My plans were to sail the entire pacific coast of Costa Rica down to Golfito; I made it no further than my first port of call from Nicaragua - Coco in the gulf of Papagayo. I had to wait for a few days in Nicaragua before crossing the gulf of Papagayo due to high winds. I still managed to see 35 knots on the way across but Callisto embraced the conditions. She is a true blue water boat and really just starts to get her teeth into at 20 knots, at 35 knots I was trible reefed. II am a single…
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Added by PETER PAPPAS on April 11, 2009 at 1:59pm —
3 Comments
Ok, so I bought the WaveRv Wi-Fi antenna and hooked it up. I was curious about adding a 5 ft length of cable and how to determine signal strength so I called the tech support # on the web site. First thing they wanted to know was which trailer park I was in! I told 'em I don't do the trailer park thing! I tried e-mailing for tech support a week ago but still no response.
Added by Bruce on April 6, 2009 at 3:23am —
12 Comments
Those who remember the slight hesitation a millisecond before their first kiss should empathize with future anticipated endeavors. Unlike the long awaited kiss at the doorstep ending our first date, some things come to us for the first time without much fuss or memory. Does anyone remember their first spelling test? How about the very first picture they drew in kindergarten? Really now, does anyone remember the first time they walked three steps.
Then, there are those times that we…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on April 4, 2009 at 7:39pm —
1 Comment
Yes that is what we call it stuff. The things one accumulates over a lifetime. How can we all say oh, I will save that for later. Well later never comes and stuff piles up. We are committed now to take off and go sailing so we are cleaning out our basement which was a catch all. Kids things our things ect. Its just gota go ya know. It is taking time but we are gaining on it and we are both feeling much happier.
Added by Randy on March 28, 2009 at 2:29pm —
4 Comments
Ah well spring has arrived, they say anyway but here in the north we all wonder. We have more upgrades to do this year on MutalFun as we prepare to hopefully depart to the Bahama's in summer of 2010. We took out the old counter top and going to add corian this spring and rework our frig so one side is a freezer. That I have worked out as I have played around the last couple of years getting it right.
Have to finish the installation of the Icom ssb this year as the hardware and…
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Added by Randy on March 28, 2009 at 10:09am —
1 Comment
Harry NIllson said it best in his story/song, "The Point" : we hear what we want to hear. . .
How many times have we 'sailorettes' told our significant other something that they totally don't hear or acknowledge. From the first day my husband, Dan, and I met nearly 30 years ago I said I wanted to sail alone around the world. After all, I had just bought my first boat and read Robin Graham's book the Dove. I knew what I wanted. To this day, as I finally commit to making the dream a…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on March 25, 2009 at 4:32am —
1 Comment
Just when I think I have my life under control I find myself racing from project to project.
First there is the opportunity to increase my blog postings to three per week. Why? because I am transiting into a career as a writer. Writer's must write. In addition to writing up the questions for an upcoming interview I am writing an article to enter in a contest. Second, there is the need to enhance my writing with research. People want facts, not just about me, but about others, about…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on March 21, 2009 at 11:24pm —
1 Comment
I booked a slip at "El Milagro Marina" at Isla Mujeres, Mexico off the Yucatan. I outfitted my boat with two types of radar reflectors (tube& tri-lense), radar, drogue, sea anchor, two bilge pumps (one with high water alarm) two manual bilges, EPIRB, hand held VHF radio and Zodia life raft. I have a Standard Horizon GPS and Garmin hand held for back up. I have Chart View Pro on my laptop and the Garmin interfaces with the program. There is a custom-built nav station and additional berth in…
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Added by Mike Holm on March 18, 2009 at 3:30pm —
4 Comments
Being a born and bred Jersey girl it is embarrassing to admit it wasn't until the summer of 2006 that I figured out where Sandy Hook is and why it is called Sandy Hook. After all, I spent most of my summers growing up at the Jersey shore. Asbury Park was a favorite Friday night spot for the family to stroll the boardwalk, grab the rings on the once famous merry-go-round, and spend endless hours in the penny arcade. These were the days way before Bruce Springsteen presented his paradoxical…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on March 17, 2009 at 11:00pm —
2 Comments
And, sometimes it is the other way around; or perhaps it is a cyclical event. We had a perfectly beautful sail on Friday night followed by a great day of practice boat handling skills on Saturday, ending on Sunday evening in utter frustration as I put waypoints and plotted a route on the GPS. If I am to make land fall at Sandy Point, New Jersey this summer I need to be a whiz at programming the gps. Folks that use them act like it is a simple push of the button.
But, which button?.…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on March 15, 2009 at 9:16pm —
6 Comments
Eight years ago, just about two months into our relationship, we chartered a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands for a week. It was our first experience cruising together. We had such a great time that when we were on the plane on the way back browsing a brochure of the islands, we took a pen and we wrote: “We have to go back!”
Today, as we enter the waters of the British Virgin Islands, that old brochure sits on our chart…
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Added by CAN DRAC on March 13, 2009 at 10:30am —
3 Comments
March 13, 2009, the 45 foot,blue and white sailing vessel Sun Song is overdue on a trip from St. Augustine Fl. to Slidell, La.
Last seen leaving Harbor Town Marina, Ft. Pierce, Fl.
There is one person onboard.
Please report all sightings to USCG Miami 305-415-6800.
Added by Captain Mike Baker on March 14, 2009 at 10:30am —
4 Comments
With 7 women on board, SPRAY, performed flawlessly this evening. I can't believe how much easier and easier she gets to sail. Sure, I still have to be careful around hard objects as with driving any vehicle. But truly, the extra money she cost is worth it. The roller furling jib and screacher eliminate foredeck crew, except for the occasional, oops, whoops, something is caught on the watch --a ma- call- it. By our next outing, of course, everyone will know to call the watch --a ma-- call - it…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on March 13, 2009 at 11:26pm —
5 Comments
I recently spent a couple of days at a resort 2 to 3 miles east of Puerto Barrios Guatemala. It looked like it was built around the ruins of a old spanish fort, very nice. But later, while talking to some locals in Puerto Barrios and Santo Tomas, I was told that it was all fake and that there was never a fort there. It was all built in 1998. Has a Marina, but only one sailboat was tied up there. A fuel dock also. Curious to know if anyone knows the true story of this place. Real ruins or…
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Added by Kevin Kirkendoll on March 9, 2009 at 12:11pm —
4 Comments
Hi, Fidgety II, read your comments. We bought a Pearson 365 ketch and have been readying it for some coastal cruising. This would be our first. Talisman is docked at Madisonville and we plan to make our way east to Mobile or Pensacola sometime late March. Do you have any tips as to marinas or anchorages along the coast? Other interesting places to see, where to eat, etc.? Are you on the north- or southshore? Would love to chat with you about your experiences. Gina & Mike Sibley
Added by Gina Nadas on March 6, 2009 at 12:33pm —
10 Comments
The Cruising Compass received word on Monday that the PCYC is no longer.- Cruisers Told to Move Boats By April 1st. The Cruising Compass received word on Monday that the PCYC is no longer.
According to the Panama Connection SSB net Saturday morning, "The container yard next door to PCYC has for years been trying to acquire the property and received a court order at the end of the day Thursday condemning PCYC and granting them the rights to close PCYC. Since Friday was a holiday and…
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Added by CruisingEditor on March 5, 2009 at 11:41am —
1 Comment
'Gypsy Heart' Sailing Vessel, 28 to 34 feet. 'Bliss' Dinghy, my next home & my first full time live aboard vessel.
This is my first blog and it's about my journey to live aboard & the people and resources I discover along the way.
A gypsy at heart and in my DNA, who's completely in love with the seas and the winds, I want to make my next home aboard.
Most likely a sloop but possibly a catamaran for live aboard, coastal and blue water cruising. Must be single…
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Added by Suky on March 2, 2009 at 6:00am —
3 Comments
It is a good thing my addiction is to sailing, a sport that entices me with a constant challenge. Sometimes the challenge is to get a crew together. Other times, it is a challenge to teach the crew. Still other times, the challenge is to train me. Whatever the challenge sailing keeps me motivated to sail some more.
Three days a week I host dockside chats. Two on my F28 tri and one on a Lindenberg 28. With springtime on her doorstep it is expected our dockside chats will morph into…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on February 23, 2009 at 12:00am —
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Just spent a great morning at the Shark Lab here on South Bimini Island. They are studying Lemon Sharks and the effect that habitat destruction is having on the population. Kristine Stump took time from her busy schedule to explain the process and the work that they are doing. It was fascinating and very informative. We went out to the beach and waded out to a shark pen where we got to meet a young nurse shark and a lemon shark up close and personal. Did you know that if you hold a shark in…
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Added by Jim Jackson on February 19, 2009 at 6:45pm —
1 Comment
We started Cruising Compass as a lark a couple of years ago and it has grown into a really cool gathering of cruisers who are interested in news and notes from around the world. There are 26,000 sailors now reading CC. Mostly they come from North America but many of them are living on their boats and cruising actively about the world. So, if you want to stay in the cruising loop, have some fun and find out what cruisers are up to log on to…
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Added by George Day on February 17, 2009 at 6:30pm —
1 Comment
