For about four years, the most famous crew member aboard the sailboat Swell was a rescued cat called Amelia. Her captain, the Californian surfer and sailor Liz Clark, nicknamed her "Tropicat", and their photographs from the islands of the South Pacific won the pair a large following online.
Liz Clark and the voyage of Swell
Clark first went sailing with her family at the age of nine. In 2006 she left Santa Barbara, California, aboard Swell, a 40-foot Cal 40 sloop, with a plan to sail and surf her way across the Pacific. She has sailed much of the time alone, choosing her course by weather and swell forecasts more than by a fixed itinerary.
Her route took her down the coast of Mexico and Central America, then out into the Pacific to Kiribati and French Polynesia, where she has spent most of the years since. By the time her story went viral in 2016, she had logged more than 18,000 nautical miles; later profiles put the figure above 20,000.
Clark is also an outspoken environmentalist. Her memoir, Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening, published by Patagonia, combines her writing with illustrations and photography from the voyage. She writes about the boat and her life in the islands at swellvoyage.com.
How Amelia the Tropicat came aboard
Clark met Amelia on land in French Polynesia in 2013. The cat was a thin, hungry stray, and Clark first meant only to look after her for a while. Instead the two chose each other. Clark named her after the aviator Amelia Earhart, a fitting namesake for an animal with what she called a "commanding lioness air and carefree bravado".
A sailboat is a demanding home for any cat. Amelia was never fond of the water and fell overboard a few times while she adjusted. Clark's solution was simple: an old towel draped over the side became a ladder that Amelia could use to scramble back onto the deck.
Life at sea with a cat
Amelia earned her place on board. She chased birds, grabbed at fish over the side and, in Clark's words, helped with the navigation. Ashore she joined Clark on beach walks and jungle hikes, climbed trees and pounced around the forest while her captain practised yoga.
She also kept her own schedule. In February 2015 she ran off on an islet and stayed away for 42 days before Clark was able to bring her home to Swell. Their life together moved between the boat, anchorages, a favourite motu where they camped and the docks at Papeete on Tahiti.
If you are thinking of sailing with a pet, plan for it the way Clark did: a way back aboard after a fall, shade and fresh water on deck, regular time ashore and a vet's advice on vaccinations and the entry rules of each country you will visit.
Saying goodbye to Amelia
Amelia's voyage ended on 1 January 2018. She was attacked by a dog and died of her wounds two days later. In a post titled So Hard to Say Goodbye, Clark described burying her with her partner Tahui at their favourite sunset point, and remembered the years they shared aboard Swell.
The photographs below come from those years: the cat on deck, ashore and at home on a 40-foot boat in the middle of the Pacific. For a travelling home on land, read Richard East and Willow’s Van Cat Meow story.
0 comments:
Post a Comment