There has been a little magic blooming in my world.
For so many, many, years now I’ve been wanting to get out of a deflatable, and into a proper sailing dinghy. Well that day has come, Splendid’s tender is a beautiful Dyer midget. She needs a little work but everything is here and she sails like a dream. I took Carla for a sail today and what a blast we had. I am such a lucky, lucky, man!
I haven’t named our new little boat but I can tell you she fits beautifully under the mizzen boom. I’m going to get rid of an old life raft container I use for the storage of life vests, and BADDABING, my foredeck is clear when I’m at sea, priceless! Not to mention I’ll be saving $40.00ish dollars a month (+/- $500/year) on dinghy fuel. Not to mention the cost of the engine and maintenance. That’s good karma!
In “The Minimalist Sailor” I’m going to suggest that if you have little or no sailing experience the best thing to do to start your path on a life at sea is to buy, or build a proper sailing dinghy. You’ll learn basic sailing skills and have an awesome dink to boot. Also what could be better 
than building a sailing dink with your partner or children?
I’ve only had the little boat for a few days and the first order of business was to salvage the crooked and splitting oars.
I fiberglassed up the paddles, and Carla painted the bottom third 
white with epoxy paint. I covered the shaft with epoxy and a few coats of varnished and lashed nice handles for a secure grip while rowing.
I bought the dink from a really nice couple on SV “Elysium”. They also run a blog if you want to check it out at www.svElysium.net . Thanks Dave 
& Wendy for everything, I’ll take good care of your little boat 
Whenever I’m broke ingenuity fills the gap. I’ve been wanting a nice LED video light for filming. Instead I created Frankenstein, my ugly 12v coconut video light. I had a nice bulb for my old 
incandescent video light and with the help of a half coconut, a broken mini tripod, and a little epoxy, Frankenstein was born. Not so bad!
I want to share some recent correspondence I’ve had with a Bluesphere friend. This is what keeps me writing and basically repeating the same message year after year. Every once in a while someone actually connects with what I’m trying to say.
I don’t like talking about the catalyst that shook the systems hold of my life which I reveled a few years ago in my new years blog, but it was profound and enlightening. Nearly the worst thing that ever happened to me ended up being the best and setting me free. Unfortunately sometimes it takes powerful circumstances for us to be able to see the world clearly. I’d like to introduce you top my buddy Michael:
Hey Alex,
I just wanted to take a minute to wish you and Carla well in the next chapter in your lives. I wanted to make very clear to you how important your message is. You are right, when you say you won’t get everyone out living their dreams but you will be the catalyst for a few like me. I actually took a break from writing my best friend’s eulogy to read your blog and fire off this email.
Mak drowned in a whitewater kayaking accident a few days ago, he was 26 years old. It is a tragedy and will change me and the way I live forever but in working through my grief I realized that he may have only been here a short time but man did he live! He paddled rivers all over the world, lived on a sailboat in AUZ for a year, spent 4 months in an ashram in India learning YOGA and had just become a renewable energy engineer. He lived by a credo of Live, Laugh, Love and always put people above things, he was an absolute minimalist. You embody so many of the core values he held so dear and I love ya for it. He thought the monkey video you made for my daughter was the greatest thing ever. But his passing has shown me just how many people he has touched. I have his Iphone and people just won’t stop texting it, seriously thousands of text all saying the same thing, that he touched their lives in some profound way. He had no clue how many people he touched. The same can be said for you. What you do is so important! The message is amazing and the people you touch with it countless and you will never know how deeply you have touched so many. I really can’t wait to actually get a chance to spend some time with you and Carla, life is so much more rewarding when you put relationships first.
Well guys I just wanted to share a little, keep living lean and enjoy each day as it comes. Good luck with filming. If you need anything you make sure you let me know. Lisa and I are going to be moving pretty fast to get out sailing in the next year and will need as much of your guidance as we can get. Be safe and take care of each other.
– Michael
A few days later Michael quit his job and had a garage sale. These pictures of him were taken in the same spot before and after the garage sale.
Michael is setting out on his jeep to find a home 
(sailboat) for himself and his family. If anyone knows of an amazing boat/deal please let us know.
I’ll say it again. The only difference between dreams and reality is action. Take responsibility and make it happen, no excuses, every moment is an opportunity to be happy and live the life you dream.
I’m such a lucky man!
Peace, Love, and Coconuts.
Carla and I had a few sunset toasts to Mak.
Peace everyone.
– alex