Nautical Stuff
What is it Like to Make an Ocean Passage?
Being at one with nature and the elements is remarkably calming and soothing. One feels a sense of peacefulness as the boat gently glides across the sea and rippling waves. We listen to Caribbean-style ska music or Jimmy Buffet and we sip rum concoctions in the evenings. During the day we bask in the […]
Cream Puff is in Tahiti
When we left Galapagos, our destination was meant to be the Marquesas Islands, specifically Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia some 3400 miles due west. Our plans changed because of new Covid-19 regulations made by the French government regarding check-in procedures. About 60 hours out of Nuku Hiva, our agent notified us of the changes […]
Hunkering Down for a Blow
The cruising life is not all grins and giggles. We are currently working our way southward down the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas. In previous posts, I have mentioned we have held for weather or moved to a safer area. We received a few questions about what this really means. I thought a couple of […]
Hunkering Down for Hurricane Hermine
I may very well be responsible for hurricane Hermine that just hit Florida. Most cruising sailors, or at least the smart ones, spend the hurricane season outside of the hurricane zone. June to November is the hurricane season with August – September being peak. The safe zone is north of Florida or the very south […]
Dinghy Driving School of Hard Knocks
We hate our dinghy. Maybe hate is too strong a word but we really, really don’t like it very much. Among other things, it is too small. Once we put a small gasoline tank, oars, life jackets and two people, there is not much room. It is not easy to maneuver and it leaks. It […]
A Nice Reprieve
One of my jobs on Cream Puff is to track the weather. The things Mother Nature can do fascinate me. Weather affects most of the aspects of our lives on a boat. We have always been very cognoscente of the weather while sailing but we need more information in the form of long range forecasts while cruising. This […]
Rescued by the Coast Guard
When things go good, it all happens very slowly. When things go bad, it happens very quickly. We set sail from Solomons to Deltaville. We knew weather would be an issue this leg of our trip as a front moved across the Chesapeake Bay. Winds were forecasted at 20 knots from the northeast. This is […]
Fernandina Beach
Meet the third member of the Cream Puff crew. Mona is our land contact and knows the whereabouts of Cream Puff at all times. During ocean passages, we check in at predetermined times. If we don’t check in, Mona has a protocol to alert authorities. She is also the primary contact in case an EPIRB […]
Saint Augustine – Part 3
I love tall ships. I have ever since I was a kid. I find it awe inspiring these massive wooden creatures sailed the world with very little in the way of charts, navigation and weather forecasting. If they hit rocks, they drowned or were forced to a life on the land they struck. There they […]
Unsung Heroes
Each time we enter or exit our marina, we motor through a United States Coast Guard (USCG) station. As we pass, I cannot help but feel a profound respect for this branch of the armed services. These folks will risk their own lives to help save a fellow sailor. I think we have all seen […]
Let There Be Light
Since the installation of our fans, the weather has cooled. Seriously! We planned to spend a last few days bobbing up and down the west coast of Florida. The weather was not cooperative, at all. With the cooler weather came westerly winds, choppy seas, rain and strong afternoon storms. We wound up taking shelter in […]
Squeaks
(click any picture to enlarge and start a slide show) This past week Cindy celebrated her birthday aboard Cream Puff. We spent an entire week away from land. We started by anchoring in the Manatee River. Yes, they do have manatees in the Manatee River. This was followed by a fantastic sail offshore in […]
Wow! That’s a Big One
I don’t often stop to think about the forces on the rigging or the sails. But, once in a while something will make me pause in awe of Cream Puff. During our recent jaunt to Key West, we noticed the Sunbrella covering on our genoa was looking a little shabby. The genoa is the front […]
We Recently Installed Type B AIS
I am selling a lot of stuff on eBay getting ready for our downsize. Items that we figure we do not want to keep or store. We had a huge construction dumpster at the house a couple of weeks ago and we filled it up in one day. It is truly amazing how much junk […]
Dog Island – It Wasn’t Meant To Be
At this very point in time our plan was to be at Dog Island for a few days. About a week ago, while on Cream Puff getting things ship shape for the trip, I came down with the crud. And, being the kind sharing person that I am, I passed it to Cindy. Between the […]
