Sail Pandora

On Sunday morning December 29th my father, Bob Sr. passed away.  He had been sick for nearly a year but did quite well and was able to continue with a fairly normal life in spite of developing leukemia.    Happily, he was able to be active up until a few weeks before the end and for that I am grateful.

While this is first a sailing blog, I feel compelled to mention my father’s passing as it was for him and my mother, that I first decided to begin writing this blog over eight years ago.  It’s safe to say that it was with my dad in mind, that I “penned” very single post and kept up with it at times when ideas for posts just wouldn’t come.  If it wasn’t for the simple question of “what would Dad be interested in reading?” I doubt that I would have continued.

Dad was a tireless fan of my blog and each time I sat down to write, it was for him that I put down my thoughts.  That’s not to say that my mother wasn’t an important motivation to me as well, but it was Dad that sat down in the evening, called up my site, poured a glass of wine for him and my mother and proceeded to read my posts out loud as they enjoyed an evening cocktail.  It was exact image that was in my head as I wrote every post and chose every photo or video. 

Every step of the way I pushed the button on my “Spot” GPS transponder, so that they would know where we were and it was always a great treat to call him on the phone to check in as we moved from harbor to harbor and have him say something like, “Wow, you are making great progress” as he viewed Pandora’s location on Google Earth.

In spite of the fact that I spent countless hours with him over the last year as his health slowly deteriorated it didn’t make it any less hard to handle the finality of his passing.  However, I take comfort in knowing that this blog, in a small way, is a legacy to him and the unique pleasure he took in “living vicariously” through my words and pictures.

As I look back on the last eight years and over 350 posts, it makes me happy to know that these “conversations with Dad” will live on long after he’s gone.

Dad was only aboard Pandora a few times but I am thrilled to recall these days as perhaps some of my fondest.

I recall the first time both he and my mom were aboard shortly after we took delivery of Pandora.  While we kept her on a mooring in Norwalk CT, I was able to find a slip to pull into so that we could bring my Mom’s wheelchair down the ramp to the boat and help her aboard.  With the help of my friend Chris (the same marine artist guy that I wrote about in a recent post) we were able to get her aboard and headed out for a terrific afternoon sail.  This shot pretty much sums it up.  A great day. Another time Dad came out with me and our boys when we took a run from Wickford RI to Cuttyhunk and on to New Bedford a number of years back.  It was a picture perfect weekend with bright sunny days and dense fog at sunset to complete the mood.  We hiked up to the top of the hill on Cuttyhunk to enjoy the overlook facing up Buzzard’s Bay.  A passer by agreed to document the moment for us.  Three generations of Osborn men out having a “guy’s weekend”.    I recall that later that afternoon, as we sat on a mooring in the harbor, the fog rolled in.  Dad, who had not spent much time on the water, was entranced by the sight of the sun setting behind the fog.After Cuttyhunk we motored up Buzzard’s Bay to Fairhaven MA, across the harbor from New Bedford and picked up a mooring owned by fellow Corinthian Patty Jason.  We enjoyed a cocktail on her patio overlooking historic New Bedford Harbor, the perfect end to a weekend with dad.My dad was only aboard Pandora a few times but through my blog and the thousands of miles and hundreds of posts, he’s been aboard every step of the way.  

For me, he will continue to be there as we continue or travels aboard Pandora and I will imagine him pulling up my posts on the screen while he enjoys a glass of wine thinking about me and Brenda and what we are up to.

I’ll will miss him terribly but knowing that, as I write this and future posts, he’s looking down and smiling makes me feel better.   That’s a good thing and, in many ways, the continuation of an era.   With that in mind, I guess I’ll keep writing.

I guess that the smile on his face says it all.  Yes, he approves, of that I am certain. 

It’s Christmas day 2013 and I find myself thinking back on the last few years and 2013 in particular.  It’s a wonder to me how much our lives have changed in such a short time.  While I enjoyed working while I was part of the “employed set”, I am so happy to be retired.  I used to think it odd to hear some of my “mature” friends, comment that they wondered how they had ever had time to work now that they were retired.  Now I get it.    With sailing for longer periods things are a LOT different.  We now count our time aboard in months as opposed to days with an occasional few weeks thrown in now and again in the “old days” when we were on vacation. It’s hard to believe that it has now been nearly two years since I retired and Brenda and I moved from New Jersey, where both of our boys were born, and brought up, back to CT.  Note:  Brenda and I met way back when in CT and High School.

Now we have left the hustle bustle of the NY suburbs to live in a quaint New England town where we used to vacation and now live.  It is a treat that goes beyond my imagination from just a few years ago. Our sons, Rob and Chris, are doing well and enjoying life.  Rob has moved to MD and has a great job with Becton Dickenson, a medical company and is living with a terrific woman, Kandice.  Christopher, our youngest is a newly minted PhD in Physics, as of Friday the 13th of December, if you can believe it.  And,now that he has completed, by his count, over 500 weeks in that discipline, he decided to take some time off and purchased a ticket, round trip thankfully, to Thailand, if you can believe it.  I can’t even spell it let alone find it on a map.  

You might find yourself asking “why Thailand”?   Simple, it’s cheap and on the meager savings of a “semi-starving” grad student, it’s  affordable, sort of.  His mother would prefer if he were going to Epcot in FL.  I think I agree. As it’s so fresh in my mind, I can’t resist posting a photo of Chris in his lab the day after he defended his thesis and was anointed “Dr. Chris”.  The lab reminds me of the home of a mad scientist and looks a bit like the electrical system on Pandora.  Only he knows how it all works.  Sound familiar?Of course, a major difference in his lab verses Pandora is that a single square foot of one of these tables cost more than Pandora.  Good to have Uncle Sam paying for all of this.  I wonder if I might get a grant to support Pandora?  Why not, it seems that he is giving money to just about everyone who asks.  Why not me?  Hmm…

Change is certainly been a word that described the last year or so.  We now split our time between our home on the hard and our floating home.  Our “neighborhood” is a lot bigger, no longer defined by the street that we live on.  I have to say that I’d be happy if I never see snow again.  Being in the Bahamas last winter was one of the biggest turning points for us and I am hooked. Winters in the tropics are better.  Not a hard concept to grasp.

While in the past I have defined winterizing in talks with fellow boaters as how much antifreeze is needed to keep their boat in good shape over the winter and what sort of cover they use.  Now, “winterizing” means something very different.  It seems that the only “antifreeze” we need is rum and sunshine.  I like how Pandora’s winter, and February in particular, looks these days.A few years ago this was what February looked like.  We see a different kind of white these days, thankfully.Another major change for us is how we define our “community”.  In the past, our community was largely the town where we lived.  Yes, we had friends in other places, but now we are a part of a “movable community” that is defined by the season and location as opposed to a fixed geographic location.   Nearly every day I get an e-mail or see a post on Facebook from someone checking in from some far off place.  In the last week I have heard of friends who are sailing around the world, some who are making contact from the British Virgin Islands and some down near Granada and of course, the Bahamas.  Yes, some are traveling from New England like us but others hail from Germany, Austria or other far away exotic places.

That’s a big change, a really big change. Now that we live on Pandora in our own exotic places for months at a time, the word “local” takes on a very different meaning.  I guess that local for us now is where we are at any given moment. As we count down the weeks till we head back to Florida and Pandora, I find myself wondering what the next few years will bring.  Will we continue to winter in the Bahamas or will we include the Caribbean or perhaps the Mediterranean?

Brenda and I really want to spend time traveling in Europe but now that we have an ocean going boat, perhaps the best way to see Europe might be from the deck of Pandora. Yes, boat ownership is expensive but not nearly as costly as hotels and I can’t say that I can imagine being able to afford what we’d have to spend to be in hotels, month after month.  Thinking about that makes living aboard sound downright cheap.  

As a classics major in college, oh so long ago, Brenda remains fascinated by the countries bordering the Mediterranean so it seems to me that we might best combine time on Pandora with time exploring those ancient lands.  What better way to way to see Greece than to sail there, just the same way as the ancients did.

Yes, if you know Brenda, you are thinking at worse, “no way” or at best, that it’s going to take some time to convince Brenda to meet up with me and Pandora in Gibraltar but I’m willing to give it a try.    Besides, I have photographic proof that she has fun aboard.  Doesn’t she look happy, if a bit crazed caught in the act of celebrating her birthday last January in warmer climes almost a year ago. Yup, there’s hope, great hope, for the future.  As Brenda once said, “Bob and the dog, ever hopeful?.  Yes, that’s me and so far, so good. 2013 was great and here’s to a wonderful 2014.

When I was diagnosed with kidney disease, my world came crashing down. It felt like an insurmountable challenge, but over time, I’ve learned that battling kidney disease is not just about survival—it’s about resilience, hope, and embracing life with newfound strength.

The day I received the diagnosis, I felt a mixture of fear and confusion. It can progress without symptoms. It was a wake-up call that my life was about to change. My journey started with a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments and tests. Treatment involved medications, dietary adjustments, and regular check-ups. I learned the importance of a kidney-friendly diet, which meant reducing salt, managing protein intake, and staying hydrated.

As my kidney function declined, I faced the reality of dialysis. It was a challenging transition, but it became a part of my routine. Dialysis helped me maintain my health and energy while waiting for a kidney transplant. Battling kidney disease is not just a physical journey; it’s an emotional one too. There were days of frustration, sadness, and anxiety, especially when I was sailing in Pandora. But there were also moments of gratitude, resilience, and hope. My support network—family, friends, and healthcare professionals—played an essential role in helping me cope.

For many battling kidney disease, a transplant is the ultimate goal. I was fortunate to receive a kidney from a generous donor. The transplant changed my life, giving me a newfound appreciation for the gift of health. If you’re suffering kidney disease like me, you can check out sites like thekidneydocs.com for consultation.

Today, I see life through a different lens. Kidney disease taught me resilience and gratitude. I savor each moment and prioritize self-care. I’ve discovered new passions, rekindled old hobbies, and embraced a healthier lifestyle. My journey inspired me to become an advocate for kidney health. I share my story to raise awareness and encourage others to take their health seriously. Early detection and prevention are vital.

Battling kidney disease has been a life-altering experience. It’s a journey filled with challenges, but it’s also a journey of resilience, hope, and personal growth. Kidney disease doesn’t define me; it’s a part of my story, one that has made me stronger and more appreciative of life’s precious moments.

Some months ago I visited a friend Dick who lives on the water in Darien.  Dick’s home is bathed in sun and has a fabulous view of the water.   Dick and his wife Robin are well traveled and surround themselves with art collected from many of the places they have traveled and they have been to a LOT of places, some 140 countries by his recollection, over the years.

Some time back they took a trip down the ICW from Long Island Sound to Florida and onto the Bahamas.  After returning, as luck would have it, they happened on a show of an artist’s work that included a series of plein air paintings (paintings done outside as opposed to in a studio) he had done when he spent the winter in the Bahamas with his family.  As Dick showed me around his home and talked about the various artists’ work they own, I immediately recognized the work of Chris Blossom, the guy who had painted in the Bahamas.   Chris has a remarkable body of work.  If you google his name under images you will be treated to dozens of photos.  You can also click here to see some of his work.

Under the category of “it’s a very small world” the artist, Chris Blossom, is a good friend.  Chris and I lived in the same neighborhood when we were in highschool.  Actually, it was with Chris aboard his Alberg Typhoon, that I went for my first sail.  Actually, Brenda, me and Chris sailed together on his Typhoon in high school.  Chris was also “best man” in Brenda’s and my wedding way back in 1974.    The fact that my youngest son Christopher has the same name is no coincidence.  Enough reminiscing for now.  It’s sufficient to say that I have known Chris for a few years.

Anyway,  after seeing Dick’s collection some time back, I thought it would be fun to get together with Dick again and bring Chris Blossom along to see his work “in situ”.  Also, having been away from Pandora and “on the hard” here in CT for six weeks, I thought that it would be therapeutic to get a “nautical fix”.

So, Chris and I stopped over to see my friend Dick who happens to be the current master of the Corinthians, a great sailing group that I have been a member of for years.  A “nautical art appreciator”, a “nautical art maker person” and a “nautical hanger on”, me.  Perfect!

We had a great visit and spent a good amount of time touring the collection.  Here’s Chris and Dick admiring one of Dick’s works.  Dick is particularly interested in art as a way to document places he has visited.  In this case, Dick has fly fished in this exact river and spot.  What a lovely feel this piece has.  Clue… Not the Bahamas.

Many years ago, Dick became interested in the work of Howard Chapelle, who took the lines of many “type examples” of American traditional sailing craft.  His goal was to create plans for these wonderful boats so that they would not be forgotten.  Actually, these vessels were constructed by eye as there were no written plans.  Without Howard’s work we wouldn’t know as much about early commercial sailing craft as we do.  This is an example of his work.  He did not design this particular boat, he measured and documented one that he saw, in exquisite detail.  “Bob, Bob, get to the point… Why are you telling us this?  Ok, got it.  Here’s why.

I mention this as Dick hired a model maker to choose a representative selection of Chapelle’s work and create a series of models based on the designs he had documented.  So, over the years, as budgets permitted and it must have been a pretty good budget, Dick had quite a few of these models, all to scale, 1” to the foot, constructed.  Here’s a lovely display case with some of the pieces.  Pretty nice. And no, I don’t know what yacht club the burgee is from.   Perhaps Dick can fill us in.  Dick?I was also struck by this “admiralty model” of a cargo ship.  It’s not exactly to scale but really nice.  Models such as this were often given to ship owners by the yard that constructed the ships.  Here’s Chris and Dick, two kids in the candy store.  Well, it’s Dick’s store, actually. Can I have a piece of gum?   Dick, what’s with the bow tie?  It’s the middle of the day and you are home…  Dick claims to wear bow ties all the time, even at home.  I wonder if he fancies himself as some sort of aged Chippendale dancer.  You know, the “hunk male strippers”.  They wear bow ties too.  Hmm…Forgive me.  I can’t resist.  Is Dick some sort of closet dancer?  Is he the one on the left or right?  You decide.  (Editor:  In the interest of full disclosure, I love bow ties and wear them as often as I am able)“ENOUGH ALREADY BOB, what the H$%^ are you doing!!!”

Never mind.   So, back to those Bahamas paintings that got all of this started.  Here’s Chris in front of two of his works.  Really nice stuff.  They really bring back memories for me, who wants to be there, Chris, who was there and painted them and Dick who gets to see them every day.  Yes, it’s great to have things to remember places that you have visited.  Me?  I love the Bahamas but for now will just keep writing blog posts with all sorts of random stuff thrown in.  Besides, when was the last time you saw a Saturday Night Live video on a sailing blog?   Random?  Yes, indeed.  Fun?  I sure hope so but you will have to be the judge.  Be nice now…

It’s Wednesday morning and it’s a nasty 25 degrees outside.  On the bright side, and it’s a plenty bright sunny day.  However, it’s way colder than I’d like.  I have to admit that the view outside was wonderful as the sun came up over the hill to our east today.  Not a bad view to greet you on a cold winter morning.  I particularly like the angles of the roof line and the contrast of light and dark.  The snow on the branches was magical.  I doubt that there is anything more emblematic of the Bahamas than the conch.  This one was looking a bit forlorn yesterday as the snow began to fall.   This view makes the islands seem really far away. Perhaps I included the photo above to prove that it was indeed a conch as the view this morning left a bit more to the imagination.   Same view, next day…  Now warm is even further away.Burr…  It’s views like these that make me pine for the Bahamas.  Yes, I love the holidays and as the days tick down to Christmas I am torn as to where I’d rather be.  This wouldn’t fit too well aboard Pandora, would it?  Brenda and I put up the tree yesterday.  Actually, I put up the tree and Brenda decorated it.  No, I didn’t ditch her at the “hard” part, at least that’s how I viewed it, as I am forbidden from putting any ornaments on the tree due to my “lack of care”. Perhaps that’s why I mostly do dishes and she cooks. That’s fine with me as I do great dishes and she’s a terrific cook.  

With regards to the cold, it could be worse.  I read that NASA takes measurements of temperatures around the world and recorded that in the middle July in Antarctica, this past  summer, winter there, it was -135 degrees below zero.  Now, that’s cold. I guess that 25 degrees ABOVE zero here would make some break out in a sweat by comparison.

Me, when it comes to cold, I’ll take 75 to 85 degrees with moderate humidity. Wait, that sounds suspiciously like Bahamas weather.  Now that you mention it, it’s only 4o days till we wing our way south to thaw out.

Besides, there are better places for conch than here in chilly New England.  Perhaps this is a better use for an abandoned conch shell.

Or perhaps this?  Yes, conch salad sounds perfect right now, or perhaps a nice rum punch.   “Bob, it’s morning, way too early to be thinking about rum”.  Ok, I’ll focus on conch for now.  This is “tall boy” from Nassau, and he is tall.  He also makes a mean conch salad and I know as I have eaten a bunch.Ok, Ok,  I’ll think about the view outside instead.  This is the sort of view I want to see out of my “window”.  Yes, that’s looking really appealing right now.   Clear blue water, blue sky and the only white around is clouds and beaches.  Yep, perfect.  Soon, I’ll trade coat, hat, gloves and boots for sandals and not much else.  Perfect…

Well, it’s December 5th and only a little less than six weeks till we plan to head back to Florida and Pandora.   Just a short six weeks ago I returned home after running Pandora south and it’s hard to believe that the time is half over.   Last night I hosted a speaker at the Essex Yacht Club, Sonya Baumstein, a women that I met at the Annapolis Boat Show back in October.  I was very pleased to meet her when I was there and couldn’t resist arranging for her to speak at our club.

I guess after a decade of working on events I am wired to say something like ” HI, I’m Bob Osborn and would love to have you speak at our (fill in the blank) depending on what ever the “flavor of the month” group or event I am working on.  What am I doing?  I am not even involved in any sort of committee at the Essex Yacht Club.  I had better watch out or I will be drafted to help, or not…

Anyway, I was very much looking forward to Sonya’s talk as her talk would be about her experiences of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, biking from Mexico to Seattle and, as if that’s not enough, kayaking from Seattle to Juneau Alaska.

Oh yeah, she also paddle boarded from the US to Russia (the first one ever) via the Bearing Straight. Paddle-boarded across the Bearing Straight?  Don’t ask why.  She just did it. Actually, Land Rover liked what she had in mind to put together a video of her trip.  It seems that she had to wait something like five weeks up in the tundra for a weather window which lasted only two days.  She headed across on the second day, just in time…Anyway, at the tender age of only 28, she has accomplished all that and is now in the midst of planning a solo row across the Pacific Ocean from Tokyo Japan to Seattle WA in May of 2015.  Well, at least she knows where Seattle is… She’s already been there.  And, all of this will be done on a boat that is being custom designed and constructed just for her and this particular trip.

I don’t know if my reaction to this should be “You go girl!” or “are you kidding me? You can’t be serious.”.   And, she is planning to do this alone.  I wonder if her mother knows what she’s up to…

It seems that on her recent trip across the Atlantic she was the only one of the four on board that didn’t want to give up and call for a rescue.  And the other three were guys.   Go figure… 

So, in her talk to a full house at the Essex Yacht Club last night, she did a great job and provided a nice mix of information with a terrific delivery.  There were plenty of questions after her talk and interestingly, most were from women who seemed particularly fascinated with this tough and determined young women.  

As I mentioned, I first spied Sonya in Annapolis where she showed her boat from the Atlantic crossing.  One afternoon, prior to the show. Sonya rowed by Pandora.

Pandora was anchored near the show on a particularly rainy day.  The whole thing looked very uncomfortable to me from my vantage point, but based on her presentation last evening, she saw worse, much worse, on her crossing.   The boat, and she has a new one under construction for her Pacific crossing, looks like it can take a beating in stride.  It’s pretty clear that Sonya can take quite a lot of abuse as well.When I saw Sonya row by I wondered who the guy in the stern was.  I hope she knew that he was there…  A stowaway or a big benefactor?  “Ok, ok, you can come along, but you have to bring your own snacks.”Well, more to come on Sonya’s exploits.  I plan on keeping track of her in the coming months as she continuing raising funds and planning her voyage.  I hope to help her find other speaking engagements here along the Long Island Sound coast as I have many friends who are members of the clubs between the CT River and New York.

Want to have her speak with a group that you know?  Make a donation?  I recommend it.  Check out her site here.

After my “boisterous” run from Beaufort to Ft Pierce FL a few weeks ago, I have found myself wondering about the insurance company restrictions on travel south prior to November 1st due to hurricane risk.  Yes, I get the need to avoid hurricanes.  However, to head out into the North Atlantic as the gales of winter are heating up carry it’s own risk.

I would very much like to take Pandora to the Caribbean in a few years and have attended a few seminars sponsored by a new rally “The Salty Dawg Rally” in conjunction with the Annapolis Boat Show.  This rally, like the Caribbean 1500, are designed to connect sailors who wish to take their boats south with others who are doing the same thing, either for the first time or again after many years.

While participants travel in company in each rally, each boat is really on it’s own out on the ocean once the “fleet” leaves port.  One of my friends crewing with Pandora on our way south this fall remarked that when he had done the Bermuda race he had only rarely seen another boat once the fleet had spread out after the first day until they approached the finish line.  And this, in spite of there being literally hundreds of boats participating.  Other than that, they were on their own for much of the race.

In the case of a rally, you hang out with others prior to the start and again at the finish and yet, during the run you are really all by yourself with know one around for most or all of the trip.

While Pandora was never more than 25 miles from shore for the 550 miles between Beaufort and Florida, we only saw a few ships and no small boats at all, during our three day trip.   It seems that the “comfort” of traveling in company on a voyage will only get you so far.  If you think about it, the difference in boat speed of only 1/2 knot will leave the slower boat over the horizon in a half day.  That’s not a lot of time to be out of sight and matching your speed to another vessel isn’t very practical, especially if the boats are of very different design.

This November the Salty Dawg Rally left in early November from Hampton VA ahead of a cold front to make the run south to the British Virgin Islands.  In spite of careful preparations, a number of boats got into trouble.  According to the US Coast Guard, they assisted a total of five vessels, rescuing the crew of one.  The amount of CG hardware used to assist and rescue was impressive and include helicopters, 100′ cutters and airplanes.

Here is a video, taken by the US Coast Guard out of Elizabeth City NC.  It looks to me like the couple rescued were in their 60s.  Pretty frightening.  I sure hope that I never have to hitch a ride with “Coasties”,

As competitors, the Salty Dawg Rally and the Caribbean 1500 differ from one another in a number of ways.  Perhaps the biggest differences include the fact that the SDR doesn’t require participants to have their boats inspected by the rally organizers which the 1500 group does.  Instead, they take the position that participating boats re responsible for being certain that their boats are in condition for an ocean voyage and that they have to make the decision to leave on their own based on weather information provided to everyone equally.  The 1500 has an “official” start while the SDR tells skippers to leave when they feel that they are ready and that the weather is appropriate for them and their boat.  The SDR rally is also free as opposed to the 1500 which charges a pretty steep entrance fee in exchange for additional services.

This year both the SDR and 1500 left from Hampton at about the same time that I had my rough run south.  However, the boats that ran into serious trouble were all from the SDR with no major reported problems from 1500 participants.

I agree that the decision to leave port needs to be made by the skipper and that the condition of the boat is also his or her responsibility.  Having said that, my experience with the rigger in Beaufort who declared that Pandora’s rig wasn’t “offshore ready” and the conflicting advice that I received in Florida and from the rigger in Annapolis that had redone my rig a few years ago, made me realize that getting good professional advice about Pandora’s condition is critical and that knowing if she is ready for an offshore run or not, is clearly beyond my personal expertise.

So, who’s right?  Is the Salty Dawg Rally, with their “skipper is totally responsible” position or the more “hand holding” approach of the 1500?  It’s not for me to say except that getting a full review of the boat’s condition and readiness is a complex question and to get full assistance from a rally organizers may be just what is needed for many.

All I know is that in spite of the fact that the fleets in both rallies left from the same port and at about the same time, that the only boats that suffered major gear damage and needed outside assistance was from the rally that didn’t require independent seaworthiness inspections prior to departure.

I expect that there will be considerable debate about these two rallies in the coming months and it will be interesting to see how things develop.

Me, my recent experiences have made me even more aware of how much can go wrong when the “going gets rough” at sea and I am resolved to continue to be sure that Pandora is the best possible condition before we head out into the great blue.

Even more, as the winter gales begin to heat up and the threat of hurricanes is behind us, the time that insurance companies say it’s OK to be at sea, there is no question that being at sea is always serious business and any offshore voyage should’t be taken lightly.

What do you think?

Last evening Brenda and I visited Essex Yacht Club to hang out with fellow boaters and enjoy a nice dinner.   Standing at the bar, as I have been known to do from time to time, I was introduced to Mark Ellis, the well known yacht designer. Mark is also a member of EYC but I had not realized who he was.

Not being a student of yacht design, I was unaware of Mark’s work until he told me two of his designs.  In particular, Mark was the brains behind the very successful Nonsuch line of catboats built in Canada.  Yes, some in the catboat association, no make that many, view the Nonsuch as anything but a catboat. However the Nonsuch, with it’s unusual unstayed cat rigged mast, is indeed a catboat.

As Brenda and served on the “steering committee” of the Catboat Association for many years, we know many who own these boats.  It was fun to talk to the guy who was the designer of a boat that is so widely know.

The design is unique, in part, because of the unstayed mast as well as the unusual wishbone boom, which eliminates the more traditional boom used on most boats.

Aside from being a “cat” rigged boat, there is little similar in it’s design to a more traditional “cape cod catboat”, a style that Brenda and I owned for many years. Our Marshall 22, “Sappho” was a big part of our lives when we were younger, that’s for sure.  We still see her on occasion as she now lives up at Pleasant Street Wharf in Wickford RI.  Here is a shot of Brenda on the edge of her cockpit when we visited a while back.  And here, is a shot of me at the wheel of Sappho in a different lifetime.  Hmm… What’s with the mustache?  Yep, I sported that “caterpillar” to look older.  No need for that now.  Alas, time marches on.  I look a bit different now days but I am still having fun afloat.  Goofier and grayer for sure.  However, I am doing a lot more sailing these days. Yahoo…
Not sure how I got on this tangent of our old catboat.  Anyway, Mark also designed another boat, the Niagra 35.  The lines are pretty sweet with a nice sheer.  I have long admired this design and saw one in the Bahamas last winter.  The young couple we met were sailing their Niagra down to the Caribbean.  I wonder where they are now?  Perhaps we will see them this coming winter. 

Mark’s current work is much different as he is focused more on power boats, it seems.  However, his designs are still great and have a wonderful feel.  You can see his current portfolio here.  In any event, it was fun to meet and talk to such an interesting guy and one who’s work allows folks like me to spend time afloat. Another reason to hang around boating types and think about being somewhere warmer as the weather gets colder and winter sets in.

Speaking of winter setting in.  The sort of winter that I am looking forward to is decidedly warmer.  It’s only been below freezing for a few days and I am already pining for the Bahamas.  Not a bad thing.  Only nine weeks and three days till we head to Florida and sunshine!!!

For now I will have to think about what we have to look forward to this winter.

The swimming pigs in Big Major Spot.  “Feed me, feed me…”Or, enjoying the view and having a picnic with Brenda on the beach.   And water the most amazing color of blue.
And, long walks on deserted beaches.  And pot luck suppers on Rum Cay.  We bring a “hot dish” of rice or something equally pedestrian.  Others, something more interesting. And always, not wanting to go swimming at the dock during feeding time.  Hold on tight…Well, this has indeed been a somewhat random post but spending time with Mark Ellis, designer, brought back memories and reminded me why we spend time on the water.

And, of course, there’s always sundown in the Bahamas to look forward to.  It doesn’t get any better than this.  Except, perhaps this.   I guess you’ll have to decide.  Me, I am counting the days.  Make that three months and six days.  Hmm…

As I was moving from the transient dock to Pandora’s assigned slip here at Harbor Town marina in Ft Pierce on Thursday, I was greeted by calls of “Hi Pandora” from the deck of a nearby boat.  The “shouters” assumed that I was leaving the marina but were happy when I turned the corner and entered the marina basin and into a more long term slip where Pandora will be till mid January.

As I looked over to see who was yelling, I was thrilled to see Tanya, of the catamaran Take Two, along with her’s and her husband Jay’s five (count them) children waving enthusiastically to me as I motored by.

Brenda and I had spent some time with Jay, Tanya and their brood, in the Bahamas last winter when we saw them in the Abacos.  We had seen them earlier in the winter but hadn’t been introduced.  Actually, Jay took photos of Pandora reaching across NW Providence Channel as we headed to the Abacos and presented me with the best shots of Pandora under sail that have been taken by anyone.  How about this shot?  Pretty nice.  Jay and Tanya have lived aboard Take Two with their children for the last four years.  Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, they first became liveaboards with four children and now have five, with the addition of Rachael, their youngest.  I guess that living aboard agrees with them.  If Dr. Seuss met Rachael he might have found inspiration for his character Cindy Loo Hoo in her.  She is a cutie.

I stopped over to visit after tying up Pandora in her slip to say HI to the gang and was very pleased to be invited over for dinner.  What luck!  All I had to do was to bring over some wine and was treated to a lovely dinner and evening with the “gang”.  And, what a gang it is.  Their catamaran is a riot of toys and color.   There is everything from Legos, colorful hair clips and party earrings.  Someone was even building a pyramid out of sugar cubes in the cockpit.  Now, that’s not something you see every day aboard a sailboat, is it?  Take Two has all of the accouterments you would expect for a home with parents, three sons and two girls.

Jay and Tanya, like me and Brenda were high school sweethearts, having met very young.   However there is one major difference, and don’t quote me on this, but I think that they have been married only since the 90s.  What a couple of little kids!!!  Brenda and I, just a little bit older, met in junior year high school algebra class and were married in 1977.  Seeing Jay and Tanya made me think back to those “dating years”.  It’s been a long time and yet seems like only yesterday too.

Tanya made a mess of enchiladas for dinner, what seemed like enough to feed a small army, which they have.  With three boys and two girls, they really do have an army, and one that they are home schooling.  It seems that the next major chapter in their next major lesson plan will include a voyage to Panama next winter.  What fun.   I can’t imagine any more fulfilling opportunity for kids than a visit to such an exotic country.   Having said that, living aboard isn’t easy and to home school 5 children as well is worthy of a “parenting medal of honor”.  Hats’ off to Tonya and Jay for a fine work in progress.

I understand that they might not make it to the Bahamas this winter (bummer) and instead, may opt for a visit to the Florida Keys.  Sounds like fun but I do so hope that our paths will cross again soon.

After dinner I asked if perhaps I could get a “family photo” and within a literal moment, all were assembled and ready.   How great is that?  No need for 15 minutes of assembling a reluctant group for a photo, just a simple request and an equally simple answer.  And yes, the first shot was perfect.  What a great looking brood. Imagine living full time on board with five energetic children.  As an added testimony to how things are going, they moved aboard with four and now have five.  

As you can imagine, life aboard Take Two, is a bit chaotic, but in a very nice way. The boat has four cabins and one of the spots that two of the boys share is a riot of Lego Toys.  Little Rachael’s bunk is as pink as you would imagine.  Me, I think that I need a bit more tidiness but it was such fun to visit a home where expression by all is encouraged and celebrated.   Good for you, Tanya and Jay.  I wish that I had the guts to toss it all to the wind and sail off into the sunset.  How nice is that?

Perhaps the highlight of the evening was when their older daughter Sarah and Rachael disappeared down below for a beauty session with Sarah returning, multiple times, with little sister in tow who did a shy pirouette to show off her lip gloss, designer earrings and hair ribbon.  She even changed into her little pink too-too at least once, perhaps twice.  Her expression was the “Aren’t I pretty” and shy at the same time.  Adorable.

It was nice to see how well the kids played together and it reminded me of our sons Rob and Chris so many years ago.

What a great way to spend an evening.   All that noise and lovely chaos also reminded me that child rearing is truly for the young.  I should note that there is a website for Take Two and it’s worth visiting.   Check it out here.  It’s well done and worth reading.

On the Pandora “technical” front, yesterday was spent meeting with the rigger to take a look at the suspect backstay as well e-mailing photos of the offending fitting to the rigger that had done the work in Annapolis.  And, I am happy to report that all is well with the rig.  It seems that the “rust” on the fitting was some sort of discoloration that bled down the wire and not any sort of corrosion.  False alarm from the rigger in Beaufort.  It’s two against one and majority rules.  Also, I cleaned up the fitting per the rigger’s instructions and it is obviously as good as new.

I also took off the boom vang and disassembled it.  Yep, as expected, an internal part was severed in one of my inadvertent crash jibes on the run from Beaufort.  I called the manufacturer and they felt that it could be re-welded.  It would be nice to avoid buying a new one.

Today, not a lot on the calendar except that I need to get a rental car for the trip to the airport tomorrow along with a visit to the canvas shop to have both dodger side panels re-stitched.  It seems that when we were being “splashed” on the run down here, the waves hit the side of the dodger solidly enough to rip out some of the stitching.  I left my sewing machine home as there isn’t really enough room for it on board.  A simple enough job but I am glad that there is a shop here that can handle it.

I have really enjoyed being here for a few days and while I would love to remain here in the warmth and sunshine, I miss Brenda and can’t wait to be home with her again.  Besides, just like the folks on Take Two, she’s my High School sweetheart and I enjoy being with her.  Pandora’s great but not complete when I am aboard alone.

I am very much looking forward to the holidays with family and can’t wait till Brenda and I return here in January to begin leg four and the beginning of our 2014 sailing season.

Bahamas, here we come…soon.

It’s Thursday morning and I am tied up at a dock in Harbor Town Marina.   Bob and John left yesterday and here I am, all alone, for a few days prior to my return flight on Saturday.  I decided to spend a few days here getting the lay of the land and making some minor repairs to Pandora after the long run.

I am happy to say that prior to leaving, Bob and John did a great job of getting Pandora cleaned up after the mess she had gotten herself into after a few days at sea.  It was absolutely amazing how salty everything down below became in just a few days out.  However, she’s pretty much cleaned up now and ready for our return in January.

Here’s a shot of John and Bob, both who have much more offshore experience than I do.   This shot was taken the first day out before it got really interesting. Yesterday morning we entered the Ft Pierce inlet and were headed down to Nettles Island Marina, where I had made a reservation to keep Pandora until mid January when Brenda and I will head down to Miami and onto the Bahamas.

As I turned south to follow the ICW down to Nettles Island, I took a look at the height board on the bridge piling that was just ahead of us and was surprised to see that the maximum clearance was not the standard 65′ tall that is set for ICW bridges at high tide, but only 63′.  Oops, I can’t make it under the bridge at that height.   My mast is 63′ plus the gear that is on top of the mast, such as wind instruments and cell antenna.  That makes my vertical clearance more like 64 1/2′ or so, just short of the minimum ICW 65′ clearance that is standard on the ICW. Pandora was designed with a rig that is just short enough to fit under these bridges as long as the water levels are “normal”.

The strong north and east winds that helped us down the coast had also piled up water in the inlets and has caused what is normally a very small tide of less than two feet to be a somewhat above normal.  In any event, I wasn’t going to get a 64 1/2′ rig under a bridge that was showing 63′ clearance.  And the marina that I was supposed to go to wasn’t likely to want to pay to fix the gear on the top of my mast.  Anyway, I called the nice guy at Nettles Island and explained the situation to him and he understood.  However, he did call back to say that I should call someone local from Tow Boat US, who knows about the bridge clearances in the area and talk to him about that.  The Tow Boat guy’s feeling was that I could get under at low tide as the bridges are built with just a bit more clearance than the boards show.  Hmm…

Could be an expensive fix and one that I am not ready to risk.  In any event, nix the Nettles Island deal.  I guess it’s time to spend a bit more and find somewhere else to go while I figure out what to do next.

Enter Harbor Town Marina, right off of the ICW and within a very short distance of the inlet.  That’s where I am now and it’s really very nice and there’s even a pool and a great waterfront restaurant.   And, the showers and laundry are terrific. Actually, while it’s a bit more expensive than Nettles, I am inclined to just leave Pandora here and tough it up on a little more expense in exchange for a simpler option than moving Pandora again today and risking the mast gear.

I also have some repairs that need attention and I’d like to focus on them while I am here instead of spending time moving Pandora again.  For now, I had enough “moving Pandora” for a while.  Time to stay tied up for a while.

Speaking of repairs, when we were in the heavy stuff the other night I damaged my boom vang, a bracket under the boom that keeps it from riding up when the winds are too high.  It probably broke in one of those violent jibes I spoke of.  The cable that is inside of the boom snapped, at least, that’s what I think happened.  I called a rigger and hope to see him today so he can take a look at things, including the back stay that was causing trouble.   Boy, am I ever glad that I put that temporary fix in place.  I have to wonder if the rig would have gone over with the winds we experienced on the run down here.  That’s a scary thought.  Alas, the “repair” worked just fine.

I’d also like to arrange to have my Espar diesel heater repaired so I need to contact the dealer in West Palm Beach, right near the airport where I will fly out on Saturday.   However, I doubt that we will need it in Florida as it’s plenty warm here now.

Well, enough about what’s next.  Perhaps a bit more about the run down from Beaufort NC.  First, the run was a total of about 542 nautical miles and it took us three days and three hours, an average of about 7.2 knots.  That could have been higher except that we slowed down quite a bit for about 12 hours.   It was just so rough  and we needed to have a period of relative calm to rest and didn’t want to push the boat that hard.   This is also the longest run that I have made without having to us the engine due to not enough wind, although I ran the engine a few hours a day in neutral to keep the batteries charged.  The solar, as large as they are, just aren’t enough this time of year, with the short days, to keep things charged up.  Besides, with the boat running 24 hours a day, the autopilot used a lot of power.

Yes, there was plenty of wind and, as result, the waves, according to Chris Parker, the weather router, and our observations topped off at about 15′ with some breaking as they rolled by.  Those were the biggest waves I have sailed in with Pandora and the biggest since taking a run from Bermuda on a friends boat years ago.   The biggest issue for us was that the winds topped out, and did so, off and on, for a full day, at about 40kts.  That’s the sort of wind that gets the Weather Channel folks all excited as it’s classified as “GALE”, and I believe it.  It was really windy.

For these conditions we used Pandora’s main only and that sail was reefed down to it’s third reef that is less than 1/4 of it’s full size.  I had not used that reef previously but knew how to set it up.  As I mentioned, we did that in Beaufort in preparation for the run, just in case.  

This is a shot of Pandora with her normal sails in place.  In this example, I wasn’t using the larger head sail, just the much smaller jib.  This was a pretty windy but manageable conditions, say around 20kts of wind, last winter in the Bahamas. This is what her main sail looks like with a third reef in place.  That’s a lot smaller sail although you can’t really get a feel for just how small it is as you can’t see the top of the mast which is a long way from the top of the sail when it’s got it’s third reef tied in.  And, with the strong winds we were experiencing, this felt like plenty of sail and too much wind for my taste.  With just this sail running off the wind and the jib rolled up,  we were still cooking along at up to 9kts.  The fastest that we recorded was 11.6kts for a brief period and we were in the 10kt range many times.  That’s really fast and plenty noisy.  For much of the time, as we were off the wind, which tends to be rolly, we were slewing from side to side something like 45 to 60 degrees.  It was hard to stay upright down below.  And, the noise!  Everything was thumping around down below.  During a particularly rough moment, a spice jar of ground cloves went flying and broke open.  Wet salty clove dust all over the cabin sole.  Not an altogether pleasant smell. 

It was particularly interesting that for much of the trip, especially during the roughest parts, we were in nearly constant company of dolphins.   These creatures really never left us for two days and constantly swam up along side and in front of Pandora, launched themselves out of the water and landed back in the water with a splash.  Their antics reminded me of the old TV show “Flipper”.   It was pretty clear to me that they were having a jolly time of it.   They must be pretty efficient predators as they stay well fed and yet have plenty of time to “play”.   It looked to me like they were having a lot of fun.  There were juveniles as well as adults.

For much of the time just holding on as I moved around the boat and there was plenty to keep me occupied but I did take this video before things got really interesting.  The video doesn’t really give a good feel at all for the size of the waves, and this was before it got really rough.  However, if you look carefully, you can see a few shots of dolphins in the water and one that launches himself briefly out of the water as he raced by.  It was endlessly entertaining.  I used my i-phone as my GoPro video camera wasn’t charged up properly.  Oh well, my son Rob wouldn’t have been so unprepared.All and all, the trip was fun if a bit exhausting.  I have to say that there are times in all of the offshore runs that I have done when I say to myself, “Why are you doing this Bob?  Never again.”  On this trip, that moment was when the autopilot was showing an error message on the controller and I had to slither down into the aft locker on my stomach with a flash light to inspect the unit.  That’s back under the stern and tough to get to under the best of conditions.  As the boat slew around every which way, I found that all was in order, happily. It seems that the problem was that we just had too much sail up for the conditions and the pilot had gone into some sort of overload mode.  Go figure…  After that spelunking moment, I felt a bit ill and had quite a headache.  Unfortunately, it was time for dinner and I had to saute some sausage and potatoes for dinner.   Not good, not good at all.

I managed to get dinner prepared and served but there was no way that I could eat it.  I plopped down for a nap and when I woke up I was in fine form again.  Fortunately, there was some dinner left and I scarfed that down in record time.  As I have often said to the boys, “if it doesn’t taste good, you aren’t hungry enough”.  Ain’t that the truth.   And, greasy spicy food when you are ill… Yuck.

However, in spite of my moments of self doubt, I never felt threatened or in any sort of real danger and when I arrive I do feel a sense of accomplishment.  And, perhaps best of all, I can tell stories about the last three days FOR EVER.  Yes, that’s the best.

Well the day is getting away from me and there’s lots to do.  Besides, I’m hungry and there’s lots of food to eat, or toss, before I head home.

Yes, telling folks about it is great.