I'm working on it!!!

I know the main website hasn't been updated in a while. I've been working on a redesign. It's not ready and it's taking longer than I thought, so logs & photos from the last couple weeks (including the Krause visit) will be up shortly in the old design. Hope to have the redesign finished within a week or two.

A Curious Conversation

"Honey?..."

"Mmmph?" I respond, pretending to pay attention to the question while I'm reading a book. A bad habit I have.

"You've always wanted to do a circumnavigation haven't you? It's always been a dream of yours, hasn't it?"

"Hmmm... what? Oh. Yes, well I wrote that off when I decided I wanted to get married. It was a good trade off." To myself I add, especially since she's here on the boat with me for a whole year now and we're looking forward to at least one more, which I never expected to happen.. Figuring that was the end of the conversation, I dove back into my book.

A few minutes later: "How long would it take?"

"Huh? What? Take to do what?" Obviously I wasn't keeping up with the discussion.

"To sail around the world." she said.

"Oh... um... about 3 or 4 years I think." Depends on which route you take and how long you mess around along the way." Ok, now back to the book, it's a really good part... wait, did she say something again?

"What was that sweety?" I said a little strained this time, it really was a good part in the book.

"I said, why don't we do it then?" She repeated.

After a few seconds, I scrape my jaw up off the floor and wipe what was probably a pretty silly look off my face. "Really?" "Are you serious?"

She's serious. Wow. Really WOW.

So, we dug out Jimmy Cornell's encyclopedic "World Cruising Routes" and got to work.

A couple months have passed since this conversation and the planning has raised some timing questions. To avoid hurricane season in the South Pacific, we need to transit the Panama Canal sometime in the spring, probably in April. So, we have a decision to make: return to the US for another summer after this winter's trip to the Caribbean or turn left and head for Panama and the South Pacific. We have a lot of prep work to do and the summer is half over. So as not to rush things we may wait a year. This would also give Quinn another year so he remembers more of it. We'll probably make the timing decision by the end of August.


I'm still pinching myself.

Did I mention I married the coolest lady in the world?

Lagoon Escapade - A Very Good Time!

Last weekend Lagoon America and The Catamaran Company coordinated a weekend rendezvous for Lagoon catamaran owners. It started with a cookout and cocktails in Annapolis on Friday evening to get everyone introduced. Saturday morning we gathered again for breakfast in preparation for our sail across the Bay to St. Michaels where we would anchor for the night and enjoy a crab dinner at a local restaurant.

Unfortunately, the weather closed in and several of the boats decided not to make the trip to St. Michaels, or to do it by car instead. Jen and I weren't bothered by the forcast and joined the other three boats that made the sail to St Michaels. It was a bit of a rainy trip across the Bay, and we motor-sailed about half of the way, but it was still fun.

We had two guests aboard for the trip: Nick Harvey, Director of Lagoon America, and Brian Hermann, our friend / broker from The Catamaran Company. We really enjoyed having them aboard and it made the sail just fly by, in spite of the rain. Having two experts on board I was a little self-consious of my sail trim, but either I did OK or they were too gracious to mention any gaffs.

As We dropped anchor off St Michaels, the sun broke out as Jen broke out the home-made guacamole and the Wet-n-Salties. For any new readers, the "Wet-n-Salties" are the official Mirasol beverage, and are essentially a fancy margarita - but better than any other I've had. Jen worked out the recipe during our Bahamas cruise this past year.

After a few cocktails the five of us piled into our dink and headed ashore for a yummy crab dinner. These were our first Maryland crabs of the '09 season, and they were delicious!

Nick and Brian had to return to Annapolis by car Saturday evening so it was just the usual Mirasol crew anchoring out overnight in St. Michaels. We ended up staying in St Michaels for 5 days, enjoying the town as well as a couple nights in a marina so Jen could get some laundry done and Quinn could spend some time in the pool.

Somebody Help Me!!!

I'm dying of BOREDOM! I'm looking for ideas for things to do during my overnight watches to keep myself awake. Let's keep it clean, please.

I can't read underway (or do detail work like sewing, for example) because I get seasick. I've tried practicing knots, but that gets old quick (at least I can do a bowline, figure 8 and even a monkey's fist now without having to stop and think about it). Can't really play loud music because I need to be able to hear the boat if something changes and I don't want to keep other crew members awake. Oh, and if it wasn't obvious, it has to be something I can do sitting at the helm.