Easting: It Is What It Is

Weekend at the beach in Punta Cana, DR

We are sailing cruisers.  We prefer to sail whenever we can. We planned to spend hurricane season in Curacao this year and needed to return to a point further east to get a better angle on the wind to head south. Unfortunately, when in Jamaica- the heart of the Greater Antilles- sailing is more often than not impractical when heading back east.

In the remote folds of my gray matter, I believe it was some noted philosopher who first stated, “It is what it is.”  However, I know for a fact, that our lifelong friend Jim gets full credit for this phrase being forever branded on my psyche. Jim has a unique way of delivering it with a sort of Ebonic dialect that evokes laughter from us. Perhaps that is why it has stuck with me. This phrase was our mantra as we plowed our way eastward after a long and lovely cruise to Jamaica’s west coast. We were not laughing though. Easting: It is what it is.

Our dear friends Jim and his lovely wife, Barb

Like all cruisers, we listen to the marine weather reports daily on our SSB radio and study weather charts online when available. When you are retired, as we are, you can afford to wait for a good opportunity to sail unless you have some sort of deadline, such as getting your vessel out of the hurricane belt before June 1. So you are in Jamaica in mid April and you would like to be in Curacao by June 1. That allows about six weeks to get there. (No problem, mon, plenty time.) But you know part of your family (that includes two of your grandkids) will be in Punta Cana, DR in early May and wouldn’t it be GREAT to be with them on Mother’s Day?  (YES!)  Now you have two weeks to get to a particular destination.

There is nothing more frustrating to the captain and crew than a brisk wind coming from the wrong direction.  On good days, the wind was ever so slightly blowing from the North-Northeast or Southeast to ease Exit Strategy in the right direction. On other days, we were surprised with no wind at all, so we motored. Sometimes we were seduced into hoisting the sails and thinking we could zigzag our way along the course, but found that we’d have to sail way off course. So we ended up motoring about two-thirds of the time.           It is what it is. 

Raft Trip on the Rio Grand near Portland, Jamaica 

Vilna and Dou Dou's trois juene filles, Ile a Vache, Haiti 

In retrospect, we made the best of it- stopping a few times along Jamaica’s northern coast and also resting at Ile a Vache, Haiti to visit friends. We arrived in Boca Chica, DR in plenty of time to rent a car and meet part of the family in Punta Cana for the weekend. It was such a treat to spend time with them AND stay in an all-inclusive resort and sleep on real beds!  It is what it is.  AND it was WONDERFUL!

Shuffle Board with Bobby, Lyla, and Aslan

Gaming with Joy, Aslan, and Lyla