Trafford Publishing: Our Island in the Sun

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Our Island in the Sun

by Garry & Carol Domnisse

444 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-0034; ISBN 1-55395-671-0; US$39.95, C$58.75, EUR38.20, £26.50

A sailing adventure of a trip from California to Florida presented from husband and wife perspective. Six different points of view used to present matter.

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about the book about the authors sample excerpt catalogue info

About the Book

This book gives you an in-depth look at the live aboard lifestyle as you follow the authors through the purchase and refit of their Valiant 40. Upon Garry's retirement from the United States Coast Guard, they were finally able to go cruising. Travel along with them as they leave long Beach, California and arrive in Key West, Florida 15 months later.
Experience their landfalls, ride out a gale, and enjoy exotic ports of call, small villages and quiet, secluded anchorages. Join them as they pass through the Panama Canal.
Their narrative is given from a his and her view point and is accompanied by an extensive use of charts, excerpts from their logs, quotes from The Sailing Directions, many photographs, and copies of weather faxes and communications.
The book also includes a complete list of ham nets around the world, along with their daily radio routine and communication schedule.
To contact the authors, go to: www.marinewww.com/mobilemarine.

About the Authors

Garry Domnisse acquired an interest in boats as soon as he could walk. His father, Fred, had always had a speedboat or fished on commercial boats of of Newport, Oregon. During high school, Garry worked summers on sport fishing boats in Newport, fished with his grandfather and generally messed around in boats. As soon as graduated from Oregon State University, he acquired his first sailboat, an O'Day day sailor. By the time this cruise had begun and he had retired from the U.S. Coast Guard, he was on his seventh boat. Garry received a bachelor's degree in International Business from Oregon State University. After a successful career in both the business world and the Coast Guard , he retired April 1, 1996 and set sail with his wife from Long Beach, CA to Annapolis, MD. He acquired his Coast Guard Masters License, and a General Class Amateur license to aid his proficiency in managin a small vessel at sea. Numerous courses and training by the Coast Guard and civilian institutions rounded out his qualifications for making this trip. Today, he and his wife Carol life in Annapolis, Maryland where he runs a charter boat for a local company and is involved in various other activities, including Navy MARS, teaching electronic navigation and giving seminars to cruising sailors.
Carol Hilbert Domnisse grew up on sailing vessels that her father, George, owned during his lifetime. She never knew there could be a vacation at the beach, as each summer George would take his family on sailing vacations on teh Chesapeake Bay. Carol, a registered nurse, retired from the profession when she and Garry married and set sail on their dream cruise. She took courses at Orange Coast College in Newport, CA, on safety, and all aspects of sailing and cruising. She obtained her Amateur Technician License to be able to use the radios aboard and assist in all aspects of communication. Carol is a graduate of the University of Virginia, with a degree in Nursing. Today, she works as an office manager in a small company and enjoys hobbies such as quilting and spending time with daughter Sarah, son Michael and thier families.

Sample Excerpt

Introduction

This is a book about a dream! A dream about cruising in a small boat, in oceans far away and in countries that are strange yet beautiful and unique into themselves. This dream came true for two people and for many others we would meet along the way sharing the same dream as we did. When Carol and I met in Long Beach, California, at a meeting of wan-na-be cruisers, to listen to someone present their version of a cruising life style, we would never have guessed that one day we would be telling a story in very much the same way.
When we decided to leave a comfortable lifestyle and a peaceful retirement in Southern California, for a lifestyle fraught with danger, hard work and many unknowns, it seemed almost ridiculous. We have been sailors and boaters all our lives, yet for this adventure, we embarked on an odyssey to get additional training in areas that we knew nothing about or to strengthen the areas we were already proficient in. Why, you may ask, embark on learning so many new things, such as celestial navigation, weather, Morse code and refrigeration repair. Engine mechanics, sail repair, emergency rigging, food preparation and storage. In addition, fiberglass repair, outboard repair and maintenance, solar and wind power generation, use of radar. The courses and skill areas go on and on. Why do all this training? We were about to embark on a dream, in our own small vessel, to "Our Island in the Sun".
When one goes cruising in a small boat (40 Feet) into unknown parts of the world, Marina is the name of a woman, an electrician is someone who has never seen a boat and works in voltages you never heard of, and an engine mechanic is someone who repairs automobiles or farm tractors. We found that we needed to be self sufficient, able to rely on each other as partner, friend and spouse. Love had to be deep, we both had to be fully committed to doing this together, and both had to be able to do all jobs that needed doing. Yes, there was division of labor and favorite things to do, but if needed, each had to be able to perform, as best they could, anything required. The safety of the vessel and ourselves rested squarely on our shoulders. "Be Prepared" is a Boy Scout motto, but one very much followed by us in the preparation of our vessel and ourselves.
In our years of cruising, we met many couples doing the same thing we were doing. Some were succeeding well and others were not. We realized it was the level of preparation, training, commitment, and deep family bonds that distinguished those who were doing only okay to those who were doing great. Our cruising friends came from all lifestyles. Some came with unlimited funds and others were living on a shoestring. Not knowing at what level our friends came from made our lives so much richer. The cruising lifestyle was a great leveler. It did not matter where you came from or what you had done in the past. We were all simply cruisers exploring the world and living our own dream.
Our children did not fully understand or appreciate the dream that we needed to fulfill, nor the commitment we had made to complete it. We were not going to fit into the mold of retirees living close by to lend a helping hand, advice, and comfort. No, we were the ones who were leaving the security of a known lifestyle, to experience something totally new and different. What they did not realize was how much work, dedication and planning went into this cruise to "Our Island in the Sun", wherever it may be or for how long it might take. So many of the cruisers we met experienced the same feelings and emotions. As a group, we were not unique, just a small group of people who wanted to travel in a small vessel, to places yet to be discovered and by doing so, achieve a new freedom not found living in the mold that most retirees follow at the end of a career. Watching others do this is the easy way out. Doing it required a lot from not only the two of us but also, in some ways, from our families.
This book is not intended to be a primer on cruising, but really a story of two people who fall in love, and prepare their small vessel and themselves for living out a dream. It is with this in mind that this book is written. We felt it important to share with others contemplating such a lifestyle that it can be accomplished by anyone who has the desire to do something different, and is very rewarding. Bigger is not necessarily better in choosing a vessel. What is important is finding a vessel that will withstand the rigors of the sea and weather, and one which will keep you safe while bringing you back to the harbor. A new vessel is not required and probably is more expensive than a high quality used boat. What one should consider is strength of the hull, rig layout and ease of operation. The vessel should be set up for single-handed sailing, for when you are rotating through watches with one person up and one asleep, the person at the helm is basically single handing. Choices you make on the kind of boat, electronics, power, and means to produce it are all-important and require considerable thought. Lightweight boats will work your body harder, because of their motion, than heavier vessels. Speed is important, but also relative.
We want to thank Hal and Margaret Roth on S/V Whisper for planting this dream in us so many years ago. Your writings, determination, adventures, quality of life, and seamanship have fueled our dreams. You have been mentor, idol and leader in so many ways. Our hats, and that of countless others, are off to you for leading the pack.
To all who venture forth, enjoy each moment. Keep a detailed log; know where you are at all times and where you are going. In the end, you will be able to look back and reflect on a passage well done, filled with adventure and excitement and most of all FUN.

Catalogue Information