Udi & Ayelet sailing on Ester: Decisions and revolutions despite Corona

A year and a half inside Corona that shows no signs of fading. During this period, the Spring 2020 trip was canceled (the peak of the beginning of the Corona era), the Fall 2020 trip took place between a closure in Israel that began right when we left, and a closure in Greece that began the day after we returned to Israel, and ended after 7 months!
Fall 2020 was wonderful! Perfect weather, everything is open, masks, and very few boats sailing. We had a wonderful experience of sailing in the Cyclades, new places we discovered (the island of Ikaria that became our top list) and also old ones that we were happy to return to. There is always room to anchor, many times the only boat from horizon to horizon. Europe is closed to migration but Greece is open.

Magganitis, Ikria, October 2020

All this looks completely different in April 2021, when we wanted to lower Esther into the water and sail from Greece to Spain, in preparation for the departure to the Atlantic.
Greece was locked! Open only to Israelis who were the first to be vaccinated. It is forbidden to leave the houses without a permit, closed restaurants, it is forbidden to move between areas, it is strictly forbidden to lower boats into the water and sail. The sea is empty of ships of any kind. Blue from horizon to horizon with no signs of movement. Empty of tourists, empty from people on the streets. The truth is, this is an opportunity to visit historical places when they are completely empty, such as the archeological site "Mystras" near Sparta, the picturesque village "Makrinitsa" in Pelion, and more and more. Prices for accommodation very cheap, which allowed us to rent stunning houses at the price of a tent in Israel. Ester, on the other hand, did not go down into the water, and there was a general feeling of depression in the air. Greece without restaurants, cafes and music, that's not it. People depressed, the economic situation bad, the whole world united and experiencing the same feelings. We are on our own, continuing to plan, flex, and enjoy what is possible. Lots of days of work on the boat (we like it), shared equally with days of nature and hiking, and as a dessert Roni who joined a trip in Pelion, and ventilated a hard year in national service. A wonderful opportunity to spend time together.

With Roni in Pelion, May 2021, Abandoned Beaches

First day opening the restaurants, early May 2021

.We had to leave 2 days later😢

At the beginning of May we returned to Israel. The corona seemed for a moment to be behind us, at least in Western countries where they had begun to vaccinate vigorously and seemed to be able to withstand the vicious virus. I, who have been working frantically all year around corona testing developments, have announced that I will not return to the project that came to fruition with the corona fading. I wanted to embark on the last leg on the way to retiring from work and ground life towards fulfilling the big dream, living on the boat, with an ambitious plan for a world tour.

The deadline we set for us, August 8, 2021, left us with three busy months to get organized, including closing matters at work, me at the lab and Udi at the clinic. It is in itself not a simple move, of parting from people and the main occupations in our adult lives. In fact, a significant part of what occupies us, defines us, is part of our identity.

The second and most significant part of our self-definition is family and familiality. Leaving 4 children at home, Eliana (the beloved bride, another daughter in the family), Xavi the cat and Kashem the cute pig (Shye and Eliana's dog, grandson for now ...). The children may all be adults, but they will always be "children" who may need us and we will not be in the immediate vicinity. And there is the second circle that we also move away from, first and foremost Grandma Ana, to whom we celebrated 91 years, a week before we set off. To her is our love, and concern for her health. And another circle of brothers (of Udi) and my sisters and their children. And the circle expands to friends who are very dear to us. We said farewell to all, even if not in dramas and formally. For me we are on a three month trip, and the real breakup is from work and routine life. A journey into another life, the fulfillment of a dream, and we hope that we will find that living the fantasy we have developed over the years, will really suit us.

The plan is to embark on a world tour that will take as many years as it takes, with visits to Israel once every three / four months for a few weeks. Frequency and duration of visits, by sea / wind / corona / longing and other needs. We intend not to be under time pressure and not to try to "make it". The corona year (which will soon become two years) taught us something about the limits of our control even in our daily lives, all the more so when it comes to long-term plans that include traveling between places in the world. It seems that we have chosen the most unsuitable time to travel, when countries open and close, when we all already understand that so much is determined by the small mutation in the tiny virus, called by all "variant!" So now it's the Delta's turn (the one we once called the Indian) but don't worry, there are enough letters in the Greek alphabet, there is room for everyone. Eventually, as it has finally begun to seep in, there is no choice but to live with the little villain, until it is exterminated with the help of an endless series of vaccines, and here too the options are endless. So in the end - things will be fine…

Of course the question arose as to whether this was the right time to go. The deadline was set years ago, from the moment we knew when our two young children would be released from service (Roni at the end of the month and Tomer completes a long service in November). On the other hand, what will happen in a year? Will the corona disappear? Really not sure. What is certain is that we are growing up, time passes, and experienced sailors have said over and over again, do not be put off. Get going and flow. And that's exactly what we're going to do. Flow with the wind, the waves and what life has initiated. Our time is in our hands, the plans are diffuse. We already understand that it is not sure we will cross the Atlantic Ocean this year. In the Caribbean, each island belongs to a different country and the regulations in Corona matters can be different and very restrictive. So we wait…

For those who are not into boating, I will note that cruises, especially ocean crossings, are highly dependent on the weather and the global wind regime. Sailing relies entirely on winds, and these blow in certain directions according to the seasons. For example, the Atlantic crossing from east to west is done from November to January. Crossing in the opposite direction in the spring months. The winds are called "trade winds", so the merchants sailed before the fuel-powered ships, on sails and wind only. Although Ester is equipped with an engine (in addition to sails) but most of the sailing in the Atlantic crossing has no choice but to sail with the wind, there is not enough fuel for three weeks of crossing (this is the shortest crossing….). In addition to trade winds, there are also seasonal restrictions in the various places. Periods of hurricanes, winter, etc. These too produce a window of opportunity for a sea visit. Hence, that absolute freedom, that which is imagined when living on a boat, is in fact limited in all sorts of respects. For all the restrictions known for centuries, the Corona has been added, which restricts and complicates movement between countries and continents.

So we came to the conclusion that we are still embarking, and the whole plan is a basis for change, so that if we find that the whole business does not suit us, there is a way back, to a life that we love, surrounded by loved ones, home and landscape we love, otherwise if we want. Makes me think of the revolution we made in the comfortable life. Going out to test the dream, hoping not to run into it, and in any case feeling compelled to experiment.

A kind of preparation we have made over the last 18 years, from the skipper course that Udi did, through cruises on rented boats, the purchase of Ester the first for the "half year" and its replacement with the current Ester, for the great journey and transition to boat life. So far we know that we really like it, but we have not yet experienced ocean cruising and the distance from the kids for months. Requires inspection.

I chatted quite a bit, and still haven't said anything about the first five days. Almost a whole day passed, we left the bay where we thought to anchor, rocky ground and uncomfortable to dock, and we were on our way to a bay called "Limeni" where we picked up Alon and Michal 9 years ago on New Year's Eve. Will still be the first Friday for the big trip, reason to party…

Exactly one week ago, Shye, Gili, Tomer and Roni, our four lovely children, pampered us with a fine Friday meal on the terrace, with lots of good wine, and words from the heart, each speaking in turn. A kind of summary in a family look back, about travels, family and fulfilling dreams. Everyone is accommodating and loving, and encourages to set off, without faking, ignoring and repressing the plethora of emotions that arise. Years of training… was a particularly magical and exciting evening. As in stereotypes, the girls did not stop the tears… was too exciting and too intimate so there is no documentary, only what is left in the memory and heart.

Photos of a family meal on another occasion.