It's funny how life knocks you around, sometimes to unexpected situations and places. A month ago, I thought Valentina was ready to go back on the water after two and a half years of refitting. It’s not finished, but not having to pay the boatyard fees and been able to use the boat would have been great. I did my last checks on all the systems, and among other things, I let the engine run for a good one hour so. Everything seemed to work fine. The engine started easy (after two years without…
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Added by Marco Garcia on October 14, 2009 at 6:30pm —
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If the weather predictors are to be believed, in 2 days time, Touristtown will be getting 72 degree weather. This after a really hot 2 weeks. Hot even for us.
I guess we will all be getting our parkas out of storage...no, really. We JUST don't like cold weather. In fact, we HATE it. And cold to us is below 75 degrees. LOL This is why I will probably always sail in the south, especially because Florida is the BEST SAILING STATE IN THE US!!!
Got the
Sea Owl out in the…
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Added by Charlotte Radford on October 16, 2009 at 5:08pm —
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Sitting in the last row in an auditorium designed to hold 500 people, I could barely make out the features on the face of my professor. His message, though rings as loud today as it did when he first spoke it. The course was a requirement, "Personal Finance." I debated whether to take basket weaving or flute lessons but decided to be smart and learn how to manage my money. Fast forward 33 years and I'm still making credit card mistakes. Although I am proud to say that for the past 13 years I…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on October 4, 2009 at 6:30pm —
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YAY!!
It is so nice to hear the weatherman say that the "tropics are quiet." This has been pretty much a quiet season. Florida used to get a lot of those, but this is the first time for a while that it has been so calm for so long. Gee, we are only up to Fred on the naming.
It means that O Town residents don't become complacent because there may be one just around the corner hiding, but we aren't so anxious...nervous....worried....or whatever! No fighting over flashlights…
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Added by Charlotte Radford on September 26, 2009 at 6:59am —
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Sunday, I had work to do. And what's the best thing to do when you have deadlines to meet? Well, in the words of Bluto:
TOGA! TOGA!
Well, next best thing is to go sailing. So I did on Sunday.
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Added by Anne on September 22, 2009 at 9:34am —
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September 21 2009, Shilshole Bay: Cruising Plans
Summer is over. Although it is bright and sunny, there is a definite Autumn nip in the air and the shadows are getting long as the sun's arc no longer crosses the top of the sky. Laura is coming down off the frenetic pace as business slows at the end of the season and we are looking forward to spending more time together as West Marine adopts shorter hours for the Winter.
Meanwhile we have been taking full advantage of the…
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Added by Orvil Newton on September 21, 2009 at 4:26pm —
3 Comments
My daughter and I decided to meet up in Miami in the middle of November for vacation. (We are both flying - gratuitous remarks about windward 747s go here...) We are arriving around the 14th. So we are looking to meet up with folks, hopefully find some gentle soul who would like to take us sailing for a day, or a few days, interesting places to stay, things to do, etc.
Added by Gary B on September 20, 2009 at 10:30pm —
6 Comments
Wow, I can't believe it has been nearly ten days since my last entry. Most of the time is spent working as a school counselor, sailing Fast Lane, thinking about sailing my sunfish, working on SPRAY, sending e-mails, reading e-mails, polishing off my first big interview artiicle, and spending time with Sammi, swimming befoe dawn's early light, walking/jogging in the early evenings, sorting pictures, searching for my cell phone, keeping the house tidy, washing, ironing, driving, eating, cooking,…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on September 17, 2009 at 1:17am —
2 Comments
I just returned from Norfolk by car after sailing the boat from CT to Norfolk this past weekend. We left from Westbrook,CT on Friday and arrived on Monday AM. It was a bit short on crew as I had to share my 3rd crew (I prefer at least 4) with a friend from Martha's Vineyard who was alone on his Hans Christian 48. We sailed down as a pair. On Friday, mid-day, we passed by the UN on the way down the East river. We spent a very enjoyable overnight in Sandy Hook then set off mid-day Sat for Norfolk…
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Added by Art Dufresne on September 9, 2009 at 1:12pm —
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Well, as far as assignments go, this one should be excellent! 10 days in the Western Med / Adriatic! And on a Clipper ship! Woohoo! We're sailing on the Royal Clipper from Venice to Rome with stops in Croatia, Greece, Sicily and more!
Hope to post more as time (and bandwidth) permit!
Added by CruisingEditor on September 8, 2009 at 10:29am —
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After a year of frustratingly trying to organize a slide show with the music of my choice I think i finally found a software program I can deal with. It is called Pinnacle. While I have many, many hours of work ahead to get it completed, at least I am confident this program will work. As with my blog, the theme will be sailing at sixty. Interestingly, it has prompted my talent as a photographer, as the storyboard is inspiring me to take pictures of things like the book which got me dreaming of…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on September 8, 2009 at 2:41am —
1 Comment
I slipped the boat this week and have spots of rust at the keel-hull join. The dealer tells me it is not from bolts but from the edge of keel. I also have rust coming from somewhere on the rudder shaft but cant see where without taking the rudder off. Any thoughts.
Added by stephen grainger on September 5, 2009 at 10:14am —
1 Comment
O Town has been pretty much rain city lately. Big storms and lots of lightening. Hey, there's a price you pay to live in the BEST SAILING STATE IN THE USA!!!
Looks like
Erika may decide to party with Florida, but hoping not. If she stays organized, we could get some major rain. Like we need any more!!! It's rainy season now. Watching the grass grow actually means something here in Touristville.
I'm sure everyone out Bahamas way, and around there are feeling rain and…
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Added by Charlotte Radford on September 2, 2009 at 6:11pm —
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I have learned one thing during our sojourn here in the Pacific Northwest: To always take full advantage of good weather, Or, as the old saying goes – “Make hay while the sun shines”. Anyway, that is my excuse for neglecting my correspondence, my blog, the web site, all internet forums and our video series. Who knew that Northwest Washington would actually have a summer (Of sorts) this year?
I am being a bit facetious, of course, but only a little. In truth, we have been enjoying…
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Added by Orvil Newton on August 27, 2009 at 2:43pm —
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Comfortably Numb will be headed from CT to Fl over the next few months. CN is a well fitted Stevens 47 and there are still berths available, so contact me.
The first leg, CT-Annapolis, is taking palce over Labor Day weekend. It's fully subscribed, but lots more to go after that.
Annapolis - Norfolk Sept 18-21
After 11/1 passes the trip resumes
After Nov 1
Norfolk - Wilmington, NC via Intracoastal - 275 NM. Involves stripping masthead to clear…
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Added by Art Dufresne on August 28, 2009 at 5:53pm —
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How lucky I am to have selected a Hobie 18 for my first boat back in 1980. I went to buy a used sunfish and came home with a state of the art racing machine. It is hard for even me to believe I trailered it home behind my brown VW Super Beetle, then washed it every day for two weeks until I met someone who would show me the difference between the mast and the mainsail. Now, 28 years later I'm campaigning a Lindenberg 28 in a local women's series.
I don't know why multi hulls take…
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Added by Marlene A. Sassaman on August 23, 2009 at 8:35pm —
3 Comments
Claudette left the party early and caused some major damage in the Florida panhandle and Alabama. Praying for you all.
Looks like Bill is going to cut up the way eastern part of the US, and won't hit land. Ana is now a tropical depression near Jamaica, but won't affect Tourist Town other than some rain as she swirls up on the western side of Florida.
Hope everyone is staying safe and dry. It's getting to be a pretty busy season...at least for now!
Added by Charlotte Radford on August 18, 2009 at 7:37pm —
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Those of you who know me, know that I'm sailboat addicted. I own 11 sailboats, not counting the Hobie 16 that I cut into pieces yesterday.
Sadly, I never have time to sail any of them except the Columbia 8.7, a heavy keel boat.
Well, today, that changed. I trailered the Aqua Cat 12.5 (12 1/2 foot catamaran) over to Swift Creek Resevoir, and a friend let me use a private ramp to launch.
I'm used to sailing in the big boat,…
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Added by Larry Wilson on August 19, 2009 at 9:04pm —
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August 9, 2009 -- San Diego
Log of the Wasserschloss...
Today we went for a sail through the harbor and bay of San Diego with Judy, PJ, and myself just for the pure enjoyment of the day and wind around 1300 hours!
The winds were fair out of the northeast making for great sailing from Fiddler's Cove to the Coronado Bridge on a single tack. We averaged about 5 to 6 knots under full sail making way very nicely with little traffic on the water. Crossed under the Coronado Bridge…
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Added by Joseph W Baker on August 10, 2009 at 4:43pm —
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Wooohooo! it's been a long time coming, but i finally did it and passed my Captain's License Exams. I am so glad it's over and I can get on with studying fun stuff!
It was an interesting road there: In order to write an article on the subject, I took both an online course and a classroom course. Now I know which one is best for whom. The article will hopefully appear in Blue Water Sailing Magazine sometime soon. In the meantime, be sure to pick up the August Issue where you can find out…
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Added by CruisingEditor on August 7, 2009 at 10:53am —
8 Comments
