Featured Blog Posts (255)

Down to the marina early Friday morning to get started with boat chores.  First big effort was to remove a seriously rusted shackle from my secondary anchor rode.  I took it up to the marina’s shop to use my drill and cutting wheel to slice through a chain link as the shackle was so badly corroded that I couldn’t dismantle it.  Once that project was finished I carried the…

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Gee, how's that for a title?  Oh noes!  A nonalliterative title....oh well!

Life continues on in the marina.  I will be moving into the Owl in 2 weeks, around the Fourth of July.

Bogie the bird enjoys being out on the deck in his cage watching and listening to everything.  The man across the dock whistles to him every morning, and Bogie is most enthusiastic joining in the chorus. African Greys are rulers of the whistle...and will always beat you in a…

Everyone heard it here first!!!  OH YEAH!!!  I know we are all maintaining safe boating environments. 

Next week is Hurricane Preparedness Week.  Please see link:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ 

There is even a Hurricane Preparedness Seminar in Orlando.  It's June 1, 2012. …

When earning my degree of Doctor of Education it was said that a main advantage of having acquired such an accolade was that it brought a certain right. When asked what the 'right' was, I was told I would have the right to answer any question with the preference, "It depends." No one knew at that time that I was serious about solo sailing. Truly, this adventure sailing offshore from Port Canaveral, Florida to Sandy Hook New Jersey has been all about depending on the weather.

O.K. I've…

I really have been remiss in keeping up with this blog, but as usual life has gotten in the grand plan a few weeks back we sailed to the Farralone Islands for a good shake down cruise, sucking up a crab pot and sheering off the bolts between the transmission yoke and the flex coupler.   These bolts don’t appear all that difficult but a machinist is required to produce them.  With a little redesign to make them removeable and replaceable in the future we are …

It was overcast today in Orlando...YAY!  Weather is now taking a turn to rain most afternoons right around rush hour.  It's not QUITE to that point, but rain will be coming soon at that time.

Hurricane season starts in 2 weeks...WOW!!!  I was reading the wikipedia article about the history of Orlando.  The article states that Orlando as the location of WDW was chosen by Mr. Walt Disney because it was inland more than Tampa (one possible choice) so hurricanes would probably…

Here I am...congratulating myself about my very "clever" alliterative blog titles lately...YAY ME!!

Out to the Owl this weekend.  Will be preparing for a short cruise in two weeks.  Excited about that...BUT...

I have roaches!  And I don't leave any food onboard most weeks.  However, the owner before me lived on her too, and I would guess they are into their 200th generation or something. 

Yes, I know this is Florida....but I am going to be living out…

not mine, as i do my own work ....someone else does your refitting--you go to sea. it breaks..WHAT YE GONNA DO-- call someone while out there or do it yourself--or will ye make  the trip  return to where it was done and gripe about it not working??   seems to me many do the  latter bit--go back into the original port many miles backsliding from their destination to have original  do-er   redo the work. is ridiculous....why not do it yourself so it is done to your own…

I love summer.  Let me repeat that:  I LOVE summer!!!  It is my favorite time of year, even though it's not the best sailing weather here in the BEST SAILING STATE IN THE US!!!  Wind is generally light.  Yes, it's like you are being ironed when walking outside....but on the water it's always so much better.  YEAH! 

So, I am reading Tom Sawyer for about the umpteeth time this week.  What a fabulously great summer book!  Mark Twain was a GREAT writer, and Tom…

Sailors playing volleyball! Who'd a Thunk? So, here I am practicing sporadic unplanned movements once, twice and sometimes three times a week with a group of folks belonging to a recreational meet up. Years ago I attended a beach volleyball clinic and though I enjoyed the 4 hour instruction I was too busy surfing and sailing to get serious about ball whacking. Previous to that I tried a more serious team approach in college but my skills kept me on the bench during the first two games so…

The United States Coast Guard in response to the recent deaths at the Farralone Islands, have decided to suspend Offshore racing for a period of 30 days while they review the entire process of Offshore Racing from the Northern California area.

So here we are again still moving forward to nprepare for the Pacific Cup, Sunday the 15th Cody and I attended Lee Chesneau's intense weather seminar at the Encinal Yacht Club, it was about 10 hours of very intense surface weather as well as the use of the 500Mb chart to help predict the surface weather and guess where the wind will be.  It was an amazing class and I learned an enormous amount.

Also the life raft has shipped from WQinslow in Florida and should be here in the…

During my mom's final days she reminded me to be thankful I was healthy enough to go to work everyday. If it weren't for my insistence on the way I lived my life, i might have been in a better position to sacrifice my measley salary and  spend more time reading her silly stories, holding her hand, and agreeing to disagree. Mom knew, though, that for me work was my salvation. It wasn't always the money as I asserted. We both knew that. There were just some issues we chose to let…

  I've been working on my Columbia Sabre for the past six weeks, making her nice for her new owner. Most of the work was interior cabinetry and cosmetic. I had to replace bunks, cabinet faces, counter tops, and I painted all of the wood work save two bulkheads and trim, bright white. It really perked up the interior.

While I was at it, I built a new sliding hatch, new lazerette…

After two days of having my sister Jane, and another day having my volleyball coach assist with tying up the nets, they are almost secure. At least if someone were to stumble and fall onto one of them, or cautiously walk across them, the net should hold their body weight. It will be another day or two or three of tying a second row to seriously secure them. Despite careful planning each net was tied on a little differently. Getting the nets organized to stretch equally in all directions was…

We will move the boat to another marina this week.  Bridgeton Harbor Marina will be our new home.  I went over yesterday to drop off some paperwork, visited with Tom, the dock manager, and stopped at Hurricane Marine to check it out.  They had a couple of hard dinghys for sale, one of which has a mast, rudder, oars, sail, and dagger board.  I gave them $50 to hold the boat until my shipmate has a chance to look it over.  It will be a lot of fun to mess about in and will take care of one of…