Planning for 2017

Planning for 2017 takes on a new meaning to me once you put it in writing.  And it takes on yet another level of commitment once its posted on the blog - why?  I'm not sure, it just feels like a commitment, and once its made its either becomes the motivation to put a plan in place to make it happen or at least something more than just a wish or goal or idea.

So far, our cruising grounds have included:

• East coast ICW (Brunswick to Key West
• Bahamas (Abacos to Georgetown, Exumas)
• Mexico Yucatan Peninsula (from Pensacola to Isla Mujeres, then down to Puerto Aventuras)
• Cuba, (Los Moros, to Veradero)
• Cuba (Havana)

So where next?

I wish I could write a little more detail about some of the thoughts that have gone into planning for 2017, but unfortunately some work-life considerations are a part of this that are not yet finalized and I have to respect and accept that some changes may occur as a result of those discussions.

Image - Google Earth

The world is a large place and there are so many amazing places left that I would  like to see.  I am an avid watcher of YouTube videos about sailing, and yes I like all the popular ones such as S/V Delos, S/V La Vagabonde, Drake Paragon......and several more that are either a bit more "down to earth" or perhaps I should say "closer to may age"....(eeks that makes me feel old!), such as Trio Travels.

S/V Delos on YouTube
S/V La Vagabonde on You Tube
Drake Paragon
Trio Travels
Sailing Baby Blue
Sailing  Where the Coconuts Grow
.........and this is just part of my watchlist.

I also like to talk to sailors and cruisers that have gone much farther afield than I have gone so far.  And here are a couple of common  and perhaps surprising threads that I hear:

• after talking to several cruisers that have done multi-year circumnavigations, several have told me that you have to go a really long way to get close to or beat the Bahamas - and that's pretty much in our own backyard;
• a good number of this group i am referring to have settled in the Florida/Alabama panhandle area - OK, maybe there are  some ties to this area, but when you consider that these folks have literally traveled the world and chosen to call the northern Gulf "home".....well to me that speaks volumes!

So, all that said, as of the time of writing, the cruising plan for 2017 for Midnight Sun II (and/or her crew) is as follows:

1. Christmas/New Year 2016/17 - will be a catamaran charter in the BVI
2. April 30 1017 - Pensacola a la Habana Race
3. November 2017 - Thorny Path to BVI

The Thorny Path (yellow) - upwind passage.

Most cruisers will be familiar with each of those, but to put in perspective, the charter will be a couple of weeks; the Cuba race will also be a couple of weeks; and the Thorny Path will be "no schedule".  This is the one I am most apprehensive about putting into writing - not because of the difficulty, more in terms of the time commitment!....So stay tuned, let's see if it all happens!