The sea is a dangerous place. The perils of the sea include sharks, pirates, shipping containers floating just below the surface, gales, fire, rouge waves, food poisoning, infection, dismasting, hurricanes, sinking, rudder failure, scurvy, tsunamis, fog, dehydration, salt water crocs, anchor failure, water spouts, contaminated water, lightning, terrorists, hypothermia, drowning, fishing nets, lee shores, whales, malaria, unlit fishing boats, strong currents, unmarked obstructions, reefs, large ships, sea sickness, mutiny, dismemberment, and death. Sailing requires a huge amount of luck as well as constant vigilance so that these issues donot happen. Tex and I have been very lucky indeed. On many of our passages we are sailing 24/7. We have watch schedules of 4 hours on and 4 hours off and we are sailing in the darkness. All we can really look out for is the lights of other boats. If a large object is in the water ahead of us, we will not be able to see it. One of our scariest moments was when lightning was all around us. With a large object protruding into the sky, all we can do is pray. And I am not just talking about the mast.
Some of our highlights so far have been as follows:
Retiring from the Too Much Fun Club, loading the boat the next day, and sailing away the following day
Kayaking into Painted Cave on Santa Cruz island off Santa Barbara. This is the largest water cave in the world
Day sailing down the coast of norcal with stops at famed harbors such as Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Morro Bay and around the Cape Horn of California, Pt. Conception.
Circumnavigating Santa Cruz Island on a 5 day sojourn.
Spending 3 weeks in Santa Barbra and taking friends out to the beautiful island of Santa Cruz. Ed and Yvonne joined us, Sue and John, and some of my sailing friends as well.
Celebrating my 60th birthday at the Ritz in Santa Barbara
A visit to the famous island of Santa Catalina and Avalon.
An afternoon touring Newport Beach with a high school friend on his private tender
Beating my crew and friends 19 times in a row in bocce. And playing a game inside a cave on the beach.
Arriving in San Diego to celebrate the 50 anniversary of Ultimat Frisbeee with a bunch of folks from around the bay area and elsewhere.
Spending 3 weeks in San Diego and a week with my oldest friend from childhood. Steve Peterson joined for the Frisbee and then spent a week on the boat with us.
Sailing with my son and his friend in San Diego
A night sail to Ensanada, 60 miles down the coast
2 weeks in Ensanada, the gastronomical capital of Mexico
Having two orcas visit us off Ensanada
A week with Bridget in Cancun celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary
A week with my family in Puerto Vallarta to celebrate Thanksgiving
700 miles sailing from Ensanada to Cabo San Lucas
Sailing the islands off La Paz and inviting other boats to join us on our boat to celebrate the cruising life
Discovering the wonders of San Jose del Cabo, a beautiful small town and the antithesis of Cabo San Lucas
Here is what we are looking forward to in the new year:
Having my sisters, Bridget and family join me in San Jose del Cabo for NYE and some more sailing the Pacific with them
Sailing to mainland Mexico and having friends and family share our fun in Puerto Vallarta during our 2 week stay there
South of PV are some of the most exotic anchorages in all of Mexico with a new anchorage about every 20 miles
Having Scumby and family visit us in Ztown and celebrating his birthday. By the way you are all invited
Attending the international gypsy guitarfest in Ztown
Meeting more wonderful cruisers as we sail the coast of this wonderful country.
Tex has been a saint
The weather has been fantastic
The boat has performed way above our wildest expectations
Everyone from Mexico has been helpful, warm and friendly
Tex and I are having the time of our lives.
Please join us on our dream cruise!!
-->
No comments:
Post a Comment