You know the feeling!

An Amazing 14 Months of Sailing the World

I had no idea these last few months would be the ultimate sailing of my life. It started in September 2024. I met a guy on a beach who admired my sailboat and he later asked me to join him and his girlfriend in Greece for some sailing. Ah, but of course! Me and a sailing buddy joined them on the islands, 150 miles outside of Athens. It was glorious. 25 knot winds, a skipper who was good at med mooring and beautiful weather. In November, I joined a couple for the Baja Haha. My 8th voyage from San Diego to Cabo (750 Miles) along with 100 or more boats and 400 folks. Good times indeed. In the spring, a sailing buddy and I headed to Tahiti for a charter. Bora Bora never looked so good! In June of this year we did an over the top charter out of Split, Croatia. Four other couples that we have known for 40 years, joined us on a 62' cat with a captain, chef and bartender. It was the best charter I have ever experienced with visits to ancient villages, wine tasting and bike rides thru coastal towns. We did not have much wind but no one seemed to care. We were having too much fun! Next, we did a 10 day sail down the California coast and hitting the most iconic harbors on the west coast. Santa Barbara is always my favorite stop. Lastly, my 9th Baja Haha just finished up last week. I had a blast meeting the fleet and also made a new friend, Tim. He has a boat in my marina and I hope to sail with him on his boat next week. I don't think I will ever be able to top this period of my life from a sailing standpoint. Not to mention all my day sails (150 days) on the SF Bay and a week in the Delto on the water. So, you ask, what's next? I have some excellent adventures planed with my wife, Bridget. Back to the Adriatic for a cruise from Croatia to Venice. South Afica is coming up in the summer with my sister and her husband. And then a circumnavigation of New Zealand on a lovely cruise ship. NZ has been on my mind for about 40 years and I am really looking forward to visiting all the beautiful locations on our itinerary. From a sailing standpoit, I would love to get back to the West Indies and St. Barts. Thailand is a possibility as is another trip to Tahiti. I am approaching 70 years old and I want to do as much as I can before I can't. I have also thought about heading back to Zihuatanejo and the Guitarfest. That is coming up in March. One of the fun saying on my boat is, It doesn't get much better than this! However...it keeps getting better!!

The Ocean = Danger

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, fire, 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. Safety first!

Found a Boat! Haha 31 was a Blast!

My friend Lisa was nice enough to pick me up at the airport and chauffeur me around San Diego over the weekend. We first hit the public dock on Shelter Island and knocked on hulls of about 12 boats. No luck but we met several very cool skippers. That evening, we went to see a friend of mine that was playing guitar and singing at an outdoor venue. Lots of Dead and Floyd. Nice. Back at the hotel for a swim and tub. Next morning we rented a boat to get out to the HaHa anchorage. Only one boat! We headed off to a nice restaurant for lunch. That afternoon, same friend had a his band covering Dead tunes at a brewery. I went alone and really enjoyed the show. My phone died and I had to get someone to call me an Uber. Sunday morning is the skippers meeting and a chance to get in front of all the skippers. The first order was to introduce all the folks looking for a ride. Lisa was first and gave the Poobah a big hug. I got on stage and announced to the crowd that I was a diesel mechanic, a gourmet chef, and a brilliant conversationalist. As i got off the stage, a skipper met me and and asked that i join his crew. Yeah! I found a boat for the ninth time in a row. Lisa got a ride too. The boat is a 45' Hardin ketch from the late 80's. There will be a crew of five and the skipper is off to sail the world. I plan to join the boat on Monday morning. The party was fun and I met some old friends. That night I went to the Little River band concert and loved it. Cool Change, a song about sailing was a highlight. Next morning I meet up with the boat and we take off. The boat comes in at 42,000 lbs. and is a 4 knot boat. We have abit over 300 miles to Turtle Bay. We motor for the first two days and then wind arrives on the 3rd day. Winds Are high 20's and the boat is cruising at 6 knots. We arrive about 7:30am and the anchor is down. We hit the small fishing village for some lunch and to meet other cruisers. It was a beautiful day and everyone was in a great mood. We headed back to the boat for some dinner and an awesome party that I arranged with another boat. About 50 folks come by to dance and socialize. The party is off the hook!. The next day was the softball game at the ball field. I ran into a bunch of folks that said Hi. I introduced myself to one cruiser and he happens to have a very active boat in my marina. We hit it off and it is always great to make a new friend (Tim). I headed back to the boat and picked up some tacos along the way. The beach party starts at noon and I take a panga over. It's just getting started and I grab a beer and guacamole. Lots of activity and of course my bocce balls are a big hit. My new friend Tim is there and we have some laughs. My crew alerts me we are departing the harbor in 30 minutes to get a jump ahead of the fleet. We have a 70 hour sail with some decent winds at 12-15 that get down the coast. We arrive mid day and anchor inside Santa Maria. There are only 3 boats anchored. I head to the bow and set up my hammock and some tunes for a relaxing sunset. Next morning it is a beautiful 68 degrees with brillant sunshine. I head over to see Tim and Lisa who ended up on the same bopat. They have 8 on their 50' boat. Back to my boat for a nap and a swim to another boat for introductions. At 6pm we head over to a motor cruiser for another party aboard. Fish and steak are served and I run into a gal that I met on a Haha 10 years ago. Today we are headed for another beach party that features food and a rock band for dancing. Back from the party. We had a blast seeing old friends and making new ones. Tim has a boat in my marina and we are looking forward to getting together in the coming weeks. The band was great and the beers were cold. Next day, we took off at 3am to get an early start down the coast. Winds were light but built to the mid teens for most of the way to Cabo. The weather has been spectacular. We arrived in Cabo with no major issues. I checked into a hotel and the boat is anchored off the beach. Thanks to Jody our skipper and the rest of the crew on Elizabeth Heather. It was another fantastic Haha! By the way, they announced a new Poobah as Richard is retiring after 31 years. Thank you Richard for some great times comiong down the baja coast!! Looking forward to Baja Haha 32!