Category Archives: Adventure

And on the 7th day, I heard a voice

I felt a little piece of my heart sink the moment I saw the boat. From my vantage point, the driver’s seat of a rental car, the vessel was hardly more than a white dot bobbing gently on a mooring … Continue reading

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The catamaran from hell, continued

The US Coast Guard rescue should have been a happy ending to the catamaran from hell story, but the travail continued. This was rooted in skipper Dave’s sympathy for the owners, John and Kat, who had cited a family medical emergency … Continue reading

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The flying fish of fate

A year ago today I met a delightful elderly woman on the train when I traveled from Wilmington DE to Wilmington NC on my way to help with a private yacht transit to East Greenrich RI, over 800 miles away. … Continue reading

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HEAVEN under tow USCG-approved bacon-chipotle stovetop granola bars

Although the 1,555 mile delivery of HEAVEN–a leaky, creaky, stinky, noisy, and unseaworthy Lagoon 42 catamaran–was greatly trying and a minor disaster, a few good things did come of it. Like the recipe for HEAVEN Under Tow USCG- Approved Bacon-Chipotle … Continue reading

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That time the Coast Guard rescued us

So therrre I wuzzz*,  unaware of what would soon begin as I stood my 4 a.m.- 8 a.m. watch aboard a 42’ catamaran that was 24’ wide. Two fellow crew, our skipper and I were charged to deliver the boat … Continue reading

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To those who think they envy my life

“If you can’t handle pain you can’t be a sailor.” – Shay Seaborne Periodically, people tell me that they envy the life I lead, but those who think they envy the sailor’s life rarely want to live it. Rather, from a … Continue reading

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The day I sailed a patio lounge chair

The day I sailed a patio lounge chair, six years ago, I was recovering from the flu and enjoying the unseasonably warm day by resting outdoors. I tried to nap in the sun, but the wind kept calling me to … Continue reading

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Leap into the void

During my transition from single-parent-homeowner-commuter-office-worker to itinerant sailor, I often said that the process was a kind of suicide, a killing off of an old life, of what no longer served me, of the person I had been. Like one … Continue reading

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Night of the speed demon

During my 11-½ day epic offshore sailing voyage of over 1,700 miles, I began to gauge my performance as crew on whether it woke skipper Matt Rutherford from sleep on his 5-hour off watch. Some days and nights, he did … Continue reading

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A secret wish come true

On Day 9 of my epic sail from Galesville, MD to Ponce, Puerto Rico, at about 1435, I was sitting on the port bench seat when I heard what I thought was a dolphin blow. “A dolphin!” I called, so … Continue reading

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