“God gave man eyes, yet he can not see”
“When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important weather I am afraid”
– Audre Lorde
“It’s easy to see, hard to foresee”
– Benjamin Franklin
“Only those who look with the eyes of children can loose themselves in the object of their wonder.
– Eberhard Arnold
“There will always be flowers for those who want to see them”
– Henri Matisse
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil”.
– James Allen
“Fear guards the gates of freedom”
– Alex Dorsey
Well I have passed 3000 days living free, on the sea, and traveling the world. I must say the hardest part of my journey has been maintaining vision. Many of my readers were quite disappointed when I sold Namaste. But when I sold her I was at the height of my ability to see the world around me, I had vision, real vision, and I knew it was the right thing to do! I was centered, at peace, and I felt more “whole” than I ever have. As you know my life quickly got complicated with a larger boat, love, and I lost much of my ability to see my path. I lost that special light and I may have found it today.
You all know how much I like the book “The Alchemist”. So much of the story has to do with us seeing our paths and listening to the world and signs around us. It is my humble opinion that the majority of us just don’t see, listen, or even care to. We are to busy plugged into the system, being obedient, making money, and blind to any calls of our own hearts or destiny.
I had a really good day yesterday. I took my buddies advice and “ate the frog”. I let my stress go and really enjoyed the day for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t stressed about leaving in March, my boat, or going anywhere. I caught a beautiful little tuna and shared it with friends as sashimi for dinner. My friend’s girlfriend is from South Africa and has been pounding how much I would love Africa into my head. I love indigenous people, simple living, freedom, nature, and the wild.
After dinner I came home and booted up my charting software. I plotted a course from Panama to the Gambia river in Western Africa. My course is from here to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Azores, Madeira, Canary islands, the cape Verde islands, and into the Gambia.
This route has been on my mind lately and in the past weeks I’ve contacted the EU, and some sailing websites in Africa on email in search of information. The problem with West Africa is there just isn’t much cruising information and much of the coast (Ivory Coast) is quite volatile. The Gambia however is a “safe” place to go. “Only fear guards the gates of freedom Alex, don’t stress it”.
Well today I shot a bunch of primer on the aft cabin house, looks good eah?
After that I went through my books as I’m getting rid of things I don’t need and trying to make more room around here.
I went over to Hanz’s restaurant to put my books up in the book swap. I know all the books there like the back of my hand. I got some good charts of Spain and the Med a few weeks ago.
I looked down and couldn’t believe my eyes, I kid you not, a cruising guide to Western Africa. First of all I didn’t think one existed, and secondly I’ve never seen a cruising guide to Africa on a shelf in all of my years looking at cruisers book swaps.
“What a coincidence” I thought. I picked up the cruising guide with wide eyes and beneath it was a guide to the Atlantic Islands (Azores, Madeira, Canary, and Cape Verde islands).
I was stunned for a moment and I got the feeling my path was unfolding for me. It was just one of those moments.
I opened the Atlantic islands guide and my route was printed before me. I opened 
the Western African guide and it is basically of the Gambia. I didn’t dig or even look for a book, they were just laid out for me.
“Not a coincidence” I thought!
I came back to Splendid and saw the aft cabin house all covered with fresh primer and I smiled ear to ear, “perhaps I am going somewhere in March” I thought.
Do I have the ability to see my path back? If this is the case I may have real direction again, and that is very exciting to me. In my entire life I’ve had only a few years where I had the ability to see my path. Not the one I wish to forge, or the one society tells me to walk, but the path I’m meant to walk. Many of you may think I’m nuts and your probably mostly right, but I am really excited about this.
It may seem like a silly coincidence to you but I may have my internal compass back?
“Eat the frog”!
Peace, Love, and Africa?
– alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
Hey Alex- glad to see that you are a “quote guy” too. My blog is full of them. I have been reading your logs for a while now and have followed your travels, trials, and tribulations and am glad to hear that your vision has returned to you. I’ve been trying to go cruising for decades and know first hand about lost and then refound vision. My boat is a Westsail 28, ZOSHA..and I’m leaving Galveston, TX in the Fall 2012 to start traveling. Might run into each other….never know.
“it is sometimes better to abandon ones self to destiny”
-Napoleon Bonaparte
Take care my friend
Rich Nowak
Rich,
Quotes (words) are a powerful force when we wish to contemplate them.
Don’t ever worry about your craft. I’d take a westsal 28 anywhere in the world without hesitation, she has a sound hull and design. I bounced Namase off a 4′ wave and onto a rock, twice, with only a small scratch to my hull. I had full confidence in her!
“it is sometimes better to abandon ones self to destiny” is a great quote, thank you.
Cheers
And another…
“Greatness is not where we stand, but in what direction we are moving….we must sail, sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it, but sail we must, and not drift nor lie at anchor.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Sounds like a great plan!
I really enjoyed this log. It’s great to see that you’re in such a good place in your life. Vision and destiny are such lovely grandiose words. I like them. I also like simple words like action and process. I think that to get to where you want to be, you have to fall in love with the path that takes you there and not just fall in love with the destination itself. That’s where you seem to be.
there is no such thing as a coincidence, but i do believe in destiny……G
Hi Alex,did you get any info on that stuff I have, (Prevail) is the name. If you need there is more info on the jug ,it gives an active ingreedant, just remember its there if you want it just say the word.. Not really sure when but at some point you have done I think what you wanted & inspire someone to I am selling out & have made a couple of offers on a boat & am working on it, my biggest worry is my dog, everything else is part of the journey, destnation not important,,would love to hear from your readers what they think about dogs on board, he is a big guy,an Akita….. A journey of a thousand miles begains with the first step, been dreaming about this since 8th grade, I am 51, thank you ….Butch……….
With “Vision” it is easier to see black & white.
My bank (HSBC) is EVIL!
Man, there are positive forces in this world, and negative ones. My bank HSBC, is a negative one. I’m not being negative but I want to warn my readers about these terrible criminals.
When I came back from my job on the ship I withdrew $500.00 from my account. I don’t keep a close eye on my account, if I have money I take it out, if I don’t, I don’t. I noticed that my debit was $518.00, “strange I thought”? Then I went back (years) and found that all my withdraws were like this. When I go to an ATM, I’m told the transaction costs me $3.00, highway robbery for giving me my own money, but whatever. I’ve been battling with HSBC for months over this. They did go back in my account history and refund me part of the money they stole, but not everything. I’m still hammering them with emails. Now they are telling me that there is a 3% charge on all my ATM withdraws and i could have avoided this if I had a “premier” account. “When did my “debit” card become a “credit” card? How can they charge me 3% on my own money?
They used to hammer me with overdraft fees when I was back in the states. It allways seemed like some excuse why “I” kept making mistakes on when my funds were clear or not. At the top of my online banking page they post three different balances, only one of which is really my “available” balance to confuse me into using the ATM so they can charge me a $ 30.00 overdraft fee. It took me a while to figure this out. I joined HSBC because they are supposed to be “The Worlds Local Bank”, HA!
I took out $220 last week and this is the breakdown they sent me, realize I withdrew this from a HSBC ATM here in Panama:
“- Original transaction amount – $220
– ATM Surcharge Amount – $3.00
– 3% of transaction amount – $6.60
– Total amount debited from your account – $229.60″
“Additionally, the $6.60 (3% of the transaction amount) was charged by MasterCard. Please be informed that the option to avoid this 3% fee on your Choice Checking account is unavailable. However, you may anytime choose to take advantage of our Premier Services as HSBC’s Premier Customers are exempted from the 3% charge assess by MasterCard.”
If you want my advice, stay away from these criminals like the plague.
Does anyone know of an honest bank?
Honest bank—-LOL!!!!
Well now Brother… CELEBRATE the day. Sounds like you got plugged in and connected. Way to go!
I can’t find a bank here in the US that doesn’t have a charge after charge. I had a Wells Fargo account that was a free checking account. I was like you and never used it. It had 77.00 in it. Then all of a sudden it started going down. They decided it wasn’t a free account any more. I closed it. Best of luck finding a bank. And you have to know that they are in business and they are going to charge you to move your money. Sucks but it’s the way it is.
Hey, shoot me an email with a mailing address and I’ll send you the little book, Eat the Frog. It’s a very short read and gets you focused and prioritized. Nice to find a little nugget every once and a while.
I’m off the water for the next couple of months doing magic around the country. Panacea is getting little projects done by my guy in Ft. Myers. Getting ready for the next sailing season there.
Thanks for everything and stay in touch. I’ll do the same.
Later…
Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea
Great post Alex. Sounds like a path is being laid out. Love those moments in life, and possessing the freedom to choose it.
We used to have HSBC. They accidentally gave us an extra $100 in a withdrawal once. We went back and went inside to tell the teller of the mistake and give back the hundred. They charged us to talk to the teller and give back the extra hundred $3. LOL The teller could of cared less, said its how they work, they would have noticed the extra hundred and just reflected it on our account anyway. I asked the teller what if we didnt have another hundred in there, would they charge us overdraft fees then? And he looked dumbfounded and then said yes, its the policy of the bank. :)
Sadly the true local banks were the good ones, and most in the US have been bought up in this recession by the bigger bailed out banks.
Anyway, great post. Excited to hear more about cruising Africa. Its in the opposite direction of where we are cruising and great to hear about.
Mark
Alex,
I have been w/ USAA now for years and they are a great bank. The main reason I switched was that they pay you up to 15.00 a month for ATM fees, free checking and bill payment service. Great online and even on mobile phone access. You may need to be sponsored by a realative that was in the the service.
Possibly worth checking out.
Gambia…….sounds like a great plan.
JB
Hey Alex – My first post. Been following you from the beginning- really enjoy it.
Not to get off the subject – but:
I have a question. I have just recently acquired my first camcorder and have been bitten by the “make your own movies” bug. I was wondering – and hope I’m not rehashing an older post – what video editing software do you use or prefer.
Thanks, and keep on keepin’ on.
JB,
I dont have much family, and no one left alive that was in the service, but thanks for the tip.
Mark,
If you ever get an extra few extra bucks from HSBC donate it to some starving kids or something, they are horrible thieves and have stolen hundreds of dollars from me, and I barely have any money.
Well I just got off the phone with ally bank and I’m going to open an account, if you hate your bank like I hate my bank, check these guys out (NO ATM FEES at any domestic (USA) ATM, and I would only have to pay the ATM fee here $3.00 plus one percent to the evil master card. Why am I paying mastercard for access to my own money? IT”S NOT CREDIT! I don’t have or want any type of credit. How can they do that? I just want a debit card with no credit card logo on it. Is there still such a thing?
http://www.ally.com/bank/interest-checking-account/
MHTinkler. I use adobe premiere pro but it has a fairly steep learning curve compared to other programs. there are plenty of easy to use programs out there, I don’t know much about them.
I’m enjoying reading my guide on Western Africa, sounds awesome and would be cool to anchor next to hippos in the Gambia :)
take all the banks, politicians, lawyers, federal judges, and add one (big) bomb 4…3…2…1… problem solved…. G
take all the banks, politicians, lawyers, federal judges, and add one (big) bomb 4…3…2…1… problem solved…. G
USAA is a great bank. However, their website says they only reimburse for nationwide ATM usage. I do not think that includes international but I could be mistaken. What does it take to sponsor a family member? What is USAA’s definition of “family”? I am still researching those answers. I am retired Army. Alex you are part of my family.
Further research revealed the following:
USAA Bank refunds up to $15 in other banks’ ATM usage fees each month and does not charge a fee for the first 10 ATM withdrawals. Subsequent transactions will be charged $2.00 each. A 1% foreign transaction fee applies to withdrawals outside the United States.
Just slightly better than Ally Bank. I believe family is defined as spouse and children. I couldn’t find it on the web site.
Gary,
Perhaps a better alternative is just to sail away from the corrupt, greedy, and power hungry? live free with holes in our pockets, smiles on our faces, and wine in our bellies, just an idea? There is too much talk of bombs in the world today.
Chuck L,
Thanks for the effort. I do feel like I have an extended family online :)
Well, this blog gets a little better.
I have two French friends here is the anchorage. They bought my friends boat about 6 months back and are brand new to cruising. I’ve loaned them some books, answered some questions and generally try and help them out. His birthday was yesterday and they invited me over for dinner & drinks. They have a little 26′ steal boat but we managed to fit 7 of us (tight) in the cockpit. My other friends that sold them the boat came over, and they invited the Spanish couple from the boat next door.
Just an hour earlier I was putting some of the penciled in waypoints from my Western Africa book into my PC.
Spanish is what was spoke at the table for the evening for the new guests, and me as my French is well…, I can understand some and ask for a glass of water or bathroom and that’s about it. The Spanish couple speak Castillion Spanish which is very differant on the ear. He is from Spain, she from the Cape Verde Islands:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Verde
About 10 minutes into the evening I heard “Gambia” and knew these were the people that placed the cruising guides at Hanz’s book swap for me. I stumbled around in my bad Spanish but got my story across and how much their books impacted my journey. They were so, so, so very pleased and gave me much information. He will come to my boat next week and go over charts with me.
“Western Africa is not an experience to live without” came from him in broken English as he tried to accentuate the importance of his words. “Not to go in the winter (wet season)” as the malaria (mosquitoes) is bad. For the wet season he suggests to sail to Cape Verde islands where the girls are friendly and the wine and bread are cheap, he met his woman there. Cape Verde is Portuguese speaking and some good schooling before crossing the Atlantic again for Brazil.
He is an interesting man. A few years back he fell off of his boat 800 miles from shore. He floated for 11 hours contemplating the end of his life when he was rescued by a fishing boat. His boat was beached in Antigua and a month later when he found it nothing was taken from her. There is a bit of luck for you, I asked him if he could bless me, we laughed.
As the evening wore on the birthday boy broke out his accordion and got into a pretty heavy jam session. The woman from Cape Verde was singing at the top of her lungs and I’m sure keeping up the neighborhood around midnight. It was a good evening
For now I focus on Splendid and I may or may not be able to cross this next season. But I can tell you the idea of crossing the Atlantic is growing quite strong in my heart these past few days. I’m working on a “must have/do” list, and a “want to have/do” list. I’ve put my SCUBA compressor up for sale as I realized I have 5 engines in my life and I need to simplify! Plus I’ll make some money on it. I just want to sail, sail, sail!!!!!
Peace
Alex, USAA is a really good bank. They are now open to everyone, it is not obvious on their web site.
Okay, life just got easier.
I’m officially putting an end to the “termite” scare. I don’t have termites. I have small white bugs that like damp areas. I had a leek under the shower and as a result some rotten plywood, No biggie!!! Thank GOD!
I’m out of commission for a few days. I moved back into the anchorage and like a dummie didn’t put my gloves on before letting the anchor chain run through my hands at fill speed. The chain had a section with some barnacles on it and I really sliced up my hands, OUCH! How long have I been doing this cruising thing?
My new makita sander doesn’t want to hold on to a piece of sand paper anymore. I’ve only had it 6 weeks and the Velcro on the pad is bad, real bummer but I have a three month guarantee on it, hopefully they will exchange it no questions. It’s not like home depot here. I do have to go to Panama city though.
My step mom is coming for a visit the first week of September and we are going to drive around Panama. I’ll duck out of the country for a few hours to get a fresh stamp in my passport during the trip.
Hope everyone had a great weekend.
Alex u must do Africa !!!!!!!
Schwab Bank gives back all the fee’s at the end of the month. No transaction or ATM fee! Everything is free! Doesn’t matter where you are or what you are charged.