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Change of Course

By: Hanne Moeller

Log from “Friendship”, Southern California Coast

Tuesday, August 30th, 2005

Our plan was to sail to Santa Catalina – the small piece of Paradise that somehow got dropped in the Pacific by the angels on their way to Los Angeles. So we were heading for Avalon Harbor at Catalina Island. Everything was fine when we took off from Shelter Island, San Diego, in the early morning
mist.

The pelicans formed their secret patterns in the sky, like a code waiting to be deciphered. The seals gave us their own little lecture in laid back living. A few fishing boats were coming in with the catch of the night. I took the wheel and held the course between the red and the green harbor markers to get “Friendship” out of the channel by motor.

The new first mate liked the feel of the wheel, steering “Friendship”. Finally out on the water.

The days before there had been many first mate tasks: cleaning port windows on “Friendship” from saltwater plus a lot of more scrub-a-dubbing which became the term Ross and I used for all the cleaning tasks. Doing laundry. Shopping for the trip to have easy finger food, water and juice on board. Buying an ice block to keep food cold. I had to learn about the lines and the sails. Be able to loosen the dock lines and jump on board. And be able to jump to the dock with a line in my hand and tie the boat to the slip. A good thing that I got my new boat sandals – they stay on my feet when I jump.

Also I had to learn about sailing and safety. How the radio works. How to put the life vest on. How to use the fire extinguishes. I had a good lesson of the GPS – the navigation system that works by satellite – the autopilot and the various instruments at the cockpit. So I was kind of loaded with new sailing knowledge about how to sail a 30-foot Catalina sailboat named “Friendship”. Luckily my captain Ross is much more experienced than me. Otherwise we would be in trouble.

I like the precision concerning boats. Everything is accurate and to the point – or purpose – of sailing. It resembles radio production, which is my field of work.

I also like to hang around at the Marina and go to the hot tub and the swimming pool. And I like to sleep on “Friendship”. The quiet rocking on the water puts me to a wonderful sleep.

But I have to tell you that I had a bad dream of warning before we took off for Catalina Island. I dreamed that I was joining the European song contest called “Melody Grand Prix”. I was apparently set up to perform two songs. The problem was – too little rehearsal! I didn’t know the songs well at all and I forgot the lyrics. Even a sheet of paper with the texts was not enough for me to manage a convincing performance. So I had a bad little premonition standing there on board “Friendship” in the early morning mist.

I also have a bad record concerning seasickness. Therefore I had put on one of those patches you can put behind your ear. Someone told me that NO ONE gets seasick with a patch behind the ear. So I got a prescription from my doctor in Copenhagen, Denmark and went to the pharmacy to buy some before I left for the States.

After some working with the GPS we reached the waypoint to head north. We were motoring because there was no wind.

And then the swells started. Not waves – but swells. The powers of the ocean lifting you up and down. Not one minute where the boat is going steady, even though there was almost no wind at all.

And then my seasickness started. I had only had a banana and some water for breakfast and it is still a mystery to me how one banana is able to come up 4 times. But it did. Yellow banana and green first mate.

Ross was absolutely sweet and tried to ease my pain the best he could. But neither Ross’ care nor the patch worked. I could only lie down on the bench at the deck and hope this terrible condition would soon come to an end. But my body did not make friends with the swells. And we were already several hours from the Marina.

At 7 pm we arrived at Oceanside. The most lovely harbor and Marina around 35 miles North of San Diego said hello and looked like just the right place to get back on my feet. Ross and I decided to stay at Oceanside for a couple of days and then go back to San Diego.

I didn’t make it to Catalina Island. Instead, I got an unexpected gift named Oceanside – a beautiful place with a long boardwalk where you can walk hand in hand right into California Dreaming.

We met Bob on his sailing fishing dory “Ragmeg” – a 27 foot wooden St. Pierre Dory. Bob is 80 and a retired surgeon. He found his dreamboat in Novo Scotia, Canada, and sailed it to Oceanside through the Panama Canal with two heart attacks and a couple of muggers along his epic journey. He was 17 months at sea all by himself. “But I was not alone, I got some help from up there” he said, pointing at the sky.

Bob just landed in Oceanside earlier this year and was now repairing and varnishing his beautiful vessel. A carved wooden Viking head in the bow grinned a little at me – even though I was born in Denmark, the land of the Vikings, I am not such a good Viking myself since I get seasick. Bob told us a little of his amazing story – once again reminding me that life itself transcends all imagination.

After talking to Bob we went to Dominics Italian restaurant. Dominic said hello and asked me where I live. “In Copenhagen when I am not in the US with Ross” I answered. “Do you STILL live in Copenhagen?” he replied, having no doubt at all that Oceanside and California is the best of all worlds.

We laughed and sat down to have what turned out to be the most delicious lunch. I had got my appetite back and we decided to split a Caesar salad for a starter. Then I had angel hair pasta with tomato sauce, garlic, fresh basil and homemade garlic bread sticks. Ross had pasta with baby clams and he looked very happy with that too.

While eating Dominics good food we sat overlooking the harbor and the Marina. A great variety of boats in Oceanside – from powerboats to sailboats with kids, dogs, bicycles and everything. I even saw a houseboat there.

It all looked peaceful from land. Now I had to prepare myself for going back to San Diego.

A woman in a fishing store recommended a little pill against seasickness. “The fishermen take that one,” she said. “Some of them get seasick too, you know.” Somehow it was a comforting thought that I was not the only one. I decided to give that little pill a try.

But if you ever get stuck on a sailing trip I can absolutely recommend Oceanside. Flexibility is the middle name of sailing, Ross tells me. He is right on that one.

Thursday, September 1st, 2005

We are back at Shelter Island Marina in San Diego. Yesterday we took off from Oceanside around 7:30 am and we landed here around 6:30 pm. A whole day of mostly motoring and a little sailing – and I didn’t get seasick! Somehow my body is learning how to handle those Pacific swells. So I could really enjoy the sail along the coast of Southern California. WOW! A great feeling.

Here are my tips against seasickness – at least this worked for me:

I was able to eat a little trail mix during the day. Almonds, raisins… stuff like that. And drink a little water. But not a lot of food before we landed and went to the Pizza Nova restaurant for a Greek salad, pizza Marguerite and a delicious swordfish for my captain. For desert an overwhelming Fudge Sunday for each of us.

In the night I had a long and deep sleep. Lots of dreams rolling past my inner eye. Sailing certainly stimulates the waters within where dreams, images and the subconscious are hiding out. But no participating in contests with songs I hadn’t learned by heart.

—Hanne currently lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA and on board s/v “Friendship” San Diego, California, USA. I have sailed on Roskilde Fjord, DK in an actual Viking replica ship. I have been broadcasting radio from Danish harbors sailing on the schooner “Haabet” (Hope) in the summer of 2005. Besides learning how to be a part time Viking I am a radio journalist at DR, the national public radio of Denmark, in the field of literature and culture. Right now I am in life transition – like a snake shedding it’s skin.—

Photos by Ross LewAllen