The Culmination of a Voyage
On Saturday, March 20th, while in Calabash Bay, Long Island, Bahamas, I heard from my brother and sister that our father’s caregivers were recommending he be admitted to hospice, the three of us agreed. Early that next week we got confirmation that, given my father was in hospice, visitation should be possible with strict COVID…
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Don’t Bury the Lead
“Don’t bury the lead,” was the mantra of newspaper reporters back in the days when there were newspapers. The point of it is to remember to keep the leading story “above the fold” on the front page, and not buried within the paper where most readers will miss it. While I try to be true…
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Heading Out!
So the weather has cleared and we are planning to depart the marina this morning. After nine nights here we are ready to be out sailing and at anchor for awhile. Our rough itinerary is a short (10 nautical mile) sail to George Town and Elizabeth Harbour today, stay for several nights and then push…
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The Waiting Place
Oh, there’s just so much to write about—let’s get started!… In a much earlier post about Colleen, I had quoted Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Again I’m thinking about Dr. Seuss, but this time I’m thinking of his final book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It’s a simple masterpiece—fitting…
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Hoping for Nothing
It seems to me that it’s human nature to have hope. That is, to hope for some things to happen. It also seems to me that expectations are just hope taken for granted. I’ve also heard it said that, “Expectations equal planned failure.” Or—for those more mathematically inclined—“Happiness equals reality less expectations.” I guess the…
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Some Pampering After Our First Leg
Finally we are at a place with solid wi-fi so I can upload some pictures! As mentioned in our previous post we had a successful crossing and stayed in Great Harbour Cay Marina for several nights. One highlight was watching the super bowl projected onto a bedsheet and eating conch fritters. For any long time…
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Back in the High Life
After an almost two day mini-passage, starting Thursday morning (2/4), Rhett and I entered the Great Harbour Cay Marina on Great Harbour Cay on the Berry Islands. You can see our full track of progress here*. We had a variety of wind conditions from dead calm through 25 knots of wind. I felt good that…
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Hold at T-Minus 4 Hours
Hi, quick update. After looking at the noon forecasts today, we’ve decided to delay our departure. We were hoping to make the crossing in between two cold fronts but the first front seems to have stalled and the second front kept coming and merged with the first, effectively closing our window. Although it would most…
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The Surly Bonds
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of EarthAnd danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirthof sun-split clouds,-and done a hundred thingsYou have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swungHigh in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flungMy eager craft through footless halls of…
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A Year
A year and a handful of days ago (January 18, 2020) Hazel James and I embarked on our first extended voyage. In preparing to write this blog post, some 372 days later, I reminisced through the HJ Sailing site and was struck by this passage on the home page. It was some of my very…
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2021 Blog Entry Test
Hi! Thanks for sticking with me during my book writing and Hazel James refit hiatus. We’re soon departing on our next voyage and, in our preparations, it’s occurred to me that the traditional sailor’s blessing should be modified to better suit the modern sailor. Specifically, from… Fair winds and following seas. To… Fair winds, following…
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