Blogs

Recently, a reader of my blog asked a very simple question: “What do you miss while you are living on a sailboat full time for so many years?” The question – even though I never really think about it – is easy and interesting, coming from somebody who lives on land in the United States with all the comforts and conveniences imaginable. I thought the answer would be easy as well: “Nothing really.” But, when I give it some thought, I have to admit there are a few things that I miss. Well, maybe not really miss, but that I wish I could have or enjoy from time to time.

 Getting fresh water by dinghy                                    © Liesbet Collaert 

Conveniences

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To all ocean mothers. 

This morning I awoke to a stirring infant, eyes closed he wobbled his head from side to side searching for my breast. As I checked the time I was as excited to see 5:03am flash on the clock as I was to find there was not a breath of wind passing through the open windows.

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You can only keep surfers out of the water for so long. Recently goregous weather and very nice waves have had Japanese surfers on the east coast of the island itching to get their feet wet, and many have given in to the wait despite the ongoing fear of radiation contamination.

Here in Ichinomiya, Chiba, we are close enough to the Fukushima plant to be concerned about drifting currents bringing highly contaminated water to our breaks. For the first few weeks after the Great Eastern Japanese Earthquake, tsunami and outbreak of the Nuclear disaster at Fukushima, we were lucky to see one or two brave soles entering the waters despite the obvious risks. But as time has passed, despite the ongoing desperate nuclear situation and constant release of radioactive material into the air and ocean, warm weather and very attractive surf have lured the Japanese back into the water.

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Here and happy in Byron Bay healing town. My one-year-old son Ryder and I together with friend Tomo and her two kids escaped wintery Japan just in the nick of time with the barometer dropping low as we were boarding the plane to sunny Australia a few weeks ago.

To my surprise the usually humid climate of Australia's east coast had copped three months of solid rain prior to our arrival but the clouds literally fled the morning we drove into the bustling surf town providing us with welcoming clear blue skies and steamy sunbeams.

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