Where the Magic Happens: How a Young Family Changed Their Lives and Sailed Around the World

352 Pages·2018·5.44 MB·English

by  Caspar Craven

Contents
Foreword
Our Route
Prologue
Introduction
Part One: Dreaming, Planning, and Making the Plan Happen
1 Creating a Vision of the Future
Birth of an Idea
The Day Life Changed
Turning an Idea into a Vision—Brainstorming and Planning
2 Show Me the Money
How Much Money Did We Need?
Costing it Out
Getting the Money Together—What We Started With
3 Involving the Children
My Own Traveling Experiences from Childhood Onward
Nichola’s Traveling Experiences
Family Feedback
Introducing Our Children to the Idea of Traveling
Sharing the Idea Beyond the Family to Make it Stronger
Our Vision Book and a Family Painting
4 Frustration, Breakthrough Thinking, and Building Energy
When It’s Not Working, Go Back to the Drawing Board
Stay Active—Keep Trying Different Things
The Importance of Daily Routines and Consistency
Brainstorming and Reinventing Previous Business Ideas
5 Closing in on the Deadline
Learning from the Experts
A New Arrival
Dad’s Cancer
The Importance of Values in Achieving Your Goals
Feedback Rather than Failure at Trovus
Celebrating Success
6 “The problem is…”—Addressing the Problems and Solving Them
Assessing the Challenges
7 Actually Going Ahead (or Not?)
Time to Buy a Boat
The Next Stage for Trovus
Dealing with the Reactions of Others
Getting Aretha Ready for Our Voyage
Back Surgery
Resourcefulness—A.K.A., If It’s Not Working, Try Something Different
The Final Stretch—Preparation for the Big Voyage
Part Two: Sailing Around the World
8 Settling in to Life at Sea
First Overseas Landfall
Airborne Back to the UK
All Aboard, Finally
Departure from Povoa, Portugal
9 To the Canary Islands
School on Board
Making Friends at Sea—Nazares, Portugal
Blogging Home—South from Cascais
Across to the Canaries—Seasickness Takes Hold
First Offshore Landfall
10 Crossing the Atlantic
Adapting to Life on Board
Island Hopping—La Palma to Las Palmas
Helping Hands
Developing Routines at Sea
Autopilot Failure
Landfall in the Caribbean
11 The Caribbean Sea to Panama
A Different Christmas
More Helping Hands
Unexpected Time Out
Joining the World ARC in Panama
Values Off the Coast of Venezuela
Heading for the San Blas Islands
The Panama Canal
12 Pacific—The Biggest Ocean in the World
Galapagos and Beyond
Going to School in the Kingdom of Sharks
A Birthday, and the Stolen Dinghy
13 The Mesmerizing Heart of the Pacific Ocean
A Scare in the South Pacific
Good News from Home—Closing the Chapter on My Business
Bora Bora
Back to Raiatea
Suwarrow—A Deserted Pacific Island
Reflecting on Our Relationship
14 Power Plays in the Pacific
Buying Time
Plan A
Hove-to for the Night
Oyster World-Class Support
Plan B
Teamwork
15 Completing Our Pacific Crossing
Offering Help
Climbing a Volcano
Halfway Around the World
The Whitsunday Islands
Sailing the Coast of Australia
16 The Magical Indian Ocean
School in Indonesia
Christmas Island and the Kindness of Strangers
The Magical Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Return of Max
Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Mauritius
Mauritius to South Africa
17 Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare
Rigging Failure
Morning Brings Fresh Challenges
18 South Africa to Brazil—Our Second Atlantic Crossing
Cape Town in December
Off the Namibian Coast
Values Lessons—Food for Thought
Daily Questions
Continued Learning
Poetry Readings
19 Circumnavigating the World
Landfall in Brazil
Sailing the Venezuelan Coast
Crossing Our Outbound Track
20 Working Together as a Team
Teachers All Around
Cross-Cultural Experiences
The Magic of Time Aboard
No One Does This Alone
Lasting Change
What Next?
Reintegration—Adjusting to Life on Land
My Wish for You—Where the Magic Happens
Appendix 1: Resources
By the Numbers
Sailing Training
Systems to Consider when Searching for an Offshore Boat
Boat Preparation
Boat Checks—Daily Routines
Medical Considerations
Communications at Sea
Weather at Sea
Life at Sea
Ideas to Familiarize the Children with the Boat
Paperwork and Certificates Needed
Homeschooling
The World ARC
Bibliography
Appendix 2: World ARC Boats 2015/16
Acknowledgements
Index
Photographs
Foreword
“Fortune favors the brave”
Terence 190–159 BC
I use this quote in my book My Heroes: Extraordinary Courage, Exceptional
People to describe people who can take on a challenge, survive, have the ability
to react with speed not haste when things go wrong, and thrive. Although the
quote was penned over 2,000 years ago, it is as appropriate today as it has ever
been. The world is changing and we need to be brave and nurture and cherish
these skills in our society.
How refreshing then, at a time when these qualities of bravery need to be
developed, to find a young husband and wife team in Caspar and Nichola
Craven. A team who took on multiple challenges once they had decided to
change their lives and sail around the world: the not-insignificant challenge of
raising the money to make their expedition happen; the challenge of navigating
the highs and lows of a marital relationship; and the challenge of building and
leading a team of their three young children, ready to explore the world’s oceans
together and really test their limits.
For all those wanting more from life, Caspar’s message is incredibly
motivating, providing plain-speaking practical guidance mixed with an
exhilarating tale of adventure. The book goes behind the scenes of how exactly
the Craven family made their magical plan happen, and gives clear advice on
how we can follow in their footsteps, before taking us on a fantastic voyage
around the world in their boat Aretha.
Fortune really does favor the brave.
Ranulph Fiennes
2018