Motoring along the calm waters, Michael realized something was wrong. He opened the engine room door to find oil covering the floor. He yelled for Cornnelia to turn off the engine and limped into the Oswego Canal in New York State where they sat for over a week trying to resolve the problem. 

 Everyday brought with it its own routine, which was dictated by the weather, signing in an out of countries, provisioning, laundry, boat repair and maintenance. These daily activities, while living on land are relatively easy, however, water made it a challenge. Each took turns with certain chores. Liam was Gromit’s fisherperson and Zoë and Maïa were the chefs. 

The whole family scrubbed the hull and decks, polished the stainless steel, helped raise the dinghy and performed pre-passage preparations. Anytime someone needed assistance, the kids were there. What once was a family pulled in various directions, was now a team who had each other’s backs. Leaving the Galápagos, Gromit and crew sailed to the French Polynesia. After 21 days at sea, they arrived in the Marquesas anchoring in 60-feet of water with mountains on either side.

Williwaw Barrels Down 

 Several times an hour, a williwaw (sudden, violent wind) barreled down the gulley with an extreme snap that sounded like a high-pitched crack of lightening. Michael had the engines at the ready and the crew on high alert. They had been looking forward to full night’s sleep only to find they were now on round-the-clock anchor watch. 

All surrounding boasts did the same. Eventually, sailors became accustomed to the blast, but still maintained a guarded watch. After a few weeks, the family sailed to Tahiti and then to the Island of Huahine where the children spent 10 months in school learning French. It was a strict system, Cornelia said. The children felt intimidated by the blatant display of classroom discipline

“It was the best social island bar none,” Liam attested. Next was American Samoa where the volcanic mountains provided incredible hiking. The northern most island in Tonga, Tin Can Island, allowed the Gromits to kayak in the volcano.

 Michael in his usual humour commented, “Yep just another day in a Tongan volcano lake. I mean where do you get to paddle in a freshwater lake in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?” Fiji was next and then on to New Zealand where they settled in for seven months. Michael picked up a job painting a house while the crew waited out hurricane season at the equator. 

New Zealand was like Canada. It felt like home, Michael said. It was there he took a breather from the constant worries of boat maintenance. Gromit had two captains: Michael and Cornelia. In fact, it was Cornelia who would take him in and out of tight spots. “For me, this was a very important part of my role aboard Gromit – a point of pride,” she says. As far as the crew was concerned, Gromit was male - not female, as with most boats.

Continuing through Asia, the Gromits stopped in China to eat Peking duck and walk the Great Wall. Traversing to India, the family hopped on camels to explore the Thar Dessert in Rajasthan and rafted the white water of the Ganges River before sliding down the continent to Sri Lanka, which proved to be one of the best passages. Another equator crossing on the Indian Ocean to the Maldives became a boisterous and bossy experience. Onwards to the Atolls of Chagos – south of the Maldives - in the heart of the Indian Ocean. 

There they made friends with the crew of Simanderal whose boat sank on route to Madagascar a week before Gromit set out on the same route. “Simanderal sank due to rudder failure, which caused water ingress that they could not contain. 

They fought for 18 hours before being rescued by a freighter and taken to South Africa. LIAM It was shocking and very upsetting, knowing we would be following their route very soon,” said Michael. Cutting through the waves they were concerned about their rudder, hoping it would remain strong. 

After 17 days on choppy, unfriendly waters and eating their share of mahi-mahi caught off the stern, everyone wanted to touch land. But the ocean wasn’t finished with them. Michael saw a squall heading their way. The jib was out when the full brunt of the wind hit. 

Gromit heeled to such a degree that down below the kids saw the vast ocean before their eyes as it came up over the toe-rail and washed upwards on the starboard porthole. “It nearly came level with the cabin top as if, preparing to swallow Gromit whole,” Liam attests. Like the trusty vessel he is, Gromit righted himself and carried on.

“Now that I am back on land I can’t seem to relate as easily. You see, I want to be friends with everyone, but they fork off into their own cliques.” 

Maïa pipes in. She misses the genuine deep, rich conversation she had with sailors as they watched the huge orange fiery sunset fade beyond the ocean’s edge. “I am so used to adventures and just living in the moment,” she said. 

“Friends my age are consumed with their devices and documenting a priceless moment that they miss out on the moment altogether. It’s hard to relate.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMkIuKXwmlU