I met Elena several years ago in the southern Caribbean and loved her jewelry. She sent in this contribution to the Women and Cruising site to show how cruising has given her the inspiration, free time — and the raw materials to explore her passions. — Kathy Parsons
My name is Elena, I’m Italian and I’ve been living on my little 33 foot sailing ship (Mabel) with my companion for about 13 years full time. I know all the difficulties and the problems that are implied in this choice.
A few years ago I started using my skills not only for varnishing interiors and rebuilding cabinets but also to do something more satisfying.
Gwen Hamlin devoted her April and May 2009 Admiral’s Angle columns to “How We Choose Where We Cruise”. Here the husband of one of the Admirals throws in his two cents:
“Let me tell you how Yvonne chooses how we cruise …Read more
I have been reading Around The Next Bend, written by Australian cruiser Bernie Katchor. The book tells the story of Yvonne and Bernie’s seven-month journey along the rivers of Guyana and Venezuela aboard their sailboat Australia 31. It’s a fascinating read of travels in an area few cruisers have visited.
Meeting people as warm and adventurous as Yvonne and Bernie is one of the gifts of cruising. I have shared an anchorage with them a number of times, and joined them on several hikes in search of birds.
Yvonne is a great example of how pursuing your passion (in her case, birdwatching) can add depth to your cruising. It gives you a reason to seek out new places and people, and connects you to people who share your interests.
“Watching and identifying birds and animals is a passion, especially with Yvonne. She has documented the names of over 2500 bird species and continues to be just as excited when she positively identifies one she has never seen as she was twenty years ago when we started a hobby that requires binoculars only. …Read more
Eighteen experienced contributors answer questions about galley design and equipment, reflect on the challenges and rewards of cooking at sea, and even recommend cookbooks and share recipes that have served them well. Complete with photographs and in their own words, it’s as though all eighteen have anchored next door to you and invited you over for coffee! …Read more
Has anyone read this new hot-off-the-press book by Janna Cawrse Esarey? She seems to have a great sense of humor – and it’s certainly a “Woman and Cruising” type book!
Janna just sent Gwen Hamlin an email announcing her book and we both went to check out:
Beth Schwarzman will be the keynote speaker at the 8th Women’s Sailing Conference to be held June 6 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Beth is a cruising sailor who has dropped anchor in harbors in the Faeroe Islands, Brazil, West Africa, Cuba, Estonia, Belize, and Newfoundland, among others. She has made four trans-Atlantic passages. In her spare time, Beth is a geologist and naturalist, and the author of a nature guide to Cape Cod. …Read more
Suzanne Giesemann sent in the following news a little over a week ago.
I knew she had a new book coming out (this one has nothing to do with sailing, yet it sounds very interesting) and I was hoping she might mention something about it.
Cruiser Ellen Sanpere has been a terrific champion of volunteering as you cruise. She started the “Volunteering” section on the Women and Cruising Resources page. She worked with Fundamigos in Venezuela for a number of seasons. Now that she is hanging around in the Virgin Islands, she has been giving of her time and talents to a number of causes on St Croix. …Read more
You can now read the the current installment of my Admiral’s Angle column in Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine — How We Choose Where We Cruise, Part Two – in the online version of the May 2009 issue of Latitudes and Attitudes.
To read Part One of How We Choose Where We Cruise, or any previous issue, you can go to the Lats & Atts Archives or the Admiral’s Angle section of the Women and Cruising website.
We’d like to post news from Women and Cruising contributors, so here is our first which was sent by Marcie Lynn of s/v Nine of Cups:
"The passage from Chile to Iles Gambier, French Polynesia was, for the most part, pretty benign and without a doubt, the slowest passage in our sailing history. …Read more
What a great way to learn more about sailing: the 8th Annual Women’s Sailing Conference to be held June 6, 2009 in Marblehead, Mass.
Enjoy a full day of learning, sailing, sharing, networking, and good fun at the Corinthian Yacht Club on beautiful Marblehead Harbor. Participate in a variety of workshops for women of all sailing abilities, presented by some of the best women sailors around. …Read more
We received this email from Mary Orme with information for families that are interested in learning to sail:
“I would like to ask whether you could make mention, under the KIDS ABOARD section that Offshore Sailing School is offering a KIDS AND TEENS LEARN TO SAIL FREE program through October. This gives kids a great chance to learn to sail with their parents for free.”
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