Happy New Year and Welcome to a New Decade

Moored Naples Florida
Partly Cloudy, low 70's

 Well how things change in a year. A year ago this day I was in St. John USVI, just hangin with Janina and getting ready to push down island. I have covered a lot of blue water since then and am quite happy how things have gone over the passed year.

 It has been almost 3 years since I have lived aboard Christa plugged into a dock. It's everything I remember and more. At first blush you wouldn't think living on the hook or a mooring would be all that different than living at the dock. And for some boats it makes little difference. But for Christa and me it is a big deal. In terms of comfort, the boat is much drier and I am able to keep some order below. When your on the move, it becomes an exercise in constantly stowing gear and then re-deploying gear, sail covers have to come off and the result, at least for me, it seems a constant state of dishevel.

Here is a news flash. I had to buy a little ceramic heater! I've never lived in Florida before, but it has been colder than I had expected. I mean on my sail from Marathon to Naples, I was in full foul weather gear. I looked like the Gorton's Fisherman. With the chill in the air and me using the heater, the interior has dried out completely. I had become so accustomed being damp I hardly noticed, of course until things dried out. I'm already noticing these land lubber habits.

 On another sailing note. I am writing an article for Latitude38 that I hope they may publish. I spent years preparing and reading to go sailing around the planet. But after two and half years I learned a great deal and decided to stop sailing and alter my original intention. It is complicated as to why I have changed my plans. My point being is my strong opinion that most sailing mags don't seem to convey well long term cruising. Maybe it's just me. But many many people, like me set out with grandiose plans and don not fulfill them for many different reasons. Magazines are in the business of selling magazines and don't like to write about the rigors of long term cruising. And when they do, the starry eye'd sailor glosses right over the bad parts and focuses on sandy beaches and calm palm fringed anchorages. It is only natural. So I am working on putting that together.

I do my best to try and explain in word, video and photos what is going on with me. When I first starting blogging more than 3 years ago I had no one reading what I was blogging about. I remember months going by and noting the only one clicking on my blog was me! This set the notion in my mind that the blogs main purpose is to document what I am doing for my own personal consumption to be consumed when I'm old and grey or bald. It has been great fun thus far. So as I cast around and try and figure out what is "blog worthy" or not, please be patient. I have watched closely what the folks from Bumfuzzle have done and consider Ali and Pat to be modern day pioneers in terms of blogging and just sheer adventure. They leap from the ocean to terra firma, in a series of disconnected adventures but always seem to retain readership. Not that I expect to do anything close to what they are doing. But who know's? Being a full time college student in middle age may be interesting. Being an expeditor at a restaurant has surely been interesting. So with that here are two pictures I took on my way to work for New Year's Eve. Can you stand it? It is only two blocks on the bike and I am in the restaurant. The neighborhood is gorgeous with huge mansions, well tended lawns and spotlights illuminating coconut palms.

Looking east.....

Looking west...beach at the outskirts of the picture.

Hope everyone is well!

Capt Chris

PS: On an unrelated technical note. For Mac users buy the Apple Magic Mouse. This gizmo is amazing.