Gales, Hurricanes...and some "Buffett" style sailing....
Note: Link to Apparent Tornado Damage at Western Carolina Sailing Club 20050707
"The Deliverance"
Subtitle: Are We There Yet?... or... Who is Gale? Trip Report 1998
There is an old question. Why do men go to sea? Is it for the adventure ? Is it for the romance? Or, is it for the sense of accomplishment and independence? Perhaps,... but I would like to offer a more likely explanation. The reason men go to sea is to get wet, I mean really wet. And did I mention cold? .... and although not very "nautical"...the term "ride'um cowboy" takes on an entirely new meaning. We moved an aircraft carrier! Well, thank goodness they moved.
Click here for a trip report ... what an adventure.
Let's go to the Caribbean, mon!
British Virgin Islands 1997 Ahhhhh, the summer of 1997. Well, we finally did it. I have been wanting to bareboat in the Caribbean for a long time. We met some really neat sailors from Big Water Sailing Club--our sister sailing club on Hartwell Lake. Thad invited us to lease a boat, get a crew, and go with them to Tortola, BVI and charter with the Moorings. Great idea! Lynne and I invited two couples to join us.....Lee and Joyce, Jay and Tanya, and Lynne and I decided to take the voyage. We started planning around the first of the year. Thad had a crew of seven for a Beneteau 505, Lynne and I chartered a Beneteau 445, and Jim and Lena chartered a Beneteau 405 for their crew of three. Thad and his crew have been taking the trip for many years, so they put together a "tentative" itinerary. Although we did not sail together all of the time, we met for diving, snorkeling, and for the evening anchorage/mooring. It was a wonderful time. Actually everyone seemed to get along...(lol). Below are some photos from the trip. I couldn't get the 3 hours of video on the web. (grin) Thad...thanks a lot for inviting us! I couldn't begin to tell *everyone* how great a trip it was.....perfect!
We spent a total of 11 days. First night on St. Thomas...then to Tortola for night two. We enjoyed lunch at Pussers Co. Store & Pub That is Lynne and I standing in front. Is this an omen?....a rainbow appeared as we were leaving St. Thomas. Day three found us eager to go to the orientation and then to our 445 (well, it was ours for a week). One thing for sure....a week isn't long enough....but, how much time *is* long enough.....few years? Couple of decades?
Click here for many photos and a trip report.
A Hurricane??
1996 yielded another great time on St. Martin. Well, it was a memorable time. On this trip we arrived about 20 hours before Hurricane Bertha! Our friends Jerry and Sherry met us at the airport. My first question was "How is the weather?" Jerry reluctantly informed me of Hurricane Bertha's estimated time of arrival but said "hey, we've got a day and a half before she arrives." With that note of comfort we headed to the Sapphire Resort and unpacked. Jerry and Sherry had already located the Cliffside Bar and Grill only a short distance from our hotel. The bar is located literally on the side of the limestone cliff at Cupecoy Beach ....later hurricane Bertha caused part of the cliff to wash away leaving the supporting structure for the bar to "dangle" in the breeze....tough to lose the business that quickly. They relocated to the poolside of the Cupecoy Beach Club. If you visit St. Martin....please go by the Cupecoy Beach Club and ask for Frank and Nina.....then ask for a mudslide! Nina can mix a 'mean' mudslide. Tell them that Lynne and Mel said hello!Previous Vacations on the Islands
This is a photo of Lynne and I, as we are having dinner at "Marks" on the island of St. Martin, in the Caribbean, French West Indies. We visited St. Martin in 1994 & 1995 and spent time sailing and kicking back around the islands---- wonderful and relaxing trips. In 1994, we sailed out of the marina at Simpson Bay on the Dutch side. Although "Marks" is still on the island, this restaurant was destroyed later that year by Hurricane Louis.Click here for photos of trips to St. Martin.
I would love to hear from you!!
"To discover new oceans, you must first lose
sight of the shore."
