Campbells’ Quest

Negatives? We have now weathered four hurricanes, a few waterspouts, three repairable engine failures, a lost dinghy and outboard from a storm, Jay’s ruptured (but now healed) back, and Karen’s need for multiple surgeries while we were in another country. Internet and cell coverage can be spotty, and in fact we tend to hold in one small foreign island sanctuary for these communication luxuries, to more easily work in our virtual world. Even runaways must pay the bills. Family must usually travel to us.

But the positives tower over any inconvenience. The water, food, and views are fresh, and we control where and when we move our home. Our trawler is older, but quite roomy and well outfitted, so we do not suffer from crowding in our floating home. And as writer/photographers, we face an unending supply of brilliant images we might never see on the mainland. The experience of new culture and travel on a boat in foreign countries is a daily event, and richly rewards our decision to escape a “normal” life.

All sailors love the sea, we are no different. Swimming, diving, spearfishing, underwater photography, all these things are jammed into the daily routine. The constant need to know and predict and prepare for weather has become a second language, spoken by all boaters and islanders we meet. We are closer to the natural world around us than ever before. And we add to these benefits a constant joy that cruisers and islanders seem to share. Every day in the islands is an adventure, every evening a celebration. We add all this together and find indelible images of the cruising life now imprinted on our souls instead of that cancer-driven fear of a life not lived.

In only three years, we have lived a very full life indeed. Here, inspired by the wild lives around us, the boaters, natives, and creatures of the water and sand, are a few of those images. Come and SEA for yourself!.

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