Aleria's Adventures

The Wests’ Awake four seasons cruise What started out as the Commodore’s bold decision to host the first western cruise in the history of the ICC, became the first cruise to suffer two years of postponement due to Covid 19. Planning cruises in the west depends on the weather cooperating, of course. Not only did the pandemic crush all plans of cruising in company, but also the changing climate has infused a measure of additional unpredictability to any planning for scheduled activities, especially in the West, as hurricanes Ophelia and Lorenzo proved in recent years.  In 2022, the brave Western contingent of the ICC took on the post-pandemic challenge of getting members out to the wild west of Mayo and Galway’s wild Atlantic way once again. The itinerary was set over a two-week period with plenty of layover days planned in to allow for weather delays. There was great enthusiasm expressed by members and up to 15 vessels and some 50 people had expressed interest in joining the two-week me

The Salty Dawg Rally has caused a maelstrom of discussion on the cruising forums.  It's easy to second guess the decisions made when you weren't there making them. We like to give the benefit of doubt, but we are most certainly not proponents of organized rallies. None of us can cross oceans with any guarantees. But the choices we make can have a big impact on the results. In our cruising experience, we have noted that people who were on a schedule were often the ones who encountered problems. Schedules make you compromise. Schedules can make you do things you might not have otherwise done, like rushing to get off before you are ready or before that storm system passes by. It applies equally to sailors who have to meet crew at specific times in different places and to those who cruise in company on a schedule.