Brenda and I have always been passionate art lovers, and our home reflects that in every corner — a glorious jumble of fiber art, a few of my own furniture pieces, and just about everything in between. “Eclectic” is probably the polite word for it. It will never be mistaken for a spare, minimalist Hilton, that’s for sure — but there’s certainly plenty to behold.

My love of sailing and marine art eventually led me to the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), and that connection has opened some wonderful doors. Last week I accompanied a small group of very accomplished ASMA members to Antigua for a week of plein air painting at some of my favorite spots in English and Falmouth Harbors — and it was a tremendous success.

Brenda and I have been going to Antigua for nearly ten years. After my very first visit I became determined to move the Salty Dawg Caribbean Rally’s destination from the BVI to Antigua, which I finally accomplished about eight years ago. The fleet has since grown to roughly 80 boats making landfall every November.

Now with Pandora in Spain, Brenda and I head back to her next week to begin our first Med sailing season. Without the boat in Antigua, I needed another excuse to get back there — and the ASMA gave me exactly that.

I’ve posted about this trip a few times already, but it felt worth pulling together a proper summary. The genesis of the whole effort goes back two years, when ASMA president Patrick O’Brien visited the island with me. He fell in love with Nelson’s Dockyard and set about painting it as it would have appeared in the late 1700s when Nelson himself was stationed there. With research support from Dr. Reg Murphy, the island’s archaeologist and author of the UNESCO designation of the park, Patrick was able to reconstruct the scene with remarkable accuracy — the Dockyard, in many ways, still looks much as it did back then.

Dr Murphy gave us a private tour of the Dockyard, something he does only rarely these days. He is an engaging and knowledgeable story teller.

This is Patrick’s painting. It’s a very impressive piece at 36″ x 24″. Patrick gave a presentation about how he recreated the scene and unveiled to a small group at the Admiral’s Inn.

It will be displayed, for sale, at the Admiral’s Inn soon.

The painting attracted the attention of the Governor General, Sir Rodney and Lady Williams who joined us at the Inn to review the painting as well as meet the artists and see what they had done while on the island. It was a wonderful event and they stayed with us for an hour.

Sir Rodney travels with a photographer who shared a number of terrific shots of the meeting.

Sir Rodney and Lady Williams being greeted by Paul Deeth, owner of the Admiral’s Inn and our host for the visit. Paul has been very supportive over the years of all that I have tried to do on the island. It is a wonderful boutique hotel, steeped in history. They also have a two wonderful restaurants worth experiencing.

We gathered around for what was truly a wonderful event.

Patrick showed the painting to His Excellency who seemed quite taken by it.

He also reviewed some of the computer files that helped Patrick recreate the scene including computer renderings of individual buildings that he constructed with plans shared by Dr. Murphy.

Lady Williams was particularly interested in the artists and their work as she is heading up an initiative to convert the oldest Catholic Hospital into what will become a national museum.

She sent a photo of the building to me. This was the oldest Catholic Church on the island dating from 1747. The renovation is being funded, in part, by the World Monuments Fund

Each of the artists showed some of the pieces that they did while on the island.

One of Patrick’s paintings that wasn’t quite finished. Patrick O’Brien’s website.

And one of Keith’s works. A link to Keith Wilkie’s work.

And Alexandra’s, all the way from Germany. Alexandra Telgmann’s studio work.

A lovely picture by Russ. Russ Kramer”s work

And a very nice painting from the watercolorist Bill Sutton.

Of course, what is an audience with His Excellency and Lady Williams without a group shot. As always, when I meet with His Excellency, I felt very underdressed. And I was…

The artists were so impressed with the visit that they all decided to donate most of their works done on the island with the hope that they might find their way into the “new” museum.

The very next day Sir Rodney and Lady Williams flew to England where they were scheduled to meet with King Charles and Camilla to talk about the upcoming meeting of the Commonwealth, taking place in Antigua this November. Here is a photo of them at Westminster Abbey during the Commonwealth Reception in England meeting the King and Queen a few days later.

The meeting of the Commonwealth will take place in Antigua in early November and will bring leaders from all of the commonwealth nations in the world. This short video is inspiring and certainly has a different slant than the world view coming out of our own capital of late.

I can’t resist a wonderful photo of Sir Rodney and Lady Williams being greeted by the late Queen Elizabeth. There will always be a soft place in my heart for her.

The hope is that the museum will be ready for opening by November so perhaps some of the works donated by the artists might end up on display. There is also talk of a follow-on artist event to coincide with that meeting so who knows where all this will lead.

Heck, perhaps members of ASMA that travel to Antigua might also have an opportunity to meet the King and Queen. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

This might have been exactly what Patrick and Alexandra were thinking about as they watched the sunset on our last night in Antigua.

I have loved visiting Antigua for so many years that it seemed fitting to return again and bring along some very fine artists, now my friends, for a visit. I am hopeful that this event will set the stage for future events and it seems to me that in addition to the boats that Salty Dawg now brings to Antigua each fall that the ASMA event will become yet another way to celebrate Antigua, this time in art.

It has been quite a week as I spend time with members of the American Society of Marine Artists here in Antigua. For several days, with a rental car, I shuttled them to beaches and lookouts so they could spend time painting. It has been wonderful to see what they come up with in just a few hours.

My friend Patrick, and president of the group, when asked how long it takes to do a painting. “A few hours? a few days? And 20 years of practice.”

I guess that’s a lot like being a ballerina. It looks easy if you practice for 10,000 hours.

Anyway, I have been following them around and it’s been great to see how things progress as they choose a spot to paint and begin laying down layers of paint, trying to capture what lies in front of them.

It’s been quite windy so finding a spot with a great view where their easels would not blow over has been tough. Alexandra and Patrick checking out spots.

Keith tucked in behind a wall in the fort.

Bill, the watercolorist in the group, tucked into a door in the old fort to get out of the wind.

Later that afternoon we were lucky to have the opportunity to visit a friend’s home on the point across from the fort.

I shuttled the group in a rental car, making a few trips to get everyone there. They couldn’t believe the view.

Some of us that aren’t artists just enjoyed the view and beautiful infinity pool.

I brought along a jar of rum punch from the Admiral’s Inn along with some wine and cheese. Not a hard drinking group and we all took in the magnificent view.

It was interesting to see the artists critiquing each other’s work. Comparing styles and generally having a nice time.

The artists painted all over. Russ chose to hang out in Nelson’s Dockyard to take in the place. I don’t know how he keeps it up with constant interruptions from tourists. “Hey, is that a painting? Did you do it yourself? How long does it take?”

While we were there one beautiful yacht after another entered the harbor. This is the 200′ long Adix, still beautiful after 40 years of sailing. When she races she has a crew of 30+. Big boat…

And speaking of boats, my friends Jamie and Jill hosted us for an afternoon outing on their beautiful catamaran. It was quite rough in the ocean so we anchored off of Pigeon Beach for a swim and to just “chill”. A very nice time and really appreciated by the group.

El Presidente, Patrick aboard,.

We had such a nice time. Jioia is more like a comfortable condo than a mere boat. They even have an icemaker.

Another big highlight of the day was a visit from His Excellency, Sir Rodney and his wife Lady Williams. To give context to their position, Lady Williams will be participating in a forum hosted by the First Lady next week and after that, they fly to England to meet with the King and Queen. Antigua is hosting a major gathering of the Commonwealth Nations in Antigua next November. Sir Rodney reports directly to the King and is a very impressive guy. I have had the pleasure of meeting with him a number of times including my first visit that I wrote about in this post. The meeting of the Commonwealth in Antigua takes place in November. It’s a big deal with thousands coming in from all over the world. It’s interesting to check out this link that describes the plan.

His Excellency and Lady Williams spent nearly an hour with us. I believe that they were genuinely interested and I am hopeful that this meeting will lead to something that can help the Society and Antigua.

Our group…

They both seemed to really enjoy their time with us. We certainly did. Adrian took this photo. Sir Rodney travels in a motorcade with a police escort, a security detail and a photographer. I hope to see a lot more photos of the event soon.

Patrick did a very nice job describing his work on a major painting that captured the dockyard as it was when Nelson was stationed here. He also spoke about the American Society of Marine Artists and why we are in Antigua. Based on our discussions, it seems that there is more opportunity. Note their photographer to the right.

Here’s Lady Williams conversing in German with Alexandra. Of course, Alexandra is German but we had no idea that Lady Williams spoke fluently as well.

There has been a lot of painting going on each day. I can’t show all of what the artists have done here in Antigua but i hope you enjoy a sample of some pictures that they have shared with each other on our WhatsApp group.

Patrick’s picture, painted from the private home overlooking Galleon Beach in English Harbor. He really captured the moment.

Alexandra did this piece out at Fort Charlotte at the mouth of English Harbor. Nice work on a very windy day. The artists had to hold tight to keep their canvases from blowing out to sea.

keith also had to hold tight onto his easel, and hat I expect, to keep things steady.

Bill has done quite a few paintings now. His picture of the entrance to Nelson’s Dockyard depicts a scene that would have been correct hundreds of years ago.

Russ even brought along a frame. He painted this in the Dockyard along side a very popular bar. I have had many beers at that bar over the years. Very nostalgic to me.

Adrian, our informal “official” photographer does amazing work. It’s hard to decide exactly what it is and if it’s even a photograph.

Today we began the day, with lots more activities still to come, on a harbor tour on a boat owned by the Admiral’s Inn. It was a very nice gesture. The group really seemed to enjoy the ride.

All and all, it’s been a whirlwind week and it’s hard to keep the constantly evolving schedule in my head. If it wasn’t for WhatsApp, I doubt that we would be able to keep on top of it all.

As they say, “But wait, there’s still more to come!”. After all of this, I think everyone will need a vacation.

Busy or not, I am having an amazing time with some very talented artists here in Antigua.

Well, I’m back in Antigua but this time with a small group of Marine Artists, members of the American Society of Marine Artists. The group is small but does very high quality work.

For many years I have been attracted to marine art and have had a number of friends that are quite accomplished painters.

When I was introduced to the president of this group, Patrick O’Brien, a few years ago, I offered to organize a number of in-person events for the group.

There have been a few so far and after having Patrick join me aboard Pandora in the Caribbean two years ago, we decided to try and organize a small artist event here in Antigua.

There will be events each day including painting on the beach as well as tours and meals together. Tonight we will gather for dinner at Pillars, at the Admiral’s Inn, a place where I have done events for years on behalf of the Salty Dawg boats when they arrive in the Caribbean each November.

I rented a car for a few days so I can ferry the artists around the island. I look forward to seeing how the picture turns out.

Here’s Keith painting on nearby Pigeon beach this morning.

Pigeon beach where a number of artists are painting today is beautiful

As the week progresses, I will surely post some images of the finished pictures.

And, speaking of pictures, I am staying in a lovely cottage overlooking Falmouth Harbor, Bougainvillea is one of a number of simple Caribbean cottages all connected by stone walkways. They are open to the weather and very charming.

My room overlooking the harbor. Kitchen, sitting area and bed. Very charming.

And some visitors, bannana twits. They are fruit eaters so I put out some sugar water.

Nice view of the harbor, even if Pandora isn’t there.

And, of course, what is a blog post about Antigua without a night scene of the yachts in the harbor?

We will have a whirlwind of activities over the week and compared to the months that we have spent here over the years, this seems like a real rush job. Hopefully the artists will feel that the experience lives up to the “hype” and in they will return with their artist friends.

The artists that are here with me for the week have very impressive pedigrees. Check out these links to their work. There’s quite a variety. Let me know what you think.

Patrick O’Brien, President ASMA  https://www.patrickobrienstudio.com/

Russ Kramer:  https://www.russkramer.com/

Bill Sutton:  https://williamsuttonwatercolors.com/

Alexandra Telghman:  https://www.alexandra-telgmann.com/

Keith Wilkie:  https://www.keithwilkieart.com/

Anna Bolton:  https://annaboulton.com/ Anna actually lives here and I am hopeful that she will join us for some events.

I’ve been pretty good at getting sailors to visit Antigua over more than 8 seasons now, so let’s see if I can make headway with artists. Who knows, it’s worth trying.

More to come as the week unfolds so stop back and see what’s next.

Anyone who spends time on the water—especially offshore—knows that the ocean can be unforgiving.

What complicates that reality today is the expectation created by modern technology. Starlink, instantaneous communication, and powerful weather tools like PredictWind can foster a subtle but dangerous illusion: that knowing more automatically means being safer. That’s only partially true.

As rally director for the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, I often heard comments suggesting that sailing in a rally meant help was close at hand. While excellent communication and shoreside support are valuable, they don’t change the fundamentals nearly as much as many believe.

Casual dockside conversations—especially with those who haven’t spent time offshore—often include some version of, “Well, it must be safer having others around in a rally.” They’re usually surprised when I explain that during an offshore passage we almost never see another rally boat, even when a hundred boats are out there together.

The tracking map reinforces the illusion. Watching dots crawl across the screen gives the impression that everyone is close. They aren’t.

The simple fact is that once you’re offshore, you’re subject to the same perils mariners have faced for centuries—albeit with better odds of a good outcome. You are essentially on your own. The real advantage of modern weather tools is not safety in the moment, but avoidance: the ability to steer clear of truly dangerous conditions, or at least receive enough warning to prepare when challenging weather is unavoidable.

Someone once told me, “A real sailor should be prepared for whatever they encounter. If they aren’t, they shouldn’t be out there. And if you’re prepared, just go—weather or not.” With the tools available today, leaving without the best possible information is not bold—it’s irresponsible, and it puts others at risk.

Most passages last a week or two. With good forecasting—both before departure and underway—it’s generally reasonable to avoid most conditions that would otherwise test the limits of boat and crew.

Good information, however, is only part of the equation. A successful voyage ultimately depends on the condition of the boat, the quality of preparation, and the conditions encountered along the way.

And just as important as all of that is attitude.

For many sailors, the Fisherman’s Prayer speaks directly to this point. The classic poem by Winfred Ernest Garrison goes like this:

Thy sea, O God, so great,
My boat so small.
It cannot be that any happy fate
Will me befall
Save as Thy goodness opens paths for me
Through the consuming vastness of the sea.

Thy winds, O God, so strong,
So slight my sail.
How could I curb and bit them on the long
And saltry trail,
Unless Thy love were mightier than the wrath
Of all the tempests that beset my path?

Thy world, O God, so fierce,
And I so frail.
Yet, though its arrows threaten oft to pierce
My fragile mail,
Cities of refuge rise where dangers cease,
Sweet silences abound, and all is peace.

Though not explicitly about sailing, Garrison’s words speak directly to our relationship with the sea.

Garrison was born in St. Louis in 1879, which surprised me. I had always assumed the poem was centuries old. More surprising still: he had never been to sea. And yet he captured, perfectly, the universal thoughts of anyone who has found themselves hundreds—or thousands—of miles from land in a small boat.

What technology cannot provide is nerve, patience, and judgment. It is attitude—every bit as much as electronics—that gives us our best chance of a good outcome.

Strip away shoreside support, Starlink, and the most current forecasts, and the truth remains: offshore, you take what you’re given and deal with it as calmly and deliberately as possible.

There’s an old adage: “If you feel like you should reef, you should have done so already.”

Last summer, on my approach to the coast of Portugal—the final night of a passage from São Miguel to Gibraltar—the GRIBs suggested 20–25 knots on the beam. What I found in the middle of the night was closer to 30–35. A big difference.

I was double-reefed with a partially rolled jib, but I should have put in the third reef. Once things were fully “on,” with waves occasionally breaking over the cabin top, I couldn’t bring myself to go forward to secure the clew. We did fine, but the boat was clearly overpowered.

I mention this because while I’ve used Chris Parker for weather routing throughout our cruising life, on that passage I only requested forecasts for the first few days. I assumed I could handle the rest unless something changed.

What I didn’t know—and learned later from Chris—is that models routinely underestimate winds immediately east of Portugal. I simply wasn’t as prepared as I should have been.

I strongly believe in using professional weather routing for the entire passage. In this case, I went against my own advice. We were lucky. Pandora came through without damage, and while it was tough at times, we were never in real danger. Still, luck played a role—and next time, on a 900-mile run, I won’t skimp on support.

Support or not, the truth remains:

Thy sea so great. My boat so small.

When acquaintances learn that we have a boat, one of the first questions is always, “How big is it?” My answer is, “That depends on how close you are to a dock.”

Pandora feels enormous when I’m inches from something hard. Hundreds of miles offshore, she feels very small indeed.

Those words—“Thy sea so great and my boat so small”—have been proven to me more than once.

I believe strongly that it is the skipper’s responsibility to use every available resource, even while accepting that offshore we ultimately rely on ourselves. One area that concerns me is what I think of as amateur weather routing—skippers who believe models alone are enough.

After more than a decade and over 30,000 bluewater miles, I’ve learned repeatedly that unless weather is your full-time focus, you simply can’t match the knowledge of someone who has spent years refining that craft.

A well-found boat, modern equipment, and weather support are only as good as the skipper and crew. To believe otherwise is dangerous.

As Malcolm Gladwell put it:

“It takes ten thousand hours to truly master anything. Time spent leads to experience; experience leads to proficiency; and the more proficient you are, the more valuable you’ll be.”

Getting on a boat—whether as skipper or crew—without using every available resource is folly.

A young friend recently asked me to serve as a reference when he signed on as crew for a late-season Annapolis-to-Caribbean passage. After answering the skipper’s questions about my friend, I asked what weather routing support he planned to use.

He told me—proudly—that he’d been in the Navy, had seen plenty of weather files, and didn’t need a router.

That worried me.

I cautioned my friend. Sure enough, they only made it to the mouth of the Chesapeake before turning back—the front they were trying to outrun arrived early. Could they have avoided this if they’d had professional support? Who knows, but my money is on the professional for good guidance.

Forecasts are far better than they were even a few years ago, but I’ve seen many passages where GRIBs painted one picture, only for reality to deliver something very different a few days later.

Conditions change.

One thing doesn’t.

Thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small.

No kidding.

It might be smooth sailing.

But it might not.

Sailor, take warning.

We often hear that there is no such thing as privacy on the web anymore and I suppose with social media and all the ways we share information about our lives, knowing that out there “somebody knows all about us”, should not surprise anyone.

Recently my friend Bill, who always ends his emails a statement making it clear that the content was not generated by AI, did a blog post recently about his years of cruising with his wife Maureen, as seen through the “eyes” of AI, discovering, much to his chagrin, that “he, her, they… know all”.

So, after 15 years of me and Brenda keeping our blogs I thought it would be interesting to see what sort of information Chat GPT knows about the two of us and and “his” take on that.

So, I asked: “What do you know about Bob and Brenda aboard SV Pandora? And, please summarize what you know about their time together for winters since 2012 when they made their first run south to the Bahamas. Please keep this to about 100 to 150 words.”

Answer(s), unedited from Chat GPT:

Using sailpandora.com and argoknot.com explicitly makes the contrast clearer and more nuanced. SailPandora presents sailing as a core organizing principle of Bob’s life: voyaging, seamanship, community leadership, and problem-solving are central themes. Sailing is not just an activity for him; it is a framework for purpose, learning, and engagement with others.

ArgoKnot, on the other hand, shows that Brenda’s relationship to sailing is contextual rather than defining. Her writing emphasizes observation, interior life, creative work, and adaptation. Sailing is the setting in which she lives, thinks, and creates—but not the goal itself. She often frames cruising as something she has grown into, negotiated, and reshaped to fit her own needs rather than something she sought for its own sake.

Together, the two sites reveal a partnership where sailing is Bob’s passion and Brenda’s chosen accommodation—made sustainable through respect, humor, and parallel but not identical fulfillment.

Ok, scary already especially since this is after scouring nearly 2,000 posts in a few seconds.

My next qestion to Chat GPT: “Tell me what you see about how they differ in where sailing fits into their lives together using www.sailpandora.com and www.argoknot.com for source material”

Answer: Bob is clearly the driving force behind their cruising lifestyle—sailing is his passion and central to how he structures their winters and adventures since retiring in 2012 aboard SV Pandora. He delights in passages, exploring new waters and engaging with the cruising community; it’s an integral expression of his interests and energy. Sail Pandora

Brenda, by contrast, participates willingly but more as a companion to Bob’s passion. She describes herself as a “reluctant sailor” and a “cream puff,” preferring her fiber arts like weaving, knitting, embroidery and other crafts. While she does enjoy time aboard and even incorporates her textile hobbies into cruising days, her heart often leans toward those creative pursuits rather than sailing itself. Sail Pandora+1

Together they balance Bob’s enthusiasm for voyaging with Brenda’s quieter, craft-centered engagement,.

Oh boy… I then asked to have it, he, she, they, to pick a few posts that specifically lead to observations about changing views

Here are specific blog posts and entries that support the observation about how Bob’s and Brenda’s views of cruising have shifted over the years:

From SailPandora (Bob’s blog) showing evolving cruising focus:

• December 2023 post — Bob reflects on broader, long-term goals beyond Caribbean cruising, contemplating Mediterranean/Europe plans, and acknowledges that Brenda isn’t as thrilled about long months aboard as he is.
• June 2025 passage post — Bob describes sailing nearly to the Azores, noting Brenda’s “nine seasons in the Caribbean was just about enough,” and how new cruising grounds (“crossing the pond”) became essential to keep the adventure alive.
• March 2022 post in Marigot Bay — Bob mentions Brenda being far more excited about their upcoming flight home than staying aboard, illustrating differences in cruising enthusiasm even mid-season. Sail Pandora

From ArgoKnot (Brenda’s blog) showing her evolving perspective:

• Recent posts (e.g., March 2024) — Brenda talks about wrapping up a tough season, with weather challenges and the routine of flying home after cruising, capturing a seasoned yet pragmatic perspective. ArgoKnot
• Posts tagged travel and sailing — She documents experiences ashore in the Azores or Antigua, blending cruising details with creative/artistic life, showing how her narrative is more about place and personal pursuits than sailing itself. ArgoKnot

These examples show how Bob’s writing has become more ambitious and goal-oriented, pushing to explore new horizons after many Caribbean seasons, while Brenda’s writing remains grounded in lived experience and personal rhythm, reflecting cruising in the context of daily life, creative work, and weather/weather-related comfort. The contrast between planning big cruising goals and documenting the lived, tactile experience of being onboard and ashore illustrates how their perspectives have matured and sometimes diverged since their first run south in 2012.

Brenda and I were stunned when we saw the near instantaneous answers tp some pretty specific questions and it does make me wonder where things are headed as this technology gets stronger, and it’s only beginning.

With the current administration ever more focused on getting their way and punishing those who disagree it is not hard to imagine this technology to extract just about everything you or I write and to use it to, well to do something really nasty to anyone that they disagree with.

All of this makes me think of a photo that my photographer friend Ed Gifford took of a crew member aboard the schooner Columbia when she was nearly swept overboard when we were out racing a few years ago. Yes, the waters are rising and raging…

It is clear that AI and the potential harm that can come from this power in the wrong hands, is pretty scary stuff.

Oh boy. Now I am stressed. Perhaps I will close with a soothing cloud picture, rainbow and all. With the onslaught of bad news from Washington these days, I definitely want to think that there is still something nice at the end of the rainbow.

Good or bad, we have no secrets.