After we had purchased Indra in March 2015; a Taiwanese built 1978 True North 34-footer designed by Canadian naval architect Stanley C. Huntingford; located at Holiday Oceanview Marina, Samal Island, Davao del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines; it wasn't long before a few folks asked, "When are you going out sailing?" Many of these folks were acquainted with the previous owners and were aware of the for-sale advertisement and its claims that Indra was "Exceptionally well equipped bluewater yacht ready to go now!", "extensively refitted", "a step aboard and go cruising opportunity", and "meticulously upgraded by knowledgeable owners." They were surprised when we had Indra hauled out and informed them we needed to fix a "few" things.
As time on the hard passed, another genuinely concerned cruiser, approached my wife, and with reassurance in her intentions stated, "Tell your husband he doesn't have to fix everything to go sailing." and mentioned the well-known advice “Go small, go simple, go now!” with emphasis on "go now".
As my wife relayed the comments of others to me, I sensed she too was a bit concerned, maybe a little doubtful, as to the endeavor we had undertaken by purchasing Indra - as three years had now already passed.
So I had to reassure her concerns and remind her of our priorities, standards, and goals of a seaworthy Indra. As to the catch phrase “Go small, go simple, go now!”, I informed her of its origin and meaning from the actual pages of the book from whence it came, and while I agree with its fundamental meaning/concepts and admire the authors (have read all their books); I do not blindly revere the phrase as others do.
“Go small, go simple, go now!” is a noteworthy quote from the book "Cruising in Seraffyn" by Lin and Larry Pardey. Quoted and mentioned by numerous folks and media sources, used as an inspirational phrase to motivate others to "get out there". But does it truly reflect their life experiences revealed in their books? After reading their books, I am of the opinion that they really did not adhere to the advice, mantra, creed, motto, guiding principle, much-quoted aphorism, or other descriptive summaries that the now famous “Go small, go simple, go now!” phrase has been embellished as.
- Go Small - No disagreement here, Seraffyn as a 24-footer, would be classified small by most. The concept that smaller is less costly and bigger is more expensive in all aspects of boat ownership is nearly indisputable. However, their next boat, Taleisin was a 30-footer - so it appears as if the bigger-is-better syndrome infects all, eventually.
- Go Simple - While the systems and amenities aboard Seraffyn were minimal, modest, frugal, and sparse; the concept of "Go Simple" being associated with constructing a boat as they did seems a little ingenuous. The effort and skill of building a small boat from a set of plans is beyond the capability of most and would not likely be categorized as "simple". The selection of wood as the material to build their boat reflects a nostalgic yearning and skill-set, compared to the simplicity, economical, robustness, and less intensive maintenance requirements of fiberglass construction. The idea that less and simpler systems are cheaper compared to more and complex systems, again is nearly indisputable.
- Go Now - They claimed it took 3 1/2 years to build Seraffyn, plus another 4 months to shakedown and add modifications, before heading out. So if the acceptable definition of "Go Now" is within approximately four years - What? "Now" is the same as four years from now? Really? The "Go Now" phrase was probably really intended to mean - go as young as possible before age causes physical limitations versus its literal meaning as so many interpret and advocate.
So how does our situation measure up to the Pardey's “Go small, go simple, go now!” much-quoted aphorism?
- Go Small - Indra as a True North 34 design is 34.5 feet long on the deck and 11 feet wide. From the tip of the bowsprit to end of the windvane mounted on the boomkin the length is just shy of 43 feet. In today's era of boating, a 34-footer is a USCG Class 2 size boat (more than 26 feet but less than 40 feet), but by the average person reasonably labeled as small - so believe we meet the criteria of "small". However, Indra is extremely heavy at 26,000 pounds which is intended to stabilize her motion in sloppy seas enhancing the comfort of those aboard. The decreased light air performance in favor of sea kindliness most likely would be unacceptable to the Pardeys.
- Go Simple - By any measure of the Pardey's minimalistic standard of simple, our boat Indra would not measure up. But, we didn't have to build Indra from scratch, so we are one-up in the measurement of simple, as a purchase is definitely simpler than a build. Indra is of fiberglass construction, the simplest and most cost effective material. As another plus Indra is tiller steered, a very simple and reliable method. Indra has a relatively new diesel engine aboard (a big negative per their book), but due to neglected maintenance, it was in need of extensive repairs - just like almost everything else aboard. Unlike the Pardey's embrace and adoration of the simple systems of the bye-gone days of the nautical past; we choose to upgrade Indra with more modern, proven, and reliable equipment. Example - instead of kerosene/oil lanterns for lighting (a potential fire hazard), we replaced all incandescent lights with low power consumption LED lights and upgraded/replaced the existing defective wiring with properly fused protected marine rated wires. As Indra has a small solar panel array, the effective cost of modern, reliable LED lighting is a one-time expense versus the constant replenishment cost of the flammable kerosene/oil - and we don't need to waste space to store it or time to find it. The aversion of all things electrical they propagate is hardly practical in today's era as in many places it is now mandatory to be equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), which in-turn requires a Global Positioning System (GPS) to function, which in-turn requires more power or battery capacity and a way to replenish it. The minimalist approach they advocate, like the bucket-and-chuck-it method, would not be an enticement to keep a wife and daughter aboard and could have issues with current environmental regulations. So "simple" by one's standard can be equated to unacceptable by another's. If the addition of something aboard makes life easier, more enjoyable, and above all more fun, then it's a worthwhile personal choice. Besides if sailing, cruising, or living aboard is deemed a sacrifice, why even bother with it. The other quotable expression from the same book, "As long as it's fun." sums up the validity of the minimalistic "Go simple" standard - if it's not fun, don't do it.
- Go Now - As it took the Pardeys almost 4 years working full time at it to "Go now", how do we fare in this category. We have owned Indra for 3 years now, are essentially completely refitting the boat - down to the bare fiberglass bottom job, all new thru hulls and plumbing, all new standing and running rigging, complete electrical replacement, completely new navigation system, overhauling the engine, new stuffing box/cutlass bearing, new fresh water plumbing hoses and fixtures, re-varnish, etc., and the prioritized "to do" list goes on. The claims in the Indra's for-sale advertisement, were all false, she was in a severely neglected state, but we knew this when we (yes we alone) originally surveyed the boat. Adding to the time required to fix Indra, is parts are researched, ordered, delivered to a ocean freight consolidator in the US, travel on two different cargo ships and then are trucked to arrive at our location in Cebu, Philippines, where we then transport them by truck with rides on three roll-on roll-off vehicle ferries traversing four different islands to arrive at Indra (an adventure itself) - at best of times a 3 to 4 month logistical process - and not uncommon to take 5 to 6 months. So in three years of ownership, we have now made a total of 8 trips to Indra from Cebu, Philippines, which only equates to 144 days physically on-site having "fun" (working). Is Indra ready to "Go now", no, not by any measure of what seaworthy means - and we know the ambiguous term seaworthy does not mean everything fixed and perfect. So "Go now" for us would be an act of sheer stupidity and incompetence. As to the "Go now" phrase meaning go younger, we probably fail in that category too, as the wife and I are in our fifties, but extremely young at heart.
While we don't embellish the Pardey's “Go small, go simple, go now!” mantra, we do admire their steadfast determination to achieve their dreams, goals, and life's desires. Unlike the Pardeys, we do not have a nautical past or vast seafaring experiences. We have no desire to be classified as sailors, a captain of a ship, a circumnavigator, a mariner, win a race, achieve nautical accolades, or become a "tribal" member like those who follow and live vicariously on the multitude of sailing social media websites. We do not seek to impress others and care less of what others might opine about us. We listen critically and discerningly to the opinion and advice of others, but in the end, it is only our judgement and opinion that counts. We have the openness to respectfully agree to disagree that is so sadly lacking in the discourse of today.
Our "goal" with the purchase of Indra is to have fun exploring the local waters of the Philippines with the modest, house-like amenities a sailboat provides. Indra is to be our vehicle and home to explore from; similar to our beloved Lance truck camper (talk about small) we traveled full-time in while in the US. Our "adventuring" does not begin with Indra, but is the continuation of a lifelong pursuit, as we have extensively traveled the US and been to many different countries. We do not renew a tourist visa every two months as the other international yachties or cruisers at the marina Indra is located at have to do. We are not tourists in the Philippines, as we have permanent resident status and have lived here now for over 5-years - that in itself is a leap very few would attempt. We have seen much of the Philippines by vehicle, but to effectively see more, water transport is a necessity. If, at some time in the future, the horizon beckons or the very close, exotic, neighboring countries, so be it, as the bluewater characteristics of a True North 34 design provides for that option.
Our priorities and standards to prepare Indra to fulfill our goals are not ill-conceived as some would assume of a typical uninformed neophyte or novice new to sailing. As knowledge is key to the success of this venture, we reviewed, read, analyzed, and evaluated nearly every governmental (US and state) rule, regulation, and law available pertaining to boating and sailing. We also reviewed the plethora of US standards organizations related to the boating industry, boat building associations, boating safety sites, and the vast information on the USCG and other governmental sites. Further review of European, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand regulations and standards revealed some subtle and notable differences; but the vast similarity between all of them gave the perception of plagiarism. As ignorance is no excuse for lack of compliance, some long-time cruisers were astonished that we declined their recommendations to purchase locally available items that were bargains compared to US sourced items. The mandate by law that certain items must be approved by the USCG and compliant to certain standards did not apply to them since they were located in a foreign country - as they are still US registered, they have yet to fully comprehend the responsibility and accountability of that choice.
We critically read and research all forms of media related to anything sailing, not for inspiration or entertainment, but for education, ideas, knowledge, and lessons learned. At times we are dumbfounded by some articles published by highly respected, extensively experienced, knowledgeable, seafaring authors. Example: One dramatic article in a popular sailing magazine revealed how the highly experienced author had lost steerage at sea, creatively repaired the failure by virtue of his "MacGyver" like extraordinary and unconventional problem solving skills, and saved his boat and family. The readership responses were all positive, full of admiration and accolades, as they elevated his actions to the status of a nautical hero. Critically reading the same article, the facts presented and pictures of the failed steering component revealed the root cause of the failure was the author failed to follow the simple manufacture's recommended maintenance and inspection intervals. The failure that put his family and boat at risk was caused by his own incompetent negligence - yet none of the readership or magazine editorship could perceive or recognize it. This article, and many others like it, reinforced our skepticism of following the advice of the "been-there-done-that" experts and enforced the basic and simple lesson of read, evaluate, and follow manufacture's literature and recommendations for each and every item aboard.
Unlike a reputable professional marine surveyor and their standard legal disclaimer of non-accountability – non-accountability for their opinions, findings, recommendations, and above all, for what they might have not discovered - we realize the full responsibility and accountability that rests solely on our choices, decisions, and actions for all aspects of boat ownership and our own lives. There are no excuses, blame to be cast, denials to be asserted, for the true source of all successes and failures can only be found in the reflection of a mirror. The moment we became the owners of Indra, all the deficiencies - known or unknown, were no longer the fault or responsibility of the previous owners, but 100 percent of our own choice and decision, and ironically we paid for the privilege of that outcome. We have found issues aboard Indra that would have never been detected by a professional survey due to their self-imposed inspection limitations and time constraints. For each and every issue, we document it, research it, determine the material and method to resolve it, sometimes eliminate and delete it, ensure compliance above applicable laws and standards, and usually resolve it ourselves. We consider the whole experience "fun", as in most cases it is something we have never done before. We have a strong grasp on the issues aboard and prioritize the importance of each issue from a risk-minimization (safety) perspective. Lastly as it has been over three years since we purchased Indra, we have the demonstrated perseverance to see it through.
As I explained all that is written above to my wife, my co-equal partner in this endeavor, she seemed satisfied with the reassurance it provided. After a few moments of reflection, she asked, "So how do I answer the 'Go Now' issue to my friends"? With truth and honesty - we can't really 'Go Now' in its truest sense, as we had departed on our adventures a long time ago and Indra is but one step on the journey we have chosen. If they are referring specifically to a date when we depart aboard, "Only God knows!" is the appropriate answer as we surely cannot foresee the future. If it's in a nautical sense, "When we and Indra possess the degree of fitness to face any normal perils of the sea."; i.e. seaworthy. Remembering a lesson from the past - critically analyze your intended audience and speak within their limits of comprehension - as the majority of the cruisers at the marina are past-their-prime, overly indulgent wine aficionados, and the question would most likely be posed in a state of stupor, the only appropriate answer is, "Like a fine wine, not before it's time."
