Home just after noon.
USA currently 1-0 over France!
Miss the beach.
Miss the boat.
But ever so happy to be home!
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July 13, 2011
July 12, 2011
In Port for Awhile!
The Goober is all settled into her temporary home for repairs in Hampton, and I'm in a nearby bar cooling off with a couple of cold ones! I was right: it's hotter than the hinges of hell out there!
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Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
The Loop!
Just arrived & the I-64 highrise bridge, reaching the point where I entered the Dismal Swamp portion of the ICW over 7 weeks ago. The loop is complete!
It's looking like a scorcher today, but I should have a breeze all the way to Hampton.
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July 10, 2011
Homeward Bound
Left Manteo about 8:30 this morning bound for Coinjock. I've just passed west of Powell's Point on the mainland end of the Wright Memorial Bridge. A bit of an emotional moment as my end of the OBX passes from view.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
July 01, 2011
Sailing Thoughts, part one
1. I think the thing that I've learned most from my sailing experiences is that I need to accept that I am a sailor of limited experience and expertise. I have been able to handle most of what has been thrown at me, but my lack of experience has been frustrating at times. I can't help but think that a more seasoned sailor would have handled my setbacks in stride and not let them become the issue that I have.
My conclusion from this is not that I have no business being out on the water but that a trip of this magnitude might have been a bigger bite that my experience will allow me to comfortably chew. I think I will concentrate my efforts more on day-sailing and shorter cruises in the Chesapeake in the future.
2. Another lesson learned is that cruising cannot be done on a schedule. The weather, the wind, and a myriad of other factors have to be considered before putting to sea, and those factors are not always going to fit nicely into your calendar. My current example of this is my departure from the Outer Banks a week from today. I know that I'll have to motor the whole way, and I know that I don't want to do that into the wind, especially over open water which I'll be on the first part of the trip. If I get northerly winds, I'm just going to have to wait for a change in Manteo, or suck it up and poke along at 2-3 knots. Keeping my fingers crossed.
3. I'm not the loner that I've always thought I was, or could be. Since Patsy died, I have taken it as kind of a challenge to handle things by myself; not to become a hermit, but to be independent. I've found on this trip, however, that I'm not all that good at long legs at sea with nothing to do but watch the water, the weather, and the instruments. You can only read, lay in the sun, and work sudoku for so long before boredom sets in. I have gained an appreciation for the stories I've read about people going a little batty on long trips at sea. I don't think I'm quite ready to go postal, but I do think I need to cultivate more crew in the future.
4. I notice that all three of the comments above have been on the negative side, and I want to make sure that I close this first section of sailing thoughts on a positive note. I have had a wonderful time. I've visited wonderful places and met wonderful people. Yes, parts of it have been frustrating and even frightening. I don't mind admitting that I never want to have to motor through a 50+ knot thunder storm again, but at the same time all of my experiences have been worthwhile, even the negative ones. This trip will always be one of the highlights of my life!
1. I think the thing that I've learned most from my sailing experiences is that I need to accept that I am a sailor of limited experience and expertise. I have been able to handle most of what has been thrown at me, but my lack of experience has been frustrating at times. I can't help but think that a more seasoned sailor would have handled my setbacks in stride and not let them become the issue that I have.
My conclusion from this is not that I have no business being out on the water but that a trip of this magnitude might have been a bigger bite that my experience will allow me to comfortably chew. I think I will concentrate my efforts more on day-sailing and shorter cruises in the Chesapeake in the future.
2. Another lesson learned is that cruising cannot be done on a schedule. The weather, the wind, and a myriad of other factors have to be considered before putting to sea, and those factors are not always going to fit nicely into your calendar. My current example of this is my departure from the Outer Banks a week from today. I know that I'll have to motor the whole way, and I know that I don't want to do that into the wind, especially over open water which I'll be on the first part of the trip. If I get northerly winds, I'm just going to have to wait for a change in Manteo, or suck it up and poke along at 2-3 knots. Keeping my fingers crossed.
3. I'm not the loner that I've always thought I was, or could be. Since Patsy died, I have taken it as kind of a challenge to handle things by myself; not to become a hermit, but to be independent. I've found on this trip, however, that I'm not all that good at long legs at sea with nothing to do but watch the water, the weather, and the instruments. You can only read, lay in the sun, and work sudoku for so long before boredom sets in. I have gained an appreciation for the stories I've read about people going a little batty on long trips at sea. I don't think I'm quite ready to go postal, but I do think I need to cultivate more crew in the future.
4. I notice that all three of the comments above have been on the negative side, and I want to make sure that I close this first section of sailing thoughts on a positive note. I have had a wonderful time. I've visited wonderful places and met wonderful people. Yes, parts of it have been frustrating and even frightening. I don't mind admitting that I never want to have to motor through a 50+ knot thunder storm again, but at the same time all of my experiences have been worthwhile, even the negative ones. This trip will always be one of the highlights of my life!
My family, those that are coming, arrived yesterday: mother, two sisters, and brother-in-law (thankfully another male!). We've all gotten settled into our beach routines and other than my having no idea what the code to the pool is (because I never use it), all seems to be going smoothly.
Barb and Ray have some friends from home who are joining us for cocktails tonight and everybody's cooking one night while they're here, so I know I'll be well-fed, probably overly-so!
On the sailing front, I have arranged to take my boat to a yard in Hampton on my way home for repairs to the problems mentioned in the last post. I don't know whether I will end up leaving it there and return home or wait for repairs and return to Urbanna. Details when I know them.
Barb and Ray have some friends from home who are joining us for cocktails tonight and everybody's cooking one night while they're here, so I know I'll be well-fed, probably overly-so!
On the sailing front, I have arranged to take my boat to a yard in Hampton on my way home for repairs to the problems mentioned in the last post. I don't know whether I will end up leaving it there and return home or wait for repairs and return to Urbanna. Details when I know them.
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