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Aracaju, Brazil
Our once-vague dreams and hopes are
taking shape, and the answers to some of the many "what
if" questions that presage a voyage into new waters are
becoming more clear. The first time we went voyaging, from
1986 to 1991, was challenging and rewarding, but we now know
that, this time, we are on a voyage toward all that —
and something more. The "something more" is the
work we want to carry out with Hands Across the Sea...bringing
educational, medical, and environmental assistance to communities
we'll visit. In our previous travels through the Pacific,
the local residents we met inevitably gave us much more, in
terms of welcome and hospitality,
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Hands Across the Sea
under construction at
Dolphin Catamarans in Aracaju, Brazil
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than we could ever match in return. So,
this time, equipped with the ability to "give back"
via the Hands non-profit foundation, it's our hope that we can
repay some of the goodwill we'll find out there.
Our journey begins with brainstorming — How can we help?
Where can we help? What's the best way to lend our hands to
local aid groups? — and the building of our boat in Aracaju,
Brazil. The folks at Dolphin
Catamarans have been solidly behind the concept and the
goals of Hands, and they've greeted our many detailed requests
for custom features in the boat with a heartening "can
do" attitude. As well, many people we've shared the concept
of Hands Across the Sea with have pointed us in helpful directions,
and suggested people to contact. Already this is an exciting,
challenging voyage — we can't wait to get afloat and
on our way!
The boat will be launched in early November. From Aracaju we
will sail south to the city of Salvador, where we'll spend a
month on a "shakedown" — we'll use this time
to learn how to handle the boat and take care of any last-minute
gremlins in the electronics or other systems. From Salvador
we will sail up the coast of Brazil to the island of Fernando
de Noronha, about 800 nautical miles northeast of Salvador and
about 200 miles off the Brazilian coast. From there we will
head to Trinidad and Tobago in January, then up the Caribbean
chain to Florida, then north to Massachusetts in early summer,
2008, to install equipment (solar panels, refrigeration) and
continue our Hands Across the Sea networking. — T.L.
and Harriet
Hands Log archive
#1 (Nov 2007);
#2 (Dec 2007); #3 (April 2008) |
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