Bluewater Sailing – A Little Guide 

1. You’ll never be fully prepared – and that’s okay.

Perfectionists never leave the dock. Something will always be missing. Most of it you’ll replace, improvise, or forget you even wanted.

2. Salt and sun destroy everything.

Metal, plastic, fabric, sails, skin, nerves – nothing survives long. Even stainless steel rusts. Just more slowly.

3. Bureaucracy is part of the journey.

New island, new rules, new stamps. Same grumpy (sometimes kind) officials. You’ll survive. 

4. Expensive gear doesn’t make you a better sailor.

Fancy gadgets won’t help if you don’t understand the wind. And coffee still tastes good in flip-flops.

5. Spare parts are a global treasure hunt.

You’ll become a master of improvisation. Flexibility beats technology every time.

6.  Storms come at night. Always.

Usually when the autopilot quits. Learn to steer in 30-knot winds, rain, no sleep, and waves smashing over the bow. 

7. You’ll meet the same people again.

Yesterday’s neighbor is tomorrow’s. Same stories, same broken dinghies, same torn shirts. And maybe a shared prosecco. 

8. Your boat will never be “done.”

Not after three refits, five coats of paint, or replacing the watermaker again. If it can break, it will. 

9. Happiness comes in tiny wins.

A working anchor. A dry day. A worm-free mango. A bag of flour with no bugs. A lobster in exchange for drinking water. Pure joy.

10. Patience isn’t a virtue – it’s survival.

Nothing ever happens fast. Not in port, not at sea, not with repairs. You’ll learn. Or you’ll break. Probably both.

11. Sailing as a couple isn’t always romantic.

Blocked toilets, no sleep, arguments about anchoring – it’s all part of the deal. But if you can sail together, you can do anything together.

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A Note for the Dreamers:

Long-distance sailing is about freedom – not comfort. It means choosing your own challenges.

If you learn patience, laugh after storms, and stick with your crew even when it’s tough, you’ll be rewarded with moments no resort or cocktail can ever offer.

If you’re open to doing without, in exchange for adventure and the unexpected – then you must go.

The world is wild, weird, and wonderful.

It’s not waiting for perfect sailors in shiny boats.

It’s waiting for explorers.

So cast off – and stay curious.