We met Josh a year ago in the Sea of
Cortez while we were anchored in Agua Verde on the Baja side of the
Sea of Cortez. We watched as Josh sailed his 1969 Dufour Arpege 29'
sloop named Maistral through the light breeze tacking among the other
boats anchored in the small bay before dropping the hook in his
selected spot. To set his anchor he pulled the main over by hand,
backwinding it and held it there as the breeze pushed the small boat
backward until the anchor chain came taut and the anchor set into the
white sand below. A few moments later he hopped in his hardshell
dinghy and rowed ashore to explore the area.
Josh rowing into the beach in La Paz BCS to get supplies in his dinghy/liferaft.
La Cruz anchorage. Banderas Bay, Mexico.
That was a little over a year ago and
this year we have had the pleasure of spending more time with him,
sharing stories and meals. Isn't that what cruisers do? Josh is not
the typical cruiser and after a meal or two on our boat and a couple
on his, I wanted to share his story. Not because I think he is
crazy, nor because I want to be like him and cruise with seemingly
nothing other than a dry boat and sound sails. Rather because both
Marne and I love his perspective on life and his desire to find peace
and live free. His journey is to explore the oceans of the world as
simply as possible, without relying on electronics, technology and
luxuries as much as possible. We all have our own opinions on what
it means to cruise simply. Josh redefines that for us and takes us
back to what sailing used to be.
First of all let me tell you a little
bit about Josh. He is 31 years old. He was raised in Canada and following high school he went on to college gaining a degree in
engineering. He didn't grow up sailing, rather picked it up later in
life as a matter of coincidence and then purchased Maistral about a
year and a half ago. His boat is simple. A 29' sloop rig built in
1969 with a good quiver of sails and excellent pedigree but little
else. His engine is a 9.9 hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboard and he carries
just over 10 gallons of fuel on board. He has a handheld VHF radio
but no Ham radio, no SSB, no EPIRB, no liferaft, no generator and no
GPS other than his cell phone which serves as his primary navigation
device where he uses the free Open CPN application to navigate with.
He does have a second cell phone as a back up as the primary one is
starting to glitch and looks like it has been ran over a few times in
the street. His one prize luxury is his electric tiller pilot.
However, with only one battery that has a capacity of about 100 amp
hours and two small and very dated solar panels, a few cloudy days
could easily put a temporary end to that luxury. He is currently
teaching himself to auto steer using a backwinded storm jib attached
by a bungy to the tiller which he says is totally viable.
The Dufour 29 "Maistral"
The ample galley.
Nav table.
Looking forward through the salon.
View from the foredeck.
His sole guide to the South Pacific.
Josh's current plans are to head down
the Mexican coastline to Puerto Vallarta this winter and prep himself
and Maistral to make the 2500+ mile passage across the Pacific Ocean
to French Polynesia and the other islands of the South Pacific. I
didn't ask him how long it would take in his small boat but I would
estimate about 25 days. 25 days alone crossing the largest ocean in
the world. If things go bad, he has no way of communicating with the
outside world to plead for help and very little resources for rescue
other than his own abilities to set things right and that is just the way he
likes it. When his parents offered to buy him a satellite phone, he
politely declined telling them he just wanted to keep things simple.
Maistral at anchor in Chacala Mexico.
Fun, food AND exercise.
Stateside, before his journey south of the border.
It is true that many others have made
that passage and even circumnavigations in similar or smaller boats. He is not the
first, nor will he be the last. But in his mind, who is counting?
He isn't doing this for notoriety. He is not trying to be the first,
nor the last. He is doing it because he cherishes his own internal
peace, which is completely independent of anyone else's approval. That peace is nourished by his travels about the sea in his
simple craft Maistral. You won't see him blogging or making any
fanfare of his journey. What you would see if you had the chance to
meet Josh, is a huge smile and inner peace that seems to be rarely
found, whether you are 31 or 71.
Many would say he is reckless, careless
or naive. If you met him and spent some time with him I believe your
opinion would be different. Yes he is carefree, but he is also
intelligent, calculating and thoughtful. He doesn't sail to
accomplish something big and garnish accolades, he sails to continue
in peace. For Josh, although not for all of us, peace is plain and simple.
Marne and I both wish him the best and bid him farewell with fair
winds and following seas. We hope to cross paths again and share a
meal or two and hear of his adventures along the way.
Live. Love. Enjoy. Josh, you've got it
figured out and we applaud you. Good on ya!
Until next time,
SV Liahona
Bret and Marne
