All Blog Posts Tagged 'sailing' (65)

In the words of Jackie Gleason, "How sweet it is."  Well, I think it was Jackie Gleason. Either way, it is pretty crazy wavering between the excitement of an unknown future and the fear of an unknown future. The minutes drag by while the days fly. With only 3 major boat tasks to do and 3 household items on the list, the common denominator of my paying attention to what is really important and not dwelling on things like dating, reality is making sleep difficult.

 For example, after…

My book is now available in Kindle format as well as paperback  - at Amazon.com.  http://www.amazon.com/Island-Fever-Cruising-Caribbean-Venezuela/dp/1478338814/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351128227&sr=1-1&keywords=island+fever

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And, what have I accomplished? First, and perhaps most importantly I have a realistic view of my finances. Second, I have a serious concern about my boat's seaworthiness. Third, I am overcome with sentimentality. Fourth, I am emerging into those feelings that accompany the Grateful Dead's bemoan, "I Could Be Going to Hell,,,," Fifth, same ol' same ol.

Being precise with my expenditures is critical. For the past 23 months I have lived in ignorance. Not in the sense of being too stupid…

About five years ago two friends and I decided to enter a mini triathalon at Walt Disney World. Voraciously we'd bike, swim, and walk on a regular basis for several months leading up to the event. It was the weekly walks on the beach with Sherry that made me turn my dream into a reality. Both of us talked incessantly about cruising around the world. She wanted a mate, I wanted to go solo.

Lo and behold by summer's end she found her perfect mate while I struggled with a loving husband…

Back at the helm of my Corsair F28 I feel comfortable and confident. She's a fine boat with user friendly self tailing winches, comfortable layout, and speed to get you where you want to go. Her only lacking is her ability to cross the oceans. Out beyond the sight of land, on a passage from Ft. Pierce, Florida to Cape Town. Then around South Africa up through the Madagascar Strait and onward north toward the equatorial islands that scatter throughout the Pacific. Northern Australia, then a…

***** NOW HEAR THIS ! ! *****

All sailors and freinds of sailors. Check out the GDACS site:

The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System provides near real-time alerts about natural disasters around the world and tools to facilitate response coordination, including media monitoring, map catalogues and Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre.…

I get up this morning to read my e-mails and am immediately angered by someone misinterpretting something that was said. Admittedly I argued with myself as to whether I am splitting hairs or dealing with semantics. Either way, with my feathers ruffled, I wrote several seething e-mails, then deleted them when I realized I wasted my swimming hour steaming over trivial matters.

Being the glutten for punishment that I am, I read another e-mail. This one enthralled me. It was from…

In my last post I lamented about the challenges of selecting compatable crew. Having had three team members seek greener pastures, I was torn between frustration and disappointment. The disappointment arose when I questioned for a moment the consequences of my behavior which led to a divorce from a trio I had come to care about. The frustration was facing the challenge of seeking replacements. Fortunately, finding replacements was easier than I thought. Wtihin an hour any sadness I felt was…

Ever been told to wear shoes at the boat ramp? Ever not listen to what you are told? Ever have a sail mate think they know better?

So it was on Friday, May 14 when one of my crew and aspiring small boat racers decided to take her shoes off before getting out of her boat at the ramp. Seems she forgot she was told to wear shoes. Seems she also was clueless about the danger that lurks in the nasty, broken glass, oyster shelled, moss covered slippery ramp waters where we launch…

Ahoy there mateys,

Just did some research on AIS. Like learning to sail, AIS has a language of its own. There is static and dynamic transmission. Does that mean fuzzy sounding versus a really terrific communication?

How about Furuno and Raymarine? Is Furuno related to King Furuk? Recently one was criticized for calling an autopilot an autopilot and not a Raymarine. Does that mean AIS will steer me away from danger?

Ay, here's a clarity. Digital…

Here I am confused again. I was grazing my blog profile and other pages I am not always sure how I navigate to. None the less, a pop up box asked if I wanted to share my blog post on Face Book. Though I have two Face Book accounts, one under my name and the other under a boat I race (Fast Lane), neither are up to date. Regardless, I typed up a little message/story about my current situation, thoughts, and feelings, forgot to save it, and hit…

Now that the International Sunfish Masters Regatta is over I have several thoughts. First, it is true that we become what we focus on. Second, perseverance is my strength. Third, I will win a major event. Perhaps it is a bit narcissist but I believe with proper training and positive reinforcement my dreams will come true.

The night before the regatta I feared being left behind at the start of the 56 boat fleet. This fear became a reality in all 4 our of 7 heats. The worst was…

Dear Catherine, Meg, Robin, Sue, Sue Zee, and Susan,

While sailing in the drizzly rain today a conversation started about fear and how it holds us back. I said one of my approaches to bringing our team to the winner’s circle…