Załoga i przygotowanie.
The Crew and Preparation.
Today, it's all about planning. The final moments of preparation: gathering equipment and dealing with last-minute issues. I know this was supposed to be a continuation of the previous entry about the boat's gear - and it will be. In a few days, from the boat, with photos and videos.
This cruise, more than any other, has taken an enormous amount of time and energy to plan. As I’ve mentioned before, it's my first such expedition, and I have no prior experience. I had to learn from somewhere: friends, books, articles, and the Internet - in that order.
Now it’s time to express my gratitude: to Andy L., Viki, and P. Pingo. These three gentlemen played a huge role in my journey, providing me with invaluable knowledge, even when they didn’t realize they were teaching me. Each of them has vast experience, and I owe them a great deal of respect.
This year has been particularly special for me. January already brought huge changes, and I believe that’s when the decision for further changes was made. Then spring came with even more significant challenges in our lives. If I had known how things would turn out, this cruise wouldn’t be starting on 27 OCT 2024 - it would have had to wait at least a year. But who knew? Karol, "did you know"? :)
I also want to thank my colleagues at work - both those "There" and especially those "Here".
Thanks, and much respect to all of you.
The Crew.
“So, to the shore,” as someone once said - although I can’t recall who. If my wife reads this, she'll likely remind me that you’re not supposed to start a sentence with "so". But, as you can see, I just did. And I love her!
Back to the topic: We began thinking about this cruise during the winter, around February. At first, it was tentative: "Maybe it could happen?" "Probably, yes?" "But how?" There were many questions and few answers. It felt more like a dream than something we would actually make happen.
As we got into the details, the crew’s composition started changing. Some people couldn’t make it, others didn’t have the time, and still others were daunted by the challenge. We kept dreaming, though. In April, right after returning from a trip to Mallorca, I decided to make it real. I called Alex, and it turned out the boat was available. What next? If there’s a boat, a dream, and Karol, then Jacek must join us too.
But there was a problem - Jacek had already planned his entire year and couldn’t (or so he thought and "didn't know") take leave. After checking the regulations, he found that unpaid leave or special leave could be requested. Jacek spoke with his bosses, laid out his case, and was granted unpaid leave. If Jacek’s supervisors ever read this, I hope it makes them think - and maybe the blog’s headline will inspire them to reflect.
So, there were three of us: Karol, Jacek, and me. And then we started discussing who else could join us. Wiktor was quickly convinced. Now we were four. The remaining two spots would come later, but we didn’t want just anyone - we wanted the right people. And we found them: Radek and Robert.
Each of these men has a unique personality, and I promise there will be much more about them later. For now, that’s our Crew.
Preparations.
It was hard to know where to start. We had the crew, the boat, the starting point, the destination, and the dates. We had the basic data. So, we began. The plan was simple: sail from Ibiza to Tenerife as quickly as possible. We stuck to that plan. In sailing, you can plan, but the weather always has the final say. We’ll find out the forecast on 27 Oct 2024, at 10:00 AM when we take over the S/Y Nord Star. That’s when the real planning begins. Until then, we’ve been planning the planning.
We prepared in other ways: learning how to bake bread, discussing transport, deciding what to pack, figuring out food, and clothes, and how to handle garbage. We planned shifts, sleeping arrangements, and how many hours of rest we’d get. It was tedious but necessary, and we spent dozens of hours on these details.
Now, today, with only a few dozen hours left before the trip begins, you can feel the stress, anticipation, and nerves in everyone - except Wiktor, who exudes calmness and eagerness for the journey ahead.
And that keeping for adventure is something all of us on the crew share.
Today, it's all about planning. The final moments of preparation: gathering equipment and dealing with last-minute issues. I know this was supposed to be a continuation of the previous entry about the boat's gear - and it will be. In a few days, from the boat, with photos and videos.
This cruise, more than any other, has taken an enormous amount of time and energy to plan. As I’ve mentioned before, it's my first such expedition, and I have no prior experience. I had to learn from somewhere: friends, books, articles, and the Internet - in that order.
Now it’s time to express my gratitude: to Andy L., Viki, and P. Pingo. These three gentlemen played a huge role in my journey, providing me with invaluable knowledge, even when they didn’t realize they were teaching me. Each of them has vast experience, and I owe them a great deal of respect.
This year has been particularly special for me. January already brought huge changes, and I believe that’s when the decision for further changes was made. Then spring came with even more significant challenges in our lives. If I had known how things would turn out, this cruise wouldn’t be starting on 27 OCT 2024 - it would have had to wait at least a year. But who knew? Karol, "did you know"? :)
I also want to thank my colleagues at work - both those "There" and especially those "Here".
Thanks, and much respect to all of you.
The Crew.
“So, to the shore,” as someone once said - although I can’t recall who. If my wife reads this, she'll likely remind me that you’re not supposed to start a sentence with "so". But, as you can see, I just did. And I love her!
Back to the topic: We began thinking about this cruise during the winter, around February. At first, it was tentative: "Maybe it could happen?" "Probably, yes?" "But how?" There were many questions and few answers. It felt more like a dream than something we would actually make happen.
As we got into the details, the crew’s composition started changing. Some people couldn’t make it, others didn’t have the time, and still others were daunted by the challenge. We kept dreaming, though. In April, right after returning from a trip to Mallorca, I decided to make it real. I called Alex, and it turned out the boat was available. What next? If there’s a boat, a dream, and Karol, then Jacek must join us too.
But there was a problem - Jacek had already planned his entire year and couldn’t (or so he thought and "didn't know") take leave. After checking the regulations, he found that unpaid leave or special leave could be requested. Jacek spoke with his bosses, laid out his case, and was granted unpaid leave. If Jacek’s supervisors ever read this, I hope it makes them think - and maybe the blog’s headline will inspire them to reflect.
So, there were three of us: Karol, Jacek, and me. And then we started discussing who else could join us. Wiktor was quickly convinced. Now we were four. The remaining two spots would come later, but we didn’t want just anyone - we wanted the right people. And we found them: Radek and Robert.
Each of these men has a unique personality, and I promise there will be much more about them later. For now, that’s our Crew.
Preparations.
It was hard to know where to start. We had the crew, the boat, the starting point, the destination, and the dates. We had the basic data. So, we began. The plan was simple: sail from Ibiza to Tenerife as quickly as possible. We stuck to that plan. In sailing, you can plan, but the weather always has the final say. We’ll find out the forecast on 27 Oct 2024, at 10:00 AM when we take over the S/Y Nord Star. That’s when the real planning begins. Until then, we’ve been planning the planning.
We prepared in other ways: learning how to bake bread, discussing transport, deciding what to pack, figuring out food, and clothes, and how to handle garbage. We planned shifts, sleeping arrangements, and how many hours of rest we’d get. It was tedious but necessary, and we spent dozens of hours on these details.
Now, today, with only a few dozen hours left before the trip begins, you can feel the stress, anticipation, and nerves in everyone - except Wiktor, who exudes calmness and eagerness for the journey ahead.
And that keeping for adventure is something all of us on the crew share.
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