The Importance of Being Ballast
“I get knocked down, but I get up again.” – Chumbawamba (Tubthumping) We awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of a crash. Actually, it was more like several small crashes – bang, bang, bang, bang! I rolled out of my berth and walked downhill to the head. The noise that had…
Keep reading
Feeling Irish
“West Wind or something like that.” – Jim, the former owner of our 1967 Cheoy Lee Offshore Ketch, trying to recall her original name What’s in a name? To us, a lot. We’ve been called all sorts of things on the water: Sire, Seer, Star. (I admit I rather like being called “Star.”) Our boat’s…
Keep reading
The Trip – Part 1 of 2: Floridays
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor.” – Mark Twain One beautiful Miami morning in the summer of 2003, I awoke in the forward berth of our…
Keep reading
The Trip – Part 2 of 2: Red Sky
“Call for the Captain ashore. Let me go home. I want to go home.” – Sloop John B, adapted by The Beach Boys from The John B. Sails, Bahamian folk song From my ship’s part-log, part-journal, day one: “Departed the marina ~9:30am. Failed to account for the incoming tide of Tampa Bay. Also failed to…
Keep readingFollow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Sailing Siar 