April 29, 2006
New York, New York
On August 31st last year, we arrived here on Platina. We sailed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, past Battery Park and Wall Street, and up the Hudson River. We spent 6 weeks here. At that time, we never imagined that we would be LIVING here!
And so here we are. As Chis' parents put it, simply, yesterday in an email:
"Welcome home".
Immigration was easier than expected. The lawyers had prepared a sheer 5 pounds of material to present with Chis’ L1 visa application. My application was about 4 pages, most of which was stuff that proved our “domestic partner” status in the US, which is not legally recognized. The lawyers wound us up by suggesting that it would depend on the mood of the Immigration officer whether they would let me in. We were told to get to Pearson 4 hours before our flight (flying through Pearson airport, you clear US Customs & Immigration before getting on the plane). We were through in less than an hour. Chis got his L1 visa for 3 years, and I got my B2 visa for 1 year. Chis can work (and pay tax). I cannot work.
Our living plans seem simple. Hotel first. Find a furnished short-term rental quickly. Then shop for a long-term place to buy or rent.
The Hilton Midtown has been a comic experience. The taxi from Laguardia barfed us onto the curb at the hotel, with our overstuffed oversized duffle bags and backpacks. I walked into the lobby in search of some assistance. The bellman told me in true New Yorker style “doorman”. Thinking I had heard “do it yourself”, I asked politely, in my best Canadian “please, we have a lot of bags”. He had no idea that we were carrying our worldly possessions with us, having just moved off a boat in the Bahamas and lugged this crap through Mexico and Canada before arriving on his doorstep. He wouldn’t have believed the story if I had told him. Not in New York. “Two doorman” is what I got back.
No doorman. We dragged the bags through the door and into the lobby. We tried the automatic check-in, but the machine spat our credit card out and said “card declined”. Step into the twilight zone. We went to the desk. They checked us in (the credit card was fine), and finally a bellman helped with the bags. I think that when he saw Chis heave the heaviest duffle up onto his shoulders, teetered a bit, near the enormous flower vase behind him, they finally figured it was time to earn a tip. Of course, we were feeling less than generous at this point.
Off we went to the 31st floor to find our room. Chis opened the door to discover the room in tatters. Towels all over the place, lights on, clearly not cleaned yet. We went back to the lobby. Room #2, 7th floor. I walked in and was completely overwhelmed by the stink of cigarettes. Oh, no, this is not good. We marched back down to the front desk, becoming increasingly less Canadian and a little more New Yorker.
“The hotel is full”. Pardon, did you say “kiss my ass?”.
Yesterday, after a phone call to Franklin Templeton’s travel guru to complain (we never complain), and my temper tantrum in the lobby (it wasn’t really that bad), they gave us another room. Smaller than the others, but clean and no smell of cigarettes. So small that you almost break the window when you put the key in the door. The biggest of our duffle bags barely fit through the door.
On our arrival Thursday night, we were craving comfort food, like a big Ruth’s Chris steak. That’s exactly what we did. After we had looked at a few apartment rentals. Chis abstained from too much wine with dinner, saving himself for his drug test. A very quick procedure of peeing into a Dixie cup, it was over in a flash. No worries about passing or failing because I think even with Chis’ last cold he refused to take a thing. Pure as the driven snow.
I spent the middle part of Friday with an agent from Grenoble, France. She tested my French and we talked about places in France. I reminisced. She pined. She showed me a few apartments. I saw one that I really liked. Until she told me about the commission. We pay the commission, not the owner. A full month’s rent. Yeah, but we only want the place for a couple of months while we look for more permanent digs. She was not sympathetic. After all of our story-telling and French-speaking? Being “nice” in New York does not make you instant friends. Then, we stumbled on a wonderful French bistro. It was wonderful. Unbelievable food, great wine, and a wonderful French atmosphere. We felt like we had returned to La Rochelle.
Following drug tests, applications for Social Security and apartment hunting, Chis and I rendezvoused back in our teensy weensy hotel room. It was time to review and prioritize. What’s next, and then, and then…
A bank account. This seems easy. We picked Chase out of the myriad of logos plastered all over Manhattan. It was there, in the basement of Rockefeller Center, that we met Andrea, our new banker. She was great, and we had some laughs. We opened an account, got rigged for online banking, and left, feeling good about the $100 we deposited in our new bank account.
It was a day of accomplishments – a run in Central Park, a scour of half a dozen apartments, dry-cleaning, drug test, social security applications, new banking relationship, and a fabulous dinner. After dinner, we slipped through Starbucks for a chamomile tea, and wandered until we were tired (about a block).
Today is Saturday. A run in Central Park. Then a late breakfast at Astro Diner. We have one apartment to see before making a final decision (we think it may be a wee place on west 55th). Then, off to wander in search of our new home. Perhaps we will buy a big screen TV and live inside the box. It will cost us just as much as about half a month’s rent.
Posted by dave at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
N20.3 W83.7 San Miguel, Cozumel, Mexico
An early morning flight from Guadalajara to Mexico City to Cozumel is enough to rattle the cobwebs from your head. The airport in Guadalayara, at 6:45am was a sea of bodies bustling everywhere. We barely made the flight, arrived a little bit late in Mexico City, and got our very short connection to Cozumel, with a Starbucks cafe latte con leche LITE in hand. I learned how to order Chis´ latte sin espuma (no foam) by chatting with the Starbucks guy. As leche does not agree with me, I opted for an espresso doble.
Mexicana Airlines was really impressive. Good service, on-time arrivals and departures.
Ajijic is very dry, and it is a welcome return to the warm humid sea air of the Caribbean.
We booked into a little place called the Hacienda San Miguel. Since Wilma, which really hit Cozumel hard, most of the hotels have gone to "all-inclusive". Not our scene. The hacienda is charming. About a block from the ocean, a tidy little room with a kitchen is really all we need.
While Chis dealt with work-related immigration issues, I hoofed it off to the grocery store. Fresh local mangoes, bananas, papaya, and some snacks for Chis (aka Oreo cookies).
Despite being the second best scuba dive destination in the world (according to the tourist guy at the airport, who tried to sell us on sitting through a time share presentation in exchange for a free breakfast and horseback ride), Cozumel is a tourist trap. During the day, the cruise ships arrive and barf their passengers into the streets to buy silver, leather, jewels and junky t-shirts like "Take me drunk I´m home". The prices double while the cruise ships are in town. It was recommended to us that we shop after 5pm when the prices drop considerably. Fortunately, neither of us are in dire need of leather boots, diamond rings, or tacky t-shirts. Although, it does sound like a prop shopping list for a spoof of Brokeback Mountain.
We leave tomorrow on the ferry for Playa del Carmen, where Matt and Ali will wed.
Posted by dave at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)
April 14, 2006
N20.2 W103.2 Good Friday, Ajijic, Mexico
We arrived in Ajijic, new home of Chis' parents, on April 11th after a whirlwind tour of US airports. We arrived in time for Easter, which is taken very seriously here in Mexico.
Today, being Good Friday, we went to the square to see Pasion de Christo (Passion of Christ), a play put on by volunteer actors around the village. The Canadian Club of Ajijic raised some of the money for the performance by hosting a fiesta a couple of nights ago, to which we graced.
The play continued up a long 4km trail to a chapel about another 500 feet in elevation for the town square. The man playing Jesus carried his cross made of solid wood. Truly an impressive sight.
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March 12, 2006
Spring Break
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February 21, 2006
Back in the Water
Well, they put us back in the water yesterday morning, and we tied up at their dock here at Lauderdale Marine Center to finish off some last minute things. We are pooped. Aches and pains everywhere, but that's all part of the adventure. There are only a few things we wanted the yard to do, and most of it we wanted to do ourselves.
The propeller was one thing we hired the yard to do. It was covered in barnacles and calcium deposits. This photo shows the freshly greased and painted prop. They used a relatively new product called PropSpeed. The yard raves about it. You can see in the photo that the blades of the propeller "feather" when we sail, and spread when we are motoring. This produces less drag when under sail.
Of course, as sailors, we should hardly be proud of our propeller - our focus really is on sailing!
Posted by dave at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2006
Haul-Out!
Finally, at long last, the haul-out. Our annual maintenance list for the part of the boat that lies below the water line was pretty short. Other than a general inspection of everything, top of the list was to take the propeller off, clean it, grease it, repaint it, change the prop shaft oil (8 litres of it), change the bushings and gaskets, and put the whole thing back together. Easy as pie?
Posted by dave at 06:37 PM | Comments (0)
February 01, 2006
Farewell Southern Duchess
Our new friends, Dieter & Maya on Southern Duchess are from Munich, Germany. They left us today for Bimini in the Bahamas, despite our pleadings to stay and eat cheese at sunset. We already miss them.
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January 12, 2006
Chis at the Chat'n'Chill, Georgetown, Exuma
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The Beach at Stocking Island, Georgetown, Exuma
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Georgetown Straw Market
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Path to the Beach, Georgetown, Exuma
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Georgetown Anchorage from the Hill
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December 17, 2005
Email in the Anchorage
Who woulda thought? A strong wireless signal in the middle of the Marsh Harbour anchorage? This is better than the States!
Posted by dave at 09:06 AM | Comments (0)
N26.3 W77.0 Marsh Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas
Sunset in Marsh Harbour. We went in at high tide. Being just a day or two past the full moon, tides are extreme. By low tide at 2:47pm, we were sitting on the bottom. Luckily there was no wind and not a ripple on the water, so we sat tight. We will move in the morning.
We are planning our next major move to Eleuthra. Southbound.
Posted by dave at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2005
N26.4 W77.1 Guana Cay, Abacos, Bahamas
From Green Turtle Cay heading south, we needed to head briefly out into the mighty Atlantic Ocean to avoid a massive shallow shoal. This cannot be done everyday because of "rage" seas. We had a window, so away we went.
In the early 1990s, cruise ships dredged a channel into Loggerhead Channel to gain access to Guana Cay and its outstanding beaches. Oh, and the third largest barrier reef in the world. The cruise ships abandoned the ingress because of rough seas during the winter. The channel has not been maintained since the mid-90s.
The north end of Guana Cay is called Baker's Bay, used by beach partiers from the cruise ships. It was sold in the late 1990s to a developer. A golf course and gated community was planned, but the local residents were, and still are, strongly opposed. They worry about fertilizers from the golf course leaching into the reef. And so they should be.
A popular spot on Guana Cay is Nippers. We had to go. It has a sand road leading to it, multi-coloured painted fence, pool, bar, resto and shop (for those tacky thong undies).
And the most amazing vista from atop a sand dune over spectacular white sand beach. Isn't he handsome?
Posted by dave at 07:25 PM | Comments (1)
Only in the Bahamas
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December 11, 2005
Bay Street?
Here's one for our friends in Toronto. Is that Bay & Key West? Where the hell is that? Oh, about half a block from Sid's Grocery, 2 blocks from the post office and somewhere south of the US border. No bank in site. And no lawyers! Good thing, it just might make us miss the big city.
Posted by dave at 06:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2005
N26.5 W77.2 Green Turtle Cay, Abacos, Bahamas
Spanish Cay was cute, but small and uninteresting. We decided to head for Green Turtle Cay. We anchored off the town of New Plymouth, known in history for the "wreckers" that returned with bounty from shipwrecks offshore. We had lunch at The Wrecking Tree, the location where all of the bounty was laid out to be catologued and valued. The "wreckers" were paid half the value. Not bad. The tree is still there, a bit bound by the deck, and a bit weathered by this season's hurricanes.
Posted by dave at 06:51 PM | Comments (0)
December 03, 2005
Awesome Video
Click HERE to see an awesome video from our southbound voyage from Charleston to Fort Lauderdale. Dolphins and sailing clips! You have to see this!
Credit to my brother, Jeff, for the video. And thanks to Northern Yacht Club in Kenora, Ontario for hosting the video (our wee web site can't handle it).
Posted by dave at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2005
Platina's Crew
Well, we made it from Charleston to Fort Lauderdale in 78 hours. A few storms, a little rain, some great winds, some no winds, but relatively rough seas the whole way. This is a photo of Toby, Jeff, Chis and Dave, a bit better polished after three and a half days at sea. We cleaned ourselves up, donned our Platina crew shirts, and headed out for a well deserved dinner. None of us lasted past 8pm, and none of us woke the next morning before 7am.
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November 15, 2005
Dave Watching the Seas
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Taking it on the Chin
On our Charleston to Fort Lauderdale journey. When we had wind, we had lots of wind. And Platina likes lots of wind. This is a great photo of her efforts to bite through the waves, doing 9 knots (that's pretty fast for our boat).
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Chis & Dave
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November 14, 2005
Jeff, Toby & Chis
On our passage from Charleston to Fort Lauderdale, we had some light winds that allowed us to fly the staysail. It is a pretty sail, and always a pleasure to pull out. After a couple of days at sea, it's a bright change in the day.
Posted by dave at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2005
Dolphins
I had been trying to explain to Jeff that we would see several Dolphins on our journey. He seemed reluctant to believe me until 4 or 5 joined us, frolicking and playing around the bow, doing what dolphins do in a bow wake. Jeff got many pictures, and some great video footage. Truly magical creatures.
Posted by dave at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)
Departing Charleston
With Jeff and Toby's arrival, the galley well stocked with provisions, and everyone keen for 3-4 days, 435 miles, and forecast of variable winds, we were ready to leave Charleston for Fort Lauderdale. Our bellies were full from a huge dinner at the seafood restaurant at the marina, after lunch at Jestine's Kitchen complete with Coca-Cola chocolate cupcakes. We had company leaving the Charleston Harbour channel.
Posted by dave at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2005
Coca-Cola Chocolate Cupcakes
Charleston, South Carolina, is rich in history and rich in food. There’s a famous restaurant, Jestine’s Kitchen, that serves real, southern food. There are always line-ups, as the food is delicious, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is downright comfortable. It’s where we discovered Coca Cola cake (they use Coca Cola syrup instead of sugar). Mmmmmmm.
Our sailing lives have made us bold and carefree, so we did not hesitate to ask our server if the restaurant would make Coca Cola cupcakes for us--you know, so much EASIER to eat at 3:00 AM when you are on watch. (When I said that, they looked at me as if I was crazy, rather than just bold and carefree.)
Anyway, they said that they have never been asked to do such a thing. After discussions with the manager and the pastry chef, they said that they would do it, if we bought $48 worth. We thought, 4 guys sailing for 3 days; can there ever be enough cupcakes? The deal was done.
During our sail south, I believe I ate 5 or 6. I had lots of energy, and seemed to sleep really well (Coca-Cola-syrup-coma-induced, no less).
Posted by dave at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2005
Bounty
On our final thick-fog approach to Charleston, Bounty was heading out to sea.
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October 28, 2005
N34.4 W76.4 Beaufort, North Carolina
Our journey from Norfolk, Virginia to Beaufort, North Carolina would take 30 to 40 hours. An early departure with reasonable winds would put us in late afternoon the day after departure. Another overnight sail. We are so getting used to these.
The journey was full of complications. For one, the journey included Cape Hatteras, famous for bad weather. For another, we anticipated crew. But Toby couldn’t join us until November 3rd. And yet another, we had hoped to sail with Rhumboogie, a Morgan 50, who couldn’t go until November 8th. Norfolk is a nice place to be, but not for too long.
The weather forecast showed favourable winds and good weather. Cape Hatteras is the most eastern point of the United States, and is where the warm northbound Gulf Stream meets the cold Jet Stream. The result is generally poor weather and rough seas. As a general rule, sailors avoid any wind with an east component. Cape Hatteras creates its own weather.
Sam emailed from Rhumboogie to say that the forecast for Cape Hatteras had changed. East component, rain, stronger winds. We decided to go anyway.
At 3am, I woke in a cold sweat. Sort of an out-of-body experience. I was crazed about the east component in the forecast. The challenge is that an easterly wind blows us into the cape. This would be bad. I wavered. I lacked confidence. I could not make a decision about wanting to go. I tried to connect to the internet to check weather, but couldn’t connect.
Corsair, a Beneteau 50 next to us in the marina, expected to sail the same morning after having a diver scrub the bottom of the boat. They were heading straight to Florida. We agreed to meet over coffee at 5am to review weather. They didn’t surface. My doubts increased. Had they chickened out?
We decided to go.
At 9am, I called brother Jeff, our standby weatherman. He confirmed that the forecast was for stronger winds, but no rain and no storms.
We carried on.
We rounded Cape Hatteras at 1am. The winds had been picking up, as predicted. At around 2am, the winds really picked up. 30 knots, then 40 knots, then 50 knots. And a couple of 60 knot gusts. We shortened sail, put on full foul weather gear, tightened our life jackets, and began preparations for the worst. The rains came, the seas swelled.
We were wet. We were cold. We were safe.
Perhaps the worst weather we had experienced on our 8,000 nautical mile journey, but not the roughest. We rose to the challenge. Pulled together our courage. What would we do? Turn back?
We pulled into Beaufort, cold, damp, sleep deprived, mentally frazzled, and physically exhausted. We docked, plugged in, turned the heat on, and warmed up.
We have a wonderful, safe sailboat, who delivered us through a classic low pressure storm in cold weather. We would not have it any other way.
Posted by dave at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2005
Snowbirds & Other Wildlife
Quiet as church mice, we scampered around in the dark just an hour before daybreak in Atlantic City getting ready for our 30-hour voyage to Norfolk, Virginia. We were joined by other scampering mice getting ready for their voyages. It was like an army of ants fighting to make it through a tiny hole in the weather, a full frontal advance out to sea.
We have met several southbound boats, and we discovered that the majority are Canadian snowbirds. I met a crew on the dock, Canadians heading south to the Bahamas for the winter. We followed a sailboat out of the inlet – a Canadian couple. I was wearing the sweater my mother made me – white with a huge red Canadian maple leaf on the front. I waved. It was like we had spoken an unspoken language. Don’t they understand that someone has to stay in Canada to pay for our health care?
Being chased by a northerly cold front, we hustled south with lots of wind. Our first overnight sail in several weeks, with bad weather following us, we made great progress. A tiny bird landed on the deck. Sharpened its beak on a cleat. Pecked at little morsels of whatever lay about. Then another. And another. They were so tame, sitting on Chis’ toqued head, resting on the wheel, closer than any wild bird had ever come to either of us. Chis crumbled some cracker crumbs on the deck. First, we thought they were injured. Then, we realized they were migrating south for the winter.
Platina had become a refuge. A sanctuary for their long flights south. We felt lucky, that these tiny creatures, with an uncanny sense of direction, had chosen us to visit.
Posted by dave at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2005
Tiny Chis
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View from the Top
On a recent rigging check, I had noticed the lashing for our fore sail at the top of the mast was heavily chafed and fraying. So Chis hoisted me to the top of the mast (65 feet) and I repaired it so that we could take Jim & Luc sailing. This time, I remembered the camera. Too bad it was overcast, but the shot is impressive.
Posted by dave at 08:35 AM | Comments (1)
September 23, 2005
Ferry to Manhattan
Fairies(?) to Manhattan. Chis, Jim & Luc on the upper deck of the Liberty State Park water taxi that took us across to Battery Park in Manhattan. What a colourful bunch! All the colours of the rainbow!
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September 22, 2005
Visit from Jim & Luc
Jim & Luc arrived Thursday early afternoon while we were fixing some rigging issues. We had a little tour, got their bearings, and headed into Manhattan for a walk and shop. We wandered into Chelsea Market at 10th and 17th and picked up some unbelieveable tuna and scallops to make on the boat for dinner. We stopped at Pastis for a drink on the way back, and finally made it to the boat around 7:30. A short break, then Luc and I started dinner. We feasted. It was awesome. It is amazing what you can do in a teeny tiny kitchen.
Posted by dave at 08:24 AM | Comments (0)
September 05, 2005
Jeff Going Up the Mast
Today, we took Jeff & Heather for a sail past the Statue of Liberty, and up the East River to the Brooklyn Bridge. We were able to fly the downwind sails, but not without issues. We lost the halyard in the mast, and Jeff insisted in going to retrieve it.
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Downwind
Jeff in front of the downwind sails.
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Sis-in-Law Heather
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Dave's Brother Jeff
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August 31, 2005
Verrazano Narrows Bridge
This bridge connects Staten Island to Brooklyn. Its vertical clearance is 229 feet at the centre, good enough for our 69 foot mast. The New York City Marathon starts on the west side of the bridge. Chis and I have run the NYC Marathon at least 3 times (we can't actually remember exactly), and it was nice to have a different perspective.
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Lower Manhattan
This is a great photo passing the Battery and heading up the west side of Manhattan on the Hudson River.
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N40.4 W74 New York, New York
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August 29, 2005
Day Trip to New York
There are just some things that must be done. Sailing into New York is one of those things, but taking video footage is quite another. With our journey into New York Harbour approaching, we realized we were out of tapes for the video camera. So we decided to take the ferry from Atlantic Highlands to New York City to find them. This is a photo of the Statue of Libery from the ferry. We hope to get a better photo on Wednesday from much closer.
New York is great. It is a toss between New York, Chicago, London or Paris for our favourite city. We walked and walked and walked. Found the video tapes, had lunch at Saks, checked out the marina, bought more minutes for our cell phone, got Chis’ hair cut at Rockefeller Plaza, and had a drink at Mad 28 before heading back on the ferry. A long day, but fruitful and enjoyable.
Tomorrow, a long run along Ocean Blvd, then email/weather/website update in town, then back to the boat for our final preparations for Wednesday’s journey into New York City.
Posted by dave at 01:22 PM | Comments (1)
August 26, 2005
N40.3 W74.0 Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
We are learning how to interpret US weather forecasts. No matter what direction you are heading, that is where the winds blow from. Going NE, the winds will blow from the NE. If they predict 5-10 knots, add them together. So, 15 knots.
We left Atlantic City at 5am with no wind and gentle seas. And a spectacular sunrise. The wind slowly started to pick up. Forecast SE 5-10 knots. Actual wind NW less than 5 knots. We motorsailed north, trying to make the Lower Bay of New York harbour, to a place called Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.
Cruising up the Atlantic coast of New Jersey, the winds shifted and started to increase. Now, we were sailing downwind with south winds blowing 25 knots. Forget the forecasts. No interpretation needed. The most remarkable thing appeared in the haze – Manhattan. We could make out the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the Empire State Building, etc.
We pulled around Sandy Hook, and headed south into the harbour to pick up a mooring. We made it just before sunset, and fell asleep.
My brother and my sister-in-law are spending their wedding anniversary with us in Manhattan for the Labour Day weekend. I called Jeff to say that we were now within eye-sight of our destination. He was excited. This is the furthest north we will take Platina. We will head south on September 27th, after a much-needed break. 8,000 nautical miles, and counting.
We are very excited about seeing NYC from a totally different perspective. It is one of our favourite places, that we will enjoy with Jeff and Heather (who have never been before), and with our best friends, Jim and Luc, with whom we have enjoyed it immensely in the past.
Posted by dave at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)
August 16, 2005
USS Wisconsin
Today, we played tourist. Norolk is the US' largest navy base in the world. Right downtown is the largest US battleship ever built, the USS Wisconsin. It was launched in 1942 and participated in WWII, Vietnam, Korea and the Persian Gulf. It sits in Norfolk ready for active duty, if necessary. A very impressive example of American military.
In dense fog, it ccollided with the USS Eaton. The collision destroyed the bow. Luckily, the USS Kentucky was being built, and in 16 days, they replaced the Wisconsin's bow with that of the Kentucky.
Her nickname is 'Wisky'.
Posted by dave at 06:15 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2005
More Sail!
On our journey from Beaufort, NC to Norfolk, VA we finally had an opportunity to try our downwind sails. You will recall that we tried this in the middle of the Atlantic at 3am with no success (we ripped the sail from top to bottom). We realized that the winds were perfect to try again, both in direction and velocity. So off we went. With great success. It was truly amazing. This photo shows Chis dwarfed by the size of the two headsails dragging us downwind. It was beautiful!
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August 10, 2005
Cemetary, Beaufort, NC
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Vienna H., Age 3, Died 1865
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Virgin Mary Headstone, Beaufort, NC
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Ibis
This ibis was feeding on fish on the dock just next to Platina here in Beaufort, North Carolina. This is a charming town, perhaps our favourite in the USA so far.
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August 06, 2005
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
We spent the afternoon exploring the museum right next to the marina. This photo is Chis standing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. She was commissioned on April 15, 1943 and participated in the Pacific offensive that began in 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. She is 888-feet long and displaces 27,100 tons. As an antisubmarine carrier, she served in the Vietnam War and retrieved the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968. She was decommissioned in 1968.
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Cooper Island Bridge
The giant new Cooper River Bridge spans from Mount Pleasant to downtown Charleston. Our marina is in Mount Pleasant, and we ran across the bridge and back this morning. What a site!
Posted by dave at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
July 31, 2005
We May Never Leave
We awoke here in Savannah to a box of fresh Krispy Kreem Donuts and the Savannah Morning News. Chis didn't wait very long before he tucked in.
Posted by dave at 08:57 AM | Comments (1)
July 29, 2005
Oldest Saloon in Florida
Where else would you find us hanging out but across the street from the oldest saloon in Florida, third oldest in the USA?
Fernandina was once a salty Spanish town occupied by seafaring rogues of unsavory repute, a place where over 50 saloons and bodellos formed the "Ladies Promenade", at a time when Princess Amelia was widely known as the "Spanish Hussy".
In 1807, the US Embargo Act banned imports into the US from the UK and exports to Europe, making Fernandina the perfect place for smuggling. The next year, the US banned the importation of slaves from Africa, and Fernandina became a premier slave-smuggling port. It all came to an end 2 days before Christmas, 1817 when US Naval and Marine forces landed on the shores and brought Fernandina's swashbuckling days to an end.
Posted by dave at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2005
N30.7 W81.4 Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida
We had an exciting overnight sail from Cape Canaveral to Fernandina Beach, with the usual restless trimming of sails, and therefore, little sleep. We arrived at Fernandina Harbor Marina, tied up, had lunch, and went to sleep in blissful A/C. It is 120F here today, with no breeze.
What a cute town! And like Cape Canaveral, it’s a contradiction. Amelia Island is historic, quaint and inviting. And yet it is right next to a huge, belching, stinking pulp mill. The water is muddy—the colour of tea, with foamy bits of pulp that float by. Progress, we guess.
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July 27, 2005
The HALF that Got Away
On our journey from Cape Canaveral to Fernandina Beach, Dave rigged up our fishing rod, using a large, day glow, rubbery lure. Chis remembers thinking, “what kind of fish do we think we can catch with THAT…a cartoon fish?!” Well, after about an hour trolling behind Platina, we hooked something that bent the rod in half. Mobey Dick, Chis was thinking.
Dave fought with it for ½ an hour and passed it to Chis. Chis fought with it for about ½ an hour. It was so strong — Chis could barely hold the rod. Bit by bit, he began to reel it in. And then he felt the fish dive, and then I felt the rod shudder, and then the fish seemed to gain strength. Suddenly, the fish seemed to tire. Although weak, it was still heavy.
Finally, Chis reeled it in close enough to see it. It was a massive, hideous barracuda. The teeth! And those black, marble-like eyes! Chis’ heart skipped a beat when he saw that we reeled in only half a fish. And that shudder he felt on the reel … was another fish eating our fish. Nice.
Our half was about 2 feet long, which means that an even bigger fish got the other half. We think that we caught the better half.
Apparently, the poor thing had a fight at both ends - hook in the mouth, and predator on the the other end. No wonder it was such a fight.
We put the rod away, and gave up fishing for the day.
Dave says he has overcome his fear of killing a fish.
Posted by dave at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2005
Discovery Launch
You can see in this photo the trail of vapour from the fuel. It looks like a corkscrew because they spin the shuttle. The centrifugal force apparently minimizes the gravity force effect on the crew.
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Discovery Launch
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Discovery Launch
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Discovery Launch
Here are a series of photos of Discovery's launch this morning.
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July 18, 2005
South Beach
The terribly trendy South Beach beach. We took Matt down to see just how bad it really is. Oh, it's pretty over-the-top.
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July 17, 2005
Matt on the Jet Ski
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Jet Skiing
We walked Fort Lauderdale beach this morning looking for a good place for brunch, and after filling ourselves with an American-sized meal, we walked some more. We stumbled on jet skis, and Matt was too tempted.
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Fort Lauderdale Beach
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July 16, 2005
Visit with Matt
Chis' brother Matt arrived yesterday, deciding to take a break from the heat in Toronto for the opressive heat and humidity of South Florida. With a short visit, he really wanted to fish or sail. So we chose both. With a brand new lure recommended by Ralph and Ann from "Harmonie", we not only caught nothing, some sorta big fish ate the lure and the leader.
Posted by dave at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2005
Day After Dennis, Fort Lauderdale Beach
The day after Hurricane Dennis, and we went for a run along the beach. This is a wonderful photo of a lifeguard station on Fort Lauderdale Beach, with the waves in the background. Note the red flag on the life station - it represents a danger hazard one level below closing the beach. Yesterday, the beach was closed.
Another note - the cruise ship in the background? Gambling! Never too rough for a little roulette?
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July 04, 2005
Andrew's Platina Greeting
This is nephew Andrew's (older brother of Jordan) creative Platina greeting. The multiple uses for the chess and checkers set!
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Jordan's Platina Greeting
Nephew Jordan Greene (Dave's brother, Jeff, and sister-in-law, Heather) came up with this greeting for us all the way from Winnipeg.
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June 30, 2005
The New Wind Vane
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Mast Climbing
This is a curious photo of Chis from about mid-way up our main mast (we have two masts). Dave was on his way up to replace the wind vane. It was a LOT of work climbing all that way!
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June 19, 2005
Hiking in Exuma Park
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June 12, 2005
Silly Dave 2
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Silly Dave
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June 09, 2005
Squall Approaching - Bahamas
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June 07, 2005
Bird Rock Light, Crooked Island, Bahamas
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June 03, 2005
Homestead - South Caicos
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Anglican Church c1795 - South Caicos
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Strange Sights - South Caicos
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June 01, 2005
Big Sand Cay - East (Windward) Shore
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Big Sand Cay - Beach
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Big Sand Cay
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May 27, 2005
Chis Sleeping - Mona Passage
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May 26, 2005
Chis Sailing off Puerto Rico
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May 19, 2005
Dave complied...except for barking
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May 01, 2005
Platina Looking Splendid in the BVIs
Proud parents taking photos from a distance! Isn't she beautiful?
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Turtle, Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
We hope you can see this photo. It is a turtle .. there are many around these parts .. almost as many as there are fishing buoys.
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Platina in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
HAPPY MAY DAY!
Many have asked for a picture of Platina, and this could be no more current. She is a little dirty, but happy. Like her owners!
The swim ladder is down, evidence of our commitment to an active lifestyle, even if we are getting a little soft.
Note the aft sail open a smidge,. It helps to keep her pointed into the wind. An advantage of a ketch rigged sailboat.
Posted by dave at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
April 30, 2005
Unstressing, Destressing, Enjoying the Lapping Waves
Dave may look a wee SICK, but it's just SWEAT!
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Chis in his New UV T-shirt
In Spanish Town, we visited a dive shop where they sell micro-fibre UV t-shirts. Having arrived in Cane Garden Bay, and stumbling on a beach bar, we just had to show off his new svelt pecs and have a cold beer.
Posted by dave at 10:25 AM | Comments (1)
April 22, 2005
Redonda
We left Montserrat at 6:30am to head for St Kitts. We started to leak a bit of oil in the engine, and were concerned about it making its way into the bilge (and therefore, the sea). Do we go to Antigua, which is backtracking, and in the middle of race week, but where we would be sure to find a Yanmar engine dealer. Or, do we stay the course and head for an island that looks most likely to have supplies. It was not an easy decision, but getting out of the hurricane zone by the end of May was our deciding factor. St Kitts was it.
Sailing to St Kitts, we passed Redonda. While nobody lives here today, it has a great story(ies).
Phosphates were discovered here in 1865 and mining began. In 1872, the British annexed it to Antigua before the Americans took it. 100 people worked on the island, and personnel and equipment were pulled up and down on a two-bucket cable car. The descending bucket was filled with sea water from a reservoir, which acted as ballast for the ascending bucket. Phosphate production stopped in 1914.
Then there is the story of the Kingdom of Redonda. In 1865, Matthew Dowdy Sheill, had a long-awaited son after 8 daughters. Being a sexist, he wanted a kingdom for his son. He claimed Redonda. In 1880, Sheill, his son and the bishop of Antigua went to Redonda and the bishop crowned the son, King Filipe I of Redonda. M.P. Sheil (he dropped the second “L”, moved to England and became a writer of Gothic romance and science fiction.
Before he died in 1947, King Filipe I passed the crown to fellow writer John Galsworth (King Juan I), who bestowed titles in exchange for beer. Before Juan I died in 1970, he passed the crown to Jon Wynne-Tyson (King Juan II). Tiring of his royal duties, Juan II abdicated the crown in 1998 to Antiguan writer Robert Williamson (King Robert, Bob the Bald), who, to this day, presents an annual literary prize.
Posted by dave at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2005
N16.5 W62.1 Pelicans at Little Bay, Montserrat
We anchored at the north end of the island in Little Bay. There was nobody there when we arrived, but in due course, 4 or 5 other boats joined us. We had been warned that the swells come around the corner of the island to make it a bit uncomfortable, but we also knew we would not make it in daylight to Nevis. We put the engine on the dinghy to go in to clear customs – this was a challenge in the rolls. Nevertheless, we made it in, cleared customs, and returned to the boat before the dinghy got completely thrashed on the government dock. The pelicans were everywhere (Little Bay is a fishing village), and Chis snapped a photo of this one snoozing on the bow of the fishing boat moored next to us.
The island was named by Columbus after the well-known abbey in Spain. He sighted the island on his second voyage in 1493. On St Patrick’s Day in 1768, the sugar plantation slaves rebelled, and all were executed. Today, the rebels are celebrated as freedom fighters.
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Soufriere Volcano, Montserrat
There is a 2 mile maritime exclusion zone around more than half of the island of Montserrat, as the volcano at the south end of the island is still active. The remains of the ruined capital, Plymouth, are staggering to see – Chis says it is like seeing the ruins of the World Trade Centre in New York. In 1995, the population of the island was around 11,000. Nearly two-thirds of the inhabitants left when the volcano first erupted in 1995.
Posted by dave at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
Tete de l'Anglais
Leaving Guadeloupe, we turned to say farewell only to note two little islands (rocks) off the north coast. Checking the charts, we discovered that the smaller of the two is called Tête à l’Anglais. We just love the French sense of humour – of course it is the smaller island, and of course it is severed from the main body of the island. So we thought we should share it with you.
Posted by dave at 03:12 PM | Comments (1)
April 19, 2005
Flying the Staysail
There is a very pretty sail that flies between our mizzen and main mast – French colours of course. The trick is, the wind has to hit the boat between 70 and 110 degrees, and cannot be stronger than 10-15 knots. We lucked out leaving Pointe A Pitre, Guadeloupe for The Saintes! This is a photo of Dave holding some sort of important rope that did something important.
Posted by dave at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)
N15.5 W35.2 Les Saintes, Guadeloupe
We have been in the Marina Bas du Fort in Guadeloupe for 11 days now, staring at this boat sunk across the lagoon from where we are sitting. The light this morning made it especially glamourous, so I snapped this photo. It is not Platina, who now has a spanking new generator fan, which, as it turned out, worked all along. The original one had not been wired properly. We were having trouble with our backup autopilot (why have 1 when you can have 2?), which is being reinstalled as we speak.
So off we go again. We head today for Les Saintes, a group of small islands on the south coast of Guadeloupe, where we will anchor and head in for dinner at a lovely spot we have heard about.
We are a week behind our schedule now, with a lot of ground to cover. The bad news is there is very little wind. The good news is that it is due to a big high pressure system.
Posted by dave at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2005
How Did the British do it?
The passage between Diamond Rock and the main island of Martinique is called Passage des Fous. Alors, nous sommes fous!
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April 04, 2005
Chis in Martinique
Sainte Anne is a charming town on the south coast of Martinique, recommended by a Swiss couple we met in Saint Lucia.
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April 03, 2005
Sailing to Martinique
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March 29, 2005
Anse Chastenet
We took Dave's parents and sister sailing south down the east coast of St Lucia to see the Pitons. We picked up a mooring at Anse Chastenet and had some lunch and a swim. We then sailed back to Rodney Bay. The weather and wind cooperated, and we had a beautiful day. This photo was taken by Dave swimming next to the boat.
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March 28, 2005
Jambe de Bois
After our hike to the top of Signal Hill on Pigeon Island, we needed a cool refreshment. What better than local beer? The restaurant is called Jambe de Bois, serves very good local food, and is also an art gallery, and book exchange for yachties.
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Visit from Dave's Parents & Sister
Apparently, the Toronto winter was so bad, our first visitors were Dave's parents, Joan and John, and Dave's sister, Jane. This photo was taken at the Pigeon Island, where the Brits set up a fort to defend the island from the French.
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March 26, 2005
Eagles Inn
This photo was taken from the table where we sat and had a beer (okay, 2). The view was of the dinghy and a sign swinging in the wind. We didn't try any lobster, but we may yet.
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Tender to Platina
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March 25, 2005
Gregory the Fruit Guy
Each morning, one of two guys appear at the boat selling local fruit and vegetables. This morning was Gregory, who blows his conch shell to announce his arrival. This morning, we bought prickly pears, bananas, and mangos. He let us take his picture, because the biggest flag on his boat was Canadian,
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March 22, 2005
Land Ho!
Hard to tell that the blurr on the horizon is an island, but it is the first sight of land in 23 days,
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May the Wind Always be at Your Back
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Good-looking Legs
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March 19, 2005
Beautiful Sunset
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Chis Driving
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Last Fresh Food
This red pepper is not a raisin. After 20 days at sea, we have reached the (bitter) end of our fresh food supplies. We enjoyed every last morsel in a stew.
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March 17, 2005
New Day, Same Shirt
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March 16, 2005
Chis Reading While Off Watch
 - Mar 16 2005.jpg)
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March 14, 2005
Slow Winds: A Time to Ration
Dave downloaded a weather file from the internet, via the very slow satellite phone, yawn, that showed that the wind would drop for the next four days. Based on the amount of remaining diesel and butane (fuel for the stove) we started rationing. No more hot tea or coffee, and meals would have to be done in the microwave, until the wind picked up.
Posted by chis at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2005
Swim Day
In the Canary Islands, we bought a Disneyland inflatable swimming pool. The idea was to fill it with rain water, put it on the aft deck, let it warm up in the sun, and lounge in the late afternoon sun. Trouble was, we never had rain, and water is too precious to use. So, we threw it in the water and floated in it. Platina’s tender, the pool is not.
Posted by chis at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)
Swim Day in the Atlantic
According to the British Admiralty Charts, the probability of calm seas in the Atlantic Ocean, at this time of year, is extremely low. We decided to take advantage of this rare opportunity to go for a swim. The water was 27c. Although the wind speed was zero, the North Atlantic Current moves the boat at 0.5 knots. This photo of Chis going for a swim suggests that he has mixed emotions: he’s happy to go for a swim in the middle of the Atlantic, but he’s not too comfortable with the prospect of the boat floating away from him. From the water, 0.5 knots seems like a lot, especially when you see Platina moving away as you swim towards her.
Posted by chis at 11:02 PM | Comments (1)
March 03, 2005
Sunrise & Warm Layers
We moved to the luxury of 4-hour watches and Chis and Dave moved to the same watch for the first time, since we left France on February 15th. The comfort of shorts and t-shirts on the Canary Islands didn’t last, and we soon donned our warmer layers again. This photo was taken at sunrise.
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March 01, 2005
Dolphins
It was a delight to be on the sunrise watch because that’s when the dolphins came to swim in the wake of the bow. Several pods kept us company for days. According to Skipper Ed, dolphins are the only other mammal that masters their bait, if you know what I mean, and they need the wake of the bow to do it. First Mate, Sam, says the dolphins are angels of the sea.
Posted by chis at 10:57 PM | Comments (1)
February 28, 2005
Leaving the Canary Islands
In terms of weather, the timing was right to leave the Canary Islands, as we wanted to be ahead of the light winds that were forcasted for the next week. However, the seas were really rough. We’re talking ‘pound the fillings out of your teeth’ rough. The swells were exaggerated by the acceleration of the winds between the Islands. This photo of Dave shows the angle of the boat relative to the sea. We all got wet from swells rushing up the side of the boat, into the cockpit (Chis still feels damp from a massive soaker that he enjoyed minutes before coming off a watch). We found it easier than expected to slip back into our watch cycle of 3 hours on, 3 hours off, after 5 days of rest.
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Ed the Skipper, Dave, First Mate Sam, and Chis ready to leave Lanzarote
Photo taken moments before we leave for our trans-atlantic crossing.
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February 26, 2005
Whale Skeleton in Peurto Calero
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February 23, 2005
Chis Hiking in Lanzarote
You can see the marina in the background, where Platina is docked.
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February 22, 2005
Land Ahoy after 8 Days at Sea
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February 16, 2005
Dave in Bay of Biscay
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February 15, 2005
Chis with Skipper Ed and First Mate Sam leaving La Rochelle
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February 10, 2005
Chis Working on Provisions
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February 05, 2005
Dave at the Nav Station Checking Weather
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