Each marina has a coffee shop or bar where everyone who lives in this port gathers. Well, if you stand in a chair there and raise your hand and say: “Hi, my name is Gleb, and this fall I'm going across the Atlantic for the first time. I'm ready to treat you to a coffee or a beer for a few tips,” there are sure to be people who at least read more about this than you do. There were also those who not only knew the ocean like the back of their hand, but also predicted the outcome of the crossing on my own. This is how I met Dave in Benalmádena, Spain.

He was an elderly pianist at one of these venues and hadn't been anywhere in a while, spending time with those who treated him to beer during breaks. I used to go there for breakfast and dinner because Rachel, who was 19, was standing behind the bar. She was so charming and at the same time very serious beyond her age. I asked her if she knew any experienced captains among her regular customers, and she pointed to the pianist. Note that the action takes place in Spain, but the main characters are British, so to speak, a continuation of the race for the title of maritime power.

Dave told me 1,000 and 1 stories over three dinners that included trade winds and whales, survival in a life raft, and a trade union, and a floating anchor. I had met and asked the elders in the marinas before, but Dave added a lot to my database, and most importantly, he led me off my main path. On the last night, he said that everyone here thinks he's an eccentric, but he sees other people's future and doesn't see his own.

“A fork awaits you at this crossing. It does not depend on your Fordevinds, but on your decision after crossing the Atlantic. Everything will go smoothly for you, but your soul will miss home more than before, and you will have a choice: your own yacht or a career with a constant increase in footage as a hired skipper.”

I've always been a mystic and remember every prediction in my life, from my grandmother's friends to gypsy women attacking my mom. But at the same time, I have always believed that the choice is mine, and they all talk only about probability and possible scenarios.

It was in this city that the third hero of my life appeared, Nikita Borisovich, who first boarded the Dharma and changed the course of events. He was also my student when he worked for Jim, and even though he had been sailing since he was 5, we had a lot to talk about when he was 54. He was the one I called to cross the Atlantic in 2010 as the third member of our humble team. Both Peter and I were aware that it would be difficult for us both, and it was better to have a third opinion on possible upcoming problems on board. Nikita agreed with my offer and said that it was the best gift for his 55th birthday.

This is how the team came together: three of us had 130 years of life experience, and my share was the funniest, but I took them to places I hadn't been to before, and they believed in me more than I believed in myself. I was full of fears and doubts, and Dave's words haunted me, but if you believe him to the end, everything will go easily and calmly. In the evening, we got under the engine towards Gibraltar and tried to keep up with the passing current in the strait. The weather made us manoeuvre, the currents refused to work at our own pace, and by morning we had passed Gibraltar. I woke up to the sound of calm and saw Ocean of Opportunities, which greeted us with three days of calm. It turned out that the only thing that was scary was in front of this door, but as soon as you opened it, everything calmed down, and so did I.

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📸 ocean photo the morning after Gibraltar

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