Sailing Syzygy

最長的一夜──Jiayu 版 (The Longest Night -- Jiayu's Version)

2008-08-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

大言不慚從未暈船、身強體健的我，終究被這片小小海域擊敗。

我盡力看著遠方而忽略船邊一股股襲來的波浪，或許我忙於克服頭昏腦脹噁心想吐的感覺，對於逐漸遠離陸地進入蠻荒之海居然絲毫不覺恐懼。

我蜷縮在艙內晃動感最小的長椅上，唯有躺下讓我感到較為舒服。艙外Rob全神貫注的控船，不時船身大幅晃動，隨之傳來他暗暗的咒罵聲，我知道又遇到出奇不意的浪群。

在天轉為黑暗之前，我在值班時奮力與海浪搏鬥，維持船盡可不要大幅搖晃，休息時立刻躺下。我錯過Rob提到的集美麗與恐怖於一身的日落與晚霞。再度醒來輪我值班時，天色已黑。

我在黑暗中掌舵，Rob善解人意的縮在舵艙的一角陪伴著我，四周一片漆黑，冷風直吹，我心中卻一片暖意。主船桅頂端我賴以辨識風向的指標已全然消失在黑暗中，所有定向就只依靠艙門旁懸掛的風向儀。我開玩笑向Rob說這真沒什麼，跟打電動玩具沒有兩樣，完全靠儀器行駛。

當Rob終於決定將船停下，等待曙光來臨再度前進時，我們輪替坐在甲板上巡邏。獨自一人坐在黑暗中，我看到最燦爛的銀河與流星，卻開始想像尼斯湖水怪、幽浮、巨大章魚等詭異傳說。船尾的小舟隨著浪有時突然從詭異角度浮現，都讓我汗毛豎立以為鬼船出現，遠方突然閃爍的漁船燈光都被我誤判為幽浮探照燈。我有著下一刻就會立刻撞上陸地的幻覺，僅有手握我們珍貴的掌上GPS，看到螢幕上的我們仍是一片蔚藍中的小黑點，靜止於同一方向，我才鬆一口氣，再度回到注意是否有詭異生物會出現。

我才知道，渴望接近大自然，生活在其節奏之中的我是如此的幼稚與天真。在真正體驗自然力量時，給我慰藉的，居然是人造的科技，我無法真正感受風與浪的對話，所有精力都放在掌舵、儀器、以及GPS之上。我對於風與浪敏感程度如此之低，以致我無法判斷我們是否移動。要說與自然共舞，經歷此次航程，我才知道自己離自然有多麼遙遠。

但是，我卻因此更進一步的接近親密關係。我可看到在精疲力竭、充滿恐懼害怕卻長夜漫漫的狀況之下，二人可以如何輕易的責怪、埋怨對方，可以如何輕易的將挫折、憤怒與恐懼藉口發洩在對方身上。我們卻不斷記得對方如何願意的看護與照顧自己的脆弱，也願意以同樣的心情回應與看守對方。我驕傲自己可以操縱著整艘船，讓Rob信任的躲入船艙入睡。在對船一無所知而只能不斷接受被照顧的二個月之後，能夠付出與照顧令我快樂。我們學習在到達極限時不硬撐，清楚表達我們需要的協助；在脆弱時要求一個擁抱與口語上的鼓勵和肯定。我感受到的是：並非因為我們面對大難關需要一同度過而產生的假性團結與互相依賴，而是學習對自己身心狀況有更高度察覺之下，彼此調整出諧和的親密節奏。

[translation]

Me, proud of never being seasick, proud of my strong healthy body, I was finally defeated by one tiny patch of calm ocean.

I did my best to look at the distant horizon and avoid watching the hypnotic pattern of the incoming waves. Perhaps it was simply because I was so busy fighting off nausea, but as the land slowly disappeared into the distance I didn't even feel the slightest touch of fear.

Inside, I curled up on our seabunk, the spot on the boat that moves the least. Only when I was lying down could I get a little comfort. Out on deck, Rob put all of his attention on sailing the boat over the lumpy sea. Once in a while, as the sea pitched him in an unexpected direction I would hear his half-spoken curses from the cabin hatch. Then I would know the sea was dealing him a new set of lumps.

Just before sunset, I took a shift fighting the waves, doing my absolute best to keep the pitching seas from pitching our sailing rig. As soon as my shift was over, I immediately laid down and slept. I completely missed the sunset that Rob described as the most terrible beauty he had ever seen. By the time I awoke, it was already dark.

In the pitch blackness, I took over the boat. Seeing my fear, Rob was kind enough to curl up on deck out of the weather and not immediately go below to sleep. All around, above and below was darkness. A cold wind blew. But my heart felt warm.

The wind indicator atop the mast was completely hidden by darkness. So, my only method of orienting the boat to the wind was the wind instrument dial next to the cabin hatch. I joked with Rob saying that sailing was nothing, it was just like playing a video game. I was sailing by instruments.

Later, when Rob decided it was finally time to stop the boat and wait for daylight, we took turns standing watch. Alone in the dark, I saw the Milky Way more clearly than ever, but my mind kept imagining seamonsters, UFO's, and giant octopuses rising from the deep. Since we were stopped, the dinghy we were towing would drift around on its line showing up at unexpected angles. More than once its ghostly appearance sent shivers down my spine as I imagined us being approached by some ghost ship. The lights of distant fishing boats became spaceships landing from other planets. I kept having fantasies of imminent collision with the shore. I would turn on the GPS immediately. Its picture of a small black dot on a large field of blue would reassure me that we were still jogging steadily in place. I would breathe a brief sigh of relief, and then immediately resume my job of watching out for monsters.

Out there on the sea it was my most immature parts which came to the fore. Once my desire to be close to the forces of nature was finally realized, it was technology that provided my solace. I couldn't appreciate the conversation of wind and waves. All my energy was focused on the tiller, the wind instrument dial, and our handheld GPS. My sensitivity to the boats motion isn't strong enough yet. I couldn't tell when we were sailing and when we were holding position. We sometimes speak of “dancing with nature,” but this night showed me exactly how far away from nature I actually am.

Instead of closeness to nature, what I got during this passage is a different type of closeness. I can see how two people, filled with fear, passing a long night together could blame each other for their situation. It would be easy to feel frustrated with each other, to complain about each other. Fear can anger can easily blame another person for their existence. But the two of us never forgot that the other was willing to sit alone in the cold and dark and keep us safe. And we were both willing to care for the other, to take the boat into our hands and create a safe place for the other to rest and recover.

I was very proud that I could take command of the entire boat and give Rob the confidence to lay down inside and sleep. Starting with almost no experience of sailing three months ago, I was overjoyed that I had advanced to the point that I too could take care of him. We are learning how to recognize our limits and to ask clearly for the help we need. When we are feeling weak, we ask for a hug or some reassurance. This isn't the temporary camaraderie of two people facing a crisis together. What we have is two people each coming to a better understanding of ourselves and of each other. We are learning new rhythms, relating to each other with deepening harmony and closeness.

A Night at Sea 最長的一夜

2008-08-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

I used to laugh every time I heard the story about the guy who spent a small fortune equipping a yacht with all the latest electronics and the most expensive sailing hardware to begin a circumnavigation, or Pacific crossing, only to turn around and put the boat up for sale after clearing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, or any other such dividing line between sheltered, coastal waters and the open water of the ocean. It's a common story, probably re-enacted in every saltwater marina throughout America. These guys, full of dreams and loaded up with gear, had no idea what the ocean would mean to them. Nor did I.

Three months into this trip, Jiayu and I decided not to take then ocean route back to Seattle. We had considered coming down the outside of Vancouver Island, sheltered coastal cruising punctuated by a few short open water passages. But we'd had enough of rain for a while, and the west side is known for rain, and fog, and wild winds. Instead, we opted for the sunny, east side waters, gorgeously protected by the very mountains that give rise to so much rain on the west side.

But I still hungered for a taste of actual ocean travel. So, we agreed to make an overnight passage from Spider Anchorage in the Hakai Passage region down into the inside of Vancouver Island, a route that would take us miles from land, although not quite out of its sight. It was to be our first true traverse of open Pacific waters.

The forecast was good, sunny, winds 10 to 20 knots, seas 1.5 meters and subsiding, and a full moon to light our way at night. It was the ideal time for a first experience. We could not imagine a better opportunity. Who knew seas so small could be so horrible?

As we left, the seas were deceptively calm. They stayed that way just long enough to put us miles out to sea. Once there, our boat was tossed incessantly and relentlessly from side to side. What we had was left-over swell from the south meeting the new swell from the northwest. The waves were tightly packed and disorderly, a “confused sea” with a short period. We made good time, clipping along at 6 knots with our small working jib up and a reef in the main, but there was no stopping the sudden, nearly rail to rail rolls that would assault us as the waves combined at unpredictable angles. There were no fixed patterns, and we never knew for sure when the next bout would strike us.

To ease the ride, we sailed a bit more across the wind than originally planned, tending westward and further out to sea. As the lurching went on, each of us had our first-ever experience with seasickness. Jiayu was hit especially hard. As evening drew in, she went below to get some rest and prepare for her time on deck later that night. I sailed on alone.

That night's sunset was the most terrible beauty I have ever seen. As the sky blazed, I realized for the first time that I was miles from anyone, miles from help, alone. Watching night fall was watching death itself arrive. We floated in our tiny boat, suspended on the surface of liquid blackness. Everywhere in all directions we were surrounded by certain, bone-numbing, cold death. Only that thin skin of fiberglass separated us from our ultimate end. I suddenly remembered to snap my tether to the boat's jacklines. If I went overboard, Jiayu wouldn't even know I was gone until she woke up hours later.

Diabolically shaped and timed four-foot waves incessantly tossed our boat with more force than waves twice their size had on our way up the coast. They wore on my nerves sending me from irritation, through madness, to resignation. In time I was overcome with sadness and longing to be safe ashore. I was terrified, truly terrified. I suddenly understood exactly why those guys had put their boats up for sale.

Overhead were more stars than I've seen since my last trip into the desert. Shooting stars streaked one after another, the milky way was a silver river across the sky. The water was pitch black. In a case of lunar dyslexia, I had completely misread the moon phase and ignored my own nightly experience. It was a new moon, not a full moon. There was not a bit of light to see by in the water—stars above and inky black all around. I struggled time and again to regain my ability to see the beauty amidst my fear, exhaustion, and need to keep my attention sharp and on the task of sailing.

Our course had taken us further and further west, leaving the bounds of Queen Charlotte Sound proper and placing us into the open Pacific. The bouncing continued and continued to madden me, throwing our sails about, violently tossing our boat in new and novel directions. But finally, finally, the lighthouses of Vancouver Island came into sight. It was time to turn eastward.

At this moment, I shared a joy that must have been shared by thousands upon thousands of sailors throughout the centuries, that bright torch on shore announcing that there are other humans in the world who care about us. I took great solace that not only were we closer to land, but that people on shore wanted us to land safely. They were showing us the way.

When Jiayu came to take her shift, it was with extreme gratitude that I laid down on the bunk to huddle up and take some much needed rest. Our sea bunks are good, located where the boat moves the least. I lay for my allotted hours, truly touched that she was out there to keep me safe, tending the boat while I dozed, daydreamed, and slept. Our lives truly were in each other's hands.

We bounced along toward the east, still many, many hours from shore, when the solid thunk of a small piece of driftwood sent me shooting on deck. Due to the pervasive logging of British Columbia's coastal forests, inland waters are rife with logs and deadheads, many of which could easily sink a boat if the wrong combination of waves and boat speed coincided. Drawing towards land, with no moon to see by, it was time to stop.

But how to “stop?” We could have taken down our sails and bobbed like a cork, but the motion was bad enough already. To lose the stabilizing effects of the sails would have made our night truly intolerable.

The classic method of stopping a sailboat is “heaving to.” To do this we tacked the boat while leaving the headsail back-winded. While this calms our boat and is handy for reefing the mainsail, it doesn't actually stop our boat. The slowest I could get the boat to go was 1.5 knots, and in the gusts it would do 2 knots. So I played with this technique for an hour or two, but finally I had to get the boat to stop. Our progress was entirely in the wrong direction. And even at 2 knots, I didn't want to hit anything. So I got to work.

Eventually I found that with our mainsail double-reefed, the jib removed entirely, and the tiller hard to leeward the boat would lie docilely at about a 50 degree angle to the wind and waves, nearly the perfect angle. The wind stabilized us and helped tame the tossing. We took our lumps as gracefully as possible. Our boat trotted in place, safe, but making no progress and leaving us with a long day ahead to follow our long night.

At first light, I took over from Jiayu and made ready to sail. No sooner had I raised sail into the relentless wind than it died. We were left with only the waves, and our sail which had stabilized the boat in the wind was now a liability, thrashing from side to side, filling with air with a pop and then thrashing to the other side, a danger to both physical and mental health.

I went below cursing to get my sail ties, complaining loudly to Jiayu, who slept like a rock through every moment of my tirade. I took down the sails and motored. Not even our bone shaking 25 year-old diesel could disturb Jiayu's much needed slumber. We motored through the remaining chop, and for the first time I made friends with my noisy, stinky, ancient engine. When Jiayu finally did awake, I curled up inside next to the engine compartment, the clamor that usually enervates me and drives me to distraction was a warm comfort as I fell off into sleep. By this time, the motion was no longer maddening. Our seasickness had eased. We had acclimated.

Looking back, there were many, many moments where I was ready to swear off ocean travel altogether, and Jiayu vowed to regret this crossing for the rest of her life. These were small seas in settled weather. What of big seas in heavy weather? How could I face it?

But it only took a few hours in harbor for me to remember that not all seas are so diabolically rough or confused. Even much larger seas can be more comfortable than what we faced. And as even my non-sailing mom reminded me, the waters of Queen Charlotte Sound are renown for their roughness. Likewise I now have a new set of skills and knowledge to approach my next dip into open water. Experience eases fear as well. I will never have to spend my first night at sea ever again. I have already cleared that hurdle.

The ocean still calls to me. My time will come. I am looking forward to it. I am more ready than I was, but also humbled. It is with a shiver through my body that I contemplate my next ocean passage.

But most of all, nothing can possibly replace the sweetness that Jiayu and I shared at the end of our ordeal. It is with deep love and appreciation that we cared for each other and looked after each other through the passage. Our relationship has deepened and quickened for this experience. More than ever I know I am with right person.

（翻譯）

以往，當我聽到有人花費不貲，為他的遊艇添購最新電子儀器、最昂貴的航行裝備以開始長途航行、或跨太平洋之旅，結果只度過西雅圖北方的小海峽（或任何開放水域）就決定將船賣掉，我總是嗤之以鼻。這個故事並不罕見，可能在美國每個碼頭都有類似故事傳誦。這些航行者，充滿夢想、滿載裝備，卻無知於海洋對他們的意義。

孰不知我也一樣無知。

在航行了三個月之後，Jiayu和我決定不走海洋路線返回西雅圖。我們曾考慮由溫哥華島的西岸回去，穿插保護水域的海岸航行與數個開放海域航行。但是，我們已經受夠了細雨綿綿的氣候，而西岸卻以雨、霧、狂風著稱。因此，我們選擇陽光普照的溫哥華島東岸（溫哥華島的高山阻擋了西岸的雨霧）。

但是，我仍渴望能淺嘗真實海洋航行的經驗，所以我們決定從派得灣航行一段開放水域進入溫哥華島東岸，這段航行會讓我們離岸數百里之遙。雖然陸地仍會依稀可見，這會是我們第一次真是的太平洋航行。

氣象預報聽來不錯：晴天、風力每小時10-20英里、浪高1.5公尺，逐漸消退。我們無法想像更好的時機。但是誰知道如此短的航行會如此可佈？

啟航時，海面欺人似的平靜，就等待我們投向懷抱。一旦進入開放水域，我們的船不間斷地被無情左右搖晃。之前南風推進的舊湧浪和西北風形成的新湧浪相遇，海浪密集而混亂，海水似乎也困惑不已。我們順利航行，僅以小前帆和收緊一節的主帆，就能扣在6節海里上下前進。但是我們無法停止當浪群以無預期角度相遇而攻擊船形成甲板幾乎碰到水面的的大幅搖晃。浪群沒有固定模式，我們無法得知何時下個海浪會襲擊而來。

為了緩和顛簸，我們更測風航行，比預期航向更朝西方的海域前進。隨著船蹣跚前進，我們經驗第一次的暈船，特別是Jiayu。當夜晚接近，她到船艙內休息，以備晚一些與我交換掌舵。我獨自航行。

那晚的日落是我經歷過最恐怖的美麗。在天空布滿燦爛晚霞時，我突然驚覺我們遠離人群、遠離救援、孤單無援。看著夜晚降臨宛如目睹死亡本身來臨。我們如同一葉小舟，懸浮在黑暗液體的表面。四面八方，我們被篤定、毛骨悚然、冷冽的死亡所圍繞，僅以一層單薄的玻璃纖維與我們的終極去向相隔。我赫然記起將我的安全索扣環扣在船上的安全繩。如果我意外落海，Jiayu要到數小時後醒來才可能知曉。
四尺高的海浪不定時猙獰地搖晃著我們的船。他們挑起我的不耐，以致幾近憤怒，最終屈服。然後，難過與希望安全回岸的意念佔據了我。我很害怕，真實的恐懼。我剎然完全瞭解為何那些航行者決定將船售出。
頭頂上的星星比我之前在沙漠中看過的星星更不勝其數。流星一顆接一顆劃過天際，銀河如奶水般灑過天空。海水漆黑一片。我錯讀月曆，把新月當滿月。水面無光──星光在上卻四周如墨般漆黑。我一再費力的從恐懼、疲倦中重見仍能讀美的能力，以及保持清晰的注意力以持續航行任務。

我們的航向讓我們更向西行，離開夏綠蒂海峽的邊界而真正進入太平洋。搖晃的海面持續左右拋擲我們的帆面、狂暴的以不同組合晃動我們的船而令我憤怒。但終究，終究得以望見溫哥華島上的燈塔。是轉向東行的時刻了。

此時，我和數世紀以來不計其數的水手們享受著相同的喜悅：岸上明亮的燈炬宣示著在世界上仍有其他人關心著我們。我感到極大慰藉──我們不但逐漸接近岸邊，而且岸上的人也希望我們平安返岸。他們指引著我們方向。

當Jiayu上到甲板上換手時，我滿懷感激在艙中躺下，取得我所需的適時休息。船艙中間的長椅位於船晃動最小之處，我在椅墊上躺下，感動於她在甲板上保護我的安全，在我瞌睡、作夢、沈睡中守護著船。我們的生命真正放在彼此的手裡。
我們顛簸著往東前進，仍然離岸有數小時之搖。突然一塊小型浮木撞擊船艙聲讓我閃電般衝上甲板。加拿大西岸充斥著伐木業，因此水面常充滿浮木。若是船速與海浪的組合錯誤，巨大浮木可輕易將船撞沈。我們朝岸前進卻又無月光可辨識四周，是停船的時候了。
但是怎麼「停船」？我們當然可以卸下船帆，像酒塞般在水中載沈載浮。有帆支撐船的擺動就已經夠受了，若失去風帆穩定船舶的效力，我們的夜晚將會更難以忍受。停止帆船的傳統方法稱之為Heaving to”。此法是在逆風轉舵時將前帆仍留在上風處不動。這麼做讓船安靜了下來，可以用來收主帆，但卻無法真正讓船停止，船速仍最低仍保持在1.5英里小時，陣風2英里/小時。所以我花了一、二個小時反覆嘗試此技術，希望最後終於將船完全停止。

最後我發現若將主帆縮兩節，收起前帆，舵完全扭至下風處，我們的船就能安靜的停在與風成50度的角度，幾乎是完美的方向。風逐漸平穩，搖晃程度減小。我們盡量保持優雅忍受一切。我們的船安全靜止，但是停留原地也意味著我們仍有漫漫長夜等著度過。在曙光乍現時，我由Jiayu手中接過船舵，準備航行。我才將帆升起，整夜不停的風卻消逝無蹤。陪伴我們的是海上的波浪。原先在風中協助船隻穩定的風帆立刻成為負擔，因一陣微風吹脹，風消逝後又急速甩晃至另一方，反覆拍擊。對身心造成威脅。我一邊咒罵一邊跑下船艙拿綁帆布的繩帶，向Jiayu大聲抱怨，她卻早已睡的不省人事。我獨自收起風帆，開啟引擎。連我們25年垂垂老矣，震天聲響的引擎聲都無法打擾Jiayu需要的睡眠。我們在殘存的浪中前進。生平第一次，我和吵雜、油臭的老舊引擎建立友誼。當Jiayu終於醒來時，我蜷曲靠在引擎艙的不遠處，曾經令我神經衰弱、注意力無法集中的噪音卻在我緩緩睡意中給予慰藉。此刻，船的律動不再令我們煩躁，暈船感覺減輕。我們居然適應這一切了。

再度回首，我在這次航程中數次已經準備發誓絕不再做海洋航行，而Jiayu則是發誓要一輩子後悔此次夜行的決定。這只不過是在穩定氣候下的小小海域，若是真正的海洋與惡劣的天候呢？我怎麼面對？

但是進入港灣後僅數小時的時間就讓我記起不是所有洋面都如此具挑戰性與混亂。大洋也可能比我們面對的海域更容易。連我從不航行的母親都提醒我：夏綠蒂海峽本來就以其險惡著稱。如今我具備新的技術與知識面對我下一次的開放海域航行。經驗也會減低恐懼。我再也不會有「第一次」夜航，我已經通過這一關了。海洋仍然呼喚著我。適當的時機將會來到。我很期待。我比以前有更多準備，也更加謙卑。想到下一個可能的海洋航行就讓我感到一陣電流通過身體。

但最重要的是，沒有任何能夠取代航行之後Jiayu和我分享的親密。我們在航行中因愛與感謝而彼此照顧，這次經驗讓我們的關係更加深厚。更甚於前，我知道我找到對的人了。

Trip Itinary: September

2008-08-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sep 1-2: Ganges Harbor

Sep 3: Princess Margaret Marine Park

Sep 4-6: Returned to U.S. Stayed at Roche Harbor Marina. Rob’s parents visited.

Sep 7-8: Spencer Spit

Sep 9: Bowman Bay

Sep 10-29: Oak Harbor.

Sep 30: Shilshole Marina. We were home again.

Trip Itinary: August

2008-08-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Aug 1-2: Edna Cove. Our overnight sailing!

Aug 3: Clam Cove

Aug 4-11: Alert Bay

Aug 12: Boat Bay. Saw a group of Orcas, sea kayakers.

Aug 13: Farewell Harbor

Aug 14: Squirrel Cove. Went though 4 rapids. Failed to anchor right after Dent Rapid, Engine overheated. Sailed all the way to Squirrel Cove. Arrived past midnight.

Aug 15: Refuge Cove

Aug 16-17: Parker Harbor

Aug 18-20: Blubber Bay. Sailed through almost 30 kt of wind.

Aug 21: Sturt Bay. Nice, friendly little town.

Aug 22-24: Ballet Bay

Aug 25-26: Pender Harbor

Aug 27: Silva Bay

Aug 28: North Cove

Aug 29-30: Montague Marine Park

Aug 31: Ganges Harbor

Trip Itinary: July

2008-08-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

July1: Joe Cove

July 2-4: Cullen Harbor. Gail warnings. Brooker Lagoon

July 5-6: Port Hardy.

July 7-9: Walkers group.

July 10-11: Miles Inlet. 22kt. of wind. 2 orcas swam with us.

July 12: Millbrook Cove. Foggy

July 13-15: Fury Cove. Nice beach. Free shrimps. Hang out with other boaters.

July 16: Green Point Anchorage. Engine problems. Towed the boat with our dingy into the anchorage.

July 17: Warrior Cove

July 18-20: Ada Cove. Raining.

July 21: Shearwater

July 22:Troup Passage Cove

July 23: Entered Roscoe Inlet. Anchored at Boukind Bay.

July 24: Anchored at the end of Roscoe Inlet. Bear searching!

July 25-26: Rob’s first self-discovered anchorage

July 27-28: Kaklushadish Harbor. Stayed to avoid storm warning.

July 29: Shearwater.

July 30; Hunter Channel Complex.

July 31 Edna Cove

Trip Itinary: June

2008-08-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

June1-3: Predeaux Haven

June 4-5: Sqirrel Cove. Paid to throw out garbage at Refuge Cove. Raining. Start our sourdoughexperiment.

June 6: Teakern Arm. Waterfall. Anchor watch.

June 7: Cortes Bay

June 8-10: Gorge Harbor. Stayed to avoid gail.

June 11-12: Octopus Island. Through Uganda Passage, Shark spit, Surge narrow.

June13: Owen Bay. Through Upper Rapid.

June 14: Blind Channel Marina. Through Lower Rapid. Sailed on Johnstone Strait.

June 15: Forward Harbor. Through Green Pt. Rapid, Whirlpool Rapid, both under sail!

June 16-17: Pearse Island

June 18-19: Port McNeill.

June 20-27: Alert Bay. Parents visit.Umista Culture Center, Sonitula Island.

June 28: Farewell Harbor

June 29-30: Entered Broughton. Anchored at Waddington Bay

Trip Itinary: May

2008-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

May 8: Departure. Anchored at Port Ludlow

May 9: Port Ludlow

May 10-13: Port Townsend. Taking care of Jiayu's visa, parents visit, Hurricane Ridge.

May 14: Bowman Bay

May 15: Friday Harbor

May 16: Entered Canada! Bedwell Harbor (Orcas, Bourmont Park hike).

May 17: Matague Marine Park

May 18-19: Pirate Cove

May 20-21: New Castle Marine Pk. Nice hiking trails.

May 22-23: Nanaimo's Boat Basin Marina

May 24: Buccaneer Bay.

May 25: Blind Bay

May 26: Blubber Bay

May 27-29: Squirrel Cove. Stopped at Lund. Lagoon, dingy sailing.

May 30: Galley Bay

May 31: Predeaux Haven. Through Refuge cove.

7/15 向左走，向右走 (To the Left, To the Right)

2008-08-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

「接下來要怎麼走？」是目前我面對最為有趣的問題。

之前的我不覺得有選擇，這一艘小船看起來無比巨大；這段新的關係仍然有太多需要摸索，我有太多要學習、要克服。我忙於「生存」、忙於理出頭緒。就像剛學游泳的人一樣，我努力划水讓自己不下沈，趁頭浮出水面時大力吸氣。

今天是旅程的中間點。而我雖不至成為游泳選手，卻逐漸開始可以享受悠游水中的樂趣。我仍然有許多需要學習的，但是不再感覺到情緒超載，每天只希望趕快度過，可以躺平在床上休息。我開始期待今天的微風，甚至要求練習單人掌舵控帆，原本讓我害怕的溫哥華島西岸開放海域航行也聽起來稍具吸引力。

在開始可以選擇時，我才開始可以練習傾聽自己真正的聲音，也才發現這也是另一個需要學習的能力。

我要多停留一天，還是繼續前進？我要哪一個路線進入停泊處？當風正好，我們是繼續前進，略過預定的停泊港灣，往下一個停留點前進，還是宣告一天的結束（以我們的說法是：「浪費風」！）。這些決定可大可小，但是卻直指核心：我要的是哪一種生活？今天內心的需求我聽見了嗎？在這個當下，我的身體、內心究竟需要什麼？

然後我才發現，其實自己一直都有選擇。我得學習，但是可以決定學習的速度；我可以在害怕時要求開啟引擎、在不確定時堅持走最安全的路線、在疲累時選擇再度停留港灣一天。其實，是自己的競爭、好強與不服輸讓自己感到沒有選擇。

我無法選擇風的大小，但我可以決定今天是否繼續航行或是航行多遠。在離最近的停泊處仍有一段距離時，我可以要求與Rob輪替，稍做休息，讓自己準備好，而不需逞強，或是生悶氣。

在開始意識到自己該怎麼選擇的同時，我也更清楚的看到自己以往因應情緒與挑戰的模式，開始真正聆聽內在的我真實的感受與需求。無論向那個方向走，希望自己不再是不服輸，或為了證明什麼，而是學習瞭解內心真正呼喚的方向。

“Left or right?” is the most interesting question in front of me right now.

Previously, I didn't think I had a choice. This little boat was huge to me. This new relationship was an unfamiliar ground that needed exploring. I had much to learn and many challenges to overcome. I was busy making sense of a new situation. Just like someone who had just learned to swim, I was working hard just to get my head above water, taking a breath whenever I could.

Once I reached the point where I could make choices, I could finally begin to hear my own true voice. That's when I discovered I had a new skill that I needed to learn.

Do I want to stay another day or move on a little further? Which route do I want to take to enter the anchorage? When the wind is just right, do we keep going past our original stopping point to the next anchorage? Or do we call it a day, and at the same time, “Waste some wind”? These decisions can be large or small, but they all point to straight to the core: What type of life do I want to have? Did I pay attention to my needs today? Given this situation, what does my body need? What does my heart need?

Later on I realized that I have had choices all along. I do want to learn new things, but I can choose the speed of my learning. When I am scared, I can ask request to start the engine. When I am uncertain, I can insist on taking the safest route. When I am tired, I can choose to stay at an anchorage an exta day. Actually, it's my own competitiveness and desire to stand “undefeated” that made me feel as if I had no choice.

I cannot choose whether the wind is strong or weak, but I can decide how far to sail in a day, or whether to continue sailing at all. When we are still at a distance from the nearest anchorage, I can ask Rob to exchange shifts with me and take some time to rest. If I give myself time to prepare, I don't have to push myself past my limits.

As I begin to see the choices I need to make for myself, I've become clearer about my past patterns of facing challenges and meeting my emotions. I've begun to tune into my actual inner voice and to become aware of my deeper feelings and needs. Regardless of which direction I choose, I hope that I am no longer driven to make my choices out of competitiveness or a desire to prove something, and instead take my direction from actual inner needs.

Inside and Down 決定了

2008-08-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

We've decided. We're leaving the wild west side for other people or some other day. We're coming back down the inside.

All though we had considered coming down the outside of Vancouver Island, in the end, we decided that, rather than more challenges, we would like to revisit the places where we first learned these cruising skills. We want to see the old places with new eyes.

We are hoping for a respite from our breakneck pace of learning. Perhaps, even some sunshine and a few idyllic days on the water.

（翻譯）

我們決定了。決定將原始的溫哥華西岸留給其他人，或其他時間，我們將從東岸回航。

雖然我們曾考慮由溫哥華的西岸回去，最後，我們決定不再給自己更多挑戰。我們想重溫那些教導我們第一手航行技術的地方，以新的視野看待老地方。

我們希望能從急遽的學習速度中喘一口氣。也許，終於有一些陽光與悠閒的水上時光。

7/22 -7/25 羅斯柯峽灣 Roscoe Inlet

2008-08-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

明知這是一條回頭路，明知這條路有風的機率很小，我們還是毫無怨尤的進入。

羅斯柯峽灣，是加拿大北方數以千計的峽灣之一。因冰河切蝕作用，在貝拉貝拉之後，海岸有無數彎延伸入內陸的峽灣。羅斯柯是其中較短的一條，說短也有百里之遠。峽灣內由於兩岸皆是高山，風幾乎無法進入，但是早晚因溫差劇烈而產生強大氣流。
「我們是帆船航行者。」Rob宣稱，所以我們一直對於要不無風，要不巨風的峽灣敬謝不敏，直到我們已經到達此行預計的最北方時，我們決定忍受引擎航行，一探峽灣究竟。

而這是我們最值得的引擎航行經驗。蜿蜒的水道每轉一個彎便進入另一種令人摒息的美景：白雪覆蓋的高山、大片陡峻的峭壁岩石、墨綠如鏡的海水、冰河水融化傾洩而下的瀑布、漫天飛翔的老鷹、懶洋洋躺在礁石上的海豹家族。時間在此似乎停止下來。由於水道平靜，我們替船裝上自動導航，兩人靜靜的坐在船頭，暢飲眼前美景，無法言語。

北方天氣通常陰情不定，我們卻幸運的有三個大晴天可以一覽峽灣風光。這裡另一著名的是熊的國度。一路上我都密切觀察是否有熊出沒而不斷失望，直到回程時猛一瞥見一隻熊在岸邊出沒，我驚喜的趕緊大叫Rob：「有熊！！！」。Rob還在我大聲呼喚的驚嚇之中，這隻熊早已因聽見人聲而逃之夭夭。就這樣結束我和熊唯一的相遇（可憐的Rob連個機會都沒有）。

峽灣之後，就是一路回頭的時候了。

[translation]
We knew it was a dead end route. We knew the chances of wind would be small. But we still went in without hesitation.

Roscoe Inlet is one of thousands of fjords in northern Canada. Because of glacial action, after Bella Bella Canada's coast is penetrated by an uncountable number of fords. Roscoe Inlet is one of the shorter Fjords. But even this short Fjord is 21 miles long. Because this Fjord is sided by high mountains, wind has almost no chance to get in. But due to diurnal temperature variations, at times a very strong inflow or outflow can pour down the length of the fjord.

“We are traveling by sail,” Rob declared. So, we avoided these windless fjords with their punctuated moments of violent wind until we had reached the northernmost part of our journey. At this point we decided to start our motor and finally see what one of the fjords was all about.

It turned out to be the most satisfying use of our motor yet. Each time this winding inlet made another turn we were greeted with another scene of breathe-taking beauty: White, snow covered mountains, granite cliff faces, dark green, mirror-like water, snow-melt waterfalls, eagles soaring across the blue sky, a lazy seal family hanging out together on a rock. It was if time had stopped. Since the water was so still, we put on our tiller pilot, and the two of us sat on the bow of the boat silently drinking in the unfolding scenery.

The weather in the north is wet and unstable. But we got lucky and got three sunny days in a row. The north is also know for bears. We had been hoping to see bears for the whole trip but hadn't seen any yet. But on the way back down the inlet, I saw a bear appear on the shore. Overcome with excitement and joy, I yelled to Rob, “Bear!!!” Still startled by my sudden shout, by the time Rob knew which direction to look, the bear had already disappeared, fleeing from the sound of a human voice. Thus ended my only encounter with a bear (poor Rob didn't even have this brief opportunity).

After this Fjord, it's time to turn around and head back.

7/18 - 7/21 長日漫漫 A long, long day

2008-08-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

艙外，雨下了一整天。艙內，我舒服的躺在床上，聽著Rob播放的崔健「一無所有」專輯。回憶一下被帶回大學，我們談著因崔健歌聲被勾起的回憶。湖上持續稍開的水穩定的咕嚕咕嚕輕響著，生普洱的香味瀰漫在空中。

慵懶而美好的一天。
誰也沒想到十幾小時之前，我瀕臨此行最挫折的時刻，我放聲大哭，什麼都不在乎，只想回家。

其實昨天一開始就如同之前所有航行的每一日一般，我們以靜坐做為一天的開始，在享受一小時的早餐與喝茶時光。航行也因我們開始2小時輪流航行制變得較為輕鬆，直到轉向拉馬水道。

風以大約每小時25公里的速度吹來，正是適合我自我挑戰的速度。以我的重量，我得使盡大部分力氣握住舵柄，抵抗強風將船吹往風來的方向。而生平第一次在這種風速逆風轉舵則真是驚心動魄。我想從遠處看，我大概像在練習武術：腳往後伸長後勾住舵柄，用力將其定向，同時趁著風勢將船一側緊纏在絞盤上的前帆索鬆開，迅速移至另一側將前帆索再度絞緊。

「自找麻煩！」我暗罵自己。Rob在艙內適時給我引導和指示，我可聽見自己狂亂心跳與沈重呼吸的聲音。才一次轉舵我就感到精疲力竭。我害怕讓船失速失控。這艘船在這樣的風之下對我來說仍感到龐大。

我再練習了二次，希望掌握住風的節奏，但是繩索到處纏繞，船轉彎太多而失去航行效率，以及得死命絞緊帆索的劇碼仍不斷上演。終於，我的值班時間結束，我暗自鬆了一口氣，但我們也已經接近停泊處─新奇灣。

新奇灣並不大。進入時我們發現已有二艘船停靠。Rob操縱著大前帆在灣內巡航格外困難。他希望我快些找到下錨點，我卻怎麼也看不出能給予我們合理的旋轉空間的下錨點。

大前帆因地形風向不穩而批哩啪啦作響，灣內船上的人不解的看著我們像無頭蒼蠅般一圈一圈在他們身邊繞。我挫折於自己找不出好的下錨點，心裡暗自埋怨Rob要以帆入灣，卻又不願先低頭要求開啟引擎；Rob挫折於大前帆的操縱不易，以及被船友當馬戲看。二人之間緊張指數急遽攀升。

最後，我們繞出灣口，決定在較不受地形保護，水深也較深處下錨。錨繩放出，船一轉彎，我們幾乎撞倒岸邊！在二人精疲力竭情況下，我怪罪Rob太早轉彎，他說我太晚下錨….二人都沮喪、挫折到極點。

在提起精神、仔細研判海圖之後，我們確定灣內空間不足夠讓我們有安全旋轉範圍。「此地不留船、自有留船處」。我們升起主、前帆，拉起船錨，收回對彼此的責備與怨懟，航向下一個可停泊灣口。

我們努力自我安慰與鼓勵，但是心中都疲累而受傷。半小時後，我們進入第二個停泊點─艾達灣。灣內空無一人，讓我們大為寬心。我們繞了二圈確認下錨點（其實我好想開動引擎，下錨會容易許多！但是我的好強讓我就是不願服輸）。在丟下船錨時，錨繩突然首次莫名卡住。船錨卻已經鉤住灣底，我們進退二難。我不做多想立刻跑入艙內，奮力推開剛降下堆擠在艙首的大前帆，打開錨繩儲存的艙門，鑽進充滿海草味與泥巴的狹小空間拯救錨繩。

灰頭土臉的返回甲板，Rob仍持續與帆奮鬥。我們再次轉身出灣，儲備足夠動力返回再次下錨。我告訴Rob我真的受夠了，奮力忍住眼淚（不能不爭氣啊！）。錨繩迅速而平順下降，我們成功的下錨。接著，我拉住小前帆，等待將其降下。Rob神情緊張的跑到船首，急切的表示我拉住小前帆使其充滿風，讓船再度有動力前進，或許因此已經把船錨鬆開了，他不曉得現在我們的錨是否穩固。

就像壓垮駱駝的最後一根稻草，我再也承受不住任何新事件發生。我只想結束一天，真的真的受夠這一切了。我坐在甲板，放聲大哭….

灣內二隻海豹好奇的探頭探腦，灣外橘紅的晚霞映在灣口處二個並倚的小島。在如此絕望的心境之下，我完全無心觀賞，一切都令我厭惡。

然而，在一整天的休息之後，雖然雙眼仍然浮腫，但又開始得以享受生活了。在茶香中，我們重新檢視昨天的歷程。我看到了自己的極限，瞭解好強有時遮掩了內心真實的需要。我也看到自己的復原能力，再度回到我們的旅程。

[translation]

Outside it rained all day. Inside the boat, I laid comfortably on and then heard Cui Jian's “Nothing to My Name” come from Rob's computer. It took me right back to my university years. We talked about the memories his music brought up. The water kettle chattered on the stove and the air was filled with the smell of green puer tea.

It was a beautiful, lazy day.

It hardly seemed possible that only a dozen hours before I had faced a moment of great frustration and cried such tears of anguish that I didn't care about anything any more. I simply wanted to go home.

Actually, yesterday started out like any every other day of sailing. We got up, did our morning meditation, and spent an hour or so over breakfast and tea. Since we have begun taking 2 hour shifts in sailing, we're each getting more rest and the sailing is more relaxed. But that all changed when we turned into Lama Passage.

The wind was about 15 knots, it was the perfect challenge to advance my single-handing. With the genoa up and my small stature, I had use all of my strength to keep the boat from rounding up into the wind. This was the first time I've ever tried to tack single-handed into so much wind. I was incredibly nervous. From a distance, it probably looked like I was practicing some sort of kung fu. My leg was stuck out behind me to push the tiller. My hands were reaching forward to first loose one geno sheet and then pull tight the other as the boat came through the wind.

I scolded myself for seeking my own trouble. Rob was inside the cabin giving me directions. But mostly I heard my own heart pounding and my breathe rushing in and out of my lungs. After a single tack, I was exhausted. I was afraid of losing control of the boat and of losing boat speed while head to wind. In this sort of wind, this boat feels really big to me.

As I practiced tacking the second time, I was hoping to be better in tune timing my tack through the wind, but I got my lines tangled, the boat turned to far and I lost control of it direction. But I still had to play my role and tighten the lines and regain steerage. Finally, my shift came to and end. I breathed a silent sigh of relief, but didn't get much break as it was time to enter our anchorage.

Fancy Cove is not big. We found three boats already in the anchorage. Rob single-handed the boat, but the wind was up and the large genoa was a lot to handle in a small space (Rob's note: To change or not change the sail? Sometimes we choose well...). He was hoping to get the anchor down quickly, but I couldn't find a spot that seemed to have enough swinging room.

The genoa rattled in the wind as the land-contorted winds shifted about the boat. People on the other boats watched in astonishment as we circled the harbor like headless flies. I was frustrated that I couldn't find anywhere to drop the anchor. I cursed Rob's desire to enter the harbor under sail, but I wasn't about to lower my head and ask him to start the engine. Rob was frustrated that he hadn't put on the smaller jib. He felt like a circus clown wrestling with the genoa in these shifty bluster conditions. The tension between us built rapidly.

In the end, we dropped the anchor in the entrance channel of the cove, giving up the greater wind protection of the inner cove, and decided to live with the added hassle of dropping our anchor in deep water. As I paid out anchor rode, we came right up against the shore, nearly hitting bottom. I blamed Rob for turning to early. He said I dropped the anchor too late... We were both sad, angry, and frustrated.

After taking time to regain ourselves, we looked at situation carefully and reviewed the chart. It became very clear, there was no room for us in this cove, either inside or in the entrance. “Well, if this place won't hold us, some place will,” I thought. We hoisted our sails, raising the jib this time, weighed anchor and, putting aside our blame of each other, took off for our next cove.

We did our best to renew our spirits, but my heart was aching and exhausted. When we entered Ada Cove, not another soul was in the cove. What a relief. We circled a couple times to find a good spot for the anchor (I really wanted to start the engine. It's so much easier to anchor under power!). When I dropped the anchor, the rode suddenly stuck. It wouldn't come out at all. But the anchor had already bit into the bottom. Both staying or leaving suddenly became challenging. I didn't think twice, I ran below and pushed aside the genoa which now filled the forward section of our boat and opened the chain locker in the very bow of the boat. I stuck my head into the musty, muddy smelling locker to free the anchor rode.

I took my soiled self back on deck and rob sailed us around for a second attempt at anchoring. We sailed out far enough to build the momentum necessary to set our hook well. I told Rob, “I've had enough,” trying to hold back my tears (I didn't want to admit any weakness!) I dropped the anchor and this time, the rode paid out smoothly. It was a success. And then, I grabbed the corner of the jib in preparation for bringing it down. Rob came running up with an urgent expression on his face. He desperately told me that by pulling in the jib's corner I had filled the sail with wind, which turned the boat, and then filled the main with wind. We had sailed over the anchor rode and had maybe even unset the anchor. He didn't know if it was well set or not.

This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I couldn't take it any more. All I wanted was to end the day. I just couldn't take any more. I sat on the deck and cried.

Two curious seals stuck there heads out to look at us. Outside the cove, the orange red of sunset lit up the two islets that guard the cove's entrance. In my overwhelmed state of despair, I had no heart to look at any of this beauty. I hated all of it.

But after a full night's rest, even though my eyes were still puffy from crying, I started to take joy in life again. Surrounded by the fragrance of tea, the two of us went over the previous day's events. I saw my own limitations, and I came to understand how my desire to be strong had caused me to neglect my true real needs. I also discovered my resiliency and once again resumed our journey.

無所不用其極 (By All Means)

2008-08-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Rob對於航行的熱愛，在於任何狀態下，他都不願輕易啟動引擎。

所以，我們曾經整天漂浮於海面等待風起；曾經在停泊港灣揮汗連連的降帆昇帆，就為了以帆下錨。別人在港灣中都直線前進，選好地點下錨後，直線倒船就完成工作，我們則是得順著風繞圈子，風太小圈子得加大、錨沒勾穩也得多繞幾圈。

以下，還有二個範例佐證：

單人控船時得雙手調整前帆，頭仰看風向，Rob宣稱他是以全身感應船與風的對話。

p.s.當時我不與置評，後來在我可以一人控船時經歷以腳勾舵差點扭到之後，才知此「創意」之重要。

一次無風狀態下，我們實在不想等待，Rob再度以引擎違反自然等對我曉以大義，為了證明不需引擎船仍能前進，Rob於是將小舟綁在船頭，划著小舟帶船前進。哇！居然也有一小時1.5公里的時速呢！

p.s. 後來也有一次無風夜晚，我自告奮勇划小舟拉Syzygy。媽呀！真是極度吃力不討好的工作，小舟往前，綁住大船的繩索拉緊，若沒有立刻再更使力划，小舟就反而往船方向靠近，得用力再將小船划離，事倍功半。總之，就是得費盡吃奶力氣不斷用力往前划。奇怪的的，划的精疲力竭之餘，看見syzygy終於緩緩前進，心中居然感受到無限的滿足！

[translation]

Rob has a passion for sailing.

Regardless of the situation, he won't start the engine unless he absolutely has to. So, once we spent nearly an entire day drifting in Fitz Hugh Sound waiting for the wind to come up. We have circled an anchorage raising and lower headsails just so we could set our anchor under sail. Other people come straight into the anchorage, pick a spot to drop their anchor, and then back up to set it. Instead, we circle toward our spot, making a bigger circle in light wind, and if we don't set the anchor well, we circle some more.

Below are a couple more pieces of evidence.

First, when single-handing the boat, it takes two hands to handle the sails. With his head looking up at the wind indicator atop the mast, Rob says his steering method is, “using his whole body to steer the boat.”

As for me, I had no desire to stoop to his level of crassness, but after nearly twisting my ankle trying to use my legs to steer, I finally had to admit the efficacy of his method.

Second, once when there was no wind, when we just didn't want to wait any longer, Rob to prove that we didn't need to offend nature with our engine, got into our dinghy and towed the boat. He got us going at a full knot of speed!

As ridiculous as this is, one night when our engine wouldn't start I actually towed Syzygy myself. Man! What an exhausting, tedious job! The dinghy moves forward, the tow rope tightens, and then the dinghy springs back straight toward the boat. If you don't put in a strong stroke immediately, you end up right under the bow. Then you have to row t and start over. You simply have to row with all your might and then keep rowing. The strange thing is, after expending all this energy, when I saw Syzygy actually making headway, I was filled with satisfaction.

烘焙這件事 Baking

2008-08-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

烘焙這件事，我從沒想過自己會樂在其中。

才瞭解自己花了很長時間對抗所有被認為是「女孩子家」做的事。因為被期待而急於擺脫，被限制而急於自由，其實都沒看清到底自己喜不喜歡。
在這艘船上，我們做著自己愛做的事、願意做的事、喜歡做的事，其他則輪流平均共同分擔。這是很奢侈的一段時間，讓我得以有真正自由看見自己的喜好。

一開始是Rob首先發難，培養我們酸麵包的酵母。在幾次辛苦餵養照顧酵母卻做出如石般麵包之後，我接過此艱鉅任務，卻偷吃步的購買超市快速酵母，就想嚐嚐親手做出鬆軟土司的滋味。

而我成功了！！！

由於船上沒有烤箱，所有麵包、蛋糕都在壓力鍋中完成，所有烘烤時間就得自己摸索。又由於不易上網取得食譜資訊，就只能從一個食譜衍生、實驗。全麥麵包的比例和原先白麵包怎麼調整，調整了麵粉後又發現酵母、水、蒸麵包時間也得隨之調整，沒有麵包機，就得自己揉麵團。原先被我看扁的「做麵包」其實像在實驗室做實驗一樣得注重比例。蛋糕的原理也是相同。船上空間狹窄，沒有打蛋器，搖搖晃晃的，我也不做蛋白蛋黃分離這種苦差事。一切由香蕉蛋糕成功後，就同樣比例開始做水果蛋糕、檸檬椰子蛋糕。

旅途開始前就聽說越北方食物價格就越加昂貴，麵包尤其得來不易，甚至有人可以用麵包換取鮭魚肉。在懷著可以以麵包換海鮮的美夢之下，開始我的「撲粉生涯」，不過自從麵包嘗試成功之後，通常一「蒸」上來就被我和Rob瓜分一半。說要拿去換取食物我們還得克制別一下子吞食完畢。

這一切辛苦說穿了都是為了在遠離人煙時，燒上一壺咖啡、切上一片現蒸蛋糕（但是通常都是用扒的），眼前如此美景，還能一手咖啡、一手蛋糕的這種幸福。

[translation\
I never thought I would be someone to enjoy baking.

I've spent a long time fighting against anything that could be considered “woman's work.” If it was expected of me, I pushed it aside. Where I saw limitations, I fought for freedom. I never thought to ask myself whether or not I might like baking, or any of these “women's” activities. I simply pushed them aside.

On the boat, we do what we want and what we're willing to do. We take turns completing any leftover tasks. This is a luxurious time, allowing us the leisure and the freedom to truly see ourselves and find out what we truly enjoy.

In the beginning, Rob started baking, raising sourdough cultures and attempting to make bread. After several painstaking attempts to make a good loaf of bread, and creating rock-hard disks instead, I took over the baking. And then I made made a few sourdough bricks as well. Finally I “cheated.” I bought some commercial yeast. I was looking forward to eating a loaf of bread made with my own hands.

And I succeeded!

Since we don't have an oven, all of our bread and cakes are cooked in a pressure cooker. I use a standard recipe, but I have to figure out my own cooking times. Since we only seldom have internet access, I don't have many recipes. Instead, I use a couple of basic recipes and create variations and experiments. So, when using whole wheat flour, I have to balance the amounts of whole wheat and white flour. After that, then I have to balance, yeast, water, and cooking time as well. We have no bread machine. I knead my own bread. What I used to think of as simply “making bread” turns out to be as exacting as conducting experiments in a laboratory.

Baking cakes is the same process. Our space is limited on the boat. We have no eggbeater, or mixer. I don't go to the trouble of separating egg whites and egg yolks. I start with a banana cake recipe and then use it to create lemon coconut or berry chocolate cake.

When we started this journey we heard that there was not much bread up north and that the price of food was very high. We had friends tell us it might even be possible to trade bread for fish. With this beautiful dream in mind, that I might trade my bread for seafood, I started my baking career. But every time a load is done being steamed, Rob and I eat half of it while it's still warm. If we were actually going to trade it for something, we would have to keep ourselves from eating it.

All of this effort is actually to fulfill my dream of having a cup of coffee in one hand and a slice of cake in the other (but usually we don't even slice it, we just break off a piece. Having my coffee and cake in such a remote, beautiful place is truly an inconceivable pleasure.

Outside or In? 向東走？向西走？

2008-08-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

Here near the turning point, the big question is: “Which way down?”

We're approaching Bella Bella, the town that marks the Northernmost extent of our journey. The question that is beginning to lay heavy on our minds is whether to come down the west coast of Vancouver Island or to return the way we came, passing through the smooth water channels of the Inside Passage. Each choice has its allure.

This trip has been a steep learning curve for both of us. Jiayu had only the most rudimentary sailing experience before we left. Although I had day sailed for years, I had been on only three overnight trips on my boat and had never once even dropped my anchor, staying at marinas instead.

Starting close to home in the densely populated, nearly urban environs of the San Juan and Gulf Islands, we have come through progressively more difficult passages to reach this point. Help has become further away, the weather more intense, and at times, we have passed through areas where the precise timing of currents is absolutely necessary. We are just now getting our first tastes of swells across Queen Charlotte Sound, the remnants of wave trains that have come across the Pacific.

If this were not challenge enough, this trip is also the beginning of my life together with Jiayu. In April, she moved aboard my 28 foot Cape Dory sailboat and we undertook the challenge of forging a life together in a dwelling which contains less than 150 square feet of internal living space.

It has been a tremendous journey, and even if it ended right now, it would be the trip of a lifetime.

But it is not over. We're just about at the halfway point. And the question is, do we continue up this curve of learning? Do we continue to climb and face new challenges? Is it time to feel the full force of the open ocean? To ride swells that can grow big enough to make mountains disappear?

Or do we take joy in what we have learned and begin our descent from the mountain top. Do we turn back down and re-visit the places which have given us challenges and joy? It would be tremendous to re-visit the sites of our earliest challenges and, hopefully, laugh at how much easier it all seems now.

So what is it? The wilds of the West Coast? Its rocks, waves, winds, and wildlife?

Or the joys of the Inside Passage? A month amidst the tranquil serenity of the Broughton archipelago? And a gradual reduction of the stress that accompanies such a steep learning curve?
（翻譯）

眼看接近我們旅程的折返點，「往那個方向回去？」真是大哉問。

我們即將接近旅程計畫中幾乎最北方的小鎮貝拉‧貝拉。重壓我們心中的問題是：由溫哥華島西方返回，或是由原路折返，回到內灣航道平緩的水道。二者皆有其吸引力。

這趟旅程我們兩人都經歷陡峭的學習曲線。Jiayu在我們啟航前僅有最基本的航行經驗。雖然我有多年航行的經驗，但是我僅有過三次長時間航行，而且我都停靠在碼頭，從未下過錨。

我們從離家近、人口密集、接近城市的聖關與峽谷群島開始，逐漸進入更多挑戰的航道而來到今日。這裡，天氣變化更為劇烈、離援助越遠。有時候，某些地區需要精準的時間通過急流。不久前，我們才首次嚐到湧浪的滋味，這些海浪由太平洋緩慢傳送至夏綠蒂皇后海峽，而來到我們身旁。

若是這樣還不夠具有挑戰性，那麼這趟旅程還是我和Jiayu共同生活的開始。在四月份，她來到我9公尺的小船上，我們接受這個挑戰，在僅有150平方英尺的生活空間開始共同建築我們的生活。

這是一趟嘆為觀止的旅程，即使這趟旅程在此結束，也已經是我們一生中難以忘懷之旅。

但是旅途尚未結束，我們才快到中途點。現在的問題是：我們讓學習曲線持續攀升嗎？我們繼續接受新的挑戰嗎？面對開放海域深沈力量的時間到了嗎？我們要親身體驗如山一般高的湧浪嗎？

還是我們驗收已經學習的成果，開始從山頂返回？我們要轉身重新探訪曾帶給我們挑戰與歡樂的所到之處嗎？我想，重新探訪給予我們挑戰的早期航行點會是個美好的經驗。希望到時候我們會笑看怵目驚心的一切已變得如此容易。

所以到底怎麼選擇呢？溫哥華島西岸的野生原始？它的岩石、海浪、強風、和豐富的野生動物？

還是內灣航道的樂趣？在布萊頓群島享受一個月的寧靜安詳？以及逐漸降低陡峭學習曲線所帶來的壓力呢？

7/13-7/16 同在異鄉為異客 Unexpected Companions

2008-08-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

我們意外的停泊在憤怒灣，意外的在這裡感受到地球村與鄉土情。

卡力獨自一人選擇首次就挑戰所有航行者所夢想與踟躇挑戰的溫哥華島西岸，他在航行12小時之後，意外的被西北風帶到這裡。和他聊天似乎看到孩子進入玩具反斗城一般，西岸嚴峻的天候考驗、漫長的跨岸航行在他口中都充滿刺激、興奮、與有趣，套句他的口頭禪，危險密佈的礁石、被強風硬是吹的連根拔起的船錨、使他的船奮鬥數小時都無法前進一哩的強風都是：「哇～超酷！」。我很享受他帶給我們的熱情與興奮，溫哥華島的西岸經他介紹下充滿迷人風情，他的熱情也讓精疲力竭的我重新喚起一些力量，但我卻無法如他般浪漫、隨性的看待我們的航行。

潮洲叔則是到目前為止遇見的第二個亞洲人。在哈帝港有一個處理鮭魚高手的北京女子，與丈夫週末來補鮭魚回家添菜。遇到另一個中國女子我當然滿心雀躍，不料此女就事論事，她雖好心的留了鮭魚頭給我們作為補螃蟹的餌，卻只願與我說英文，一副點到為止、莫測高深。

潮洲叔完全相反。

在憤怒灣聽到船友提及停泊在後方的漁船上僅有一位友善、但英文不太好的中國人。我和Rob二話不說划著小舟前往打招呼。潮洲叔看來神采奕奕，他忙著用機器篩選剛補上的蝦子，卻高興我們的到訪。

我們三人以四種不同語言溝通──普通話、潮洲話、台灣話（潮洲話有些和台語相通）、英文。有時誰也不知道誰用什麼語言說了什麼，但殷切希望溝通的心意卻充斥其間。

我們決定告別時，潮洲叔問我們要不要蝦子。Rob和我都以為他要賣蝦子給我們，沒想到他提起一大塑膠籃，面不改色的說：「拿去！」。我和Rob面面相覷。幾十斤的蝦子就這樣要送給我們。我們告知船上沒有冰箱，實在處理不了那麼多。他拿了我們的鍋子，倒滿了一整鍋給我們。

生平第一次「擁有」那麼多蝦子，我們想了一想，先包了一大包划小舟給卡力送去。我拿出表哥送的上好梨山茶，倒了半袋讓Rob再拿回去給潮洲叔喝。Rob回到船上，滿臉又是感動又是無奈的苦笑，手裡則又多了十幾隻大明蝦！

當天晚上，我按照潮洲叔的指示，將近滿鍋的蝦子全部蒸熟以便儲存。忙到幾乎半夜。剛蒸起的蝦子鮮甜至極，我們倆人雖已吃過晚餐，卻一隻接一隻的把蝦子送進肚裡。

第二天中午，我用一半的蝦仁做了像漢堡肉的蝦餅，Rob用剩餘的蝦仁做了泰式海鮮酸辣湯，大明蝦則做成燉飯。借著潮洲叔的好意，我們以蝦子大餐慶祝了旅程的中間站。中飯後，我做了檸檬椰子蛋糕，決定等潮洲叔回來給他送去。

將近七點時，他漁船噗噗噗的引擎聲在我們船邊響起，我探頭打招呼，他舉起一條粉紅的石鯛魚說：「要不要，給你們？」然後咚！咚！咚！三隻石鯛魚就往我們小舟一丟，然後漁船緩慢轉身在離我們不遠處下錨。

我用水桶裝起鯛魚。回到船艙後，我告訴Rob我想家了。在海的另一邊，我的舅舅、舅媽、阿姨、表哥、表嫂們就像潮洲叔一樣，開朗與熱情，因可以不斷的給予而感到快樂。他們以豐富的食物傳達關愛，雖不需太多溝通交流卻感受到濃濃的情意！

[Translation]

We accidentally landed at Fury Cove and accidentally met a couple fellow travelers.

Kahlid is the first African American we've meet on this trip. He came up the west side of Vancouver Island by himself. After battling northwest winds in Queen Charlotte Sound for 12 hours, he changed his mind and decided to go up the sheltered route and found himself here. Talking to him is like watching a child in a toy store. For him the west coast is nonstop excitement and challenge, from inclement weather. In his animated way he went on about the long passages, the dangers of the rocks, the time the wind blew him until his anchor dragged, or blew so hard from the north that hew could make no forward progress. “It's so cool!” he exclaimed. I really enjoyed his enthusiasm. In his description, the west coast of Vancouver Island is full of enchangingly beautiful scenery. His energy also helped revive me from my fatigue. But I have no way to be as romantic as him, just diving into our trip with so little forethought.

***

We also met the second Asian person that we've seen on this coast, a shrimp fisherman from Chao Zhou China. At Port Hardy we previously met a Chinese immigrant originally from Beijing. She was deftly cleaning the salmon she and her husband had caught. I was of course excited to meet another Chinese woman, but she kept her eyes on her work, and despite being kind enough to leave us a salmon head for our crab trap, would only speak English with me. She was very terse in her utterances. I have no way to know what she was thinking.

But the shrimper from Chao Zhou was her exact opposite.

We heard from another boater in the anchorage that the fishing boat sharing the cove with us was skippered by a very friendly Chinese man. Rob and I rowed right over to say hello. He was there working, full of energy and very busy sorting the days catch. Despite his work load, he was very happy to see us.

The three of us used four different languages to communicate, Mandarin, Chao Zhou, Taiwanese, and English. The Chao Zhou and Taiwanese languages are close enough that, like Spanish and Italian, can be mutually understood with enough effort. Sometimes none of us knew what the others were saying. But our desire to communicate triumphed.

When we were ready to leave, the shrimper offered us some shrimp. We thought he was going to sell them to us. Instead he offered us a large basket of shrimp and said, “Here, have these.” Rob and I just looked at each other. He was trying to give us nearly 20 pounds of shrimp. We explained that we had no refrigerator or ice and that they would go to waste. So, he filled our pressure cooker to the brim with shrimp. Even then we weren't sure how we would eat all of them.

I've never in my life had this much shrimp on my hands. We thought for a moment and then rowed a big bag of shrimp over to Kahlid. Then I took some top quality Li Shan tea that my cousin had given me and had Rob take it over to the shrimper. Rob came back touched and moved, with a face showing a strained smile. By way of explanation he held up a large bag of mammoth BC prawns.

That night we cooked the shrimp according to the shrimpers instructions, steaming an full to the brim pot of shrimp so they would keep overnight. We worked until nearly midnight. The fresh shrimp were so good and so sweet that we ate one after another despite our already full stomachs.

The next day, I used half the shrimp to make shrimp cakes. Rob used the other half in a Thai seafood soup. We used the prawns to top our risotto. Thanks to the Chao Zhou shrimper's generosity, we had a shrimp feast to mark the halfway point of our journey. After lunch, I made a lemon coconut cake to give to him in return.

When he returned from fishing at 7:00 pm he brought his boat alongside. I popped my head out to say hello. He picked up a red snapper and asked, “Do you want some fish?” Three fish, one after another, boom, boom, boom landed in our dinghy. He turned his boat and slowly went far enough away to drop his anchor.

I used a bucket to carry the fish back to the boat, and told Rob that I missed home. Here on the other side of the ocean, I missed my aunts, uncles, and cousins. They are all just like the Chao Zhou shrimper, warm, generous, and taking happiness in life. They use generous gifts to express their affection without much verbal communication to show their warmth and good will clear.

7/13 Entering Fury Cove 進入猛烈灣

2008-08-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

It was the unrippled, mirror calm of the water which turned us toward Fury. We had originally set our sites further ahead, and after the tight, nerve-wracking entry to Millbrooke Cove the night before, the guidebook's description of Fury Cove was less than attractive. They said that it was difficult to locate amidst the off-lying islets, rocks, and reefs.

But just outside of Fury Cove, we were becalmed. The water went glassy and the swell coming in from Queen Charlotte Sound set our boat rocking and our sails slatting. The horrendous sound of loose sail filling with a pop on one side and then the other as the boat rocks on the swells, is irritating to the point of madness. I was on the verge staring the engine and motoring in when a touch of breeze came up, quieted the boat down, and got us moving again.

We headed straight for Fury Cove. As we neared the entry, the wind picked up further and moved us at an exhilarating pace. What a tremendous relief to be sailing again! Just then, Jiayu spotted a fin whale surfacing and spouting behind us, we fllirted briefly with the idea of turning around to spend time with the whales, but fearful of losing our breeze, we sailed straight in on this possibly last puff of evening breeze.

We made the best of it, riding full speed for the harbor. As we got closer, it was time to slow the boat down. Not wanting to risk even an one additional tack, lest the breeze leave us again, I ran forward and executed my fastest head sail change to date while Jiayu pinched the boat just slightly, slowing us down enough so we would not make the entry until our smaller, working jib was up.

With our jib up, the boat proceded at a more reasonable pace for traversing the rocks and reefs. The smaller sail also makes us much more maneuverable, being quicker to handle in a small space where shifty, land-reflected wind can come from any direction.

Despite the guidebook's warnings to the contrary, we found the entrance to be wide, easy to spot, and far less challenging than many places we have entered.

The poorly named Fury Cove is instead tranquil, serene, and beautiful.

（翻譯）

平靜無波、一如鏡面的海況帶我們來到憤怒灣。我們原新預計更往北前進。而且，昨晚進入米布灣讓我們汗毛豎立的經驗，加上航行指南對於憤怒灣的描述讓我們退步三舍。指南上說憤怒灣遍佈的小島、礁岩、讓入口難以辨識。

在憤怒灣外，風意外停止。海面如鏡，但是夏綠蒂皇后海峽的湧浪搖動著我們的船、帆布左右不停拍打。鬆垮帆布批哩啪啦的聲響，加上船上上下下的擺動簡直叫人瘋狂。就在我幾乎開啟引擎時，一陣微風吹來，平息船的擺動，讓我們得以繼續前進。

我們直接航向憤怒灣。在我們接近入口時，風逐漸加大，船以欣喜的速度前進。能夠再度航行真讓我大鬆一口氣！就在同時，Jiayu瞥見船尾遠方有一隻鯨魚浮出海面換氣。我們短暫的沈浸在回頭觀看鯨魚的想法，但是擔心微風不知何時會停止，我們趁著傍晚可能維繫的最後一股輕風航向入口。

我們盡可能的利用此風，全速駛向港灣。在接近港灣時，需要減慢船速。我不願意增加任何航行時間，擔心微風隨時會離開我們，所以我全速跑向船首，以至今為有過的快速度更換前帆。Jiayu則是稍微將船向風的方向移動，將船速適度降低，直到我們的小前帆升起，船剛好在港灣的入口。

小前帆讓我們的保持合理船速在岩石與礁塊中穿梭，在狹窄空間以及風隨地形不斷轉換的地點轉舵時也更容易控制。

與航行指南的描述相反，我們發現憤怒灣的入口寬敞，容易指認。相較於我們曾進入的許多港灣來的容易。

憤怒灣名不符實，灣內安逸、寧靜而美麗。

Play 玩

2008-08-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, even six years in Taiwan doesn't make a difference. Some gaps are hard to bridge.

I suppose it's always this way, but the older generation is harder to reach than the younger (if a man in his forties can still bandy about the word “young”).

The younger generation has spent many years of their lives entranced by or aghast at the vibrant culture and flagrant transgressions of the West. They are steeped in our movies and music (in addition to their own). They have had to learn English in school and many have studied overseas. Those people of my age who would like to have a “foreigner” as a friend come with a background that makes a connection easy. When we add the years that I have spent steeping myself in Taiwanese and Chinese culture, we have the basis for a true cultural exchange. It is a rich way to relate, full of learning and surprises and at the same time a deep recognition of commonality.

But I have some people in my life who I still find hard to reach. Whether in Jiayu's family or in the very traditional world of tea, I have some dear people in my life who cannot yet conceive of this sail journey. As close as they can come is the word “play.”

To be fair, the older generation of Taiwan has survived hardships that hopefully none of us, will ever have to experience. But in their minds any activity that is not directly dedicated to financial security is “play.” And this word play is not said with positive connotations. When Jiayu first came on this trip with me, her father pulled her aside and told her a story about “The Crickets and the Ants.” The crickets, you see, were making music and having a generally good time on a summer night. Meanwhile, the ants were working very hard stockpiling food. The crickets kept calling to the ants saying, “Why don't you come play? Summer is here! Rejoice! Why all the toil?” The ants replied, “It won't be summer forever, you have to work hard to survive.” In the end the crickets all starved to death and the ants survived another year.

It reminds me entirely of talking to people who survived the Great Depression. Many of this now nearly gone generation, were frugal to the point of obsession. Every little thing was to be saved. Spending was seen as a very dangerous undertaking. Taiwan's equivalent hard times aren't that far in the past, and an entire segment of the population lives as if hard times around the corner will come just as surely as night follows day and winter follows fall.

But from where I come from, although depression is a real enough possibility, it has not proven to be even a once a generation event. These hard times, sure to hit eventually, don't hit every lifetime nor every society. In fact, to live one's entire life as if unbearable hardship is sure to fall is to miss out on some of life's greatest joys.

The question that comes up is, after financial security, then what? Some people, in every culture, never feel secure enough. It wouldn't matter how much they had saved, they would need to earn more. I think this is the most common responsible approach to finance. The most common irresponsible American approach seems to be to carry massive amounts of credit card debt. But I don't find myself in either of these camps.

Let's assume for the time being that I am intelligent enough to ensure that I will not spend my dotage as a pauper. Certainly I have enough to eat. I have shelter to live in, whether by land or by sea. All of my basic needs of life are provided for. So, while it would be nice to have some more money, and while it would be more common to simply aim for the quickest way to make more money, I'm instead asking myself what is most meaningful to me in life? What is the life I want to create for myself? What are the things I most want to do in my brief stay on this planet? What contribution do I want to make to the world? What do I have to offer?

I am not living in fear for enough to eat. I too can be frugal. This trip is costing the two of us less than $400 per person per month. It is not a huge financial burden. So, if the anthill was overflowing with food and they continued to horde, would they still be considered sane? If the crickets had already provided for their winters, shouldn't they laugh and sing?

So, yes, this sailing trip is great fun. My heart is filled with gratitude for this opportunity. I can hardly imagine a more exciting way to spend my time. I worked for well over a year, saving money and repairing this old boat to prepare for this journey. And against the odds, quite distinct from the expectations of mainstream culture, I have successfully freed myself to journey through one of the world's last wilderness coasts. I have have the rare good fortune of exploring an archipelago, the likes of which exists nowhere else on Earth.

Yes, we play a lot. Play is important. This life is a gift. We can give thanks through celebration. Time with friends, a game of cards. These are the rewards for a day's hard work. These are the joyful moments we we have earned with our labor.

But as fun as this trip has been so far, much, much more is going on here than play. Sailing through a sea where whales are jumping is more akin to a religious experience than it is to a game of cards. The shear power of this dying race of mammoth beings is breath taking. Learning the rudiments of sailing, and then learning to time one's life to the flow of the tides, currents, and weather requires both a deep study and a shift in perspective. We have had to learn to be acutely aware of our natural environment and to invite it into our lives in a way that few modern people do.

At the same time, we are gaining a first hand experience of the devastation we as humans are wreaking on the natural world. I had no idea how thoroughly the Canadian Pacific fishery had collapsed. I knew that the US was doing a somewhat reasonable job of protecting the Alaska fishery, but it is nearly unfathomable that a place as remote and seemingly pristine as the BC coast could be in such dire peril of losing its marine ecosystem.

So, we've had both the gift of being close to the natural world, and also the sad experience of realizing how much our human hunger for more and more money has devastated this same world. If human greed could be attenuated, if we could recognize when we already had enough and not keep lusting for more, we could leave a far better world for our descendants.

In this same vein, we have also learned how little it takes to be truly happy. In the city, I can throw $3.00 away on coffee without even thinking about it. Now, living as simply as we do, a cup of coffee has become a celebration in itself. We cherish our lives much more than when we could have all the coffee we wanted any time of day or night. Truly we are learning the joy of simple living and the art of living lightly on the world's surface.

And yet, even these are not actually the most important lessons of this journey. The more important lessons are internal. A trip like this not only gives us the time to get to know ourselves more clearly, it forces us to face ourselves. When two people are in such a small space together for an extended time, there is no more room for hiding. Even when we want to hide our weaknesses or portray ourselves in an overly-positive light, the mask cannot hold up.

We have, likewise, practiced many moments of mending and rebuilding our relationship. Tears in the fabric of relationship are inevitable. We have each had many opportunities to practice the art of forgiveness and the art of apology.

So quite unlike a sunny day at the beach, a journey like this takes a real inner courage, a willingness to face even one's own darkest corners of experience. Through this process, we have become stronger both in ourselves and in relationship. We have developed a deep abiding trust in each other.

Jiayu's father, my future father in law, has told us repeatedly not to “play too long” and to make sure to come back and “get to work.” Each time I hear this, my heart sinks. I don't think he understands the importance of the work we are doing.

But if we do want to speak of the world of paid work, it is important to remember that both Jiayu and I work in the field of counseling psychology. It is our work to help people see themselves more clearly. It is our job to help people discover their own resources for happiness and to face the parts of themselves that are unhappy and in need of care. The very process of learning and discovery that we are undergoing on this sailing journey is exactly the process we are working to awaken within our clients.

It is essential that counselors go on periodic voyages of self-discovery. If we expect our clients to do the courageous work of inner exploration, we have to be willing to do it ourselves. Counselors need retreats in order to do their own inner work. Only then can they come back into the world with renewed energy and effectiveness.

We are on our return trip. Like Buddhist practitioners returning from the rain retreats, we are turning our thoughts back toward the world. I myself am thinking much of work. I am wondering exactly what projects I will find most fulfilling and inspiring. I am wondering how I can best be of service to others. I am looking for the most meaningful, fulfilling work that I can undertake. I am looking forward to re-engaging with society.

As we ponder these questions slowly and let our plans take shape, I am also looking forward to finally having some simple fun. We are headed back into familiar waters with a new set of sailing and life skills. Soon, we should make it into sunshine and warmth. Finally, it is time to play.

(翻譯）

有時，即時我曾經住在台灣六年都無濟於事。有些溝通的斷層就是無法銜接。

我想應該一直都是這樣吧！年輕一輩的比老一輩的人來得容易溝通（如果四十歲的人還可以使用「年輕」二字的話）。

台灣年輕的一輩無論是喜好、浸淫西方活潑的文化，或是憎惡西方惡霸式的侵略，都對西方文化不陌生。他們在本土的電影與音樂之外，也熟悉我們的電影與音樂。在學校他們必須學習英文，很多有過留學外國的經驗。這些與我年紀相當，希望和「外國人」做朋友的人擁有的背景讓我們易於連結。若再算上我花費沈浸在台灣與中國文化的時間，我們得以擁有真正的文化交流。這樣的連結是豐盈的，充滿學習與驚喜。我們深刻體會到我們之間除了差異之外有很多的相同性。

但是在我生命中仍有一些人我難以取得這樣的連結。無論是Jiayu的家人或在台灣茶藝的傳統文化中，有一些我很親近的人仍無法瞭解這一趟航行的意義。他們最多的理解即是「玩」這個字。

說句公道話，老一輩的台灣人曾過著我們一輩子想像不到的苦日子。在他們的心中，任何與增加經濟安全感無直接關連的活動都是「玩」。而且，「玩」並不具有正面意義。當Jiayu一開始決定加入航行，她父親讓她重溫「螞蟻與蟋蟀」的故事：蟋蟀在夏天演奏音樂與玩樂；而螞蟻辛勤工作囤積食物。蟋蟀不斷對螞蟻說：「你為什麼不來一起玩呢？夏天到了！來慶祝吧！! 幹嘛那麼辛苦?」螞蟻回答：「夏天不會永遠持續下去，要怎麼收穫先怎麼栽」。最後，蟋蟀在冬天餓死了，而螞蟻度過了另外一年。

這完全讓我想到和曾度過大蕭條年代的美國老一輩之間的談話。這些幾乎已經凋零的老一輩節儉到幾乎偏執。所有東西都得保留下來，消費是具有風險的行為。台灣的困苦年代離今不遠，許多人仍舊存有危機意識：苦難就像白天進入黑夜，冬天接續秋天一般可能隨時到來。

在我的生長背景，雖然苦日子是有存在的可能，但是並非會發生在每一代的人身上。這些苦難時刻雖然總會來臨，並不會降臨在每一代或每一個社會裡。事實上，若一個人只活在苦難必定降臨的心態中，他就錯過了生命中許多值得喜樂的部分。

問題是，在經濟安全感建立之後呢？在每個文化中，總有一些人永遠無法感到安全。不管他們累積多少財富，他們需要更多。我想這是一般視為負責任的理財方式之一；而最不負責任的方式則是負有龐大的信用卡債務。二者都不屬於我。

我當然不會讓自己年老時落到生活悲慘。我已經有足夠食物可吃，有地方可以住（無論在陸地或海上），所有基本需求無虞。當然，我可以想要賺更多的錢，我可以想以更快速的方式累積金錢，但是我卻詢問自己：生命如何能夠更具有意義？我想為自己創造什麼樣的生活？在我停留在世上的短暫時間裡，我最想完成什麼？我想對世界有什麼貢獻？而我又能夠提供什麼？

我並不擔心自己會山窮水盡，我可以非常節儉。這趟旅程我們二人每人每個月花費不到400元美金。這不是個沈重的經濟負擔。所以，若蟻丘中滿溢食物但他們仍然不停的囤積，他們還算正常嗎？若是蟋蟀已經準備好冬天的食糧，他們不應該歡笑與歌唱嗎？

是的，這趟航行之旅我們玩得開心。我的心洋溢著對擁有此機會的感激。我無法想像有更好的方式度過這一段時間。我辛苦工作一整年存錢與整修這艘舊船以準備這趟旅程。與主流文化所期待的相反，我出乎意外成功的擺脫一切，在這世界少數僅存的原始海岸之一航行。我感謝擁有稀少且珍貴的機會探索地球上僅此一處的島嶼與群島。

是的，我們盡情遊玩。玩很重要。生命是個禮物，我們可以用慶祝來感謝被賜予這個禮物。與朋友相伴、打一桌麻將，這些是一天辛苦工作後的獎賞，這些是我們勞動後換取的歡欣時刻。

但是即是這趟旅程充滿玩樂，卻有更多不止於玩樂的經驗。於鯨魚徜徉、跳躍的大海中航行，這個經驗比起打一桌麻將更充滿靈性。僅是感受此瀕臨絕種的龐大生物所展現的力量就足以震撼人心。學習基本的航行技巧，以及學習依據潮汐、水流、天候生活需要大量研讀與觀念的轉換。我們必須學習精準的覺察自然環境，邀請它進入我們的生活。很少現代人如此的生活著。

同時，我們有第一手經驗於人類如何在破壞這個自然世界。我從不知道加拿大的太平洋岸漁業已經衰敗。我知道美國正嘗試於保護阿拉斯加的漁業，但是令人震驚的是原始荒涼如加拿大西岸都已經逐漸失去它的海洋生態系統。

我們有幸同時能夠接近自然世界，也難過地瞭解到人類對金錢的貪婪如何毀壞這同樣的世界。如果貪婪能夠節制；如果我們能夠瞭解擁有的已經足夠而不繼續渴望更多，我們可以留給下一代更好的地球。

同樣地，我們學到快樂需要的其實很少。在城市力，我可以不加思索花3塊美金買一杯咖啡。現在，在我們的簡單生活裡，品嚐一杯咖啡本身就值得慶賀。比起在城市裡隨心所欲的咖啡，我們在這裡更佳珍惜我們的生活。我們實際的學習簡單生活的快樂，學習輕盈的活在地球的表面。

但是，這些都不是這次旅程最重要的學習。最重要的收穫是內在的。這樣的旅程不僅讓我們更清晰的瞭解自己，也強迫我們必須自我面對。二個人長時間共同生活在如此狹小的地方，沒有任何隱藏的空間。即使我們想要藏匿弱點或呈獻自己光明的一面，面具終需卸下。

同樣的，我們有許多時刻練習修補與重建我們的關係。在關係這塊布料裏，撕裂是難免的。我們二人都有許多機會練習原諒與表達歉意的藝術。

這不是躺在陽光下燦爛的海灘假期，向這樣的旅程需要真實的內在勇氣，需要有意願面對我們經驗中黑暗的角落。在這個過程中，我們在自我與關係之間同時變得更為強壯。我們彼此建立深厚的信任。

Jiayu的父親，我未來的岳父，不斷告誡我們不要「玩太久」，一定要回來「努力工作」。每當我聽到時，我的心沈了下來。我想他不太瞭解這對我們的重要性。

但是若要說到可賺錢的工作，我和Jiayu都從事諮商。我們的工作在協助人們更清楚的自我認識、協助人們發覺快樂的內在資源、面對自我不快樂的部分與需要照顧的部分。這趟航行旅程我們學習與探索的歷程就和我們在協助個案喚醒內在自我是完全相同的。

對諮商者來說，不斷進入自我發現的旅程是必須的。若是我們期待個案勇敢的進入內在探索自我，我們必須願意由自身做起。諮商者需要時間遠離人群從事自我探索，才能以更新的能量與效率回到工作。

我們已經踏上回程。像佛教僧侶從雨季的修行中回返俗世，我們的思緒也開始回返。我自己思索了很多關於工作的事。我思考何種工作會激發且滿足我？我思考如何才能對他人有助益？我尋找我能從事最具意義與滿足感的工作。我期待重新進入社會。

在我們緩慢的思索這些問題，讓計畫逐漸成形的同時，我也期待終於可以有些單純的樂趣。我們帶著新學到的航行與親密關係技術返回到我們熟悉的水域。不久，我們將回到陽光與溫暖。終於，是玩耍的時候了。

7/9 -7/10 麥爾斯小灣 Miles Inlet

2008-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

離開哈帝港，我們意識到，終於進入了蠻荒北方大地的開端了。

這裡開始不再充斥著短期度假遊艇，更多的是漁船與長期航行者。我一再驚訝的發現許多我們遇見的船友每年都長期在此航行。

台灣西岸的台灣海峽以險惡著稱，東岸則是懸崖、礁岩密佈的太平洋，我們對海洋的恐懼與陌生並非無由。我從未想像過海洋也可以如此休閒、甚至可以是長期居住的場所。

在與Rob的第一封信中我告訴他：我需要穩定的根據地，無法想像漂泊的生活。但何時開始，我已經開始適應船上與水面的生活，甚至開始享受這樣的水上與自然生活。

就像在麥爾斯小灣，我們被另一艘已停泊的動力船主熱烈歡迎，如導遊般的介紹環境、給我們他熱愛的八卦雜誌。小灣有他在立刻成為一小型社區。接下來陸續進來的船隻都受到一樣的歡迎與引導。

我們像在街頭碰到其他居民一般的打招呼，交換簡短談話，只是一切都在甲板遙遙相望，或在行進中的小舟進行。我像有時會在淡水的小巷中閒晃一般，坐進小舟探索環境。麥爾斯小灣成T字形，冬、西方小灣的盡頭接連結至不同的潟湖。我最喜歡划至潟湖開口，看著水因漲退潮而往相反方向流動的奇異現象。

這裡無法發現新開的小店、路邊新奇的小吃，但是我總會與好奇的海豹不期而遇，觀察不同年齡的白頭鷹、發現不同顏色、形狀奇異的海星，有時又遇到其他船友，又可以八卦一陣最近航行心得。

回到船上，我們閱讀、煮飯、閒話家常，就如同在家j一樣。

[translation]
Leaving Port hardy we finally felt as if we were entering the wild north.

Up here you don't see weekend yachters any more. Mostly you see fishing boats and long distance cruisers. I found surprising to discover how many people take the trip north as a yearly journey.

Taiwan's west coast and the Taiwan Strait have earned a bad name through the centuries of crossing between Taiwan and the mainland. And Taiwan's east coast is made of rocky cliffs that fall straight into the sea. The Taiwanese fear of the ocean is not without reason. I never thought that sea travel could be this relaxing, or that a boat on the sea could make such a nice long term home.

When I wrote my first email to Rob, I said I couldn't imagine life on a boat. I told him that I needed firm ground beneath my feet. But regardless of how we started our relationship, I've already begun to adapt to life on the water. I really enjoy life afloat, living next to nature.

Entering Miles Inlet we were greeted by the skipper of a boat that had already anchored there. Like a tour guide, he introduced the inlet and the different places to drop our anchor. Later he came over and dropped off his copies of the “National Enquirer.” With him in the anchorage, we became a little floating neighborhood. As other boats came in, they all received the same greeting.

It was just like meeting neighbors on the streeet and exchanging small talk, except that we were all standing on our decks, rocking back and forth with the movement of the water, or perhaps bobbing about in our dinghies. It was like exploring the small allies back home in Taiwan, going about in the dinghy exploring the nooks and crannies of the anchorage.

Miles inlet is a “T” shape. The north and south arms of the “T” both lead to lagoons. I like to row up to the lagoon inlets watching the reversing salt water river flow into or out of lagoons with the rising and falling tide.

There's no way to discover a new store here, or find tasty food in some roadside stall, but I do have occasional meetings with curious seals and bald eagles, old and young. I discover starfish of different color and shape. Sometimes I meet some fellow travelers and swap some tales from our journeys.

Back on the boat, we read, cook, chat, just like home.

Motor Sailing 動力航行

2008-08-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

If you accuse most contemporary sailors of motor sailing, they will look at you with scorn. Their boat, they will remind you, is a sailboat, not one of those bastardized motor boats with a stick that neither motors nor sails well.

But the fact is. These cruising boats are motor sailors. They motor in, they motor out, and when they can't sail at some arbitrary minimum speed, they motor. If the weather turns bad, they motor. They are only sailboats when it is convenient. Otherwise, they are motor boats.

As much as I like to sail, and as much tolerance as I have for both slow progress and tacking to windward, here we are, motoring around Cape Caution. With a steady high pressure system in place, and not enough hours of wind forecast to make the next harbor northward, we decided to motor. If we were sailing, we would wait the three days or so for the current high pressure system will take to dissipate. We would wait for an all day breeze. But instead, we are motor sailing again.

Motor sailing has a lot of advantages. We can make harbors far more distant than we can when sailing. We can motor all morning, and when the prevailing afternoon Westerly comes up, we can raise our sails, kill the engine, and keep going. This at least doubles our range in these waters at this time of year.

With a tiller pilot plugged in, one of us can keep watch, hands free, looking out for floating debris and traffic, and the other one can rest read, or take advantage of the engine's excess electricity and type on the computer tho their heart's content. We re-charge our cameras and computers. I plug in my razor and shave.

But after a life of straight sailing—landing and leaving each harbor under sail, drifting when becalmed—punctuated by only occasional engines starts to get in and out of a marina, or to land harbor before dark when our forecasting has failed us, the contrast of motoring simply because we want to is startling. Suddenly, we get to go where we want, when we want. And we get lots of electricity. We can meet a schedule, predicting exactly when we will land.

But as I write this, I currently find the forces of nature, are no longer the music that I dance to, the now gentle now challenging passages which each require precise physical response. Instead, they're just annoying. The swell makes it hard to type without risking vertiginous nausea. The sun obscures my computer screen. As for the sounds of the sea, I have no idea, the noise of the engine fully envelopes the cabin.

This is the price we pay to 'make good time.' We are buying time with soot, smoke, and noise.

The engine is probably best seen as a simple expression of will. I wanted to go further than the weather allowed. Without regard for outside circumstance, a twist of the key propels me onward. The forces of nature be damned—it's time for me to be on my way.

The engine is likewise our link to society. We run our world with machine precision. We have engineered our lives to such fine tolerances that even milliseconds can mean millions of dollars. The engine is how we re-interface to the clock pulse of the rest of the world.

Motoring along out here, regardless of where I am, I feel like I'm already half way back to the city.

（翻譯）若是你指控大多當今航行者不是真的航行，他們會對你不屑一顧，並且提醒你：他們的船可是帆船，而不是那些僅插了一根船桅，既無法好好航行，又沒有足夠馬力的動力船隻。

但是事實是：這些休閒船舶就是靠引擎動力航行。他們靠引擎自由來去。當風力無法讓他們以某個速度航行時，他們啟動引擎；天氣開始不好，啟動引擎。他們只在便利時航行，其他時間，他們以引擎前進。

即使我熱愛航行，即使我對於靠微風緩慢前進與逆風轉舵有極高容忍度，在接近「警告岬」時，我也開啟引擎。由於高氣壓系統逐漸接近，天氣預報的風力不足以帶我們到達下一個停靠點，我們決定開啟引擎前進。若我們是真正的航行者，我們應該就地等待幾天，讓高氣壓消逝，我們會等到有足夠風力的一天再前進。相反的，我們再度開啟引擎。

動力航行有很多優點。比僅靠風帆航行，我們可以到更遠的港灣。我們可以整個早上靠引擎航行，當下午的西風吹起，我們可以揚帆、關掉引擎，繼續前進。每年此季在這個水域，這種作法至少可以讓我們航行距離增加一倍。

若再加上自動導航系統的輔助，我們兩人中一人可以空手巡航，注意水面的浮木或其他船隻；另一人則可以休息、閱讀、或利用引擎啟動所產生的電力打電腦，隨性所至。我們可以趁機將相機與電腦充電，我可以使用電動刮鬍刀讓自己不看起來像個野人。

但是在純粹靠風航行──以風帆進出港灣、漂流水面等待風起，伴隨僅有限使用引擎進出碼頭，或是在無風狀態，趁黑暗來臨前加緊速度進入港灣之後，只因為「想要」就開啟引擎的想法還是讓我驚訝。一夕間，我們在我們想要的時刻，可以去任何想去的地方。我們有奢侈的電力可以使用，我們可以按照時刻表，精確預計抵達目的地的時間。

但是在寫下這些的同時，我發覺自己不再隨著自然力量的旋律起舞,──時而溫和，時而挑戰的旅程需要我們精確的身體反應。在靠引擎航行時，自然力量僅是擾人。湧浪讓我打電腦打的幾乎暈船、陽光讓我看不清電腦螢幕。至於海浪的聲音，我可無法體驗，因為引擎轟隆作響充斥船艙。

為了「抓緊時間」，這是我們付出的代價，我們以油垢、黑煙、噪音換取時間。

引擎可能可以被視為人類意志力展現的工具。「我要超越氣候允許我前進的距離」。無論外在情況如何，輕輕扭動鑰匙就帶領我前進。自然力量算什麼──這是我用我的方式的時刻。

然而引擎也是我們與社會的連結。我們以精確的機器讓世界運行，機器的精準度如此之高，以致百萬分之一秒的誤差可以導致數百萬金錢的損失。我們的引擎讓我們得以準時返家，這是我們重新回到凡事以時鐘為介面的世界的方式。

獨自在此以引擎航行。無論身在何處，我幾乎感覺已經在重返城市的半路上。

什麼都釣，什麼都不奇怪After What We've Caught, Nothing Is Strange

2008-08-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

這趟旅途之前，我們都沒有釣魚、補蟹的經驗。我得感謝Rob躍躍欲試的精神。

第一次在哈帝港，我們得到免費上好鮭魚頭作為絕佳補螃蟹的釣餌。Rob和我都做好心理準備，願意豁出去的克服我們必須生宰活殺螃蟹的恐懼，想像著晚上的螃蟹大餐。

拉起蟹籠看到一隻大螃蟹時，我們高興得不得了，還三度確認補到公蟹（加拿大規定不能捕捉母蟹），拿回碼頭後總覺得這隻螃蟹越看越奇怪....啊～怎麼沒有螯！！！在這裡吃沒有螯的蟹就像吃沒有肉的排骨一樣，我們決定放他一馬。

在艾達灣，Rob不死心的進行第二次補蟹大作戰，這次提起蟹籃時可驕傲了，

重的不像樣，我們還擔心沒有冰箱，不要補太多，提起蟹籠時，兩人都傻眼了......

太陽海星把我們的上好魚頭吃光光不說，巨大身體差點把蟹籠撐破，Rob費了九牛二虎之力才讓它完好回歸大海。

經過這二次挫敗的經驗，Rob收起蟹籠，轉而像釣魚挑戰。我看他應該是真的不想釣到魚，卻滿口說他是姜太公釣魚，連小船都懶得划出去找垂釣處，直接在船所在的下錨處垂釣。這裡盛產鯛魚（英文是岩石魚），聽說只要在礁岩海帶密集處下鉤就能輕易釣到。Rob說別人都釣鯛魚（rock fish)，他可要釣沙魚(sand fish)。

沒想到，真的給他釣到了......

這艘船主專釣奇怪東西，結果連船都有樣學樣，在Forward Harbor，費力拉起船錨後竟又是.....

[translation]

Coming on this trip, we had no experience fishing or crabbing. I have to give thanks to Rob's willingness to take on new ventures.

The first time we put out or traps was in Port Hardy. We got a free salmon head, the best bait for luring crabs into the trap. Rob and I prepared ourselves for the horror of having to kill a living crab and began to dream of the evenings crab dinner.

When we finally pulled up the trap, we were overjoyed to find a large trap in the cage. We ensured it was a male crab (Canada prohibits keeping female crabs). When we got back to the dock, we realized that this crab was a little bit odd looking. He had no claws! Eating a crab without claws is like eating ribs with no meat on them. We decided to toss him back in.

At Ada cove, Rob's confidence unshaken, he resumed his battle to catch a crab. This time when he pulled the trap up, he swelled with pride, the weight of the trap made us wonder what we could do with all of the crabs. We have no refrigerator. Maybe we had caught to many. But when the trap finally came up, we simply stared in wonder.

A multi-tentacled “sun star” star fish had taken our fish heads for itself. It's large body was so big it seemed to be on the verge of destroying our crab trap. Rob used the power of “nine cows and two tigers” to finally send the sun star safely back to the sea.

After these two attempts at crabbing, Rob put the crab trap away and decided to try his hand at fishing. I don't think he actually wanted to catch a fish. He said he was after the ones that wanted to be caught. He was too lazy to even row the dinghy over to the nearby rocks and reefs where the rock fish were. Instead, he tossed the line over the side of our boat, onto the sand bottom, and said he wasn't after r”ock fish,” he was after “sand fish.”

It was a surprise to both of us when the line came up with a miniature sole attached to the end. I guess there are “sand fish” after all.

7/5 Passage to Port Hardy

2008-08-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

We waited at Cullen Harbor for our weather window.

We stayed an extra day due to a gale warning on Queen Charlotte Strait. The next day looked good.

We woke to another gale warning and hunkered down to stay yet another night.

Then, at 11:00, we listened to the 10:30 forecast. Perfect! Southeast wind at 15 - 25 knots decreasing by evening. It was just what we wanted, a long down-hill ride to Port Hardy. And we had exactly that, for two hours.

Then, the wind clocked around in front of us and hit us on the nose for the remainder of our 30 mile passage, varying from 25 knots and gusting higher to absolutely zero, mostly swinging from one extreme to the other just after we had completed a sail change. I got soaked on the foredeck wrestling sails down only to put them back up again minutes later.

At 4:00pm, more for entertainment than anything else, the wind still from the Northwest, we turned on the radio and listened to the latest updated forecast. The prediction for our waters? Southeast winds 10 - 20 diminishing in the evening. Did they forget to open the window and see which way the flags were blowing?

At one point, when it was blowing 25 steadily, and I put two reefs in the main to slow us down and finally have a little relaxation. We clipped along at 5.5 knots, for less than one mile, and the wind went to dead zero and stayed there, so we motored. We tossed and pitched and banged through the leftover slop from the previous 25 knot breeze. I went below and cooked dinner, putting each and every item away as soon as I had used it, taking extra care to keep our food from flying across the cabin, and double extra care to keep my chef's knife from damaging myself, my belongings, or our boat.

I would love to give an account of nature or the beauty of the water or land, to let you in on some sort of insight, but we arrived in Port Hardy just before dark (thankfully!), glad to be done with it, and feeling really beat up.

We woke up the next day just as tired as we were when we went to sleep.

（翻譯）
我們在卡仁灣等待適當氣候啟航。

由於氣象預報夏綠蒂皇后海峽颳起烈風，我們多停留一天，再下一天看來應該不錯。醒來之後又是另一個烈風預報，我們再窩了一天。

然後，早上11點，我們聽了10點半的氣象廣播─「東南風，時速15-25英里，夜晚風力逐漸減弱」。極是完美，正是我們所需，順風一路而下直達哈帝港。我們如期所願，只是僅維持2小時。

然後，風順時鐘轉了一圈正對著我們迎面吹來，我們卻還有30英里的旅程。風速則高低不定：有時大於25英里，有時趨近於零──總是在我們換帆之後改變。我在船首因換帆而全身被海水潑濕，卻在好不容易換好帆的數分鐘之後，又因風速改變得在更換一次。下午四點，風仍從西北方直吹而來。純粹娛樂自己，我們打開廣播收聽最新預報。我們航行海域的預報是？「東南風每小時10-20英里，夜晚持續減弱」。他們是忘了開個窗看一下外面旗子飛揚的方向嗎？

有段時間，當風穩定吹著25英里的速度，我決定將主帆縮收以減低我們航行速度，我們終於得到稍許喘息。我們以時速55英里前進，結果不到1英里，風消失無蹤，所以我們啟動引擎。我們被之前時速25英里的風殘留的波浪推擠、搖晃、和撞擊。我到艙內煮晚餐，每樣東西一用完就得馬上收好，還得留意防止讓爐上食物在艙內亂飛，防止菜刀傷到自己、船內物品，或是我的船。

我很希望能夠也描述對大自然力量的景仰、對海水或陸地美麗的讚嘆，讓你們因而獲得洞見，但是當我們在夜晚來臨前抵達哈帝港（還好！）時，我只是很高興此航程終於完成，精疲力竭。

第二天醒來，我們和睡去時一樣的疲累。

How We Anchor 下錨

2008-07-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

How We Anchor

1. We bought a heavy anchor.

We bought a 33 pound anchor for our 28 foot 9000 pound boat. This is almost 10 pounds heavier than most boats our size carry. But we are living at anchor for months. Heavier anchors set more easily to begin with and hold better when set.

Yes it's a pain to pull that weight off the bottom. Yes, there is a risk of temptation to leave the boat in a less than ideal spot rather than make the effort to lift it and reset it. I've even heard this as an argument for traveling with an undersized anchor. But we've been through enough unexpected weather changes to let that temptation go. We value our night's sleep. The combination of a heavy anchor, a suitable length of chain, and a well set hook are what give us the peace of mind we need to get our rest. For an anchor, based on the best test results I could find (thanks Todd!) we chose a Rocna.

2. We do plenty chart work in advance.

We do our chart work before leaving harbor. This can be done on a GPS chart reader or on paper charts. We have both. We've tried it both ways. We use paper for planning. If I had a computer screen the size of a chart table, and access to unlimited electricity, I would change my ways.

Our original thought was to supplement this planning with a hand-held GPS chart plotter in the cockpit. We thought it would make it easier when entering tight anchorages. But this idea went by the wayside pretty quickly.

The key turning point was entering Prideaux Haven. Jiayu had the chart plotter in hand, I was steering the boat, piloting visually. As she watched the GPS she got more and more nervous, telling me to watch out for the rock in front of us, the one I was intending to leave to starboard. As far as I could tell, I was well clear of it. But her fear worried me. I value her judgment and it wouldn't be the first mistake I've made.

As the rock passed by on our right hand side, the plotter showed us running directly into and then over it! Temporarily hypnotized by the chart plotter screen, Jiayu was convinced we were not in the channel. Despite offering usable information, the hand-held GPS turned out to be a potentially dangerous distraction.

GPS is accurate, but not to the point of getting into narrow openings. It is good for finding a harbor entrance, but actual entry requires our own eyes. And even when GPS is accurate, the chart data often isn't. And, it gets worse as we go further north. The chart data further north is less both less complete and less accurate.

So regardless of the tools used, visual awareness of the surroundings cannot yet be replaced by computer display (this is in stark contrast to piloting an aircraft where IFR flight has long since been a standard practice). We could still use the chart plotter as a tool for identifying hazards, not taking the position marker too literally, but we find having the paper chart in the cockpit under the dodger gives us quicker access to the information and is less distracting. It also leaves us both hands free. Likewise we find the tiny screen on the hand-held unit to be limiting. Perhaps a larger chart plotter? Maybe someday. For now, it's paper.

3. Lining up landmarks

We do our best to memorize a few key landmarks. We find prominent visual points that we can line up in bearing lines, preferably without having to resort to our compass. This way, we come in with our hands free and our eyes on our surroundings. We put the chart under the dodger so we can confirm and re-confirm our identification of each hazard and landmark. This is the most efficient way we have found to make positive fixes on our position when entering a harbor.

When motoring in, the process of piloting is simplified, but we almost never motor in any more. It takes a dead calm to bring us to that, or conditions far worse than what we have faced so far. So we sail in, making sure to re-identify each landmark and hazard every time we switch tacks.

When entering harbor, Jiayu is the chief navigator and I both handle the sails and steer. Nothing makes me more nervous than not knowing where I am in relation to underwater dangers. I have learned that I must commit much of the chart to memory before coming in. With the shifting, land-addled winds that suffice for getting us in and out of anchorages, there is no time for me to figure out where I am. I have to know.

Jiayu has her hands free to identify our intended course well ahead of what I can attend to. Using the chart and binoculars, she spots our landmarks ahead of time and points them out to me. And on those occasions when I don't know where I am and can't make my identifications, I am incredibly grateful to have her there with me to get me back onto my course!

4. Plans and Backup Plans

Since we're sailing in, we come in with our intended anchor sites already in mind and landmarks chosen to guide us to each one. We always choose several fall back sites, and I've always got my eye on being able to make a clean exit. Luckily, a good spot for a sailing craft is not as appealing to boats which enter the harbor under power, including those with masts and sails. We need a little bit of wind, they don't want any. So we usually get our first choice.

5. Setting the hook

I sail and Jiayu drops the anchor. To date, our line has flaked well into the anchor well and has run out free, so we have not resorted to flaking the line on deck as many sailors do who come in without engine assistance. I like the fact that this also keeps the line free of bow cleats and other deck gear. When we reach our intended spot, I call out the current depth sounder reading. She veers out rode, dumping it quickly to get the anchor to the bottom and then feeds line a little more slowly to avoid piling the chain on top of the anchor.

Whenever winds allow, we come at our chosen anchor site on a broad reach. We want to set the hook downwind and we need enough momentum to set it well. A dead run doesn't usually give us enough power. The anchorages here are usually well sheltered and it takes careful sailing to maintain enough speed to set the anchor securely. Three knots is about perfect. It sounds fast, but the anchor line stretches and then the chain lifts, killing boat speed all the way, and leaving just enough way on to bury the anchor.

On a good day, the line pulls tight, the boat strains at the line and then pivots smartly into the wind. Down come the sails and there we are. On other days we have several choices.

If the set is truly poor or misplaced, we hoist the anchor and try again.

If the anchor is almost set but we didn't get the momentum we had hoped for, Jiayu veers out line, I sail to weather, and then we turn and sail down hard on the anchor line a second time. This only works with a good bottom. With rock or kelp to worry about, we run too much risk of fouling the rode. In fact, I wonder if this technique is worth the risk even on supposedly 'good' bottoms. Experience will be the final arbiter. And yes, I do have a spare anchor on board.

Finally, if the wind has died and momentum is unavailable, I will often set the hook by veering out rode, dropping a stern anchor, and then taking up rode to set each anchor against the pull of the other. I let them sit for 10 or fifteen minutes to make sure the hook is well set, and then take the stern anchor in. I only do this if our entire passage has been made under sail. If I've already had to run the engine that day, I simply back down on the anchor under power as if I had come in under power. It's convenient, noisy, and stinky. While I do this final setting of the anchor, Jiayu tidies up sails and gets the boat ready for our evening, getting our sleeping quarters in order and preparing the galley so I can cook.

Having spent a couple nights in precarious positions, I am wonderfully thankful for a well-set hook and very glad to take the time to make it happen. It's one of the keys to safety and happiness living aboard and voyaging.

The main skill I am working on right now is judging by the feel of the boat, as we pull our rode tight, whether the hook is well set or not. With time, I should be able to know conclusively whether the hook has set or not. Thankfully, due to both weight and design, our Rocna sets quite quickly. I've been very happy with this piece of gear, a good purchase.

In closing, I'd like to give special thanks to the likable but curmudgeonly Jerome Fitzgerald for his book “Sea-Steading” which, in addition to semi-philosophical rants, is full of great advice on anchoring under sail from someone who has lived and journeyed without an engine on his sailboat for well over a decade.

And in case anyone reading this article is mistaking it for advice, please remember that the very first time either Jiayu or I ever anchored a boat was in May 2008. This is simply what works for us so far.

(翻譯）
1. 我們購買足夠重量的船錨
我們幫這艘重達4噸的9公尺小船買了一個15公斤重的船錨，比一般同等大小船隻使用的船錨重上4公斤。因為我們數個月依靠船錨生活，較重的船錨讓下錨容易，也較容易抓牢海底。

當然，起錨時要拉上更多重量會更艱難；當然，當下錨處不盡理想時，更容易放棄重新起錨、下錨的念頭。我甚至聽過有人將這些原因合理化為使用較輕船錨的理由。但是，變化多端的氣候讓我們不至受到以上誘惑。我們重視夜晚的睡眠，因此，有較重的船錨、適合的錨繩長度，以及船錨安穩抓牢讓我們得以夜夜好眠。基於我能夠蒐集到的最佳測試結果報告（感謝Tod！），我選擇了Rocna的船錨。

2. 我們事先研讀海圖
在離開停泊處前，我們就先研究海圖。你可以選擇用GPS電子海圖或傳統海圖。我們二者皆有，也二種方式都使用。我們以傳統海圖計畫路徑。若是我GPS儀器的螢幕和海圖桌面一樣大，並可以無限使用電力，我會改變計畫路徑的方式。

我們原先的想法是以手持GPS儀器在舵艙輔助原先的路徑計畫，讓進入狹窄的停泊處容易一些，但是這個想法很快就被我們丟在一旁。

關鍵轉變是在我們進入Prideaux Haven的時候。Jiayu手持電子地圖，而我掌舵以視覺導航。她盯著電子地圖越來越緊張，告訴我要小心前方水底岩石，而我目視此石已久，往此石左側前進，看來我們的船應該安全無虞。但是她的憂慮也讓我開始擔憂，我重視她提供的資訊，而且我曾經犯過導航錯誤。

在我們由岩石左邊通過的同時，電子地圖顯示我們朝岩石直奔而去！Jiayu暫時在被電子地圖催眠的情況下，相信我們航道錯誤。因此，手持電子地圖儘管提供有用資訊，卻分散我們注意力而造成潛在的危險。

GPS定位準確，卻對進入狹小區域不大有幫助。它可以協助我們找到港灣入口，但是實際的進入港灣卻需要我們直接觀察。另外，海圖提供的資訊也不一定正確。當我們越朝北方前進，這個情況就越嚴重。越北方地區，海圖提供的資訊越少，也越不正確。

因此，無論使用哪種導航工具，親自視察周圍環境還是無法以電腦取代（除了飛機導航，電子導航系統已經成為標準程序）。我們仍然可以使用電子地圖來指認危險障礙的大致方向。我們發現將傳統海圖置於舵艙，我們可以輕易判讀資訊，注意力也不易分散，且不需手持任何儀器；小型手持電子地圖卻有其有限性。也許應該購買更大的電子地圖儀器？或許有一天我會，目前，我選擇傳統海圖。

3. 連結地標
我們盡量將數個關鍵地標記憶下來。我們偏好不需要常藉助羅盤，而以連線主要地形、島嶼來研判我們位置所在。這種方式讓我們不需手忙腳亂且持續關注周遭環境。我們將海圖放置在舵艙，讓我們輕易可以一再確認每個危險障礙物與明顯地標的位置。我們認為這是目前在進入港灣時，持續修正我們方位的最有效方法。

若我們開啟引擎進入港灣，則導航較為簡易，但是我們幾乎不輕易開啟引擎，除非絲毫無風或氣候壞到不行。所以，我們以帆入灣，在每次乘風轉舵時，重新確認每個地標與危險障礙。

在進入港灣時，Jiayu是主要導航者，我控制風帆與掌舵。沒有什麼比不知道水中礁岩與我所在的相對位置讓我更害怕的事。我想在入灣之前，我必須強迫自己記住地形資訊。在進出港灣時的風隨地形飄忽而難以掌握，我不可能有時間慢慢尋找我的位置，我必須事先就知道。

Jiayu比我能夠更快指認出我們試途前進的路線。在使用海圖與望遠鏡，她可以預先察看地標。在我不知道我們身在何處，或無法指認關鍵地形時，我非常感激有她在身邊協助我返回航行路徑。

4. 計畫，以及備用計畫
由於我們以帆入灣，我們事前已經計畫好停泊點、以及輔助我們定位的地形物。我們總是有備案的停泊處，以及選擇可以輕易出灣的下錨點。幸運的是，帆船下錨的好地點，對於那些發動引擎入灣（包括多數帆船）的船舶大多不具吸引力。我們需要在有風處；他們完全避風。所以，我們通常可以在第一選擇處下錨。

5. 下錨
我航行而Jiayu下錨。到目前為止，我們小心處理錨繩，還未發生類似其他帆船得在甲板上解開繩結的情況。我也偏好錨繩不需堆積在甲板上造成危險。當我們接近所選的停泊點，我大聲宣告目前水深，她放下錨繩──先將船錨快速垂降至水底，再以一定速度釋放其餘錨繩，避免將錨繩堆積在船錨上方。

在風允許的情況下，我們側風前進至所選停泊點，因為我們希望順風下錨，船需要足夠動力將錨拉緊。順風行駛並不總是給我們足夠動力。由於停泊港灣通常受地形保護，所以要保有足夠船速拉緊船錨需要小心的航行。我發現3海里的船速最為完美。聽起來很快，但是錨繩很快就拉緊而迅速降低船速，只剩下足夠動力讓船錨埋深水底。

在好日子，錨繩拉緊，船因此靈巧轉向順風。我們下降風帆結束一天。其他日子，我們有其他選擇。

若是船錨真的下錯地方，或無法抓緊水底，我們拉起船錨再試一次。

若是船錨幾乎已經抓緊水底，但是船無法累積我們需要前進的動力時，Jiayu釋出更多錨繩，我則先逆風前進再迅速二次順風轉向。這個方式僅限於使用於平坦水底。若還需擔憂水底的海帶或岩石，船錨太容易卡在海帶或岩石間。事實上，我也不知道這個方法是否適用於「好」的水底。經驗會引導一切。當然，船上有一付備用船錨。

最後，若風已止息，船無法獲得動力，我通常會在船尾丟下另一付船錨，同時拉緊二付船錨的錨繩，讓船錨因繩索相互拉緊而抓緊水底。然後我等待10-15分鐘，確認船錨確實抓牢。然後，我再將船尾錨收起。不過，只有在當天的旅程還未曾使用引擎的情況下我會用這個方法。如果當天已經開過引擎，我會再度開啟引擎倒退拉緊船錨──簡單、吵雜、油臭味充斥。在我最後確認船錨的同時，Jiayu整理帆布，將船恢復原狀以度過夜晚.

幾次讓我們心驚膽戰的夜晚狀況，讓我更加感謝有一個穩固的船錨，與我們堅持花時間好好下錨。要能夠安全與快樂的持續居住在船上或航行，這是關鍵之一。

目前我正在學習的技術是：在下錨時，憑藉著感受船的移動來判定我們的錨是否穩固定住海底。隨著時間增加，我應該可以確定下錨是否成功。我們的Rocna船錨由於其重量與設計，能夠快速抓牢海底，我很滿意這個裝備，一個好的購買決策。

最後，我想特別感謝，固執己見但仍讓我喜愛的Jerome Fitzgerald所寫的”SeaSteading”。他住在一艘無引擎的船上與持續航行十多年。我從書中得到許多以帆下錨的寶貴知識。

6/29 - 7/1 Waddington Bay 瓦丁灣

2008-07-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

The passage from Farewell Harbor to Waddington Bay is my favorite to date. We made the entire passage, from anchor up to anchor down entirely under sail and didn't start the engine again until we were becalmed mid-way through a 30 mile passage to Port hardy five days later.

The sailing was spectacular. We sailed to windward, downwind and across the wind, in winds ranging from 15 knots to 0. We ghosted down a channel watching for which parts of the channel were most often visited by whispers of wind, and we transited passages between submerged rocks and reefs in two knots of current balancing wind, water and timing.

We anchored beautifully, set the hook well, and were immediately under the spell of Waddington Bay. The hundreds of starfish, the eagles, the woodpeckers--this bay was everything we had hoped for. We hung out for a couple days and enjoyed both a taste of laziness and the joy of being back underway and back in nature. Town was good, but now we're on the hook again and it feels good.

This passage was a real turning point for us. Despite moments of being becalmed and having to work our way through some difficult light winds both in transit and entering the bay, neither of us ever had any desire to start the engine. It feels great to finally be sailing, to simply accept the jobs that need to be done to make passages under sail.

As we came in, looking for our ideal spot, the sudden sound of our clicking winch brought one fellow boater darting into his cockpit. We came in so silently, he had no idea we were right beside him until we re-trimmed our sails.

Jiayu and I have become a strong sailing team, and it felt great to be making sail adjustments together, dexterously bringing our craft to rest.

We are both in love with the Broughtons. We dinghied out together among the islets just stunned by the beauty of this place. I would love to simply spend a month in the Broughtons, altenating smooth-water tactical sail passages with long days at anchor in some of the most beautiful waters I've seen yet.

（翻譯）
惜別灣到瓦丁灣的旅程是目前為止我的最愛。從起錨、航行、到再度下錨，完全在昇帆狀態下完成。我們直到五天後在30英里長距離的旅程中才再度開啟引擎。

這段航程實在太棒了！我們順風、逆風、側風航行，經歷無風到15節海風。我們鬼影般穿梭於其中一個水道，緊緊跟隨著飄忽不定的微風；我們在時速二海里的水流中，穿越暗藏的岩塊與礁石。在風、水流與時間中找尋平衡。

我們完美的下錨，船錨穩固抓住水底。我們立刻炫惑於瓦丁灣懾人的美景。數以百計的海星、白頭鷹、啄木鳥──這個海灣是我們夢中所求。我們停留二天，淺酌於慵懶時刻與沈浸於再度航行與身處大自然。文明城鎮固然有其好處，但是現在，我們再度啟航，感覺真棒。

這趟航程是我們的轉捩點。即是有無風時刻，或面對飄渺不定的微風，我們二人都毫無慾望開啟引擎。能夠真正以帆航行感覺真好，僅僅接受在昇帆情況之下需要面對的挑戰並完成。

在我們駛入停泊點，尋找我們理想的下錨處時，我們帆索絞盤運作的聲音讓其他停泊者伸頭出艙一探究竟。我們安靜的入灣，他們絲毫沒有察覺我們的抵達，一直到調整風帆的聲響驚覺他們。

Jiayu和我已經成為一堅強航行團隊。我喜歡我們一同整理風帆，身手矯健的將船安頓。

我們二人都愛上的布勞頓群島。我們一起划著小舟在岩石群中穿梭，為此美景而震攝。我會希望可以在這裡停留一個月，練習平靜水域具挑戰性的航行，以及停泊於未曾造訪的美麗水域。

6/28 -6/29 Farewell Harbor 惜別港

2008-07-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

This one's for Dennis Rea. How could I pass up staying at Farewell Harbor?

Farewell Harbor is a Taiwanese song that Chen Ming Chang performed and that both Dennis Rea and George Soler in Seattle have both done arrangements of.

I love the song, but the harbor is dominated by a sport fishing resort that runs its generator constantly, is regularly visited by float planes, and maintains a fleet of mosquito-like power boats that buzz around disturbing what would otherwise be an incredibly beautiful and peaceful anchorage.

We gladly bid adieu to Farewell Harbor and made our way to Retreat Passage.

（翻譯）
獻給Dennis Rea。我怎能錯過停留惜別港灣的機會？

「港邊惜別」（英文仍是Farewell Harbor）是一首台灣老歌，陳明章曾重新編曲以吉他演奏，Dennis Rea和GeogeSoler在西雅圖都曾重新編曲演奏。

我極愛這首歌，但是這個港灣卻被一個度假村佔據：他們的發電機轟隆作響，水上飛機不定時起降，一列如蚊子般嗡嗡作響，揮之不去的遊艇擾人地快速穿梭於這個其實美麗與平靜的海灣。

我們高興的揮別惜別港，進入Retreat水道。

6/20 - 6/28 Alert Bay 阿樂灣

2008-07-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

In Alert Bay we took a vacation from our vacation.

My parents came up on 7/20 and we spent a couple days with them. Highlights included going to the utterly fantastic U'mista Cultural Center, absolutely the finest museum of native Canadian (or American) artifacts I have ever seen. In brief, these items were seized by the Canadian government when the native potlatch ceremonies were banned. They were later returned and are now on display. The link above provides far more detail. What a wonderful and moving experience.

We also took them out for an afternoon of sailing, dinner at an anchorage, and a sail back to the dock. For the first time ever, we had enough wind for my dad to enjoy being on the boat. He made an admirable jib hand and helped us sail the whole way. My mom made it her job to hand the winch handle across between Jiayu and my dad, and once we were working as a team, the cockpit no longer felt small or crowded.

After my parents left, we stayed one more day several times. The wharfinger, Eric, is very welcoming and a fun guy to talk to. He helped clue us in to the goings on in town and gave us good advice on crabbing and fishing. Alert Bay is also the first marina we have stopped at that is truly affordable on our budget. It was a real luxury to have the boat affixed to dry land and spend our days lounging, walking, meeting some of the local people, and taking long, free showers, the first free showers we've had since leaving Seattle.

Considering how close Alert Bay is to the Broughtons, it is very, very tempting to base the boat there for a while, sailing through the Labrynthin archipelago and then returning to a familiar town to restock and reconnect with people.

We eventually decided to resume our journey, pushing off on 6/28 for Farewell Harbor.

（翻譯）在阿樂灣，我們從假期中再休假。

我的父母在20日抵達，我們相聚了三天，參訪了讓我們嘆為觀止的Umista文化中心。這絕對是我所參觀過最好的北美洲原住民博物館。長話短說，博物館中的收藏物都是在原住民慶典儀式被加拿大政府禁止時期被沒收的物品。加拿大政府在之後物歸原主，而現在得以展示。網站連結提供更多的資訊。對我們，這是一個動人與美好的經驗。

我們也帶著我父母在下午短暫出航，在停泊處共享晚餐，再航行返回碼頭。首次，我們有足夠的風讓爸爸享受在船上的時光。他是絕佳的前帆助手，全程協助我們航行。媽媽則是負責在Jiayu和爸爸之間傳遞扭緊絞盤的工具。一旦我們團隊合作，舵艙就不再感到狹小與擁擠。

在我父母離開後，我們決定再留一天、再一天、再一天…。碼頭經裡艾力是個有趣的傢伙，讓我們倍感歡迎。他讓我們瞭解島上的狀況，給予捕捉螃蟹與釣魚的絕佳建議。阿樂灣也是我們停留的碼頭中最符合我們預算的。能夠停靠陸地，花費數天時間閒晃、散步、認識當地居民、享受長時間的免費淋浴設施（自從離開西雅圖後首次可以免費洗澡）真是讓我們感到奢侈。

由於阿樂灣距離布勞頓群島不遠，我們幾乎差點想要將此當作基地，在布勞頓群島迷宮中穿梭一陣子之後，再回到這個熟悉的島上添購食物，與好不容易認識的人重新連結。

最終，我們決定繼續我們的旅程，前往惜別灣。