A break from the waves
Summerside’s Alan Mulholland will be resuming epic sailing adventure after hurricane season ends
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – After several weeks at sea breathing nothing but pure salt air, the smell of grass, flowers and soil had an intensity like never experienced before.
“A few hours later I became accustomed to the scents of the Azores, but it left such an impression on entry,” said Alan Mulholland to the Journal Pioneer, recounting his seafaring adventure on a 26-foot sailboat called Wave Rover over the recent months.
Mulholland recently returned to P.E.I., for a brief rest while avoiding hurricane season in the Atlantic basin.
“It’s great to be back with my wife, Glenda. It was almost like one of those clichés when I saw her at Charlottetown airport (on Thursday). I’m so happy to be home because Wave Rover is just a vessel for adventure. But I’m here for two weeks because I have a tight schedule,” said the Summerside resident.
“He was the first person off the plane and I just threw my arms around him," said Glenda. "Fortunately, my co-workers took all my shifts, so we can spend time together. We will celebrate Christmas early and have the full dinner with all the trimmings.”
Mulholland has docked his 40-year-old Contessa in sunbaked Lanzarote, a Spanish island off the west coast of Africa. In mid-December, once the hurricane season has ended, he will return to the island and continue his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Panama Canal.
“I will have a week on Lanzarote to prepare for the next passage, which should take 53 days to cover. I will spend Christmas at sea. There’s very little stopping from here on because I must stick to the schedule to pass safely through the great weather systems and their oceans,” he said.
Passing through the Panama Canal comes with its challenges.
Panama law dictates that every boat, no matter how small, must have a pilot and four-line handlers (two on the bow and two on the stern), when crossing the canal.
“There’s not enough room on my boat for six people and I think the etiquette is you have to supply a hot meal for everyone, so that’s a challenge. I’ve given myself two weeks to prepare for this crossing that will only take a day,” said Mulholland.
Once through the Panama Canal, Mulholland will traverse the Pacific Ocean stopping at Hiva Oa Island in French Polynesia. He will then sail the Indian Ocean to the Torres Strait, with a few more island stops, before heading to Mauritius around October.
“It’s crucial to get my timings right and cross the Indian Ocean before the monsoons.”
Mulholland, who is flying the Canadian flag high and making friends wherever he docks, knows that no stretch of water can stay the same for long.
To finally be home, if only for a brief time, has brought a sense of comfort and stability.
“I had the best sleep in ages,” he said while acknowledging there were sleepless nights on the boat when threatening waves crashed “like trucks” into the sides and through unlatched windows soaking clothes and bedding.
Despite the hurdles, Mulholland says it’s the ingredients of a true adventure. And when near land, it was a comfort to read the messages sent to him from P.E.I.
“When I finally had Wi-Fi, I read them all and it was so heartwarming. It’s like having an extended family,” he said with thanks.