{"id":1419,"date":"2012-12-28T12:57:29","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T12:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=1419"},"modified":"2012-12-28T12:57:29","modified_gmt":"2012-12-28T12:57:29","slug":"nearly-the-new-year-and-back-to-pandora-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=1419","title":{"rendered":"Nearly the new year and back to Pandora, soon!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sorry to not be more communicative these days. \u00a0I have to say that I have had difficulty in coming up with ideas for posts while I am home. \u00a0When we are underway I find inspiration nearly every day when I see something that I just have to write about. \u00a0When I look out of the window here in Essex at the grey sky it’s harder.<\/p>\n

Well, I am back with yet another titillating\u00a0post . \u00a0It’s Friday morning and about ten days until we return to Pandora. \u00a0The weather here in Essex has certainly been different than what we should expect to enjoy in the Bahamas with a few inches of snow on Christmas day and overnight temperatures in the 20s. \u00a0Just for fun, and too torture myself, I checked the weather for Georgetown today and it’s \u00a0currently 75 verses the 25 here in Essex. \u00a0 Hmm… \u00a0All’s not lost as it’s supposed to go up to 38 later today, an increase of OVER TEN DEGREES. \u00a0George Town will only go up by a mere five. \u00a0” Stop whining. \u00a0Soon, Bob, you’ll be warm soon.”<\/p>\n

Our “vacation” here in Essex has been great fun, setting aside the “cool” weather, \u00a0(yes, a big thing to set aside I realize) with a whirlwind of visits with family and friends. \u00a0 \u00a0Of particular note, yesterday we had our friends Chris and Pat over for lunch and had a great time. \u00a0Chris has been a great friend since high school and was the one that introduced me to sailing. \u00a0He also was the one that gave me the idea of going south as he did the same trip over ten years ago when he Pat and their then small children headed south for a year aboard.<\/p>\n

It was fun to catch up and exchange experiences. \u00a0I have to say that I am still amazed that we are doing this and am very excited about heading back down to Pandora to begin the second half of “Bob and Brenda’s most excellent adventure”.<\/p>\n

“Santa”, with a little help from my parents, brought me a really great waterproof case to hold my i-phone so that I can take videos and pictures underwater. \u00a0I, no make that Santa, spied a press release about it in one of the sailing magazines last month. \u00a0The case is made by a company “Watershot<\/a>” and is the newest addition to their line of camera cases. \u00a0\"\"<\/a>The case, which fits over my phone, is waterproof to 130′ (a depth that I don’t plan to test personally) which is certainly going to be plenty deep for my\u00a0snorkeling\u00a0exploits. \u00a0After years of sailing in Maine, being in water that is actually warm will be just so great. \u00a0I can’t wait. \u00a0There’s a certain symmetry to getting this from my parents as this blog is perhaps more about them “coming along” with us on this trip than anything else.<\/p>\n

I also now have a copy of Chris Parker’s book on basic weather for the southeast US, Bahamas and Caribbean. \u00a0 \"\"<\/a>Chris is our weather router and a great resource for helping to keep us happy and safe. \u00a0We listen to Chris on the SSB radio when we are aboard and via a webcast here in Essex. \u00a0 He has a very helpful\u00a0website<\/a> with many resources for clients. \u00a0His broadcasts begin at 06:oo every day except Sunday and run for about 3.5 hours with segments devoted to weather for different regions including the Caribbean, Bahamas, Gulf Stream and Atlantic. \u00a0 Chris’s routine is to cover area weather for a particular region and then take calls from customers or what he calls “sponsoring vessels” so that he can give them a personalized forecast for their area and travel plans. \u00a0 The book is an excellent companion piece designed to help his clients better understand what he is talking about it. \u00a0 \u00a0It’s written in a very conversational style so you can nearly hear Chris speaking while you read it. \u00a0 As this is the first book I have ever read about weather, it’s a great primer.<\/p>\n

Before I break I should include a video of a wreck of a landing craft that I dove on when I was in Nassau last May to help bring back The Abby. \u00a0\u00a0