A Trip Back in Time...Galapagos

We finally made it to the islands!  I had planned to sail there in 2019.  Didn't happen, voyaged to Mexico instead.   We had planned the trip with friends for 2020.  Nope, covid.  Finally made and it was a trip to savoir.  We flew from Ecuador to the islands and jumped on Evolution (an old whaling ship turned into a beautiful passenger yacht).  With 31 passengers and 20 some crew, we were off an an adventure of a lifetime.  November is a perfect time to visit.  Daytime temps rarely hit the mid 70's.  The ship was outfitted well with zodiacs ready to take us to the islands for hiking and snorkeling.  We took 8 friends with us and we were all friends of 30+ years.  We spent our days with our guides who were well versed in the flora and the fauna of this storied archipelago.   The beauty of the islands is that for most of the creatures, there are no predators so the animals are not afraid of you.  We saw many species of birds including the blue footed boobies.  The snorkeling was magnificent as we are in the middle of nowhere (about 650 miles off the coast).  Sharks, sea turtles, millions of fish,  iguanas and seals everywhere.  On our last day we headed up into the hills and visited the giant tortoises.  120 years old and 500 pounds some of them.  We spent a week on the water and visited about 5 islands.  Everyone in our group had a splendid time and we would highly recommend this group for a tour.  https://www.quasarex.com/galapagos/mv-evolution

Click any pic for a better view:

Burning Delight

 

An amazing Burning Man exhibit. If you look closely, you can see some Burners in the reflections.  My three voyages to the playa have been life enhancing!  We had an amazing set up of tents and screens to keep a good portion of the dust to a minimum.  Inside we had seating for 30 at several long tables, a kitchen, and an area to relax with couches for a comfy vibe.  The piece de la resistance was the Bioluminescent Slug, our art car!    We had a flatbed truck turned into a 2 floor disco with a kick ass DJ system.  The design was brilliant.  PVC pipe supported a fabric skin that along with the lighting and sound made this art car a head turner.  Comfortably we could accommodate 30 people on the two floors.  We had as many as forty five!  Our gift to the playa was free rides on the slug.  We also did a wedding in an outdoor chapel and drove the bridal party to a dance tent after the nuptials.  Some of the creative exhibits were mindblowing.  And some were so simple.  One guy who came thru our camp sat down with a bag of coconuts and commenced to break them open so we could drink the milk.  Another guy brought a half pound of cocaine which he shared with who ever wanted some.  No wonder the parties went all night!  The first time you enter the playa at night, your whole concept of life will change.  It is amazing to say the least.  Thank-you Burning Man and a big hug to my camp mates at High Maintenance.

Skinny Dipper Almost Sinks

 

Galapagos Adventure

Bridget and I are off the Ecuador for a week long trip to the islands of Darwin fame.   We are taking 4 other couples along for the ride.  Be looking for some pics after the 20th of this month.  Bon voyage!

Halloween is Upon Us!

 

Over the Edge - Surf Movie

Streaming everywhere!

Chasing the Dream

You get a lot of time to think when you are alone at sea on a small boat, with few distractions but the water rushing by, and the stars at night, standing on deck alone and insignificant on the wide ocean, naked, peeing into the full moon... The downhill run to Papeete is a classic one, sailing right into the southern cross, It took 8 days to sail from the Marquesas to Tahiti, and in that time I experienced every emotion in the rainbow, from sheer terror, to sadness, to un-controllable mirth. I purged every dark corner of my mind, with nowhere to run from the truth, and came away cleansed, lighter, and much much stronger.

I realise now that I have shed almost all my fears. I am not afraid of dying, and I am not afraid of being alone. Actually, my life is wonderfully streamlined when I am left to my own devises. I am not afraid of being judged. I am not afraid of what I do or don't have. My idea of success is not based on money, but rather on the ability to wake up and say "yes, let's go to the waterfall today". The idea that freedom IS the end goal, and that money is just a means to that end, and that if you are not careful to make the distinction, the chasing of money can actually take away from that freedom--the means becomes the end. By that measure, my life so far has been a smashing success, and the only thing that scares me anymore is letting this crazy, beautiful life pass me by. No matter how hard I try, I will only have a fraction of the adventures I would like to. I will only see so many sunsets, I will only hold so many beautiful women in my arms.

Saying yes becomes more urgent as we get older, yet harder and harder to say. Life thunders by, and dreams are crushed beneath the wheels of time. I find that not being afraid is a tremendous freedom in itself. I will remember to say yes, more than just 'whenever possible', for it is at these times when I am most alive.

Who said, our greatest fear is not that we are weak, but that we are powerful beyond measure?' That hits the nail on the head. I don't know where this crazy, stormy, leaky boat of a life is headed, but I sure know that its beautiful out here under these stars with dolphins chasing my stern...

Super Maxi Bonehead Moves

 Heading home from Yucatan to a storm on Sunday.  Sailing should be in the mid twenties and a sailors dream.  Go full screen!

Songs About Sailing - The Definitive List

• 4 Preps - 26 miles
  "Aaliyah - ""Rock The Boat"" "
  Al Stewart - Life In Dark Water
  Arlo Guthrie - Sailor's Bonnet
  Avalon - Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music
  Basil Poledouris- The Dinghy Race (Senta) .
  Beach Boys - Kokomo
  Beach Boys - Sail On Sailor
  Beach Boys - Sloop John B
  Beca Boys - Sail on Sailor
  Billie Holiday - A Sailboat in the Moonlight
  Blondie - The Tide Is High
  Blue4s Image Ride Captain Ride
  Bob Dylan-  Shelter from the Storm
  Bobbie Darin - Beyond the Sea
  Burl Ives - Away Rio
  Burl Ives- Leave her Johnny leave her
  Burl Ives- What do you do with a drunken sailor
  Buster Poindexter- Hot hot hot
  Carbon Leaf - Home
  Cat Steven - Longer Boats
  Cat Stevens - Angel Sea
  Cat Stevens- The Wind by
  Cecilio and Kapono (from Hawaii) - Sailing
  Chris De Burgh - Sailing Away
  Christie Moore - The Voyage
  Christopher Cross - Chris Cross
  Chubawumba -Tubthumping
  Come Sail Away - Styx
  Commodores - Sail On
  Cowboy Junkies- White Sail
  Craig Toungate-Yo Ho, Ho (and A Bottle of Rum)
  Crash Test Dummies -Swimming in your Ocean
  Cream—Tales of Brave Ulysses
  CSN - Shadow Captain
  CSN - Southern Cross
  CSN&Y - Lee Shore
  CSNY  - Wooden Ships
  David Gray - Sail Away
  Dire Straits - Down To The Waterline
  Dire Straits - Singlehanded Sailor
  Doors - Land Ho
  Doors—Crystal Ship
  Double - Capt. of Her Heart
  Duran Duran - Rio
  Ella Fitzgerald- Smooth Sailing by
  Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding
  Enya - Caribbean Blue
  Enya - Orinoco Flow
  Enya - Sail Away
  Eric Bogel' - Safe in the Harbor
  Eric carmen - Boats Against The Current
  Eric Wakely - Sailing Solo
  Every Mother Son -Come on Down to my Boat Baby
  Frank Sinatra - Summer Wind
  Freddy McGregor - Big Ship Sailing
  Garth Brooks - The River
  Glenn Yarborough - Chanteyman
  Glenn Yarborough - I Could Have Been A Sailor
  Goldfinger - 99 red balloons
  Gordon Bok - Isle a Haut
  Gordon Lightfoot - Ghosts of Cape Horn
  Gordon Lightfoot - In the Lee of Christian Island
  Gordon Lightfoot—Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald
  Grand Funk Railroad - I'm Your Captain / Closer To Home
  Grand Funk Railroad -Closer to my Home
  Grateful Dead - Ship of Fools
  Grateful Dead- Franklins Tower
  Grateful Dead- Lost Sailor
  Great Big Sea - A Boat like Gideon Brown's
  Great Big Sea - Boston & St Johns, Great Big Sea - Wave over Wave
  Great Big Sea - Captain Kidd
  Great Big Sea - Lukey
  Harry Belefonte- Day Oh (Banana Boat song)
  Harry Belefonte- Jamaca Farewell
  Ian Matthews- keep on sailing -
  Jack Johnson-  A Pirate Looks at Forty
  Jack Johnson- The Horizon has been defeated
  James White -Splendid Adventure
  Jeff Beck -Blue Wind
  Jefferson Starship—Santiago, Wooden Ships
  Jerry Jeff Walker - Pissn' in the Wind
  Jim Morris  - Key Wasted
  Jim Morris  - Laid Back
  Jim Morris -The Sailor Race
  Jimi Hendrix -  Drifting
  Jimmy Buffet - Lovely Cruise
  Jimmy Buffet - Take It Back
  Jimmy Buffet - changes in latitudes
  Jimmy Buffet - Fins
  Jimmy Buffet - Landfall
  Jimmy Buffet - Margaritaville
  Jimmy Buffet - mother ocean
  Jimmy Buffet - one particular harbor
  Jimmy Buffet - Pirate
  Jimmy Buffet - Sea of heartbreak
  Jimmy Buffet - Landfall
  Jimmy Buffet -Boats to Build
  Jimmy Buffet Sea of Heartbreak
  Jimmy Buffet- Son of a Son of a Sailor
  Jimmy Buffett - Boats To Build (with Alan Jackson)
  Jimmy Buffett - One Particular Harbor
  Jimmy Buffett - The Captain and the Kid
  Jimmy Buffett- Lovely Cruise
  Jimmy Buffett- Mother Ocean
  Joan Baez—Spanish Boots
  Joe Cocker- Sail Away
  Kalapana - Midnight Sailing
  Kenny Chesney - French Kissin' Life
  Kenny Chesney -Be as you are
  KT Tunstall - Silent Sea
  Leadbelly-Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On
  Lindisfarne - Fog on the Tyne
  Little Feat - Sailin' Shoes
  Little River Band - Cool Change
  Loggins and Messina - Vahevala
• Loggins and Messina - Sailin' the Wind
  Looking Glass-Brandy
  Loudan Wainwright's III - Good Ship Venus
  Luka Bloom - Sunny Sailor Boy
  Lyle Lovett - If I had a boat
  Maggie reilly- Silver on the tree / angel tears
  Mark Knoppfler and James Taylor - Sailing to Philadelphia
  Mary Black - Columbus
  Men at Work - Down Under
  Michelle Shocked - It must be Luff
  Moon Mulican - I'LL SAIL MY SHIP ALONE
  Morcheeba - The Sea
  Mountain - 'Nantucket Sleighride'
  "Nick Cave -""The Ship Song
  Otis Redding - Dock of the Bay
  Paul Simon - American Tune
  Peter Frampton - sail away
  Peter, Paul & Mary - Big Boat
  Phil Ochs—Scorpion Departs, Thresher
  Queen - Sail Away Sweet Sister
  Randy Newman' - Sail away
  Rod Stewart - Sailing 4x
  Roger & the Goosebumps - 'Gilligan's Island’ to the tune of 'Stairway to Heaven'
  Roger Whittaker - The Last Farewell
  Ry Cooder/Chieftains- Coast of Malabar
  Salty Dick -  A Matlow Told Me
  Salty Dick - Christopher Columbo
  Salty Dick  North Atlantic Squadron
  Salty Dick - Priests and Nuns
  Salty Dick -The Whores of Sailortown
  Sandy denny and the strawbs - sail away to the sea
  Sonia Dada- Sail Away
  Split Enz - Six months in a leaky boat
  Stan Rogers -  Flowers of Bermuda
  Stan Rogers - Fogarty's Cove
  Stan Rogers - The Bluenose
  Stan Rogers - The wreck of the jeanie c
  Stan Rogers - White Squall
  Stan Rogers -Barrett's Privateers
  Stan Rogers -Make and Break Harbor
  Stan Rogers -The Mary Ellen Carter
  Stan Rogers,-  Sailing Down to Ol' Maui
  Sting - Valaparaiso
  Sting - Why Should I Cry for You?
  Sting The Wild Wild Sea
  Styx - Come Sail Away
  Taj Mahal - Fishin Blues
  The beautiful South - I sail this ship alone
  The Doors - Land Ho!
  The King Singers - The Skye  Boat Song
  The Muppets (from Muppet Treasure Island) - Sailing for Adventure
  Toni Childs - Where the Ocean
  Van Halen - Feels So Good
  Van Morrison - Into the Mystic
  Wagner -Ride of the Valkyries Wagner

Borrowed from Messing About in Sailboats

Go to the 8 minute mark for the sailing.

 

Epic Surfing Read

Vacationing down in the Caribbean and am reading a great book about chasing the perfect wave back in the day. Check it out, Barbarian Days. You will not regret it.

Teahupoo Goes Off One Last Time

The surf season in Tahiti is winding down after a very active few months. Here are some amazing rides by some of the top chargers in the South Pacific. Follow the link to Surfline for this amazing vid. https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/exclusive-edit-teahupoos-swan-song/133786

Pics of the Week

Burning Man Drone Show...Otherworldly!

This years burning man did not happen...officially. However,18,000 folks showed up to celebrate the man anyway! Saturday they tradionally burn the man and it is spectacular. This year they used drones for an unforgettable show. Start thinking about going to BM 2022!

The Famous Flying Fish Story

In the 2011 Haha, we were approaching Cabo at sunrise. Still 30 miles away, the sun started to rise. The crew was asleep and I was in the bow thinking about how sailing had enhanced my life, the experiences I had and all the great people I had met. All of the sudden, a flying fish jumped out of the water and flew into the tip of my penis. It shocked me but no injuries were reported. He was flopping on deck so I picked him up and threw him back into the water. Do you know what they call that? Crotch and release! True story.

The Man, The Myth, Did I mention Legend?

Most waves you catch last a few seconds, maybe five - ten seconds if you catch a good one. Here is Laird catching a 3 minute wave. Cowabunga my friend!

Top Reasons to go Sailing!

I have a few days of sailing coming up and looking forward to some birthday sails! We also have the Lat38 Crew Party on Thursday. Sunday is the Annual Beach Bash that I have hosted since 1987! Good stuff is happening so steady as she goes.

Looking for a new partner

Here is the ad from craiglist: Have you ever wanted to have a large, elegant yacht to enjoy and share with friends and family at a very reasonable price? Yet, you did not want all the hassle of boat ownership? Welcome aboard our three-cabin 2001 Jeanneau 40. She had a major refit in 2018 for a successful voyage deep into Mexico and back. Large touch screen chart plotter, autopilot, AIS, radar, new rigging, new jib furler, new jib, 200' of chain with Rocna anchor, awesome Bluetooth windlass for hassle free anchoring, stack pack with lazy jacks, all lines led aft, spinnaker, new head, galley with 2 burner stove and oven, steering cables replaced, LED lights everywhere, video system for DVD movies, 4 huge AGM batteries, inverter, Bluetooth stereo with indoor/outdoor speakers, wind speed, depth, dual wheel, swim deck with ladder, six-man life raft, two heads, dodger, and bimini. I have been managing successful sailing partnerships for 20 years. At $150 per month, this is one of the most affordable partnerships on the bay. The equity cost is $20,000 (4 partners). With an equity partnership, you get the $20k back when you leave the partnership (or whatever the market will bear at that time). I take care of all the maintenance while you get to go sailing! Our last partner to join recently paid a great compliment to the partnership. He said, "I feel like I won the lottery!" He recently spent the weekend on the hook at Aquatic Park and had a blast. When I advertised for a partner last time, I filled the spot in 2 days, so this will go fast. I am available on Labor Day (9/6) for viewing the boat. If that is not convenient, I am available during the week and the following Saturday. Looking for experienced and confident sailors only. Emeryville sits at the end of the slot and is known for its consistent 20-25 knot winds as you depart the channel. If you want to sail affordably and without all the hassle of boat ownership, you could be our newest partner! We recently had $6000 of engine work done and the Yanmar 56 is strong and ready for the next adventure. Here is a walk-thru of a sister ship with 2 cabins. https://youtu.be/Sjwzepp-uMw Please note that the boat in this video is not our boat, but very similar. Contact me: fungod@gmail.com

Glorious Sailing in the Med

Great Commentary, Incredible Shot!

I have been playing disc golf since college (over 40 years). And still playing several times a week. I love that is such a simple game, yet very difficult. Enjoy this shot from the national championship in Utah. This is a shot of 247 feet!!

Wife's Away, A Sailor Will Play

My wife had a family function to attend in SLC and I dropped her at SFO. I took off for the boat about 30 minutes away. After some chores, Hana and I took off for a sail. Winds in the 20's got us to Clipper Cove and a nice beach in no time. There were a few boats there and anchoring is usually easy. I tried twice but the anchor did not bite, so we headed back to the dock. Friday I had a few friends join me for another sail to Cilpper. We swam to the beach and had a great lunch as well. The winds were in the high 20's as we hit the end of the island. After a tuff tack we made it around and back to the marina. Had a bunch of chores on Saturday including changing the transmission fluid. Out for a short sail and then home. Sunday was a big day for Hana as her brother was onboard. They played and wrestled as we sailed to Angel Island. I took them to the beach and they had a ball swimming for the stick. 30 knots of wind got us home quickly and my friends loved it. I even made it on time after the sail to pick up my wife at the airport.