Pre-sailing Preparation
What is it Like to Make an Ocean Passage?
Being at one with nature and the elements is remarkably calming and soothing. One feels a sense of peacefulness as the boat gently glides across the sea and rippling waves. We listen to Caribbean-style ska music or Jimmy Buffet and we sip rum concoctions in the evenings. During the day we bask in the […]
Cream Puff is in Tahiti
When we left Galapagos, our destination was meant to be the Marquesas Islands, specifically Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia some 3400 miles due west. Our plans changed because of new Covid-19 regulations made by the French government regarding check-in procedures. About 60 hours out of Nuku Hiva, our agent notified us of the changes […]
Parting Ways with Panama
One last trip to the big city to return our rental car, check out with immigration and bus back to the marina in San Carlos. Bye-bye Panama! As you read this, Cindy and I are sailing approximately 1,000 miles or 7 days to Galapagos. We have finally left Panama after a very long enjoyable stay […]
Check Ups
A warning to any readers in the United States, this is probably going to upset you. If it doesn’t, it should. In previous posts, I have mentioned more than once about getting Cream Puff ready for our next passage. We are getting ready to go to the boonies. The next two legs will be […]
Pacing in Panama
Why do credit cards have an expiration date? It isn’t like they are going to go stale, moldy, lose their nutritional value, or crumble because of age. Imagine the money the card companies could save if they abolished the expiration date or considered tripling it to extend years into the future. They would no longer […]
Transiting the Panama Canal – Part One
Absolutely feakin’ awesome! Wow! We went through the Panama Canal! I won’t say this was a dream of a lifetime come true but it’s pretty darn close. Because there is so much to talk about, I am going to have to divide this post into two parts. I’ll begin with the preparation and take you […]
Bubba Takes a Hit
For the past few days we have worked our way up the western side of Martinique. I wanted to stop in Les Anses-d’Arlet for a couple of days but it was just too crowded with boats. This time of year in the Caribbean there is a phenomenon called Christmas winds. From December to February, the […]
All Systems Go – Or, So We Thought
Well, we are kinda sorta ready to get going. We have enough food to feed an army. We have full tanks of fuel and water. We have our repairs done and most of our projects completed. We have good easterly winds that would make our trip down the west coast of Florida perfect. There is just […]
Cuba?
Oh, decisions, decisions, decisions! A big part of our logic about spending this hurricane season in Tampa Bay is that we thought our next stop might be Cuba in November. Now I am reading about Cuba and I am having serious second thoughts. Cuba has long been an attractive cruising destination for Canadians. Most […]
Gone Sailin’
Early this morning, Cream Puff slipped her mooring lines as we embarked upon our new life as full time cruisers. What is a cruiser? There are many definitions of a cruiser; see Cindy’s post for her explanation about the different ways people can travel by boat. For me, a cruiser has always been a sailor […]
St Petersburg – The Arts
One of the things we’ve noticed during our stent in St Petersburg, FL is art. No we are not talking Garfunkel. St. Petersburg has built into the cityscape wonderful murals and statues. Taking a short break from readying Cream Puff for our escapades, we took a walk about the city armed with cameras. We have […]
Fifty Shades of Gray ….. but not What You are Thinking
It is nice that in these days and times people have more options when it comes to hairstyles. I would have loved to have had the blue or pink streaks added to my hair when I was young. Much to my family’s delight this idea was not invented until I was too old to […]
Under 30 Days
We gave our marina office the required 30 days notice we will be vacating our slip and applied our security deposit to our last month’s rent. Our list of “must do’s” is shortening daily. We have a list of tasks that must be done and a second list of things we would really like to […]
Losing My Keys
I guess I really have not given key chains much thought over the past 30 years or so. That is, until today. I remember my first key chain. I was not even close to driving age yet but I had a little key chain. The novelty of buying souvenirs at roadside stops was new to […]
Cindy’s Two Cents Worth at 50% Off
A week or so ago, Mark was working on a post for the blog. I think he was writing about moving from the house onto the boat. He asked me if at some point I would “add my two cents on the subject” and put it in a post. I think I was busy trying […]
