Aaargghhh!!

Aye me matey, its talk like a pirate day. 

Come on all ya scallywags, join the fun on sailinganarchy forum

P.S. Talk like a Pirate, meaning the fun times we had as children, not the current problems we are having near Somalia.  Our thoughts are with the kidnapped sailors and their families today


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Sailing Yin Yang

So here I am fighting the age old struggle of yin and yang, but more so “sailor's yin yang”. I have been putting some time into deciding what kind of sailor I am, but the more I read about boats and sailing, the more confused I get. I once heard in an old western the following line: Outlaw “Are you a bad dog or a good dog?” Hero “You have both in you, it depends on which one you feed most.”

So am I a racing sailor or am I a cruising sailor? The more I feed my need for speed and to outsmart the next sailor, I feel I am a racing sailor, all guts and glory. BUT the more I read about other sailors adventures over the horizon I become a cruising sailor again.


So what to do? Maybe only time will tell, but for now maybe I should race, since I am still young and don’t want to be the odd one out on a laser when I am 70 trying to cheat the nursing home.

B-O-A-B

We all know that BOAT stands for Bail-Out-Another-Thousand, btu the Yacht History Supreme takes it to a whole new level that one would need to use BOAB - Bail-Out-Another-Billion.

The 100 ft yacht has a price tag of $4,8 Billion and one can believe it if you look at the following trimmings:

• 100 000 Kilograms gold & platinum 
• Meteoric Stone wall inlays
• Petrified T Rex Bone

For more visit G Captain

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Over the Top

Part of my winter hibernation routine is getting a good "yachting" biography, this year it is Over the Top.  It's the story of Adrian Flanagan, the first ever person to sail solo Vertically around the world.

 Adrian, like most of the solo sailors, could feel the ocean calling him from a young age, but other than most of us, he took the plunge and made his dream a reality....hats off to you Mr Falangan

This is quite an interesting read about a guys obsession of sailing the seas alone and challenging the conventional sailing routes. It reads more like a story than a boring biography sand I would definitely recommend it for some arm chair sailing this winter with a glass of port or red in hand.

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The Ice Dream

What would be better than a glass of pure icy water with a good measure of bourbon?

A glass of pure icy water with a good measure of bourbon enjoyed on your yacht in Greenland while the sun sets.

.....now, that would be a perfect ending to a good day sailing.
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Bad Weather Sailing

J.S. Elcano 1:250 scale

Every year when winter approaches and the rain starts falling, I start building model boats. It keeps my hand steady and me day dreaming of the days of old square riggers and majestic clippers.

The one I am busy with currently was a present from the wife and is a 1:250 scale relica of the J.S. Elcano that was launched in 1927 at Cadiz.  It was a Spanish Navy training vessel and was capable of 15knts.  She was 94.13 meter and could carry 36 Officers, 143 Sailor trainees and 70 marines.

This model has many small bits and pieces and very, VERY tiny intrinsic rigging work, so hopefully I will finish before the summer time.

Taxman

..Let me tel you how it will be

Theres 1 for you, 19 for me

'cause I'm the Taxman

Yeah, I'm the Taxman..

~ from Taxman by The Beatles ~

The Beatles knew and so do we....Damn the Taxman.  These days there is Tax on everything, even when you are on your boat, in the middle of the ocean visiting the head, Readers Digest in hand, you are reminded in bold letters VAT incl.  You cant escape him, not him, not the Taxman.

But if you are so lucky to escape the Taxman at sea,  you still hear "theres 1 for you, 19 for me".  

Davy Jones takes as he wants and has no need for forms, records or formalities. His locker has claimed quite a few items from me over the years, there was my favorite baseball cap, a few anchors, dive mask , etc. But the worst was the last bottle of beer on a hot South African day.  I still wake up some nights in a cold sweat and scream:"No, not the Heineken!!!"

Out of what have Davy Jones conned you?

in reply to Tillerman's writing project

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Fitness? What Fitness?

In summer time we all have our own ways of keeping down the weight and staying fit.  Tillerman likes to run (away from the nursing home I presume);  O Dock does an ever increasing list of repairs on his yacht (thanks to Sir Neptune); Joe likes to, well, I actually don’t know what he does. Me, well I like to do some Mountain biking and gym’ing.

As winter creeps up on us, there will be less duelling it out around the cans and more sitting in doors than is good for us. But this post is not about physical fitness but rather mental fitness and what one does to remain sharp for the coming summer’s regattas.

So how does one keep ones wits up during the winter?.  I guess everyone has their own method. I presume Tillerman keeps “fit” by duelling an online game of Nautical Chess with Kasparov.  O Dock on the other hand likes a bit more mischief and keeps  “fit” by finding new clever ways of yanking Tillerman’s chain in the comment section of Propercourse.  Doc Häagen-Dazs is like usual keeping himself busy on Virtual Regatta.  Joe, well again, I don’t actually know what he does, but then again, do they have a winter season in paradise?

What will I be doing this winter?  Well, I still don't have the faintest idea.