Hurricane Irene – August 23, 2011 – 21:45 UTC – Photo Goes East
As readers prepare for hurricane Irene, we are re-printing a story that Pam Wall wrote about going through Hurricane Dennis in the Abacos.
In it she shares a list of things to have aboard to help you prepare as well as a checklist of preparations to make as a hurricane approaches.
Several years ago we were in the Bahamas for our summer vacation. It was early July and we had not been worried about hurricanes at that time of year.
But, good old Bertha didn’t look at her calendar! We were in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay, in the Abacos at that time. Our family of four plus our dog were aboard, and while we were all a bit frightened, we were proud that we had stayed aboard our boat, Kandarik, a Freya 39. Bertha did her best to ruin the islands, but thankfully there was not much damage.
And now, just two weeks ago, we were again in the Abacos, and as our luck would have it, Hurricane Dennis came out of nowhere and tested our wits again.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami predicted it would go to the East of the Abacos. When the Northeast seventy-plus knots of wind died for about fifteen minutes and the wind veered to the Southwest with a vengeance, we knew the NHC was wrong and the eye of the hurricane had come over us. And this was our vacation!
In a foreword to her new book — Bull Canyon: A Boat Builder, A Writer and other Wildlife – Lin Pardey asks fans of her sailing adventures aboard Seraffyn to hang in with her through this transition book, the story of Lin and husband Larry’s four years ashore during construction of their new boat Taleisin.
Her fans should not be worried. These four years in an out-of-the way canyon in California, immersed in the strange culture of rural iconoclasts, trying to do their own thing, their own way, for as little money as possible, is as much an adventure as any they have had in foreign waters. …Read more
Bev Feiges, aboard Cloverleaf, a 61-foot custom Krogen motoryacht, shares a list of some things she wouldn’t want to live without, and some pictures of great things about living aboard.
Lets start with the great things about living aboard.
Mostly it’s about the people you meet.
Everyone will tell you that.
Evening dinner in the cockpit. Mixed bag of friends from sailboats and motorboats, some Americans, some Israeli, taken in Turkey. One of those magical evenings we just can’t recapture on land.
For us, with a boat large enough to accommodate a crowd, we love having groups aboard for long visits, usually with some food and drink thrown in.
We can have people who were strangers to us earlier in the day, or ones we’ve known and continue to run into over the years, but they all have unique stories to tell. What better form of entertainment? …Read more
This is an excellent book and very different from Jimmy Cornell’s more well-known books World Cruising Routes and World Cruising Destinations.
A Passion for the Sea is a bit hard to describe because the book is packed with stories, advice and tips from Cornell’s lifetime of cruising.
Not only does the author draw on his experience from three circumnavigations and voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic, but he also shares lessons from some of cruising’s institutions which he founded: the Atlantic Rally for Cruising (ARC), World Cruising Rallies and Noonsite.
It is a great book to pick up, open anywhere and read. And each time you open it, you will learn something new. …Read more
How do we earn money while sailing? Is going into the charter business a good option?
Do you have to have a special license to do daysails or charters?
I am not a writer or a journalist, which it seems, most of the people who contribute to Women and Cruising are. I do have a very nice camera and feel I am an adequate photographer.
Amy
Gwen Hamlin answers:
• Is going into the charter business a good option (for earning money while sailing)?
Charter is a good way to enjoy the lifestyle and pay for it at the same time. It will, however, influence the boat you choose, for charter.
At minimum, you need a boat with two good cabins. Three cabins is probably better. Or four! While cruisers often choose smaller boats, 37-44, charter boats are more likely to be 42-50′ or bigger.
My 44 was a good size for what I wanted to do — charter, then cruise — but it was hard to carry more than 2 passengers. Many feel that four passengers is ideal for making money while still keeping things intimate, with 6 guests being the limit without getting into much bigger boats and licenses. …Read more
Our next Seven Seas U Happy Hooking webinar is scheduled for June 7. We’ve had great response from previous attendees. It’s based on our book, “Happy Hooking. The Art of Anchoring.” We cover the newest anchors and how they rate against the old standbys as well as the newest techniques that help you drop and retrieve your anchors like an expert.
If you’ve never sampled a webinar, it’s the best thing to come along for learning in the comfort of your own home or boat. All you need is a computer and broadband.
We’ll be transmitting from Ireland, you’ll be chatting with us from wherever, and it will be an interactive experience to remember. Ask your most pressing questions online or email us afterwards. We’re here to help. …Read more
“Do we remember how to do this?” I ponder in my offshore sailing journal.
“My mind creaks as I shift from boat maintenance to sailing. Having spent the hurricane season in Wisconsin with the boat tucked into a boatyard in Florida, Dave and I realize it has been five months since we’d hoisted sail on our Hylas 45.5, WILD HAIR. We comment on the butterflies in our stomachs.”
And so begins our great offshore sailing adventure from Green Cove Springs in north Florida (N 29 59 30 W 81 39 65) to St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands (N 18 20 19 W 64 56 40). In total, the trip was 1,566 non-stop nautical miles. Moving at an average speed of just over 5 knots, the trip took 15 days and 80 gallons of diesel to complete.
During the half-month afloat in the Atlantic—with nothing but combinations of boat, spouse, sea, and air—I became forever changed.
Some of the changes I might have predicted, others I never could have guessed. Here is a sampling of what lingers after the journey is complete. …Read more
As Brittany and Scott, newlyweds, head down island to the Caribbean on their Hallberg-Rassy 35, Brittany reflects on ways that cruising takes her out of tourist mode. Thanks, Brittany for sharing this post from your blog! Keep us updated!
One of the greatest gift of cruising to a place via sailboat is the fact that you are – almost always – viewed as a traveler, and not a tourist. The other night our new friend Dee made this distinction – and I thought it interesting enough to share…
What’s the difference?
• The tourist can be found at the all-inclusive resort. The traveler will be found at the local coffee shop. …Read more
My husband and I are very serious about eventually enjoying the cruising lifestyle.
• We are presently up against many challenges, least of those is not having any experience sailing. We live in central Ohio, therefore our opportunities to learn to sail are fairly limited. I have done some extensive research about sailing and have decided that we just need to take a week long certification class and get that taken care of.
• We are both 40 and in 5 years our children will all be out of the nest. I have always been a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of person, so my fear is minimal, but my husband is an organized, bit conservative fellow. Do we sell our home and all of our belongings and just jump right in, or do we keep those assets just in case?
• Where do you feel the best places in the world are to sail? How do we know what is required for different countries? We have been researching the Caribbean, but I love Bali and Thailand too.
Thank you very much for your time. Any advice will be immensely appreciated, as we are feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed right now.
Sincerely,
Amy
Gwen Hamlin answers.
Dear Amy! Wow!
What you are asking is what everybody wants to know, and those of us who have “been there/done that” have answers…but not necessary the formula that will be what you end up following.
That, of course, is what Women and Cruising and my column Admirals’ Angle are all about, trying to present a bunch of building blocks so you can see how others have done it and pick and choose the bits that will work for you. …Read more
I spent last winter in Miami, Florida working and saving for my next big sail.
My goal was to sail to the Bahamas, spend some time exploring the sandy beaches and shallow banks, and then head north, offshore, bound for Martha’s Vineyard. I had summer plans for sailing on schooners in Maine and the Vineyard.
But having a deadline is seldom a good idea when traveling under sail. Many things can delay a departure, and this winter I was met with one delay after another.
Finances at that time were a struggle for me. I had been taking transient jobs at various ports just to keep food on the table so I could keep sailing.
But when I was nearly ready to set sail again, my engine failed. When I tried to start it, black smoke poured from the tailpipe, a knocking sound came from the engine compartment, then a sputter, and finally silence.
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In a foreword to her new book — 
I need your advice about outfitting to scuba dive. We plan to dive a lot. Neither of us does a lot of deep dives. I do have a collection of tanks.
This is an excellent book and very different from Jimmy Cornell’s more well-known books 
If you’ve never sampled a webinar, it’s the best thing to come along for learning in the comfort of your own home or boat. All you need is a computer and broadband.
“Do we remember how to do this?” I ponder in my offshore sailing journal.
