Epilogue to the Voyage of Minimus, 8-23-2017

By David and Pearl

Two years ago we rescued Minimus from an inevitable journey to the scrapyard. In return she has been our home, refuge, transportation and, above all, a passport to adventure. She has taken us to the fabled South Pacific. She has allowed us to explore exotic islands. She has helped to fulfill a dream for us. Perhaps she has also suggested a way that others might follow.

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It is the nature of adventure to meet the unexpected. Indeed, we met with it many times, in the discovery of myriad life forms inhabiting the ocean we sailed on, in close encounters with whales, in a mysterious illness, in the delight of new friends, to name just a few.

We both agree though, that the most unexpected aspect is what it has done for our relationship. Not to give the wrong impression, we were good going into the voyage, but we both had questions about how it would go once we were at sea. More often than not, the daunting constellation of cramped quarters, of constant discomforts, of fatigue, of the anxiety of living on a dynamic, ever changing medium so exposed to weather and so foreign to a land-dwelling species, reveals and amplifies differences and can ultimately drive people apart. For us, it's been the opposite.

Not that it was always easy. Often it was not, but six months of living with those daily realities instead brought us closer together, gave us a renewed appreciation for what we value in each other. Not to make this sound like Kumbaya, but we both agree that this adventure is the best thing we've ever done together. We're most grateful for that.

It was not however, the only way in which the real work of the voyage was less about the outward accomplishment than about the inner work. We had with us a small piece of cloth on which was written in calligraphy “Surrender to the mystery of it all.”

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It had been given to us by David's ex-wife Mary (a dear friend of us both) in response to our early setbacks in San Diego when our departure was delayed by storm after storm and then, at the 11^th hour, by the breakage of the tablet we'd hoped to depend on for navigation.

Perhaps it was the endless expanse of water, or the humbling sense of vulnerability, or the days and weeks of being isolated at sea, or perhaps it was just the time of life we find ourselves in, but surrender, in the best sense of the word, became a major theme of the voyage.

Surrender as a watchword may seem odd, but among ocean crossing sailors it's a discipline of the highest order. As challenging situations present themselves and after all that can reasonably be done has been done to meet them, there comes an opportunity to let go and simply be open to whatever unfolds.

Imprisoned on the tiny island that is a boat at sea, waiting in sweltering equatorial heat day after day after day for the slightest breath of wind, one's ability to let go of impatience is profoundly tested. As squalls approach and lightning flashes and one knows that the boat mast is the only lightning rod around, anxiety reigns and one is challenged to let it go. When days of contrary winds threaten to prevent landfall on islands that one has dreamed of seeing for decades, it's no small task to let go of expectations. Surrender, in this sense, is not merely confined to voyages, but is without doubt the task of a lifetime. While we don't claim proficiency, the voyage gave us many opportunities to practice. Hopefully we made some small progress.

Now our letting go is of Minimus and the voyage. We're still in that not-so-easy process.

Nonetheless, we're pleased for the new chapter Minimus is entering, that she's returning to what she was designed to do, to provide a way for a young family to learn to sail, to make day trips and eventually weekend outings. Even, if they someday desire it, to sail to Bora Bora or Huahine, or perhaps even Moorea or Tahiti or...? May their new adventure with Minimus go well.

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As for us, we look forward to continuing the blog and the tracking page updates as we travel through New Zealand. Beyond that, we hope many more adventures await and if so, that we can share them with you.