We're going west, Overland trip abandoned
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I'm still rallying people to help Bluemapia support my voyage across the Pacific - ! Click here to find out how to help Bluemapia support my Pacific crossing, and also learn how to win a brand new SPOT messenger. If you haven't already, please read this post and help me get across the Pacific!
There is an awful lot going on. To summarise, Constellation is being trucked mid-next week! So it's all go go go... ! Unfortunately my dreams of riding that enormous bike Lee Winters gave me, have fallen through. It's a long story... But, it basically came down to bureaucracy and time, so we're heading west as per the plan next week without further delay. Remember, I need to be ready to make for Hawaii by early May. The boat will need to be re-assembled on the west coast, which will be quite a big task alone, and I suspect there will invariably be some teething problems due to the modifications and added gear that's now onboard.
Jack the filmmaker arrives tomorrow from Germany, to keep the (figurative) celluloid rolling, and Monday week I fly out to Denver, Colorado... After which we will drive the rest of the way to San Francisco to meet Constellation on the other side. I had such grand and wild plans for this overland voyage. Remember, I was going to ride a bicycle... Do work for charity... There was a big list of things I had planned. But reality caught up with me, and those things fell through. It's disappointing on the one hand, but on the other, it just means I'll have to come back at some stage, and stay true to my word.
Constellation is coming along beautifully. I'm getting so much help with everything, it really still amazes me... I will write a proper parting letter detailing what wonderful things have been going on before I leave, but in short, John the engine mechanic (who has since been given the name 'the engine whisperer') managed to get 'August the mighty Yanmar' running again. There still seems to be some starting issues, however John, being a true engine whisperer, believes it is fixable. Personally I'm getting close to the point of throwing it in the trash, and buying a sculling oar, however, I will give the whisperer the benefit of the doubt, and let him whisper... Poor 'August', the tiny one cylinder diesel... He just wasn't built to go around the world... Thank you John, I hope the next time we meet in earnest, all engines will be perpetual motion machines with only one moving part. Until then, keep whispering.
Mari, a true gentlemen and endless supporter of fine boating electrics, my antics, and this entire project, continues to help out on anything and everything. I'd be lost without Mari, but he requires an entire post (soon to come) to even scratch the surface of his extraordinary spirit and assistance.
Instead of writing to you from the cold port bunk of Constellation, I'm actually living in luxury. I came back to Long Island in winter, and Walt the Salt has put me up in a little house just minutes from the marina. I have a big warm room all to myself, in a nautically themed cottage. Not only that, but more often than not, Walt cooks a big dinner to keep the fat on me, for the upcoming period of month-long ocean passages, powered by cheap pasta. Everyday I come home and ask him questions, or get advice on the best way to do things. Imagine having a boating magic eight ball in your back pocket... That's Walt...
I turned 28 last week, and today marks 550th official day this voyage has been underway. That doesn't include the year I spent paying for, and working on the boat in England... Jack wrote me a funny email the other day, and said I'd told him on camera that I expected the voyage to take between 'six and nine months' ... I nearly fell off my chair in laughter! But here I am, on the greatest adventure I will probably ever have, propelled by the nicest people I'll probably ever meet... And what crazy hard fun this all continues to be...
I recently had an opportunity to talk with Peter Mello as part of his podcast. It was a fun interview, and I really appreciate him taking time out to talk to me. You can listen to the interview here. Peter also gave me time to discuss the Bluemapia sponsorship proposal, as well as an opportunity to talk about Bluemapia as a whole, which was very nice.
So, as always, thank you to everyone, and I'll try to write again before we keep heading west.
Always west.
nick.