Honeymoon at Sea — 9,000 Miles Aboard a 26-ft Sailboat
The thing most people want to know when they hear about our 9,000-mile, three-year voyage on a 26-ft sailboat has nothing to do with sailing. They want to know how we got along so well together in such a small space.
When Russel proposed to me, we’d just spent the day sailing San Diego Bay on board his 26-ft Columbia, Watchfire, which he’d been preparing for long-distance cruising. I was an actress living in New York City. Russel, a successful illustrator, was willing to relocate, so we planned to ship the boat east; we’d sail when we could, while pursuing our careers.
One day I asked what his big dream was. He said he’d like us to sail down Baja and up into the Sea of Cortez for a few months while he did some paintings. It sounded fabulous — I loved the water and it seemed an ideal way for us to spend time together building a strong foundation for our marriage.
On November 11, 1989, after a wedding, dozens of boat jobs, and seemingly endless preparations, we untied the dock lines and sailed south.
Still a novice, after a Basic Seamanship class and some daysails, I was able to steer straight. Russel was a good teacher who never yelled. He said the guy yelling on a boat usually doesn’t know much. Day one, he had seen my white-knuckle grip on the tiller and said, “Don’t worry Jennifer, you’re not flying an F-15.”
That first voyage, 900 miles to Cabo San Lucas, and up to La Paz, was something Russel jokingly referred to as “a recipe for divorce.” Some predicted I’d hate it and fly back to San Diego but he shrugged the warnings off, saying he just knew I’d be OK.
It’s hard for a modern woman to defer to and even (gasp!) take orders from her partner.
