FAQs

Q: What do you do at night?

A: When we are under way, we sail the boat around the clock, 24 hours a day. To accomplish this, and get adequate sleep, we divide each day up into a series of "watches". During the day, the watches are four hours long. So, Capt. Sharon is responsible for keeping the watch for four hours while Capt. Tracy relaxes or takes care of other chores. Then we swap for the next four hours. At night, it is harder to see and harder to stay alert, so we change the watch every two hours. Normally, on the first night out it is hard to go to sleep quickly so we don't get much rest. By the second night, we are pretty tired, so we tend to fall asleep more easily. After a few days at sea, our bodies adjust to the schedule and it gets easier.

Q: Do you ever get scared?

A: Although we have a lot of confidence in Landfall's ability to handle just about anything the seas throw at us, everybody gets scared from time to time. Remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but is measured in your ability to act when you feel fear. When the wind blows hard and the waves grow large it is normal to experience some fear, but we just stick to our chores and depend on Landfall to take care of us. Also, we have a lot of confidence in each other. We have learned over the years that we can depend on each other to accomplish the task at hand, regardless of the circumstances. Knowing that we are there together gives us strength and confidence.

Q: Why doesn't First Mate Jasmine fly away?

A: Just as we think of Jasmine as a member of our family, she thinks of us as members of her flock. There is really no place that she would rather be than perched on one of our shoulders. Because she was raised in captivity, she doesn't know what life in the wild is like or how to take care of herself away from people.

Q: What about pirates?

A: Contrary to popular belief, there are still pirates lurking in waters around the world today. Fortunately, there is an international agency that reports all acts of piracy around the world, so we can keep up with current active bad spots. Thanks to this reporting, we carefully avoid those areas where pirates are known to operate. Just like when living in a city, you learn which neighborhoods to avoid.

Q: How can you all live full-time on Landfall? Isn't it too crowded?

A: Landfall is 36' on deck and 11'' 5" wide at its widest point at the beam (middle of the boat). The width narrows from the beam as you move towards each end. The bow narrows to a point; the stern narrows down to about 5' wide, leaving us plenty of room in the aft cabin for our sleeping bunk.

Exercise: How much living space is there on Landfall?
Make an outline on the floor using tape, and see how many people can fit in it. Clear the desks and chairs to the sides of the classroom to create a space at least 36' long and 11' wide. Make an outline of Landfall's size using measuring tape and etc. Assign people to measure and mark...