Cruisers' Profile - Blue Dawn

by Cruising Editor on 6 Oct 2006 Geoffrey and Geraldine Ashby have just completed an eight-year circumnavigation of the world on their 75 ft yacht Blue Dawn – and how are they celebrating? Why they are starting on their second circumnavigation! He’s English, she’s French, but together they make a very international couple.


HOME PORT OF THE BOAT
Port Grimaud, France

YACHT TYPE AND DIMENSIONS, AND HISTORY IF APPLICABLE
A Van de Stadt Trintella – an aluminium sloop, 75 feet, vintage 1992

OCCUPATIONS/LIFESTYLE BEFORE SETTING OUT ON THIS JOURNEY
Geraldine had just finished University when they departed, and Geoff had been in business, and retired early.

FAMILY YOU HAVE LEFT BEHIND. Geraldine has one brother who is 8 years older, and parents who miss her, but think that what she is doing is ‘fantastic’

DATE DEPARTED FROM HOME PORT
We have been sailing the boat for 8 years, and have just completed our first circumnavigation. Now we are starting on our second.

ROUTE TAKEN SO FAR:
We went by the normal cruising route, across to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific to New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand. Then across the Indian Ocean and up the Red Sea to the Mediterranean again.

SAILING BACKGROUND, OR IF NONE, HOW YOU CAME TO END UP DOING THIS:
Actually, we had never sailed. We started cruising in a motorboat. Then, when we wanted to go round the world, we obviously couldn’t do that on a motorboat, so we changed to a sailing boat. At first, we had a professional skipper, two in fact, and each for a six-month period. By then we knew how to sail the boat, and we much prefer being on our own.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT/S SO FAR?

Geraldine: Without any question, my greatest experiences have been swimming with wildlife – first, with dolphins in the wild off the coast of Egypt, when a whole pod came curiously around me, and they seemed to be playing and showing off. It was incredible. Then I swam with unafraid sea lions in Galapagos – they were around me for around 15 minutes.
Geoff: I think the most amazing experience was waking up in the Marquesas, after a night arrival where we could see nothing. We woke up to spectacular cliffs enclosing us all around, and it was a tropical paradise of a jungle – this was in Hanavave Bay on the Island of Fatu Hiva.

MOST DIFFICULT/FRIGHTENING/SCARY EXPERIENCE, IF THERE IS ONE
Geraldine: O yes the worst experience I can remember is when we ran aground in Pancake Creek. The boat angled over – we could have lost the boat. The keel was banging on the bottom continually with the pounding waves. We had to wait many hours for the tide to come in again.
Geoff: My worst experience was losing the propeller in the Red Sea. Finally we had the part flown out from the US. However, in that remote area, there were no lift-out facilities to get the boat out of the water to attach the new part. One of the accompanying cruisers, Bill from Apollo, who was a professional boat builder, dived on the boat and with great difficulty did the job underwater.

DO YOU FEEL THAT THE TRIP HAS CHANGED YOU, AND IF SO, HOW?
Geraldine: Yes, I think it has changed me a lot. I am a lot more open minded, more giving. IN our experiences with some of the poorest people on earth, they were the most generous, the most sharing. Now I don’t feel any cultural gap when I visit new countries – I feel quite comfortable anywhere I go, among any people.
Geoff: No, I just feel that every day is a plus.
Geraldine: Well, I think the journey has made Geoff more relaxed, and more patient maybe.
Geoff: Maybe that’s true – I was always thinking about business, and took little time for relaxation during my working life.

WHEN WILL YOU BE HOME?
This IS our home! We like the life and don’t want to stop – that’s why we are starting on our second circumnavigation now.

ARE THERE ANY DISADVANTAGES TO YOUR LIFESTYLE?:
Geraldine: Mmmm maybe bad weather, and missing family and friends – email is marvellous, but it only goes so far.
Geoff: Finding enough people to swap books with.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO LONG RANGE CRUISING
Yes, just go do it!