disaster occur then, wherever I am in the world today, I’m almost never more than 24 hours from home. I have a booster aerial onboard Bimbling, which given the right location and conditions, I can usually find a signal when close to civilisation.
It’s a simple life, there’s no air conditioning, no microwave, no television and no Jacuzzi, in fact, not much in the way of luxuries. I do, however, have a small fridge which allows for storage of fresh food and vital cold bottles of local brew!
What I have instead is fairly comfortable, basic but clean living accommodation in an elderly fairly elegant sailing ship, she makes no pretence of luxury but can meet all of my needs, albeit at a sedate pace through life. In exchange for the so-called luxuries listed above there is the “no shoes & no frills” living experience, no pressures, no crowds; I can sleep under the stars if I wish, I have nobody to please but myself; I can swim with the turtles, the dolphins and the mind blowing array of exotically coloured tropical fish, snorkel along coral reefs, leave footprints in the sand of a beach that nobody else has walked upon. I can find the solace to read, meditate, contemplate or just indulge in a prolonged bout of navel gazing.
And, it’s five o’clock if and when I say it is, not when the clock dictates!
So, I guess you can say, all in all I’m happy with my lifestyle choice?
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