Monique sails with us

Published by dhoiland on 11/11/2019

 

From escape-west.com: https://www.escape-west.com/2019/11/monique-sails-with-us/ 

We discussed it at home, Theresa and myself. We were busy upgrading sy Escape for our trip and did not really focus on crew. You see, there is this thing about sailing long term. Sometimes you want a crew and sometimes you are fine without. Sometimes it is good to have company for a week or two, but we discussed to bring Monique onboard long term. I was a little apprehensive. Another female onboard long term. Hmmm.

We first saw Monique on other boats through YouTube channels that we follow or sailing videos that just pop up when you browse the internet. I admit she was pretty cool, standing tall with her red top in all sorts of weather. After browsing some videos of her, I must admit she caught my interest. I started to research north, south, east and west on the internet and explored all the details I could find. And boy, did I find lots of information on Monique. She does have a fan-club.

Born in 1968 in England. She put her mark on the sailing community already in ’72 at only 4 years old. Pretty impressing achievement and promesing for what to come. At 34 she moved to a new family in Vancouver, Canada. By then, she was already a seasoned blue water sailor and had crewed on numerous circumnavigations. With her pedigree, any sailor have something to learn from her when riding the Atlantic rollers.

‘She should come with us‘ Theresa said one evening as I was looking at Monique on YouTube. ‘I mean, if you are that facinated, she should come‘. That sounded like a decision to me. I shot off an e-mail directly to her father, Will to hear his thoughts on bringing Monique along. I did not have to wait long for the response.

‘Sure she can come with you on your trip’, Will wrote back. I started to ask direct questions, to fill in the white spots. ‘We sail a first 47.7 and that is a sporty boat. Will Monique handle that in some weather? ‘, I asked Will. Promptly Will replied, ‘Monique is sporty but you have to trim the sails and balance the boat‘.

That made me think back to previous crossings where we tied the steering, balanced the boat and let the wind and waves do the job. And by that, we invited her onboard – long term. A week later she arrived from England. She came with us from the start and four of us are happy she did – Vetle, Theresa, myself and Monique

An here I am. Sitting in the cockpit, sipping my coffee, looking at her red top gently swinging from side to side keeping us on course on our journey. She is fine to steer for hours on end and handels windshifts with grace and ease. It is poetry in motion.

Now that we have some experience after 3.000 nautical miles together, we would never go without her and our expectations for the upcoming thousands of miles are high. We are sure she will perform.

It is also good to know that her family in Canada will support her – and us – wherever in the world we will be thus helping us onwards reaching new horizons across the oceans of the blue planet.

Keep going…. Keep seeking out the uncertain with a no-plan plan

Comment; this is our view and we have no commercial connection to Hydrovane

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