June 9, 2008 - Monday 2am 35d33'N 63d20'W
Last night we motored North to find wind and after 8 hours motoring we never found any wind that could be considered impressive, but fuel is fuel and at some point it is necessary to conserve it. So when we got up to 35 degrees north, we started sailing again. There wasn't much wind and unfortunately it was behind us. Non-sailors think that wind behind you is where you want it, but that is only true if there is plenty of it. When winds are light, you want them sort of in front of you or alongside you. Think of riding your bicycle 5MPH directly into a headwind of 5MPH. You will feel a wind of 10MPH on your face, right? Now turn the bike around and go directly downwind. When you are going downwind 5MPH in a 5MPH wind, you feel zero wind! It is calm until you stop the bike. That is what we had in those light conditions. It was blowing 6K, and we were going forward (downwind)at 2.5K and so the boat only felt 3.5K blowing over it. That wasn't enough to move it very well. If we had turned around and headed upwind, we would have felt the full 6K of wind and would have started moving forward and the faster we went, the more wind we would feel. So in that initial 6K wind, we would have been going 4K forward and would have felt 10K over the boat.
Oh well, let's not belabor this. I don't have anything better to do, but you probably do!
So all day we sailed downwind in light winds and averaged about 3.2 knots, but at least in the right direction. We took on all kinds of projects. I serviced the engines, Andi cleaned and cooked, and Merritt cleaned out the junk drawer and fixed the clamps that hold pots on the stove. Very pleasant and we felt most virtuous.
Dinner featured a stew that Andi learned how to make in Costa Rica, washed down with a most excellent Jumilla wine from Spain brought by Merritt.
After dinner, the wind increased and shifted a bit. We set the spinnaker pole and started running directly downwind with the jib on one side of the boat and the mainsail on the other. The autopilot can steer directly downwind flawlessly. Pretty soon we were making more than 6 knots right on course for the Azores. Yes!!! This is wonderful sailing. The boat is level and not rolling too much; the wind isn't so strong that we are afraid of breaking anything; and it is quiet enough to sleep well (which my colleagues are doing).
The scenery remains about the same - water all around and not much else, but we are warm and dry and well-fed. Things could be worse. Oh, and the bugs are dying off. North Carolina is not exactly bugless and when we left, we had quite a collection of critters with us. The flies got swatted or died of old age. The mosquitos were hiding in the curtains and came out the first night and ate us. Then they died. Today, Merritt found an ant in his bed, but little by little they are all dying off and we are enjoying their absence. I don't think anything itches anymore. Another blessing duly counted.
When we get to the internet, I'll go back and put some pictures in the blog, but I can't send them over Sailmail.
Have a great day.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Day 5 with light winds
June 7, 2008 Saturday 9 pm
Today the wind dropped off in the morning and we got slow but mellow sailing all day. We were able to maintain 3 knots of progress in the right direction so didn't feel like we needed to motor. On the other hand, Herb, our weather guru told us that we should get up to 35 degrees latitude for stronger winds and we couldn't seem to get above 34 degrees. We were going as high as the wind would allow with the sails sheeted in. If we tacked to go north, we would be making no progress at all to the east which is where we want to go, so we held on hoping that the wind would allow us to head more north. Wrong! Finally the wind quit altogether and after fooling around with some light sails for a while and getting a gentle chiding from Herb for not going where the wind was, we quit fooling around and turned on the engine to motor the 60 miles north. That is what we are doing at this minute. It is not very exciting, but by morning we should be sailing again after going through 6 gallons of diesel fuel.
On the other hand, the light conditions allowed Andi to indulge a fit of domesticity. She cleaned the boat, rinsed the cockpit cushions to get the salt out of them, made Walter's killer mojitos, and then crafted a dinner with some kind of Asian stir fry and some seared ahi tuna....accompanied by some Chardoney. And all this while listening to another of Tony's bands on the CDs he gave us before leaving. So now Andi and Merritt are tucked in their little beds snoozing and yours truly, the designated driver, is sitting here typing away.
There isn't anything much to do except start a new book. It is very lonely out here. We saw a ship a couple of days ago. In fact Merritt lost a few minutes off his life while the ship altered course to avoid hitting us. He woke me up to ask what to do about it, but the ship had already made the maneuver. Other than that ship, very little is going on. We saw some porpoises today and some shearwaters followed the boat. They didn't want the stale bread Andi offered them, so went away hungry.
We have 1667 miles to go now and are at 34d 37' N and 65d 24. W. I still haven't heard whether Google Earth will take latitude and longitude input so am waiting to hear from one of you who has succeeded at it. In the meanwhile, we are living well and are now some 600 miles away from the US of A. It could be worse - we could be selling used cars.
Today the wind dropped off in the morning and we got slow but mellow sailing all day. We were able to maintain 3 knots of progress in the right direction so didn't feel like we needed to motor. On the other hand, Herb, our weather guru told us that we should get up to 35 degrees latitude for stronger winds and we couldn't seem to get above 34 degrees. We were going as high as the wind would allow with the sails sheeted in. If we tacked to go north, we would be making no progress at all to the east which is where we want to go, so we held on hoping that the wind would allow us to head more north. Wrong! Finally the wind quit altogether and after fooling around with some light sails for a while and getting a gentle chiding from Herb for not going where the wind was, we quit fooling around and turned on the engine to motor the 60 miles north. That is what we are doing at this minute. It is not very exciting, but by morning we should be sailing again after going through 6 gallons of diesel fuel.
On the other hand, the light conditions allowed Andi to indulge a fit of domesticity. She cleaned the boat, rinsed the cockpit cushions to get the salt out of them, made Walter's killer mojitos, and then crafted a dinner with some kind of Asian stir fry and some seared ahi tuna....accompanied by some Chardoney. And all this while listening to another of Tony's bands on the CDs he gave us before leaving. So now Andi and Merritt are tucked in their little beds snoozing and yours truly, the designated driver, is sitting here typing away.
There isn't anything much to do except start a new book. It is very lonely out here. We saw a ship a couple of days ago. In fact Merritt lost a few minutes off his life while the ship altered course to avoid hitting us. He woke me up to ask what to do about it, but the ship had already made the maneuver. Other than that ship, very little is going on. We saw some porpoises today and some shearwaters followed the boat. They didn't want the stale bread Andi offered them, so went away hungry.
We have 1667 miles to go now and are at 34d 37' N and 65d 24. W. I still haven't heard whether Google Earth will take latitude and longitude input so am waiting to hear from one of you who has succeeded at it. In the meanwhile, we are living well and are now some 600 miles away from the US of A. It could be worse - we could be selling used cars.
Friday, June 06, 2008
3 days now
June 6, 2008 Friday 10 pm
Hi again, we've covered 504 miles in the last 3 days and the wind is finally dropping. It is down to 8-9 knots and we are doing about 4.5 knots. After the boisterous conditions we've seen, the lighter winds are sort of a vacation. For dinner, Andi made her famous Gambas Ajillo over rice with a nice salad. The dinner was complimented by some smooth jazz from one of the bands that son Tony is currently playing in. It is much easier to cook with the boat nearly level and not throwing you from wall to wall. It should pick up again tomorrow, but I'm hoping we won't end up parked tonight later. For the first time, the back porch isn't roaring with the stern wave...just a gentle gurgle.
Our current position is 34d 36.79' N and 66d 53.67' W. I know that some of you are following us on a chart, so that will help you plot. Another easy way is to enter the latitude and longitude in Google Earth (I think it does that). If you don't have Google Earth on your computer, you are missing out on a fun toy. It is a free download. Type it in the Google search box and it the address for it will come right back. You install it on your computer and it will then go to satellite imagery on the internet to find cities and even the house you grew up in. Just type an address and it zooms in on your childhood memories. But I digress. Still, for our grandchildren who are old enough to use computers, this might be a fun way to participate. If you ask Google Earth for the Azores (Flores, our first landfall), it will zoom in on the islands and then you can click a bunch of blue dots, each of which will show you a photo taken from that location. It's pretty cool!
Speaking of cool, it isn't all that cool. I haven't put a shirt on yet and it is 10 pm. I'm glad we left when we did. We heard that there was a sailing rally that left the East Coast in early May and they got hammered. Knock on wood, so far this is perfect.
Best to all - don't be afraid to write.
Hi again, we've covered 504 miles in the last 3 days and the wind is finally dropping. It is down to 8-9 knots and we are doing about 4.5 knots. After the boisterous conditions we've seen, the lighter winds are sort of a vacation. For dinner, Andi made her famous Gambas Ajillo over rice with a nice salad. The dinner was complimented by some smooth jazz from one of the bands that son Tony is currently playing in. It is much easier to cook with the boat nearly level and not throwing you from wall to wall. It should pick up again tomorrow, but I'm hoping we won't end up parked tonight later. For the first time, the back porch isn't roaring with the stern wave...just a gentle gurgle.
Our current position is 34d 36.79' N and 66d 53.67' W. I know that some of you are following us on a chart, so that will help you plot. Another easy way is to enter the latitude and longitude in Google Earth (I think it does that). If you don't have Google Earth on your computer, you are missing out on a fun toy. It is a free download. Type it in the Google search box and it the address for it will come right back. You install it on your computer and it will then go to satellite imagery on the internet to find cities and even the house you grew up in. Just type an address and it zooms in on your childhood memories. But I digress. Still, for our grandchildren who are old enough to use computers, this might be a fun way to participate. If you ask Google Earth for the Azores (Flores, our first landfall), it will zoom in on the islands and then you can click a bunch of blue dots, each of which will show you a photo taken from that location. It's pretty cool!
Speaking of cool, it isn't all that cool. I haven't put a shirt on yet and it is 10 pm. I'm glad we left when we did. We heard that there was a sailing rally that left the East Coast in early May and they got hammered. Knock on wood, so far this is perfect.
Best to all - don't be afraid to write.
1850 miles to go....
June 6, 2008 Friday - evening watch
Hi folks,
When we started, the GPS told us that we had 2220 miles to reach Flores, the first island in the Azores. Now, there are only 1850 to go.
We have been tearing up the ocean, "hastening down the wind" as some song goes. With the wind behind us, we can tolerate quite a bit of it and it has been around 20 knots all day. That means that we have been scooting along, but there are following waves that throw us around a bit. The motion is not very comfortable. The best thing is to lay down, or wedge yourself into a seat and stay put. Trying to do things can lead to strong language - hey, sailors do it because the sea makes them. But, we are sure getting there. Yesterday, we averaged 7 knots which is very nice for a boat this size.
We have been out of the Gulf Stream for a long time now so we are just getting normal Atlantic sailing. There are little phosphorescent sparkles in the water as we sail along in the dark. What ever happened to the moon? Did somebody forget to pay the moon bill. We haven't seen it since we left. Last night, with just stars and planets, I could see to move around in the cockpit. Tonight it is overcast, so it's pretty dark out...like a pocket. To look for ships, I turn on the radar every 15 minutes or so. But there is nothing around. We haven't seen a ship since yesterday. It is very moist in this neighborhood. All the cushions in the cockpit have a clammy feel. When you sit on them, you get a wet butt. If you stay there for a while, it becomes a warm, wet butt. It's not particularly cold out here. Shorts are fine all night, but to sleep in a proper bed, it is necessary to have a special pair of shorts for sleeping that have never been wet. All this so you don't feel too envious. Our rosemary and mint plants are flourishing. Jeff's daisies are still going strong.
There are a few sailboats in the vicinity (within a few hundred miles). We have been talking to them on the radio. Two are going to Bermuda, so they are heading South. And there is one of our sister ships, another Sceptre 41, Solstice, out of San Francisco. I have been exchanging emails with them for months. They read this blog to see how things are going for us and now they are 50 miles astern. It will be a mini-race since they are also headed directly to the Azores. Except they are just a couple and are guarding their strength. They reef the sails at night on general principles, so I think we're going to get there first.
There is lightning far away on the horizon. We are following a small storm across the Atlantic, but it's staying ahead of us. At some point, the winds will lighten up a bit, making for more comfort aboard, but costing us some of the miles that we are now making. Maybe we can find that happy medium.
Well, I didn't send this last night and I just awoke from a very sound sleep to find that there are only 1797 miles to go. Yay!
Hi folks,
When we started, the GPS told us that we had 2220 miles to reach Flores, the first island in the Azores. Now, there are only 1850 to go.
We have been tearing up the ocean, "hastening down the wind" as some song goes. With the wind behind us, we can tolerate quite a bit of it and it has been around 20 knots all day. That means that we have been scooting along, but there are following waves that throw us around a bit. The motion is not very comfortable. The best thing is to lay down, or wedge yourself into a seat and stay put. Trying to do things can lead to strong language - hey, sailors do it because the sea makes them. But, we are sure getting there. Yesterday, we averaged 7 knots which is very nice for a boat this size.
We have been out of the Gulf Stream for a long time now so we are just getting normal Atlantic sailing. There are little phosphorescent sparkles in the water as we sail along in the dark. What ever happened to the moon? Did somebody forget to pay the moon bill. We haven't seen it since we left. Last night, with just stars and planets, I could see to move around in the cockpit. Tonight it is overcast, so it's pretty dark out...like a pocket. To look for ships, I turn on the radar every 15 minutes or so. But there is nothing around. We haven't seen a ship since yesterday. It is very moist in this neighborhood. All the cushions in the cockpit have a clammy feel. When you sit on them, you get a wet butt. If you stay there for a while, it becomes a warm, wet butt. It's not particularly cold out here. Shorts are fine all night, but to sleep in a proper bed, it is necessary to have a special pair of shorts for sleeping that have never been wet. All this so you don't feel too envious. Our rosemary and mint plants are flourishing. Jeff's daisies are still going strong.
There are a few sailboats in the vicinity (within a few hundred miles). We have been talking to them on the radio. Two are going to Bermuda, so they are heading South. And there is one of our sister ships, another Sceptre 41, Solstice, out of San Francisco. I have been exchanging emails with them for months. They read this blog to see how things are going for us and now they are 50 miles astern. It will be a mini-race since they are also headed directly to the Azores. Except they are just a couple and are guarding their strength. They reef the sails at night on general principles, so I think we're going to get there first.
There is lightning far away on the horizon. We are following a small storm across the Atlantic, but it's staying ahead of us. At some point, the winds will lighten up a bit, making for more comfort aboard, but costing us some of the miles that we are now making. Maybe we can find that happy medium.
Well, I didn't send this last night and I just awoke from a very sound sleep to find that there are only 1797 miles to go. Yay!
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Computer problem fixed
June 5, 2008 13:45 Zulu
Whew! We got it fixed! It was a loose battery in the back. Just lucky that I turned it over before putting it into deep storage. Our other computer works, too so we weren't really going to be out of communication. We are now 277 miles from Beaufort and the wind is going aft which makes for very smooth and pleasant sailing although a bit slower. Our weather Guru, Herb, seems to be suggesting that we can just sail straight for the Azores. Simple - I like simple.
Whew! We got it fixed! It was a loose battery in the back. Just lucky that I turned it over before putting it into deep storage. Our other computer works, too so we weren't really going to be out of communication. We are now 277 miles from Beaufort and the wind is going aft which makes for very smooth and pleasant sailing although a bit slower. Our weather Guru, Herb, seems to be suggesting that we can just sail straight for the Azores. Simple - I like simple.
So you can expect to hear from us on a regular basis.
Our first full 24 hour run
June 4, 2008 Wednesday
This afternoon at around 4pm we finished our first 24 hour run. The speedo said 155 miles and that included the early mellow sailing off Beaufort and the fact that I did not calibrate the speedo for the first 12 hours. I would guess that we actually made 165 miles. For a 41 foot boat, that is not shabby. The wind was generally behind us or alongside, which is fast. And the wind was strong quite a bit of the time. As we came out of the Gulf Stream, it got very lumpy and since it was blowing 22 knots and up, I doubled reefed the mainsail. That tamed things down nicely and after a few hours, we put it all back up since the wind had dropped to 17K and the seas had moderated. We were glad to be clear of the Gulf Stream and things are now more normal. We are doing 7.5 knots with a 17K reaching wind.
This afternoon at around 4pm we finished our first 24 hour run. The speedo said 155 miles and that included the early mellow sailing off Beaufort and the fact that I did not calibrate the speedo for the first 12 hours. I would guess that we actually made 165 miles. For a 41 foot boat, that is not shabby. The wind was generally behind us or alongside, which is fast. And the wind was strong quite a bit of the time. As we came out of the Gulf Stream, it got very lumpy and since it was blowing 22 knots and up, I doubled reefed the mainsail. That tamed things down nicely and after a few hours, we put it all back up since the wind had dropped to 17K and the seas had moderated. We were glad to be clear of the Gulf Stream and things are now more normal. We are doing 7.5 knots with a 17K reaching wind.
Seas are smooth and we had another pleasant dinner. Then all hands had a hot shower before starting night watches. I'm sorry, but I like these creature comforts. There are some sailors who like to do everything the old fashioned way and I guess it works for them. We were doing things the old fashioned way back in the 70's and have outgrown it. This boat is a Cadillac! We've sent out all kinds of email, made some fresh water, downloaded weatherfax charts, and talked to Herb - a former cruiser who now does weather routing for cruising crossing oceans. Herb is a former weatherman and recommends that we stay to the South at about 34 degrees North for the next few days to avoid heavy weather up above 36 North. (The Azores are 39 North) Sure! I don't need to be told twice - I don't like being cold, wet, or scared. We are sailing right along 34 North - actually were doing that before Herb, but it's nice to have a more educated opinion.
The sun is about to go down and we are expecting more wind in the middle of the night. But we've reefed the sail several times already and it is really easy, so any one of us can do it without calling for assistance. Life is good. Pray for gentle winds. A bunch of you sent emails - thanks, it feels good to feel connected.
Computer problems
June 5, 2008
Hi folks,
OUr new computer isn't turning on for some reason, so I'm sending you this with the old one and it won't work on ship's batteries, so if you don't hear from us, it is not that we are having a problem, but that we can't send email.
We're sailing along fine, having gone 275 miles so far. 34d 05.46'N 71d 17.89' W
Other than the computer, all is well. Hopefully I'll get it fixed but otherwise you won't hear from us until the Azores. More later.
Hi folks,
OUr new computer isn't turning on for some reason, so I'm sending you this with the old one and it won't work on ship's batteries, so if you don't hear from us, it is not that we are having a problem, but that we can't send email.
We're sailing along fine, having gone 275 miles so far. 34d 05.46'N 71d 17.89' W
Other than the computer, all is well. Hopefully I'll get it fixed but otherwise you won't hear from us until the Azores. More later.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Across the Gulf Stream
June 4, 2008 Wednesday 9:45AM EST
Well, we had a boisterous night last night. Shortly after the last blog entry (titled "Viva Mexico" - reusing a previous entry) the wind increased until we had to reef the mail and roll up a quarter of the jib. With shortened sail, we just roared along (bouncily) . The current was helping and we saw more than 10 knots in speed over the bottom. We were only doing about 8 through the water, but who's complaining. I think our first day at sea will be in the range of 170 miles made good. We started out close reaching, but as we have gone along the wind has come further aft and I just took out the reef. We have a true wind of 16 knots on the quarter (sailor talk, sorry). How nice is that!
We had a fine dinner out in the cockpit before the wind came up higher, so we started out in gracious fashion. We've gone a bit downhill since then, but with the wind aft, the boat is level and less wave action, so lunch could have possibilities.
We must be getting to the far side of the Gulf Stream since the water is full of Sargassum Weed. The Stream has water that is a beautiful indigo blue.
Our friends, Jeff and Ellen, gave us a bouquet of daisies and other flowers before we left, and through all the rocking and rolling last night, they sat in the galley and reminded us of more tranquil living.
Just for the record, our current position is 34d 03.89N and 74d 37.47W.
We are having fun in a kind of adventurous way. If we keep this kind of wind, it will be a quick passage.
Best to ya...
Well, we had a boisterous night last night. Shortly after the last blog entry (titled "Viva Mexico" - reusing a previous entry) the wind increased until we had to reef the mail and roll up a quarter of the jib. With shortened sail, we just roared along (bouncily) . The current was helping and we saw more than 10 knots in speed over the bottom. We were only doing about 8 through the water, but who's complaining. I think our first day at sea will be in the range of 170 miles made good. We started out close reaching, but as we have gone along the wind has come further aft and I just took out the reef. We have a true wind of 16 knots on the quarter (sailor talk, sorry). How nice is that!
We had a fine dinner out in the cockpit before the wind came up higher, so we started out in gracious fashion. We've gone a bit downhill since then, but with the wind aft, the boat is level and less wave action, so lunch could have possibilities.
We must be getting to the far side of the Gulf Stream since the water is full of Sargassum Weed. The Stream has water that is a beautiful indigo blue.
Our friends, Jeff and Ellen, gave us a bouquet of daisies and other flowers before we left, and through all the rocking and rolling last night, they sat in the galley and reminded us of more tranquil living.
Just for the record, our current position is 34d 03.89N and 74d 37.47W.
We are having fun in a kind of adventurous way. If we keep this kind of wind, it will be a quick passage.
Best to ya...
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Viva Mexico
June. 3, 2008 Off Beaufort, NC
We left Oriental at 10:30 this morning with a great sendoff from local friends Larry, Julie, Mick and others. It was amazing. We were so ready that there was no real stress to it all. We just went out and started the voyage. The only stress was that we had to raise the sails so that Mick could shoot some video of us (which I'm sure we'll be glad to have). But having to raise the sails after they had been down for so long meant that there were snafus in the rigging. But we quickly worked them out and I'm sure the video will be great.
We motored down Adams Creek and past Beaufort and Morehead City. As soon as we started out to sea we raised the sails and found a pleasant breeze, maybe 9 to 10 knots. So we are going upwind in light airs, moving along nicely with almost no waves whatsoever. If you have to go to windward, this is as nice as it gets. Everything (almost) is working well and things look positive. It's nice out here. It's starting to get dark and we will be starting night watches. I'm typing this now because we are charging batteries and I want to use the radio while we have the power.
We miss all you Oriental folks - and of course, all of our old friends from a former life. Hope to see you in Spain.
Finally on our way....
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Today we will be leaving in just a few hours. Meanwhile, here is our last chance to show you a few pictures:
Here we see Andi sewing on the new canopy that will shade the boat. The marina was good enough to let her use the floor in the store and she sewed for about 7 days.
Last week we went to a party at some friends house and Andi captured this artzy shot of a boat tied up at the dock behind the house. There are lots of waterfront homes around here, which is why so many sailors have settled here...well, that and the good company.
Here we are in the shade of the new canopy. The artist was good enough to allow me to pose here too, even though I provided little but moral support.
Finally, another artzy shot showing what will happen if you don't maintain your boat. Our friend Jeff has painted this scene, but all we have is the photo.
Our friend Merritt arrived from CA last night, all the groceries are stowed, so today we untie the dock lines and head out to the ocean through Beaufort, NC. The weather forecast is great and so we are really looking forward to it.
We want to thank all the wonderful friends that we made in Oriental this year for being such terrific people. This is a stellar community and we will miss all of you.
Until later....
Today we will be leaving in just a few hours. Meanwhile, here is our last chance to show you a few pictures:
Here we see Andi sewing on the new canopy that will shade the boat. The marina was good enough to let her use the floor in the store and she sewed for about 7 days.
Last week we went to a party at some friends house and Andi captured this artzy shot of a boat tied up at the dock behind the house. There are lots of waterfront homes around here, which is why so many sailors have settled here...well, that and the good company.
Here we are in the shade of the new canopy. The artist was good enough to allow me to pose here too, even though I provided little but moral support.
Finally, another artzy shot showing what will happen if you don't maintain your boat. Our friend Jeff has painted this scene, but all we have is the photo.Our friend Merritt arrived from CA last night, all the groceries are stowed, so today we untie the dock lines and head out to the ocean through Beaufort, NC. The weather forecast is great and so we are really looking forward to it.
We want to thank all the wonderful friends that we made in Oriental this year for being such terrific people. This is a stellar community and we will miss all of you.
Until later....
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Saeta going down the highway!!!
May 6, 2008In the boatyard. Here is Saeta being hauled out. They ran her down a short stretch of public street to get to the back end of the boatyard, so we could have been subject to the Vehicle Code for 100 yards or so. Now we are parked in the yard and are hard at work making her shiny. I have reached the stage in life when bottom paint is applied by others. My lovely wife supports me in this - perhaps because she doesn't like boatyard work a whole lot. Hopefully in a week we'll be back in the water.
Late flash: we are back in the water and have done our second big concert here in town. It went well. Now we are relaxing a little, but we only have 2 more weeks before we start across the Atlantic, so there is no lack of projects. We have to buy all the things that we can imagine needing that would be very expensive in Spain.
Write or call - life is short.
Here's a few of the boatyard locals. Daffy, the dark one, was always frantically hungry.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Proud grandparents - although what did we do?
May 3, 2008
Well, I guess we passed along a certain enthusiasm about reproduction. Children who grew up on a boat must have learned more about that than children from large ranch houses. Anyway, this is a seriously cute kid! Looks like red hair, too. So we are proud.
Other than being grandparents, we are just enjoying local life here in Oriental. We have another concert in 2 weeks and I will make a DVD from it - I'll get friends to run the new camera. Next Monday, we are going into the boatyard to get the boat ready for the Atlantic. That should take about a week and a whole lot of money. The bottom paint is $240/gallon and we need 3 gallons. It takes a lot of money to poison all those barnacles. But it will be cheaper here than in Europe and this paint job should last us for 2 years.
We have a slip reserved in Rota, Spain. If you're really curious about where we will be living, Google "Rota, Spain" and you will find some interesting travel sites, some with videos. The cool thing is that Rota is right in the heart of flamenco country and the marina is right next to the main town square with 2 flamenco clubs within 2 blocks. The marina is the same price as staying here, so we should be able to keep the costs in line if we stay out of restaurants except for special occasions. The Euro is getting cheaper because the powers-that-be in both Europe and the US have figured out that the dollar has gotten too weak and are taking remedial steps, however slowly.
It is very difficult to sail in the Med during the winter, so sailors all hole up for the winter. We have winter 2008 all reserved and in Spring 2009 we will head for Italy. We've been looking at a town named Gaeta for wintering there. Plenty of time to worry about that, tho. I am really looking forward to Italy. Perhaps some of our friends/family will take advantage of us and come visit? Don't forget to check out the improvements on the website www.sailingflamenco.com. We've added lots of new pages with photos, videos, and even pages in Spanish. Let us know how you like it.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Playing around with video
April 10, 2008
Ah yes, I'm being a bachelor again. Andrea is out in California visiting her daughter and so I am taking advantage of her absence to do things that I can do best alone - like changing the oil and playing flamenco. Now, you would think that I could play flamenco anytime without bothering her, but when you are a musician, you want to practice. And that may mean repeating something a few times. Whatever it is, I don't want to bother her, so when she is here I tend to play flamenco, not practice it.
After she left, it took some days before I realized that I had an opportunity to practice. What fun! And then I realized that I could set up my sound studio and do some recording as well. And as long as I was at it, I could make a video so that I could put it up on YouTube. So that is what I did. I recorded the sound directly into the computer and then put that sound into the video editor and deleted the sound track from the camera. I have a DVD of the same thing and it looks great. Unfortunately, YouTube only allows a resolution of 320 by 240, not very sharp. Oh well, if you want to watch it, here it is - it's sort of an artistic statement - "OK, this is what I have accomplished in a half-century". Hope you enjoy...
Ah yes, I'm being a bachelor again. Andrea is out in California visiting her daughter and so I am taking advantage of her absence to do things that I can do best alone - like changing the oil and playing flamenco. Now, you would think that I could play flamenco anytime without bothering her, but when you are a musician, you want to practice. And that may mean repeating something a few times. Whatever it is, I don't want to bother her, so when she is here I tend to play flamenco, not practice it.
After she left, it took some days before I realized that I had an opportunity to practice. What fun! And then I realized that I could set up my sound studio and do some recording as well. And as long as I was at it, I could make a video so that I could put it up on YouTube. So that is what I did. I recorded the sound directly into the computer and then put that sound into the video editor and deleted the sound track from the camera. I have a DVD of the same thing and it looks great. Unfortunately, YouTube only allows a resolution of 320 by 240, not very sharp. Oh well, if you want to watch it, here it is - it's sort of an artistic statement - "OK, this is what I have accomplished in a half-century". Hope you enjoy...
Friday, March 28, 2008
Georgia and back again
March 27, 2008
I know I'm in trouble again for not writing for a while. We went to Athens, Georgia to visit Katherine and Chad, old friends from Santa Cruz who have relocated there. We found rural Georgia to be very scenic and the people very friendly. The Athens area is a very hip part of Georgia, sorta like Asheville is to NC. We spent a weekend visiting, seeing the local sights, and doing a house concert that paid for the fuel costs to get there and back - not bad! It was a 9 hour road trip, so we got pretty saddlesore.
Andi is in CA visiting family and friends and so I am taking advantage of the empty boat to do all kinds of messy projects. Progress is getting made. Old family friend, Merritt, is going to be joining us on the trip to the Azores and I want to have all the projects done before he gets here. We leave on June 2, if the weather be good.
Last night I watched a Michael Moore movie, Sicko. It is a MUST SEE! He takes on the Medical Insurance companies and drug companies. I know that MM is a blatant propagandist, but he is almost the only one taking the opposite point of view from the official propaganda fed to us daily by the mega-gazillion dollar drug companies and HMOs (who have more lobbyists than we have congressmen). Even from my personal experience as a reasonably healthy person, I can see that every year claims submitted to HMOs get more and more scrutiny as they try to squeeze out a little more profit for their shareholders. My dermatologist has been trying to collect for my visit last July to get some pre-cancerous stuff cut off my skin. Blue Cross is trying not to pay even though they have collected a minimum of $600/month for my entire working life and often twice that. The official line is that a single-payer system like they have in Canada is inefficient and produces poor quality health care - we get told that and we somehow buy it. Well, I walked over and asked the Canadian across the dock about the Canadian health care plan. He loves it. He had a hip replacement - zero cost and he only waited 3 weeks to have it done. We are getting snookered here! Check out this movie and watch the special features, too. It is healthy to be skeptical about things that are fed to us in the media - managing us is a huge corporate priority, so wherever there is a profit being made, the news from that source is suspect. Health Care is too important to come from a for-profit business that increases their revenues by discouraging medical service!
OK, enough soapbox. Write or call. Oh, check out the improved website - www.sailingflamenco.com.
Here is the house where we stayed.
Here are Andrea and Katherine.
Our host owned a pair of donkeys.
Part of our tour included seeing the local covered bridge over the Broad River. I grabbed this shot from a video with the new video camera.
Here we are, doing a house concert.
I know I'm in trouble again for not writing for a while. We went to Athens, Georgia to visit Katherine and Chad, old friends from Santa Cruz who have relocated there. We found rural Georgia to be very scenic and the people very friendly. The Athens area is a very hip part of Georgia, sorta like Asheville is to NC. We spent a weekend visiting, seeing the local sights, and doing a house concert that paid for the fuel costs to get there and back - not bad! It was a 9 hour road trip, so we got pretty saddlesore.
Andi is in CA visiting family and friends and so I am taking advantage of the empty boat to do all kinds of messy projects. Progress is getting made. Old family friend, Merritt, is going to be joining us on the trip to the Azores and I want to have all the projects done before he gets here. We leave on June 2, if the weather be good.
Last night I watched a Michael Moore movie, Sicko. It is a MUST SEE! He takes on the Medical Insurance companies and drug companies. I know that MM is a blatant propagandist, but he is almost the only one taking the opposite point of view from the official propaganda fed to us daily by the mega-gazillion dollar drug companies and HMOs (who have more lobbyists than we have congressmen). Even from my personal experience as a reasonably healthy person, I can see that every year claims submitted to HMOs get more and more scrutiny as they try to squeeze out a little more profit for their shareholders. My dermatologist has been trying to collect for my visit last July to get some pre-cancerous stuff cut off my skin. Blue Cross is trying not to pay even though they have collected a minimum of $600/month for my entire working life and often twice that. The official line is that a single-payer system like they have in Canada is inefficient and produces poor quality health care - we get told that and we somehow buy it. Well, I walked over and asked the Canadian across the dock about the Canadian health care plan. He loves it. He had a hip replacement - zero cost and he only waited 3 weeks to have it done. We are getting snookered here! Check out this movie and watch the special features, too. It is healthy to be skeptical about things that are fed to us in the media - managing us is a huge corporate priority, so wherever there is a profit being made, the news from that source is suspect. Health Care is too important to come from a for-profit business that increases their revenues by discouraging medical service!
OK, enough soapbox. Write or call. Oh, check out the improved website - www.sailingflamenco.com.
Here is the house where we stayed.
Here are Andrea and Katherine.
Our host owned a pair of donkeys.
Part of our tour included seeing the local covered bridge over the Broad River. I grabbed this shot from a video with the new video camera.
Here we are, doing a house concert.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Winter passes slowly...
Friday, March 8, 2008 Hi folks, It has been brought to my attention that we have been getting delinquent in our blogging of late. Mea culpa! We've been laying low. Andi is teaching dance workshops here in Oriental and is preparing to go on the road to teach weekend workshops in other parts of NC. I've been learning new software. I got "Dreamweaver for Dummies" and have been reworking our web page. Soon it will be showing the results of my efforts - maybe in another week. This stuff is not simple. And I've learned another video editing software - here is a little piece of our show in Oriental: (If it pauses during playback, click the play button to pause and wait for a minute for the buffer to fill)
Winter has been giving us some storms around here. The temperatures are about the same as Santa Cruz, CA or maybe a bit warmer, but we've been getting cold fronts moving through about every 5 days. As they go through, they start with a wind from the South. As that intensifies, it starts lowering the water level. Around here, we don't have lunar tides like places closer to the ocean. Instead, the wind direction influences the water levels. A South wind blows the water out of the river and a North wind raises it. Now we only have about 7' of depth under our slip and we draw 6'-2" to the bottom of our keel. Normally all is well, but when the water start going down with a South wind, pretty soon the keel starts to bump on the bottom. If there are waves, it bangs on the bottom. That is nerve wracking. Finally, the keel is firmly on the bottom and we quit bumping. That is much better. The other night there was a tornado watch as some severe thunderstorms were coming through. We watched it approach on the TV as the newscasters showed off their Doppler radar images (scary!). It arrived right on schedule at 1:55AM and we saw a wind gust of 53 knots! Spring is on the way, though. Every day is a little warmer.
A storm came through yesterday that took away more than 2 feet of water. Here is poor Saeta sitting up on her keel, leaning against the dock. It is hard to see how much of the boat is out of the water.
This is a little more obvious. This big boat down at the end of our dock was at such an angle that life aboard would have been most difficult.
This little boat is balanced on her keel even though the whole hull is clear of the water. Whew!
We are still planning to make the crossing to Spain in early June although the Euro is now at around $1.52. At that rate, we aren't going to be doing very much without breaking the budget. Maybe we can work over there?? People often ask us,"Aren't you worried about crossing the Atlantic?" I reply, "Well, do you spend a lot of time worrying about driving on two-lane roads? Because that is a lot more dangerous and unpredictable than crossing the Atlantic. A drunk driver is passing you about 5 feet away with a combined velocity of more than 120 MPH - if he/she swerves 5 feet, you can't do anything about it and you are a victim." At least we have weather reports and can plan our trip to minimize bad weather. That is the most likely bad scenario and more likely to be unpleasant than dangerous.
We miss you and look forward to your calls and letters (emails). Don't be a stranger!
Winter has been giving us some storms around here. The temperatures are about the same as Santa Cruz, CA or maybe a bit warmer, but we've been getting cold fronts moving through about every 5 days. As they go through, they start with a wind from the South. As that intensifies, it starts lowering the water level. Around here, we don't have lunar tides like places closer to the ocean. Instead, the wind direction influences the water levels. A South wind blows the water out of the river and a North wind raises it. Now we only have about 7' of depth under our slip and we draw 6'-2" to the bottom of our keel. Normally all is well, but when the water start going down with a South wind, pretty soon the keel starts to bump on the bottom. If there are waves, it bangs on the bottom. That is nerve wracking. Finally, the keel is firmly on the bottom and we quit bumping. That is much better. The other night there was a tornado watch as some severe thunderstorms were coming through. We watched it approach on the TV as the newscasters showed off their Doppler radar images (scary!). It arrived right on schedule at 1:55AM and we saw a wind gust of 53 knots! Spring is on the way, though. Every day is a little warmer.
A storm came through yesterday that took away more than 2 feet of water. Here is poor Saeta sitting up on her keel, leaning against the dock. It is hard to see how much of the boat is out of the water.
This is a little more obvious. This big boat down at the end of our dock was at such an angle that life aboard would have been most difficult.
This little boat is balanced on her keel even though the whole hull is clear of the water. Whew!We are still planning to make the crossing to Spain in early June although the Euro is now at around $1.52. At that rate, we aren't going to be doing very much without breaking the budget. Maybe we can work over there?? People often ask us,"Aren't you worried about crossing the Atlantic?" I reply, "Well, do you spend a lot of time worrying about driving on two-lane roads? Because that is a lot more dangerous and unpredictable than crossing the Atlantic. A drunk driver is passing you about 5 feet away with a combined velocity of more than 120 MPH - if he/she swerves 5 feet, you can't do anything about it and you are a victim." At least we have weather reports and can plan our trip to minimize bad weather. That is the most likely bad scenario and more likely to be unpleasant than dangerous.
We miss you and look forward to your calls and letters (emails). Don't be a stranger!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The big show is over....
February 7, 2008
We rehearsed for more than a week to get ready for this. Check out the cool backdrop left over after a previous play.
When it is just the two of us, it is really easy and fun to do a show. But we have to generate all the energy ourselves.
All in all, we were pleased with the outcome and the community really seemed to like it. We did 2 sets of 45 minutes each and showed flamenco video during the intermission. The community brought free tapas and sangria for the audience to share... very cool.
Now things are getting back to normal. We'll visit Tony and Annette this weekend to meet the new bambino and then back to Oriental to get ready for next summer's sailing. Andi wants to go to the Med this year instead of waiting, so we need to get ready for an Atlantic crossing. We will be looking for another person who would like to do the trip (and who has no special need to get back to work by any specific date). An extra set of hands makes things a bit easier, although the two of us could manage just fine if we had to.
Write or call.
We rehearsed for more than a week to get ready for this. Check out the cool backdrop left over after a previous play.
When it is just the two of us, it is really easy and fun to do a show. But we have to generate all the energy ourselves.
All in all, we were pleased with the outcome and the community really seemed to like it. We did 2 sets of 45 minutes each and showed flamenco video during the intermission. The community brought free tapas and sangria for the audience to share... very cool.Now things are getting back to normal. We'll visit Tony and Annette this weekend to meet the new bambino and then back to Oriental to get ready for next summer's sailing. Andi wants to go to the Med this year instead of waiting, so we need to get ready for an Atlantic crossing. We will be looking for another person who would like to do the trip (and who has no special need to get back to work by any specific date). An extra set of hands makes things a bit easier, although the two of us could manage just fine if we had to.
Write or call.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Home again
January 14, 2008
We've been back in Oriental for a week now and are getting things back to normal again. Yesterday we bought $360 worth of groceries, a new record for us. We pretty much cleaned everything up before leaving, so major replenishment was in order.
Is this a cute baby or what??? The big new news is that we are grandparents again. Annette and Tony (featured in a blog post a few pages down) have actually had the baby - she turned out to be a girl. They had avoided finding out in advance, wanting to be surprised like we used to be in the dark ages. She was 6 pounds and something, so she came out looking pretty and not as squished as most babies I have been involved with. The parents sound very happy. As soon as the dust settles, we are going to give them a visit.
Here are the proud parents.
Wow, I can remember when little Tony was that small - but time marches on. The next family member in line for diapers could be me!!!
Otherwise, we are preparing for our big show at the end of the month. It feels good to be rehearsing. Things are so easy for us now. Sometimes a break gives your art a chance to mature.
We have lousy cell phone coverage, but we have it on all day and mostly we get our calls, so don't be afraid. Otherwise email.
We've been back in Oriental for a week now and are getting things back to normal again. Yesterday we bought $360 worth of groceries, a new record for us. We pretty much cleaned everything up before leaving, so major replenishment was in order.
Is this a cute baby or what??? The big new news is that we are grandparents again. Annette and Tony (featured in a blog post a few pages down) have actually had the baby - she turned out to be a girl. They had avoided finding out in advance, wanting to be surprised like we used to be in the dark ages. She was 6 pounds and something, so she came out looking pretty and not as squished as most babies I have been involved with. The parents sound very happy. As soon as the dust settles, we are going to give them a visit.
Here are the proud parents.
Wow, I can remember when little Tony was that small - but time marches on. The next family member in line for diapers could be me!!!Otherwise, we are preparing for our big show at the end of the month. It feels good to be rehearsing. Things are so easy for us now. Sometimes a break gives your art a chance to mature.
We have lousy cell phone coverage, but we have it on all day and mostly we get our calls, so don't be afraid. Otherwise email.
Party time in Santa Cruz
New Years, 2008
We started the festivities with a dinner party at the home of old friend Madeline.
Then it was off to the home of Faye, the social center for New Years in Santa Cruz. Faye is right next to Andi. We claim no responsibility for the bottle of "2-buck Chuck".
Here I am with Charles Sutton, Santa Cruz's other flamenco singer. Charles and his wife have a house in Spain where they participate with the local flamenco enthusiasts.
Here is Andi in her new silk party dress along with her good friend Julie and her boyfriend, Jon.
Finally, after all that party, we drove down to the Mojave Desert to visit Andi's brother Tom and his wife, Wendy. Here are Andi and Tom on the front porch of the cabin. They have the most awesome collection of antiques dating back to before the Civil War.
We started the festivities with a dinner party at the home of old friend Madeline.
Then it was off to the home of Faye, the social center for New Years in Santa Cruz. Faye is right next to Andi. We claim no responsibility for the bottle of "2-buck Chuck".
Here I am with Charles Sutton, Santa Cruz's other flamenco singer. Charles and his wife have a house in Spain where they participate with the local flamenco enthusiasts.
Here is Andi in her new silk party dress along with her good friend Julie and her boyfriend, Jon.
Finally, after all that party, we drove down to the Mojave Desert to visit Andi's brother Tom and his wife, Wendy. Here are Andi and Tom on the front porch of the cabin. They have the most awesome collection of antiques dating back to before the Civil War.
Christmas 2007
Christmas, 2007 found us in the San Fransisco area for a round of parties and family events.
Here is Andrea and daughter Elinore in a low-light photo at a party hosted by famed flamenco dancer, Juan del Valle.
Then we went sailing on SF bay with Elinore's boyfriend Robin's family... who didn't make it into this picture.
Just checking to see if you were paying attention before when I told you who these folks are.
After Christmas celebrations, we were off to Santa Cruz to get ready for the New Year.
Here is Andrea and daughter Elinore in a low-light photo at a party hosted by famed flamenco dancer, Juan del Valle.
Then we went sailing on SF bay with Elinore's boyfriend Robin's family... who didn't make it into this picture.
Just checking to see if you were paying attention before when I told you who these folks are.After Christmas celebrations, we were off to Santa Cruz to get ready for the New Year.
California Dreaming again...
End of December, 2007
We flew into California just in time to start a round of family visits - we had a terrific time with all and regretted not getting to visit all our old friends. We got in as many as possible, time and geography permitting. And as December 21 rolled around, it was time to celebrate our anniversary. And where better than in Napa, trying to find the perfect budget Pinot Noir. (It turns out that there is no such thing - Pinots worth mention seem to start at $25/bottle - we didn't buy many of those!) We had a great time tasting, something that both of us seem to enjoy so much that we may have to enroll in AA as a team. We were surprised at the very high quality Merlots available at $15/bottle. We came home with a mixed case for special occasions in the coming year.
A pastoral scene in Napa's Carneros wine region.
There is money up here. Having little, I at least got to pose with an Aston Martin.
If you buy the big bottle, you get a discount.
We flew into California just in time to start a round of family visits - we had a terrific time with all and regretted not getting to visit all our old friends. We got in as many as possible, time and geography permitting. And as December 21 rolled around, it was time to celebrate our anniversary. And where better than in Napa, trying to find the perfect budget Pinot Noir. (It turns out that there is no such thing - Pinots worth mention seem to start at $25/bottle - we didn't buy many of those!) We had a great time tasting, something that both of us seem to enjoy so much that we may have to enroll in AA as a team. We were surprised at the very high quality Merlots available at $15/bottle. We came home with a mixed case for special occasions in the coming year.
A pastoral scene in Napa's Carneros wine region.
There is money up here. Having little, I at least got to pose with an Aston Martin.
If you buy the big bottle, you get a discount.
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