s/v Field Trip

That way you don’t know what you are missing. This was the analogy used on our fishing trip by a seasoned fisherman named John. It has nothing to do with women, and everything to do with fishing. You see, there is a difference between trout and bonefish. I have been told once you bonefish you’ll never trout fish again. While I was at Deep Water Cay in the Bahamas I did a lot of fishing, just not bonefish. Guess I didn’t want to ‘ruin’ trout fishing… ;-) The primary purpose of my 3 days in the Bahamas was to learn from Neil (Antares 4436) and Scot the ins and outs of deep-sea fishing. It was excellent. The trip exceeded expectations. We had a blast, and caught a ton of fish. We started each day with a 4-5 mile walk before jumping on the boat and heading out to grab fish. They primary types of fishing we did included: Trolling for grouper and other reef fish  Deep dropping (over 500ft) for snapper  Lobster traps (did not catch as out of season)  Neal and Scot had th...

Radar & AIS. Two different technologies we have onboard our boat to avoid collisions. Everyone has heard of radar.  It has been in use since 1940.  On our boat we have the Furuno DRS2D 19" UHD .  Furuno has one of the best radomes on the market.  It is excellent and provides a 24nm range.  Radar is not just for avoiding collisions, but also viewing weather.  The biggest drawback to using radar full time is it's power consumption.  It's not easy on the juice.  A key consideration for a sail powered vessel. Enter AIS.  " Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automated tracking system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and VTS stations. AIS information supplements marine radar , which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport. Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identi...

It's been about three weeks since I left work.  I've received a lot of questions from friends asking me ' How ' s it going? '  ' Am I driving myself or Sarah crazy? '  ' Any regrets?' Well...it's GREAT!  In fact, it's exceeded my expectations.  I thought I would miss work a lot more than I do.  The first week was a little rocky.  The hardest part for me was unplugging.  A new cell number and email made this a lot easier.  It also helps that I have a lot to do in prepping for sailing and the big move. One of the first things I did was join a gym.  We found a great gym that is open 24/7 and has 2 hours of childcare a day included in the membership. The second thing that I did was BREATHE.  I intentionally turned off my cell phone, unplugged email and just let time tick.  I actually find myself forgetting what day of the week it is as we run around doing stuff with family. I received a good email from a friend/colleague wh...

At first it seemed like I had plenty of time.  A whole summer to get ready for the move to Argentina.  "No problem man", in a Jamaican accent.  This will be easy. This could not be further from the truth.  It has been over two weeks since I left work.  I have been busier than ever.  Sounds crazy I know.  Let me explain, and put this in perspective. Moving to Argentina is not simply packing our bags and jumping on an airplane.  There are a LOT of items we have to do...while taking care of kids.  I now have a much better perspective on juggling kids and lists.  It isn't easy. I've been used to letting Sarah know ' I have work to do, need to be up late tonight .'  And that was that.  It's different now.  I don't have 'work' to do...and in some ways have less latitude to run around doing errands.  I am working hard you see to be part of the family vs. an observer of the family - there is a difference. Key items ...

reef·er     –noun 1. a marijuana cigarette 2. running a yacht into a coral reef 3. a short, close-fitting coat or jacket of thick cloth 4. a person who reefs the sails No, this blog entry is not about #1 -- but I got your attention. This entry is about our reefing system and why we selected a single line slab reef vs. in-mast furling mainsail. Before I get into the details and options, let me explain to the non-sailors about reefing. Reefing simply means reducing the sail area (power) of the boat. This is done to prevent too much heeling (potential knock down) of a monohull or to prevent catamarans from, well, flipping over in high winds. I love to sail Hobie catamarans. It's a blast. They are light, fast, and can flip over relatively easily in gusty conditions. This is can be fun on a Hobie, but not so fun on a 9-10 ton yacht in the middle of the ocean. My ‘ pucker factor ’ gets real high even thinking about this happening to our boat. As with most decisions – a lot ...

After a wonderful weekend of camping out in the middle of nowhere, yesterday was our first day at home with Dad.  Years of me saying to Mark, "I wish you weren't gone so much" and "Are you home at all this week?" suddenly came to a screeching halt.  While I was tackling the camping laundry, Mark was pacing a bit.  Yes, pacing.  In his office to check his email, back into the kitchen, in his office, back in the kitchen.  (I really am trying to fight the urge to say MY kitchen right now - you women know what I mean by that)  The kids are napping, I am doing my thing, and I am watching my dear husband pace, not quite sure what to do with himself.  It is painful. Since we got married, Mark has always traveled A LOT.  And he has never gone more than a week without his cell phone and laptop within arms reach - just in case.   His work has been his identity in many ways.  It has provided purpose, meaning, and direction to his days, and he is...