Oak Harbor couple returns after two years at sea

Many dream of retirement. John Goebel and Karen Cox of Oak Harbor dreamed of sailing.

As Goebel’s cement truck career came to a close and Cox decided to take a leave from selling properties, they left for Grenada, the chocolate capital of the Caribbean, to learn the ropes of sailing. One year later, they would buy a catamaran named Estrela do Mar, or Sea Star, in Durban, South Africa and spend two years sailing across the Atlantic.

While Goebel grew up fishing in Alaska and the couple had boated through Puget Sound, neither had departed upon anything like this. The trip began with a hired captain to press through swells between Durban and Cape Town.

“It’s called the Wild Coast,” Cox said. “Some of the wildest weather just rolls through there constantly, and it can be really, really difficult.”

They spent five months diving, fishing and sightseeing in South Africa, visiting East London, Port Elizabeth and Mossel Bay, waiting at each respective port for optimal sailing conditions.

“You hop to the next port until you get to the next weather window,” Cox said, “so that’s kind of what we did.”

From there it was nine days to Saint Helena, a volcanic remote British island. In the five days it took between Saint Helena and Ascension Island, the boat’s autopilot malfunctioned.

Sailing and finding time to sleep with such a small crew is nearly impossible without autopilot, Cox said.

“After spending five hours going back to Saint Helena, we turned around again,” she said. “That was a little adventurous.”

Turns out, the autopilot only needed some simple adjustments. Back on track on Ascension Island, they sailed 12 days to Cabedelo, Brazil.

Nearing Christmas, the two returned home by airplane to Oak Harbor, where they picked up a third crew member to join them on the departure from Brazil: their 11-year-old black Lab-golden retriever, Sunny.

From a plank Goebel installed on the back of the boat, Sunny leaped off into the crystal-clear reefs of Middle America.

“Sunny loved it,” Goebel said. “Yeah, he’s a water dog.”

Soon, a series of squalls, sudden storms, smacked them. Goebel and Cox took shifts while the other slept, though sometimes it took two people to run the sails. One night, a 40-knot squall rolled in, and Cox rushed to wake Goebel up. He sprang to the rescue, and the two of them navigated through it safely.

Another night, the wind ripped apart their spinnaker, one of the sails, and they had to take it down mid-storm. It was 15 days back to Grenada.

The two first arrived on the island to wait out hurricane season. This, at first a lonely affair, became one of their favorite stops of the journey.

“It’s very small, uninhabited,” Cox said. “Wonderful water. It’s blue, clear.”

They connected with others taking similar journeys through the Caribbean; as a group they sailed together and held regular barbeques, taco Tuesdays and coffee dates.

“It grew into what I call Camp Grenada,” Cox said. “I think that was my favorite time.”

Despite a few treacherous moments, the couple felt safe, she said. Goebel’s experience in Alaska came in handy.

“He was comfortable, really comfortable out there,” she said. “And thankfully, the Atlantic Ocean is a pretty easy crossing. It’s very consistent winds. The seas are on your stern. You have what’s called the ‘following seas’ the whole way, so it’s a relatively comfortable sail.”

They continued island-hopping north through the Caribbean, and turtles bobbed their head out of the water for air. Rays passed beneath the boat. At night, Cox dropped her dive camera, watching colorful reef fish drawn into the light. Along the way, Goebel spent his time spearfishing.

“John was the lionfish hunter, and he was real good,” Cox said.

Lionfish have soft, white meat and subtle flavor. John cooked his catches right on the boat, baking with lemon butter or frying.

“They’re just a pain to catch and a pain to clean,” Cox added.

The adventure was a major lifestyle adjustment, she said. Each island, they checked into a new country with new paperwork. But the experience was special.

“You can visit any Caribbean island by airplane, and that’s amazing,” she said, “but living and visiting them by sailboat where you know the next island is four or five to six hours away, and then you anchor in this bay and you can kind of hop up the island. You get to see a whole different lifestyle and get to know their culture a little better.”

The final stop was back to Grenada to sell the boat. There was something a little sad about the return home for Goebel, who could have remained out to sea for years to come. Cox, on the other hand, missed her work.

The two have plans to return to South Africa to visit the friends they met along the way. See videos and learn more about the journey at goebelsgoneglobal.com.