Basketball and more precisely Davidson basketball has taught me one thing: What is not given is lost... I want to visit the world so it doesn't get lost and I want to share it with children as I go along so they can dream of its greatness.

OUR GOAL

Some have everything and some have the rest... My girlfriend and I are extremely fortunate because our wholes lives we were encouraged to dream, to chase after what we wanted and to realize our potential. There were bumps along the way, but we now realize how lucky we have been and still are. We want to take advantage of our freedom to go ahead and visit the world, but we want to really see it so we're going to visit it at a 5 mph cruising speed. And along the way we want to share with children the beauty of chasing a dream. We want to serve as exmaples and as motivators for children to strive to reach their goals. We will use great examples and simple ones since a dream does not have to be big it only has to be dreamed.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

THE PLAN (vague but vibrant)

My girlfriend Katherine and I are aware of our inexperience and we are aware of the challenges we will face on the ocean so we are motivated to take all the classes possible and to enable ourselves to sail away.

The plan has already started since Kats is a licensed VHF radio operator and I will soon be also.

05/09 I am enrolled in a CPR and First Aid on water class.

06/09 I will be on a 33 foot sailboat named Night Image from June 10th to July 10th.

07/09 Kats and I are taking my parents to a 5 day class called elementary cruising offered by Voile Mercator.
07/09Kats, my sister Eve, and I will then take the intermediate cruising class in the Golfe Saint-Laurent offered by the same school.

08/09 Kats and I will sail in Quebec every occasion we get through August and September.

10/09 We will leave in October for France to attend L'ecole Des Glenans for 7 days.

10/09 Then I will cross the Atlantic with L'Ecole Des Glenans to reach Martinique during Kats finishes her fall semester.

12/09 This will be the end of training and the beginning of our adventure. Kats will meet me in the Carribeans after Christmas and we will start looking for a boat to purchase, refit and sail up to Annapolis for tuning and final preparations before the Eastward Atlantic crossing leading us into the Mediterranean.

01/10 Intense preparation of the boat and the crew for departure.

05/10 Planned date of departure from Canada to the Azores and from there to the Straight of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea and millions of people to talk to and about.

links to schools and cruises we will go to and on to prepare:
http://www.sauvetage.qc.ca/nouvelles.asp
http://thegreatescapes.googlepages.com/home
http://www.croisieremercator.com/
http://www.glenans.asso.fr/FR/welcome/index_welcome.php

3 comments:

Commodore said...

Max,

I heard about your blog here from Cheryl, let me just wish you the best! This is Michael Raymond, and I am the commodore of the Sailing club here at Davidson. If there is anything we the club can do to help you on your endeavor, don't hesitate to let me know. It is wonderful that you have the desire to undertake this awe inspiring challenge, and you have my hopes and prayers that everything goes well!

~ Michael
www.davidsonsailing.org

Unknown said...

Hey Max
miss you here at Davidson. How are things going?
Come see me. you and Kats be very careful and have fun.

Jackie

Unknown said...

Max,

Joe Gutekanst sent me the info on your blog. It's great, and I want to wish you all the best.

I admire what you're doing, and if there's anyone that can do it I'm sure that it's you.

Please let me know if you need anything from me. Prayers and good wishes always.

Fair winds.

John