PassageMaker - January/February 2012

*Miles Traveled: 11,175nm Days Living Aboard: 658

Longest Passage: 111 hours Locks Transited: 70

States Visited: 14

Countries Visited: 3

*Includes coastal trips before and after the loop cruise.

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Culebra on December 27, just in time to celebrate a late Christmas.

They took up residence in the SunBay Marina in Fajardo, located on the northeast coast, not far from San Juan and the airport. The location gave them good shore access to visit Puerto Rico, a number of good short-distance cruising destinations, as well as a perfect spot from which to explore both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

In May, 2011, they departed on their most adventurous voyage yet: a 2,026nm, 12-day passage to Rhode Island. They had light winds and calm seas all the way back to the Florida coast, where they turned to starboard following the Gulf Stream north at increased speed over the ground.

While transiting the Georgia coastline, they saw a mysterious image on their radar. They kept an eye out for whatever it was and soon were surprised by a submarine surfacing about a half-mile off of their port beam!

BACK IN NEW ENGLAND

Right on schedule, 12 days after their departure,
Three@Sea made landfall at East Greenwich, Rhode
Island. As David’s blog records: “It was definitely a
voyage for our record books and one that we will
never forget. Our boat and its systems performed
flawlessly for the entire journey. This kind of voyage is
a testament to the vision and workmanship of the folks
at Nordhavn (not to mention Northern Lights, TRAC,
Furuno, and other systems providers). These boats are
rock-solid platforms for extended bluewater cruising,
and we are so happy to call one our home.”
They spent the summer of 2011 in New England
while David continued to fly in and out on business.
They kicked off the season with a trip to Nantucket,
Massachusetts—another lesson in cruising in heavy fog.

One of the summer highlights for Ayla was publishing her first article in the August 2011 issue of Astronomy magazine titled, “Why Teens Should Care About Astronomy.” Quite an achievement for a

14-year-old. Ayla is now enrolled in EPGY OHS, a virtual high school program produced in association with Stanford University.

I spoke with the Besemer family on Three@Sea last August via a Skype connection. They were located at a marina in Warwick, Rhode Island, preparing the boat for Hurricane Irene, due to pass through late in the week. They were planning to put her on storm anchors in a well-protected bay nearby. I have since heard from them and all went well.

The family’s diligence obtaining media attention has paid off. Last October, they spent 11 days with Atherton Pictures filming a pilot/special episode about their journey. Who knows? This story may end up in a wholesome reality show. After filming, the family planned to return to Puerto Rico. They enjoyed the territory so much last year that they wanted to go back for the winter.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

This spring, the Besemers plan to head west for the Panama Canal and then spend the summer cruising the west coast of California. If they secure a media partner and/or David’s full retirement, they will follow the setting sun for the South Pacific.

As we discussed the segments of the voyage, David
said, “The first year we were actively cruising. The last
two years we have been living aboard in a holding
pattern, cruising the East Coast of the United States,
hoping to continue our around-the-world voyage again.”
As a family, they wondered if they would grow tired
of living aboard. Many of their family and friends have
encouraged them to sell the boat and return to life
ashore. “We had no intention of becoming liveaboards,”
Kathryn said. “We did it to cruise. But we did the
hard part—selling the house and the cars, getting
moved aboard—and achieved a steep learning curve
that first year.”
They have a pact that is based on a unanimous
decision by all three family members: As long as there
is a chance that they can continue, they will stay out.
To move back ashore and then subsequently try to
make all the arrangements to head to sea again would
be very difficult. Others have suggested that they fulfill
their dream when they are older and in full retirement,
but Kathryn says they are missing the point. “We want
to do this trip as a family and as a unique educational
experience for Ayla,” she said.

After following the Besemers and their voyage aboard Three@Sea for three years, I believe they will accomplish all they set out to achieve. It already has the makings of a significant and successful cruise, one that is as unique as the family itself.