{"id":61663,"date":"2025-12-17T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=61663"},"modified":"2025-12-17T14:14:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:14:26","slug":"on-watch-no-pub-no-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/people\/on-watch-no-pub-no-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"No Pubs, No Problem: Disconnect to Boost Your Sailing Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20250706134455-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Sandspit at Island Head Creek\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20250706134455-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20250706134455-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20250706134455-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20250706134455-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20250706134455.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">David strolls along the sandspit at Island Head Creek, leaving the only footprints on the otherwise untouched shore.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Lin Pardey<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<iframe id=\"gkstfcayky\" src=\"https:\/\/cruisingworld.dragonforms.com\/gkstfcayky\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sahula<\/em> is barely discernible, just a red dot against the green of the heavily wooded hills beyond her. The 9-foot inflatable dinghy that brought us across the river estuary to this narrow sandspit is now an insignificant speck. No matter which way I look, the only other sign of human inhabitation is the mile-long trail of footprints that my partner David and I made as we stretched our legs after a quiet day afloat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Island Head Creek, on Australia\u2019s Capricorn Coast, is part of a vast wilderness and military exercise area. Because the sea area to the south of us is closed to sailing traffic while joint NATO\/ANZUS naval exercises commence, we have a rare chance to savor being completely on our own. There is not another boat in sight. The hills and sand dunes cut off the view out to sea. So we can\u2019t see the occasional ship that must be sailing past the entrance 3 miles from where we chose to anchor. There is no internet reception, which adds to the feeling of being completely cut off from the outside world. We\u2019ve been here for four days now and aren\u2019t eager to move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A flock of pelicans runs clumsily along the water\u2019s edge in preparation for taking flight. As I watch, I am reminded of how rare it is to be completely on our own, other than when we head off across an ocean. I enjoy the feeling of being disconnected when we are on passage. But at sea, the responsibilities of taking care of the boat, adjusting or changing sails, the need to ensure we stay well rested and keep a good lookout, the intrusion of twice-a-day weather checks, changes the dynamic. Here, in contrast, in an almost perfect anchorage, we can forget about the boat\u2019s needs, the responsibilities of good seamanship. I can\u2019t remember a time when I felt more completely relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David has set up his easel next to the chart table. I have my computer open on the saloon table. While I begin the pages that might someday become another book, David creates paintings in pastel or oil showing his vision of the wonderful sunsets and island scenes we encountered as we meandered north among the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Half the day, sometimes more, slides gently past this way. Lunch in the cockpit stretches far longer than it would at sea or ashore as we watch the whirls and eddies from the tidal current that rushes past <em>Sahula<\/em>. I am surprised that, despite the almost perfect conditions, I have no desire to knock another item off <em>Sahula<\/em>\u2019s ever-present work list. This situation is too rare, too fleeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20230913085425-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Oil painting while in a boat\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20230913085425-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20230913085425-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20230913085425-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20230913085425-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG20230913085425.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">While anchored in quiet isolation, David captures the scene in water-based oil at the chart table aboard <i>Sahula<\/i>.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Lin Pardey<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Though David and I choose to be internet-free at sea, whenever we make landfall and hear the ping indicating our phones have a Wi-Fi connection, we almost instinctively feel obliged to catch up. Our meander north has kept us relatively close to land, so we often chose our position in various island anchorages by the strength of the internet connections. The first day we anchored here in Island Head Creek, I used a halyard to hoist my phone up the mast in the hope that it might pick up a signal. Now I am glad it didn\u2019t. Within a day, our conversations started to change. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by happenings in the outside world, sometimes we shared memories of other voyages, other wonderful anchorages, other adventures we\u2019d encountered before we began sailing together. Sometimes we tried to imagine the shape of our next months and years, hopefully spent afloat as we are right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last night, I laughed when I realized how little I had to write in my daily log entry. After noting that David had started a new painting and I had finished writing the foreword for Herb Benavent\u2019s book on rigging, there was nothing I could add.&nbsp; If someone had asked me what I\u2019d done to fill the day, I would have worked hard to think of what to say. Yes, I\u2019d read a novel. Yes, I spent a bit of extra time cooking dinner. But mostly, I would have had to say, \u201cI did nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I savor this feeling of complete disconnect, I am aware that it is not everyone\u2019s cup of tea.&nbsp; Many years ago, my husband, Larry, and I were cruising south along the west coast of Ireland after a wonderful summer of Irish pub music and what the Irish call \u201cgood craic.\u201d (Fine times shared with like-minded people.) The midday forecast indicated deteriorating weather. We were just off the Kenmare Estuary, or maybe it was Bantry Bay. Our chart indicated a well-protected cove within easy reach. I looked in the cruising guide put out by the Irish Cruising Club. This anchorage wasn\u2019t mentioned. We decided to head there anyway, as it was the closest. If it didn\u2019t suit us, the guide showed another option just 5 miles onward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right before dusk, we sailed into the unnamed cove. It looked perfect. We set the anchor. The holding was excellent. We had 360-degree protection. No other boats were there.&nbsp; No village was nearby. No roads were visible. The gale passed quickly. We got a good night\u2019s sleep. Though we were somewhat eager to reach the UK before the onset of winter, we ended up staying for three days. We launched our dinghy and explored a creek. We walked along lightly used paths and picked the last blackberries of the season. We never once saw another person. A week later, when we sailed into Kinsale on Ireland\u2019s southern shores, we were invited aboard the boat of a local sailor. Larry asked why the perfect anchorage we\u2019d found wasn\u2019t mentioned in any guidebook. Our hosts\u2019 immediate reply: \u201cG\u2019way! Who\u2019d go there? There\u2019s no pub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, as we add a second set of footprints on our trek back to the dinghy, I think about how this evening\u2019s rising tide will cover this sandspit and wash them away. By morning, Island Head Creek will appear just like it was when we sailed in, untouched by humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know I will feel reluctant to sail onward when our provisions run low. But that isn\u2019t a thought for today. I plan to fully savor being truly alone, yet not one bit lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After cruising more than 240,000 miles, US Sailing Hall of Fame inductee Lin Pardey is off to sea again. Her latest book, <em>Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond<\/em>, encourages folks to go simple, go small, and go now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of the best anchorages are the ones without crowds, Wi-Fi or shoreside diversions. Just peace and quiet afloat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":61665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Lin Pardey","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","sponsored_image":false,"sponsored_url":"","social_share":true,"ad_targeting":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[2000,295,199,197,2160],"class_list":["post-61663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-lifestyle","tag-lin-pardey","tag-on-watch","tag-people","tag-print-november-2025"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}