Category Archives: 2020 Voyaging

Today is my father Dave’s 92nd birthday. Although I’m moored in a secluded bay of the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John USVI—a literal paradise, I so wish I could be transported to Pittsburgh for his birthday party. Being away from home the past 43 days and sleeping every night on Hazel James hasContinue reading “A Birthday Tribute”

On the afternoon of Valentine’s Day, 2 days out of Harbour Island Eleuthera, Bahamas, I had a good close encounter with a freighter. I say “good” for a couple reasons. From a Murphy’s Law perspective, so often when you have a close encounter with a freighter or cruise ship, it’s 3 AM, the wind isContinue reading “Ship Ahoy! (from the passage)”

Now that I am in the Virgin Islands, I can be a little bit more “transparent”. When I say transparent, it’s a euphemism for “honest”—because, let’s be honest, I haven’t been totally honest. Over the past several months, when I would tell well-meaning friends about my idea to sail 1,000 miles of open ocean overContinue reading “Overall Thoughts on the Passage”

Thanks to Jack for keeping the site updated while I was away and also posting about my landfall. Midday Sunday, February 23rd, after 11 days of sailing, I saw land for the first time. It’s funny, over the past day or so, thinking about approach-options to the Virgin Islands and where I make landfall andContinue reading “Land Ho! (part II)”

02/23/2020: PompanoDan Voyage update: Dan has nearly made it to The Virgins. As of this morning he expects to Anchor near St. Thomas tonight, and then find a marina and check-in with customs tomorrow, Monday. Below are a few images from the MarineTraffic app of Dan’s location as of roughly 9:41 EST this morning. IContinue reading “Land Ho!”

“…shiver me timbers I’m a-sailin’ away”—Tom Waits, Shiver Me Timbers While confusing, all three of the names entitling this post refer to the same place. At one time Dunmore Town was the capitol of the Bahamas and was also a prosperous shipbuilding town. Harbour Island, the island on which Dunmore Town is located, is roughlyContinue reading “Briland / Harbour Island / Dunmore Town”

One of Jack and my favorite lines from the movie Master and Commander. The officers of the ship are eating and the Master of the ship “Lucky Jack” Aubrey (Russell Crowe) is describing the first thing that Admiral Nelson said to him. On my first night-out, back on January 18th, I had anchoring problems thatContinue reading ““Aubrey, May I Trouble You for the Salt?””

Forward: by Jack (Pompano Dan’s Son) Hi all, Jack here. Dan is currently in transit between the Bahamas and the Virgins. Marked with red pin, on the Google maps screenshot below, is Dan’s approximate location as of yesterday evening 02/19/20 (23°27’N 66°40’W). We are communicating 1-2 times daily via satelite text/email at this point. AContinue reading “When a Negative is a Positive”

“I know the whole truth there is horrible,It’s better if you take a little at a time.Too much and you are not portable,Not enough and you’ll be making happy rhyme.”—The Gypsy Life, John Gorka Days after Colleen died I found myself alone, by choice, going through her things. Partly because it was something to doContinue reading “Dear Addiction”

“There are two kinds of sailors, those that have run aground and those that haven’t yet run aground.”—Old nautical proverb My 15 mile journey over the Devil’s Backbone was an awesome experience. Thanks in large part to Bruno Underwood, the pilot I hired to guide us over this potentially treacherous piece of water. You canContinue reading “Reading the Devil’s Backbone”