Messing About In Sailboats

Famous Boat Captains Compared | Harbour Exchange

via www.harbourexchange.com

I am sure I am the last person to see this but I thought this was brilliant.

Happy Thanksgiving

Yikes. That's a damn big bird!

catagabbiano, originally uploaded by PaolaPy.

I hate to have to clean up after....you know.

Song For Friday: Flight of the Conchords - Issues

A counterpoint to getting a little too serious last week.

Tragic Irony

Harold Sturm sent me this photo he took in West Palm Beach after either Hurricane Francis or Jeanne. You have to feel for the owner but talk about irony! Thanks Harold

A new sailing term - Propfro

This what the prop of one boat looked like when it was hauled out. The bottom of this boat was spectacular. It looked like it had grown hair. The owner divulged that he hadn't hauled and cleaned the bottom for 5 years!!! We were impressed.

What was I thinking?

I had an idea for a group writing project. The topic is moments of blind stupidity while sailing which left you saying to yourself "What was I thinking?".

Mine goes back about 5 years or so ago when I was back in the UK. We chartered a Sunfast40 (great boat!) from Sunsail in Port Solent and spent the weekend sailing round the Isle of Wight. On the Saturday, we sailed to Yarmouth, one of the truly nicest harbors in the world. On the Sunday morning we headed off West early with the tide past Hurst Castle aiming to round the Needles by breakfast.

I had it in my head that it would be great to cook breakfast sailing round the Needles.  I went below fired up the grill and stove and set to cooking up a classic English Breakfast - the Full Monty - eggs, bacon, toast, beans and a fried tomato. Some of the crew were feeling a little queazy and the smell of fried breakfast wasn't helping. In the end I think only three of us ate any of it.

I took the bacon grease-filled pan out from the grill, cooled it down by filling it with water out and laid flat over the sink. I then went up topsides to tuck in to a massive plate of fried cholesterol. It was a lovely late Spring day with a perfect breeze. With a combination of great sailing conditions, amazing scenery and a fantastic breakfast, I guess I forgot about the pan.

After heading South for about a mile past the Needles, we decided to tack and head East along the South Coast of the Isle of Wight. As the boat shifted from a Starboard heal to Port, the pan went flying.

The wooden sole was covered in a wet film of bacon grease spreading out over half the cabin. I went below to clean up and nearly slid the whole way down the boat.

It took me an hour of scrubbing with paper towels and salt to get the mess cleaned up.

What was I thinking?

If you have similarly moronic experiences, blog them and let me know and I will delight in sharing them. T-shirt to the best dumb thing done sailing.

Caption Competition

Messing About T-Shirt for best caption.

Towboat Trouble

This is an oldie but goldie. This is one of the most amazing series of boat photos I have ever seen. Imagine being on the bridge of this boat! You can see the full series here http://tinyurl.com/v04x

FAA Approved Santa