Kooser 2014

Unfortunately, this is the only pic from the Kooser ski weekend, 2014.

Lake Tahoe, NV and CA - January 18-27, 2014

Rob posing before the O'Callaghan-Tillman Bridge
over the Colorado River, outside Las Vegas, NV

Rob and I took a few days to celebrate my recent re-retirement.  While I retired from my career in physician office computer sales in 2010, just a couple weeks ago I retired from a two year stint as a yacht broker in Annapolis, MD

Las Vegas, NV sunset

Driving north through the Nevada desert

Rob at the top of Heavenly Ski Area, Nevada in the distance

View from the top of Heavenly including California, 

Lake Tahoe and the Nevada desert 

(FYI the noise from the wind is LOUD)

After driving back to southern California, we visited the Reagan Presidential Museum in Thousand Oaks, CA.

This plane was designated "Air Force 2" when none of her
passengers was the president.  On those flights a friend
of mine from Annapolis (Mike N.) was the radio operator.

This a photo of Mike N. when he was flying AF2, above.

Sails & Suds, Captain Clark's 80th

Capt Clark's Crew Celebrate's Jim Clark's 80th
a few months early

The crews' gift to the captain

Tug of War: Eastport vs Annapolis November 2, 2013

 

The Tug of War begins when volunteers stretch a large rope 1,700 feet long across the Spa Creek.

 

Two Fellow Cruisers Depart on Sailing Adventures, October 18-26, 2013

Kelly IV took part in a Bon Voyage Party for Captain Troy Cain and only a week later bid adieu to Captain Joe Reed and his crew. Each Captain has great plans for their cruise although the adventure each will enjoy will vary widely.

Sail track followed by Bill, Sarah, Guy, Jack, Jim and CaptMurph

Captain Cain is singlehanding “Relentless,” his Irwin 34, the length of the Intracoastal Waterway from the Chesapeake Bay through six states and about 2,000nm. Although he welcomes crew for any leg they care to join him, he expects he'll be singlehanding, if you don't count his full size, shiny black poodle, “HoHo.”

"Relentless", on the hard

October 18-20 Kelly IV hosted the largest crew we recall including Bill & Sarah Paviol, Guy Stewart, Jack VanArsdale, Jim Clark and Maggie, Jim's second dog of that name. It wasn't until the wee hours of Saturday morning that the entire crew was on board. Jack, Bill & Sarah slept aboard one of the charter boats so everyone had room to catch some Zs. The day's coming excitement and sunshine roused the crew earlier than expected so we took a new Leopard 39 out for a brief test.

Captains Clark and VanArsdale Helm the new Leopard Catamaran

Kelly IV enticed the crew back with promises of great food and camaraderie at the party planned for Captain Cain's cruise departure. A short trip to Whitehall Creek and the crew piled into the dinghy taking plenty of food and drink to ensure a terrific party. Don and Donna Hekler

Captain Don Hekler and his beloved EVELYN MARIE

were hosting the event so everyone new it would be well done and wonderfully enjoyed. Due to adverse wind and waves, Captain Cain was delayed, but finally rafted to Kelly IV's port side. With a brand new dinghy, Troy took Jack, HoHo and I ashore to Hekler's. The crowd was in great spirits and Troy's attendance brought the festivities to a new high as gifts were shared and goodbyes offered to our adventurous friend. “Relentless” hosted the Paviols for the night as Kelly IV only has berths for 4 total.

Sunday proved to be a terrific day of sunshine and autumn breezes so the sailing was grand. We sailed under the Bay Bridge and reached all the way back covering the miles quickly, no motor necessary. It was a grand weekend to bid farewell as Troy began his cruising adventure.

In the past, "Relentless" was sometimes a bit cluttered

Captain Cain at the helm of Relentless

Joe Reed his adventure a year ago just as Hurricane Sandy was battering the seas offshore of Virginia, arriving in Hampton on 40 knot winds and 10 foot waves. Then he skippered his crew and J42, “Keep It Simple,” to win both his class and the entire fleet, sailing the Caribbean 1500 to Tortola, BVI.

Today, Joe departed on “Keep It Simple” with crew headed first for Virginia, then the BVI, but this time he doesn't stop cruising until either he is done cruising or circumnavigates the entire planet and ends up where he started!

"Keep It Simple" crew, Captain Reed on right

We'll keep both Captains in our prayers as they press on with their sailing adventures. I only wish Kelly IV could follow in their wakes. Maybe sooner than I know?

I added this last photo of "Keep It Simple" sometime later.  Here she is in Annapolis the previous spring, 2013, on arrival from the Caribbean. Of course, they also arrived safely in the BVI in the autumn of 2013.  That's Captain Reed on the left and Captain Hekler on the right.

Boat Show Party

 

SSCA Annapolis “Gam,” September 27-29, 2013

The weather was beautiful, if windless. Perfect for this gathering of cruisers and those planning to go cruising. Kelly IV and I motored to and from the Gam {gam (găm) n. : A social visit or friendly interchange, especially between sailors or seafarers. Per the SSCA}.

The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) is a great group for those who take their small boats along the coasts and across the world's oceans. It has similarities to the Great Lakes Cruising Club (GLCC) of which I am also a member. Both provide a number of excellent benefits including “local knowledge*” and local support (SSCA: Port Guides and Cruising Stations; GLCC: Harbor Reports and Port Captains) and online seminars (SSCA: Seven Seas University; GLCC: GLCCSchool) with great topics and instructors. As the two names suggest, SSCA covers salt water venues while the GLCC addresses the sweetwater seas of the Great Lakes.

I met sailors and trawler owners who are just starting out and others who have crossed several oceans. All were friendly and eager to share and learn from each other. We enjoyed seminars covering sail trim, rigging, SSB radios, travelling frugally on the ICW, towing and salvage, mail forwarding, NOAA weather forecasting, and a truly inspiring talk presented with wonderful photos by world cruiser and author, Beth Leonard. She is a friendly, easy going and highly skilled sailor with globe circling experience that includes the arctic and Southern Oceans as well as the tropics.

And like a few other trips this year and earlier (one, two, three, four), Kelly IV was nearly involved in a bit of a scrape. Upon returning to Kelly IV by dinghy on Friday night, I discovered that the catamaran anchored ahead of me seemed much closer than when I had left in the morning. As I rigged my anchor light I noticed the catamaran was in fact dragging so I hopped in the trusty pudgy and banged on the cat's hull as she dragged past Kelly IV. It was lucky that they missed Kelly IV when they dragged by as the cat was easily twice the weight/displacement of Kelly IV. Having a yacht that large bump into petite, little Kelly IV would have been ugly. The skipper ran to his helm station immediately and re-anchored so all was well in just a few minutes.

*local knowledge. First hand familiarity with a body of water that goes beyond what may be found on a nautical chart; as in: When arriving at a small, unknown harbor they hailed a local fishing vessel for local knowledge on how to negotiate the channel.