We're 'Liveaboards' Now!

As of today, we are Liveaboards! No more condo, no more land-bound security net - our space is now 42 x 14 ft! What a change. But actually, it is much nicer than you would think. Although the kitchen (galley) is 5 x 3 ft, everything is at my fingertips. The whole place takes 30 minutes to clean (and that's for a deep, thorough clean). It's very 'wee', but well organised.
As with many wee spaces, as soon as you take stuff out or bring it in, it can look very crowded. Above is what the salon looks like while we're provisioning (getting food).

I've made approximately five trips to the supermarket to do the full stocking of the boat (and believe me, I am so sick of supermarkets!). We now have enough to be self-sufficient for the next 3-5 months. Yes, there will be food in the Bahamas. But, having been to the islands in the Med, we have a rough idea of what to expect at the Bahamaian island stores - some local produce and whatever stores arrive from the supply boat. We'd rather have a bit larger selection. Hence the big provision.

We spent quite a bit of time researching what is needed for 'ship's stores'. How do you eat well when there is no store to go to when you run out of something? There are lots of blogs with recipes and suggestions for how to provision for long trips. We took those and adapted for our taste preferences.
It doesn't stay chaotic for long! This is what the salon looks like when we've put the food away!

Preparation 3 - The Boat Prep

First Post By Steve (he's been busy!):

In the past two years these are the things we have done to the boat to get it ready to go and it's not finished yet:

Sails and Rigging:

Replace Running Rigging (Halyards and Sheets)
Replace Lazyjacks
Fit Reefing Points and Lines to Main Sail
Make good and repair sails
Service winches
New sail, winch, instrument and windlass covers

Engine and Transmission:

Strip and clean heat exchanger and oil cooler
Replace Thermostat and Raw Water Pump and coolant
Replace various oil and water pipes
Oil, Oil Filter and Fuel Filter replace
Polish Fuel
Replace propshaft and cutless bearing
Replace belts
New injectors, injector pump, fuel pump, oil seals

Electrics:

Two new house batteries
Overhaul high output alternator
Replace circuit breaker
Replace various bulbs including anchor and steaming lights

Communications & Navigation:

Fit chart plotter
Re-wire some of the HF Installation
Fit Pactor modem
Fix log
Fit Wi-Fi antennae

Refrigeration:

Replace the compressor and various pipes flush and replenish the system

Ground Tackle:

Replace both anchor rodes (chain and rope)

Fresh Water System:

Replace water pump
Overhaul water pump to make spare
Drain and flush tanks

Toilets and Washing Facilities:

Replace both holding tanks
Overhaul both heads
Replace forward masurator, fit new masurator in rear and overhaul old one to create a spare
Replace rear shower pump
Refit front shower fitting

Safety Equipment:

Overhaul liferaft
Re-register the EPIRB
Replenish grab bag
Replace lifelines

Cooking:

Learn to cook well on a boat (no beans and toast!)
Figure out how to provision / store for 3-6 months
Install spice rack

Hull and Deck:

Haul and anti-foul hull
Replace zincs
Compound and polish the topsides
Compound and polish deck
Re-paint antiskid
Varnish Brightwork
Replace some opening ports

Dingy and Outboard:

Modify outboard mount
Replace davit lines
Fit lifting eyes to Dingy
Dingy cover
Outboard cover

Other 'Stuff':

Fit shelves
Cut back shelf in rear cabin
Install step (for short people)
New cushions internally and in the cockpit
New stereo
Fit storage boxes
Oil Lamp
Galley Strap
Fender Boards
Jerry Can mounts

By Katherine:

Until we totalled it all up, we didn't realise what a huge piece of work this has been. Now this isn't to say we did every bit of it. Some of this involved giving money to others (in some cases far too much!) so they could do it. But a great deal has been done by Steve himself - talented electrician, plumber, engineer, painter, carpenter, 'systems' whiz that he is.

After looking at the list, perhaps we should have gone with a newer boat which didn't need so much done to it. But having chartered two and looked at many different models of the newer boats at the boat shows, we certainly wouldn't find one as nice for the money. The materials used in the newer boats are of a much (much, much!) lower quality than ours. Snowbird was built in 1983 and has solid wood throughout. Both the Jeanneau and the Benateau we chartered had pressboard throughout - looks nice initially, but quickly buckles under the strain of sailing (both Steve and Matt were falling through the floorboards of the last charter boat which was quite new). Until you get into the really expensive boats, the Amels or Tayannas, the quality materials are just not there - so I think we're very happy with what we have!

Also wondering how all this got done with all the work projects on in the past 2 years!

A Healthier Lifestyle

Steve has been working very hard on the boat and it shows! We're not
measuring in pounds (or stones), but his old clothes are getting a bit
too big!

Sail Covers - Check!

The sailcovers are now done!

Steve's Money Laundering

This is what happens when a leaky bottle of water rides home in your
bucket - wet wallet, wet paperwork, wet money!

There Be Gators!

After three weeks of work, Steve announced we were taking a day off (whew, yippee, wahoo!!!)! Somebody said this not working stuff was slow, boring and tedious. Ha, not with my guy! We haven't stopped since we arrived here. And, actually, even our days off are busy!

First thing (after breakfast, of course!) we went to downtown to St. Petersburg to check out the Farmers Market. After buying from Walmart we are desperately in need of veg that tastes like - well, veg - instead of insipid, bland, boring, picked too early stuff masquarading as veg! I want tomatoes that are red, not pink or peach, ripe and luscious. We didn't realise how spoiled we were buying from the farmers' market in Blackburn, what a difference in the taste of food. (Oh yeah, and I want cheese, real cheese - sharp, pungent, melt in your mouth French cheese - the kind which fails all US health inspections!)

After running various errands all over the county, then we went to GATORS for lunch! One of my favourites for seafood, sun and people watching. We lucked out and ended up with a waterfront table where we could watch the boats pulling up and the sailboats coming in and out of the pass. The famous smoked fish spread to start and chicken wings to finish - lovely!

Then we had a nap, then we went grocery (and boat stuff) shopping, then we had dinner (at 10:00)!

A Night Out in Gulfport (Again)

Our weekly night out on the town was spent this week at Pia's Italian Trattoria in Gulfport. We liked Gulfport so much that we wanted to visit again and after a busy day we were starving for an early meal.

After a wander down the main street and perusing all the restaurant menus, and after discounting the French restaurant (what self respecting French restaurant serves Virginia baked ham?), we settled on dining outside and Italian food at Pia's. It was an excellent choice and we had one of the best meals we've had this side of the Atlantic.

Of course no Italian would show up for dinner at 6:30 and it is doubtful the restaurant would even be open if he did, over here Pia's was hopping and we ended up with a lovely table. I had the tuna (or tunno) and Steve had the Fruitte de Mare. The waitress agreed to leave us alone and not bring each serving until we were done with the prior one, she also didn't bring the bill until we asked for it. The portions were huge so we had to bring some home and we didn't mind a bit because it was all so GOOD!

It was a great evening - especially when I forgot my handbag at the table, got all the way home, remembered it, came all the way back and it was THERE! Happiness is finding one's handbag!

Loafing Boy and Bucket

When Jess went to Cornwall, she brought back this collapsable bucket for Steve. He has used it every day since we have been here - it is a lunch pail, a tool box, a carry-all.

Every well dressed sailor should have one!

Sewing Central

Really into the sewing now! The fabric arrived for the sailcovers (which desperately needed replacing!), the awning, the rest of the winch covers and the all-important cockpit pillow! My sewing table - one of the more unique ones I've had - the vanity table in the bathroom. My cutting table - our bed. It has been really interesting trying to cut and sew these sailcovers. The picture doesn't do it justice, but that is essentially all the space I have around the machine (okay, maybe a few inches on the other side) and the sail cover is 16 ft long - I am becoming very accomplished at manuvering in tight places!

Jim, From the Boat Next Door

Our neighbor at the marina is Jim who lives on a boat he has been fixing up during all the time we have been at the marina. He's very quiet, but nice and always asks about our plans and offers to catch or hold a rope as we pull in or out of the slip.

When we saw Jim this trip, we both thought he looked different. It turns out he has lung cancer which has spread and now he also has a brain tumour. Although he was up and about when we first got there, he was taken to the hospital a few days ago. Jim won't be finishing his boat or going sailing.

He and Steve had a chat one afternoon while Steve was working on our boat. He asked about our plans and what Steve was doing. His message, 'Forget all that stuff and get out there.' I think we'll pay attention...

Preparation 2 - What Will We Do All Day?!

When Steve said he wanted to 'give up serious work' and, oh by the way, he wanted to do it in our 40s, my first reaction was, "OMG, what will we do all day?!" The concept of stopping work for more than a holiday isn't something encouraged by the American Keep the Economy Pumping Productivity Programming. You are supposed to work for as long as you can. Who would want to retire (because all you'll do is sit on a porch and die), right? I'd never even really thought about not working. The only alternatives I had ever considered were different types of work. Work is just what people do.

So when Steve said he wanted to do this (after the initial panic wore off) I had to start thinking about what I really wanted to do if I wasn't working on more than full-time transformation programmes. And once work comes out of the picture, you start to think about what you really want to do in your life. When you start to think that way, it's like looking at a blank canvas - what do I want to do?

I can see why people just fall into working forever, it's easy. There's no thinking involved. But I found being confronted with the blank canvas of my life really difficult. Thinking through and deciding what to put on that blank canvas is hard (especially when the hardy New England upbringing (work, work, work!) kicks in!). Some folks may have a long list of what to do if there is no work, but I suspect many more are like me - never really thought about it before.

Work isn't the be all and end all, and quite frankly I don't want to look back at 99 and think of how many great meetings I had or how much time I spent at my desk in a cubicle. Nope, I actually want to do a lot more than that, as I discovered when making my list of what I want to do post 'serious work'. (We are still tackling what to call this - it's not retirement, it's not a sabbatical, it's not a holiday - fodder for another post I think). I/we made our list and it wasn't an afternoon project - it took about two years to do.

There are books to write, instruments to learn to play, languages to speak, skills to learn, places to discover and explore. We want to sail around the Bahamas, up the coast of the US and in the Med. We want to bicycle through France and Italy, and motorbike through both the US and Europe. We'd like to explore both places by caravan too. Then we really need to get busy and explore the rest of the world - the Far East, Thailand, India, Japan, China, New Zealand, South America and the list goes on and on. We may be able to fit it all in in about 50 years or so!

Fender Covers

When we got the boat, we also got the fenders which went with it. They were old, dingy and grey - and those dirty things were very distracting in my lovely boat photos! While we were at the Southamption Boat Show last year, we found fender 'socks' which could be put on old fenders to make them look better. I spent this morning covering all our fenders and here's a picture of how they turned out. Should have done a before and after, but take it from me they look much, much better!

Churrascaria

Last night we went out for dinner to a churrascaria - La Fogata in Gulfport.

"The Parana region of Brazil and the neighboring Argentina and Paraguay are famous for their churrasco, which is a method of cooking of tender cuts of meat on long steel skewers over a hot grill. At a traditional churrascaria restaurant you are served at your table from the skewer and sliced off by the waiter (called passadors) as much barbequed meat as you like. The waiter holding the skewer is back again and again until you do not stop him." Trip Advisor

We had a great time! They have a very nice salad bar for starters and a good wine list. They give you little red (stop) and green (go) medallions which you flip if you would like them to bring more or pass you by this time. Steve loved the meat feast, I really like the grilled pineapple (with sugar and cinnamon, yummy!) - all the food was great, and we had control over when the courses were served.

(One of the interesting experiences coming back to the US after having been in the UK / Europe is trying to have a leisurely evening out. I know it is the norm here, but I would like to have a drink before dinner, finish eating my salad before my main appears on the table and to ask for the check rather than having it appear with my main.)

La Fogata reminded us of the churrascaria we went to that we very quickly enjoyed one afternoon while waiting for a plane in Chicago.

This was our first relaxing evening out since we got here, we'll be going back to Gulfport!

Sign of the Times

How to Be a Great Cook - Use Great Cookbooks!

Once upon a time, I didn't like to cook - my favourite thing to make was reservations. Then I married Steve, a foodie who could cook. When we were dating, he would make fantastic meals - coq au riesling, chicken in white wine sauce, spicy sausage and pasta, and one that won over Jess, toad in the hole. He made delicious (lovely, yummy) meals and claimed they were easy.

Well, the food was so good, making reservations became less appealing because often the food at home was better than the food in the restaurant. As time went by, I began trying different recipes and began to enjoy cooking myself. Two things really made this cooking thing stick - simple yet gourmet quality recipes and a foodie husband who thoroughly enjoys the end result!

Here's one example of what I'm talking about:

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

6 chicken thighs
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
small package of white (or fancier) mushrooms sliced
1 glass of good white wine
most of a pint of heavy cream
olive oil (for frying)
Bacon, pancetta or salt pork

Sear the outside of the chicken by frying quickly in olive oil (or microwave it for 8-10 minutes and then start frying). In a separate pan, slowly fry onions. When onions become translucent, add in garlic. When garlic is cooked, add in mushrooms. When mushrooms are cooked, add onions, garlic, mushroom mix to seared / microwaved chicken and toss together for a few minutes.

After 'mix' and chicken have had a chance to blend, pour in glass of wine. Bring to a boil then lower temp a bit so it is gently bubbling and cook for about 20 minutes. Slice a few pieces of the chicken to make sure they are cooked through and once they are add about 3/4ths of the pint of cream. Let this 'fergle' on a low boil, uncovered until the cream thickens and the sauce tastes wonderful!

Serve with salad (no dressing, use the lettuce to mop up the sauce), bread and the rest of the white wine (this is why I said good white wine!). Usually makes enough for two meals, serve over pasta the second time around. It's one of the easiest, tastiest meals I've ever had!

My favourite cookbooks that I use for simple, yet gourmet meals are written by Nigel Slater (Real Food) and Jamie Oliver (Italy) plus the Cruising Chef and Cruising Cuisine cookbooks.

Boat is Back!

After being all smartened up, Snowbird is back in the slip. Steve is working through his massive to-do list while I get to go shopping for the bits and pieces we need to have an organised and homey boat. Stuff gets easily scattered around when you're sailing, either through us not putting things away or bounced about by waves. If things have a home, hopefully they will go back home after being used. With only 40ish ft of space, it doesn't take much out to have a rather untidy place (Steve, aka Tidy Head, will be chuckling gleefully when he reads this!).

The interior is a mess! Very dusty and cluttered from the interior repaint / revarnish - which isn't quite complete yet (grrr). Steve's got stuff ripped apart doing bilge pumps and heads so I'm staying well away. We'll have quite a cleaning job on our hands on Monday.

Things I picked up are mainly storagey type stuff - baskets for the shelves, bins for the chart table shelves, containers to keep little things from floating (or flying) around the cabin. Found a fantastic deck bag! What's a deck bag? Everytime I go up on deck I have 'stuff' with me (yes, I'm a stuff person and quite happy that way, thank you!) - camera, video camera, book, suduko, sunscreen, lip balm, water, etc., etc. This stuff can go flying or have to be rapidly and repeatedly picked up and stowed if we're tacking. So I've been looking for a good bag for holding all my stuff and I found it! Great bag with loads of storage for keeping all the bits and pieces I like to have on deck in one place.

After all the busy-ness, we cleaned up and had dinner out on the patio. Temp is mid-70s. November is my favourite time of year in Florida!

Dinner on the Beach

The boat is now back in its slip and we have retrieved everything from our storage locker. The condo looks like a staging facility with everything organised in piles - need on the boat now, need on the boat when Steve is finished tearing it apart, need to sew (this should be interesting!), need to put on the boat when it is clean and need to put on the boat just before we go.

Having done that an evening of relaxation was in order so we heated up dinner, put some wine in a jug and went down to the beach. A balmy evening requiring only light sweaters, perfect for al fresco. Very romantic too - until all the hobgoblins came running by as they were trick or treating and then the kiddies Halloween party kicked into high gear providing our romantic interlude with the background accompanyment of the music from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It was all in good fun though and the kids were very cute (especially the one dressed as a pumpkin passed out in his stroller on the way home).

What a difference a day - whoops - five days makes! Sunday we were in Windsor all bundled up for the chilly weather (although with the best of company!):

Today - Dinner on the beach while watching the sunset.

Going Back into the Water

The boat has been out of the water since we got here, getting the bottom repainted so it's all clean and smooth for sailing. Not that it should make a real difference in our speed, ours is a very slow boat!

Steve has also spent the past two and a half days polishing the outer hull. He was well into his first day when the yard guy said to him, "You're doing it wrong and using the wrong stuff." But he then took pity on Steve, showed him the professional secrets of how to polish and the magic ingredient to use (ssshhh, don't tell anyone!). The hull is now so shiny the water reflects off it!

Here is Steve - post polish.

Tomorrow we start on the inside. From what I hear, it is slightly disordered since the interior repaint...

Sticker Shock

It's been about six months since we went grocery shopping in the US. Now I have to admit that when we are here on holiday I'm usually so busy shopping for our 'entourage' that I don't pay as much attention as I should to the prices of grocery items - a bit busier figuring out if I'll have the right food combinations to serve 7(ish) people breakfast, lunch and dinner for the coming week! But I was a bit surprised at the steep hike in food prices when we went to do the stock up for the condo.

I'll have to do a bit more research to see if our perception is correct, but we think prices were up to 25% higher on some items - coffee $9 per pound, bread $5. Granted the coffee was Starbucks and the bread was bakery bread, but, really, bread costs like 50 cents to make! Have prices to produce really gone up this much or is there some 'taking advantage' happening to push costs onto the consumer? I'd like to look at some of these price margins...

How to Make Your Own...

Made the mistake of reading What's in This Stuff?: The Hidden Toxins in
Everyday Products and What You Can Do about Them - amazing and slightly (okay, very) scary read when you begin to realise the cumulative contents of all the 'potions' (as Eileen calls them) that we put on every day. If patches on the skin can send medications into one's system in minutes, what can chemicals do?

Anyhow, it made me think about suntan lotion which we will be slathering on all day every day while on the boat, and insect repellant for Steve. After looking through the ingredients (hmm), I wondered whether there were more natural options and after doing some research on the web I came across a website that told you how to (gasp!) make your own. What a radical concept?!! Is it possible to make something really complex like sunscreen all by yourself? Actually, It's a really simple recipe without all the additives / preservatives which make it possible for the suncream to sit on the store shelf for months on end without going rancid. Simple and once you have the ingredients to hand it doesn't take very long to make. I have also found simple ways to make beauty products such as moisturiser, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc., and food products like mayo, butter, seasonings, French onion soup mix - the list goes on and on. It's really helpful when you run out or cannot find something - Jess called last night for how to make sour cream.

Chemicals aside, this builds upon a running conversation that Steve and I have been having about how we've lost our capability to do for ourselves. We turn to 'store bought' because we don't know how to make things from scratch. Generations before us knew how to make 'stuff'. What would happen if people started making their own again? I just like the control of knowing what the ingredients are, if something nasty goes on or in me, I'd like it to be concious choice. I also really like the flexibility of creating exactly what you want rather than buying and trying (and tossing) many products because they aren't quite right.

Sites that I love for 'How do I...' or 'How do I make...' questions are eHow and Instructables.

Florida - First Couple Days

And so it begins! After the nine-hour flight to Florida (2 books, 2 movies,
2 meals, 2 drinks, 2 diet cokes, 2 to-do lists - 0 naps) we arrived in Tampa
and headed off to Bill and Joe's to pick the car up. It was in great shape
(might be the best it has looked ever) and they were as fun and cheery as
ever. Then down to St. Pete to find the condo where we'll be staying for
the next three weeks while we do the trip preparation. Condo is very nice
(tropical motif throughout) and convenient to the marina and various boat
'stuff' stores.

The first non-travel day was spent getting groceries, checking out the boat
(currently out of the water having its bottom repainted - looks very good,
btw), checking the mail (no car or boat registration decals waiting (sigh)),
and having a Chinese. Bill stopped by with the rest of the luggage which we
couldn't fit in the car. We tried to watch An Affair to Remember, but too tired. We were sound asleep by 8:00!

Edge of a Cliff?

One of my favourites!

Major Life Change (Again)

In thinking and talking about this change we are about to embark on, I've
realised that this isn't the first for us. Although folks who know us know
we tend to operate in a constant state of change, both at work and at home.
At work, well, we do major change programmes and when the change is gone, we
move on. At home, different hotels during the week and different places on
the weekends. Holidays almost always in different places. The saying that
change is a constant rings true for us.

Comfort with different levels of change varies by individual. For me the
above is what I would consider constant, but low level change. In Six Sigma
terms it would be called common cause variation, a certain level of constant
variation which occurs within the system (of our lives). What we are about
to experience, I would call special cause variation or a significant,
unusual level of variation caused by a significant occurrance within the
system - we're about to toss our consistent, fairly predictable (albeit
constantly changing) lives up into the air. We've finished jobs, rented out
property and are moving to a sailboat - if that's not a major life change, I
don't know what is!

But, in thinking about this, it isn't the first time either one of us has
done this. In 1993, I started a home business, sold the house in Maine and
moved to Clearwater - all worldly goods in a U-Haul and no home lined up.
Left the States in 2002, with Jess (it was her idea, by the way) and moved
to England, not knowing a soul and all worldly goods in 18 2x2 cardboard
boxes - it was the best thing I ever did. Steve has had similar
experiences.

Changing my life (or lifestyle) in a major way has been incredibly positive
and that's why when people ask, "Are you excited?" and, "Are you nervous?" I
can answer both with a big YES! The nerves are mostly from worrying about
forgetting things (like my vitamins sitting on the counter up North (sigh)).
And it is exciting, because I know how great it can be.



And in this economy - bonkers!

Next Big Step - Done!

Things are all done at Highcroft (sigh) and we're now moving between
locations. Note to self: Next time we pull up stakes to go on a big
adventure let's take a little time between finishing work and going to get
ready for the big adventure! Whew!

Think we're there though, three huge suitcases packed with everything we
think we could possibly need (in addition to everything on the boat already,
may be a space issue before we go!). Today was my last day with some of the
best people I have worked with so far!

This weekend is going to be spent down in Windsor with Jess which should be
lots of fun!

Getting Ready to Go

Getting everything ready to go - house, office, files, computers, and phones. Think of the 12 Days of Christmas:

12 (times 2) inches of paperwork
11 loads of laundry
10 bags of trash
9 cables and adaptors
8 attempts at computer backups
7 'would you pleases'
6 page To Do List
5 Leaving Do's
4 loads of dishes
3 huge suitcases
2 copies of everything
And a slightly crazed, very nervous, but ready to go, future sailing devotee!

Thanksgiving (A Little Bit Early)

When we announced we were going sailing, the response from our UK relatives was, "But what about Thanksgiving?!" So we did what we've done every year and took a little liberty with the date, moving it back just a tad so we could have the big dinner before we left.

Seventeen people were around the table this year. This is the square table that Steve made last year which seats 18, 5 and 5, 4 and 4. It's great because you can have a big group like this and still talk to everyone at dinner. Attendees this year were Eileen, Julie, Andrew, Sue and Mark with Ellie and Louis, Sharon and Chris with George and Harry, and Kath and Jack.

There was a little panic over the turkey, when Steve and Jess went to a different market stall to pick it up than Eileen had ordered it from, but it all ended well with a 20+ pounder going into the oven. There was lots of stuffing, roasties and mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon, and (of course!) sweet potatoes with marshmellows. That light meal was followed by three different kinds of pie, pumpkin (Julie's favourite), pecan and blueberry.

It was so nice to see the whole family before we head out sailing and no better excuse to do so than Thanksgiving!

Steve's Welsh Dragon

Steve is wrapping up three years spent building his shared service in Wales, winning the European Best New Shared Service award (for the second time) along the way. This Welsh dragon was a leaving gift from his management team along with this poem:

Steve

He came to us from Lancashire
and built up a head of steam.
Took on the job of building here
a shared service team, lean and mean.

He ducked and dived round Westminster
those bunny holes to avoid.
To achieve this mighty task of his
his skills were well deployed.

They said it wouldn’t happen
in this far off distant place.
The race it was too sporty,
and the people off the pace.

He warned that in a minute
all matters would abound
But kept us in formation
with a plan pristine and sound.

He calibrated actions
to tackle issues new.
Then fastened down the cockpit
while his new creation flew.

We went to the Czeck Republic
and came back with a prize
Which raised the profile of the task
in everybody’s eyes.

Now three years on and job achieved
the crew a thousand strong,
Steve bids farewell for pastures new
his sailing to prolong.

But Katherine needn’t worry
when they break down in the Med,
For he’ll get those pistons pumping
with his engineer’s head.

From Newport docks to Florida
he’s set his course to be
Shared Service Head to Yachtsman now
he’ll sail on every sea.

And when the anchor’s lowered
off his Caribbean isle
Please raise a glass and think of us
in Newport with a smile.

Farewell

Sharing What We've Learned

"We have stories to tell, stories that provide wisdom about the journey of life. What more have we to give one another than our "truth" about our human adventure as honestly and as openly as we know how?"

Rabbi Saul Rubin

Focused on What's Important

"If people are highly successful in their professions they lose their sense. Sight goes. They have no time to look at pictures. Sound goes. They have no time to listen to music. Speech goes. They have no time for conversation. Humanity goes. Money making becomes so important that they must work by night as well as by day. Health goes. And so competitive do they become that they will not share their work with others though they have more than they can do themselves. What then remains of human being who has lost sight, sound and sense of proportion? Only a cripple in a cave."

Or perhaps a person in a cubicle?

(The quote is by Virginia Woolf.)

Gloom and Doom or a Wake Up Opportunity to Assess What's Important

Have been watching the market bouncing around and the media's creation of an emotional frenzy over the past few weeks. There is definitely a lot that needs to be fixed over the next several years and people have made financial decisions that will need to be recovered from (both as businesses and individually), but since gloom and doom sells rather than leadership and 'here's what we can do about getting ourselves out of this', that's what the media focuses on. I read somewhere that we should be informed, but actually I don't want to be inundated with a constant minute by minute flow of how terrible it all is. I'll stay informed, but at this point I want to focus on the self-leadership (in the absence of any other) route and move forward.

For us, this is a wake-call, one which we've been hearing the gentle tones of for a couple of years. It's now a smack up side the head saying, 'Hey, pay attention!' If it is possible to step outside the frenzy, it is a clear time of reassessment - of what is important. It is an opportunity (all Pollyanna comments aside) to take a breath, step (or be pushed) off the produce / consume treadmill, turn off the autopilot for a while and think about what we want (as individuals) want rather than what businesses, government, advertisers want for us.

The treadmill and autopilot. I haven't been to a gym in a while, but did you ever notice that once you get on a treadmill it is almost impossible to get off? The only way to get off is to leap off (usually painful) or stop the machine. It's an interesting analogy for what's happening now. We get on the treadmill, start walking or running, turn on the autopilot (because being on a treadmill is really boring) and we can't get off - until the machine stops.

We've been making the 'planned leap' off the treadmill for the past two years knowing that it would create a significant change in our lives. Using the analogy above, what could be perceived as painful is the adjustment in income, radically different than before, but a planned leap is less painful than an unplanned one or being pushed. No matter which way one gets off the treadmill, once one does, you shut off the autopilot and begin to look around, to think, to become more creative.

Motivation for the leap. Every year since we've been married, Steve and I have an annual planning session where we sit down (often over a period of days) and identify the most important areas of our lives and what we want to accomplish in those areas in the coming year. There's usually about 8 consisting of our relationship, family, business, finance, etc. It is a focused and concerted effort both at the beginning and during the year to make sure that the things that are important to us make the agenda. If we didn't do it, then what others want for us (others who have no value or importance in our lives) get what they want and we don't. The key point here is that we've had to plan in our relationship, family and friends and fun things to do and actively project manage those activities to make sure they get done.

Stepping off the treadmill for a minute, do we want our relationships to be activities on a project plan? Do we want to have to fight and strive to make time (and energy) for an evening with friends? I can remember one year thinking that I had so much on workwise that I only had enough time to work on three of my 'important areas', relationship, family and work, and that friends wouldn't make the agenda. That was a wake-up call in itself, friends didn't make the agenda! Something needed to change.

If we only have a finite number of hours in this lifetime (just had a birthday and I'm counting!), do we want to spend them on a treadmill? Maybe this is a really good opportunity (setting the financial woes aside for just a few minutes) to assess, are we simply on the 'work till we're exhausted, collapse in front of the ads on TV, which send us to the mall to buy a 'treat', which we have to work until we're exhausted to pay for' treadmill? What portion of our lives are dedicated to that treadmill and is that what we really want?

For us the answers are no and we want a lot more than that! We've thought about this a lot and we want all those other areas of our life to have just as much (or more!) in them than the work area, we want family, friends and fun to be a core part of our lives, rather than activities on a plan or not even making that year's agenda. It's not often we get the opportunity to pause, step off the treadmill and think about what we really want.

Going Sailing - The Categories

Over the past two years we've spent a lot of time getting ready to go. We read books, went to boat shows, tried lots of things and made lots of mistakes. I think we learned a thing or two along the way (and not just about sailing, but about ourselves). The preparation for sailing has evolved into categories, one of which I've already talked about - communications. The others are:

Finances
Boat
Sailing skills
Live aboard a boat skill
Affairs landside
Securing future income
Mental preparation
Research
Physical skills

Living Consciously (v. Unconscious Living)

...and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Thoreau

Labyrinth

"I don't see why we have to be so quiet, it's only a goblin city."

Sir Didymus

The Way to Go!

Going Sailing - Communications

A huge area of concern for me in Going Sailing is communications - how will we keep in touch with Jess, Claire / Chris, both families and friends from a sailboat and locations which will range from marinas, anchorages in populated areas and deserted islands in the Bahamas? If I can't keep in touch, I'm going to worry and fret, but the challenge is to keep in touch without it costing more than our monthly Spending Plan*. Hour long mobile calls from the Bahamas to the UK will add up to a significant amount very quickly!

Our Communications Plan focuses on an approach of being able to communicate from anywhere, but in the most cost efficient manner possible. So what does that look like? For us, it is location dependant.

The locations we expect to be in are:

Marinas - Seldom and not for long.
Anchorages in populated areas - Quite a bit
Anchorages in unpopulated areas - Also quite a bit

The technology we expect to use:

Cellular - Local (pay as you go) and international (scaled back calling plan for emergency use only and for when we're back in the UK)
Skype - Voice over IP or Internet phone. Free calls worldwide to other Skype users. When we have an Internet connection, we'll talk to our kids / family using Skype. That's where we get to have those long chatty 'phone calls'.
Blogger - Using text email (via Sailmail and a Pactor Modem), a text or text / picture from a mobile phone or a WiFi connection to post where we are, what we're doing and share photos. We'll also be 'dual blogging' with Eileen, Steve's mom - we post on ours what we're up to and she posts on hers what she and the rest of the family are up to
Google Earth - A map on our blog to show where we are and stops along the way
Animoto - A slideshow 'animator' for pictures turning static photo albums into lively 'shows' with music to match
Picasa - Free downloadable software from Google to manage, edit and store your photos online
Sailmail / Pactor Modem - Old style text only emails via our HF radio from anywhere

Locations and associated technology:

Marinas - Easy to access WiFi, but with an associated cost. Can also get off the boat and take advantage of WiFi access at local businesses. We can use any of the above technology from a marina.

Anchorage in a populated area - Depending upon our access to a signal (Steve is installing an antenna for me to boost this) it will either be all of the above technology or text email to the blog and family / friends via Sailmail.

Anchorage in an unpopulated area - No WiFi here so Sailmail will be our only option!

Hopefully this will provide the 'anytime / anywhere access' we are used to at a reasonable cost.


*Spending Plan - Budgets suck! They're boring and focus on what you can't have. Budgets are about deprivation and saying No. Spending Plans are a conscious decision about where to spend one's money. They are proactive, positive and all about saying Yes. I can get excited about a Spending Plan, a budget just makes me feel constrained.

It's Time to Get Serious Now!

All of a sudden October 27th and Going Sailing seems really, really close! Our trip has always seemed like something off in the distance, but now it's becoming very real!

It's not like we haven't been preparing for it, the plans and to-do lists have been created and checked off consistently. New lists and new checks each month. I think because we're now working on the 'What Must Be Done Before We Go List' the minimal amount of time we have remaining has suddenly become really clear!

We have done a lot of preparation in quite a few different areas - first and foremost financially, building our sailing skills, mental preparation (the physical will happen when we get on the boat!), communications (of which this blog is a part of). We've spent quite a bit of time working on how to create a gourmet lifestyle on a shoestring budget (which has been very interesting, but I think we are there!).

Today I started packing. My to-do list is 4 pages long (single spaced, double sided). I'm going to be really busy between now and October 27th!

Birthdays!!!

Part of the fun this time of year is celebrating our bithdays! This year a joint celebration was held at Northcote Manor and it was fantastic! Not bad for turning forty-mumblemumble and forty-mufflemuffle!

The Whole Trip

Here are the photos from the trip. What a fantastic experience (even with the rain!)! Blackburn, Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. And back again!

450 Miles of Rain

Full on rain for the past two days. Not too bad for us as we have all the gear (yes, I can wear 7 layers of clothing and still move), but it puts a damper (pun intended) on the photography - and there's fall foliage to get pictures of!

Room With a View

In Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, close to the Austrian border. This is the view from our hotel window - amazing, isn't it?

Adventures in Eating!

Opatija, Croatia - being adventurous when ordering off the menu. Thought pasta with squid ink would be something like pasta tossed in a dark olive oil - NOT! It came out in a pool of black ink, like something out of a tar pit! Good thing Steve (hero) tried it first or I never would have.

It was amazingly good and I would have it again in a minute!

Dinner in Croatia

Very interesting day today - in parts! The morning run from the hotel over the pass into the Dolomites was great. Lunch in Italy (with coffee!) was great. The run through Italian industry was less than great. Slovenia and Croatia roads and the run into Opatija were good.

We're not sure about Croatia. Haven't quite figured it out yet. Is it like Germany / Austria with its cabbage and goulash? Or is it like Italy with its seafood, pasta and gelato? We had an adventurous buffet dinner at the hotel where we had all of the above!

Tonight we are sleeping in 'the attic room' where Steve can see out of the (roof) window and I can't. Needless to say, we'll be on an upgrade quest tomorrow!

The view down the Croatian (Dalmation) coast from Opatija at night is beautiful!

Austrian Day and Biker Babe Learnings

Three passes in one day - Germany into the Austrian Alps. Cold, cold, cold!

Out on a side trip on the Istrian penninsula in Croatia, stopped for lunch. Steve was able to get a shot of me in the cabbagy Honda t-shirt he had made for me in Tropea.

Speaking of the cold, what does the 'well dressed' biker babe wear?

Underwear (of course!)
Vest (skinny strap shirt)
Silk long johns
Nylons, hiking socks
Wool turtleneck
Fleece
Leathers
Jumper
Waterproofs
Neckerchief
Gloves
Helmet

At this point, I look like the Michelan Woman or a small child in a snowsuit - arms stuck straight out at the sides, unable to bend arms. Oh well, sexy it is not. For the biker babe 'well dressed' does not mean up to the minute fashion, it means sufficient layers to keep WARM!

Note to self - don't take the jumper off until you've gone over the coldest bit of the pass or if you can see snow! (Steve secretly wishes he brought his silk underwear.)


Btw - tea in Austria is served in soup bowls!

Map Location

Night 4 in Austria



http://maps.BlackBerry.com?lat=46.33903&lon=12.60327&z=12



Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Low Flying Mercedes, Motorway Food to Go Back For, and Spiatzle

Well into Germany now. Today was a motorway day - we were zooming along on the bike and the BMWs/Mercedes passing us on the Autobahn made us look like we were standing still - look out for the low flying Mercedes!



Best Motorway food ever, good enough that we're planning on going back (the zuppen was awesome!).



We're back at the Hotel Meinhof having the long awaited spiatzle - lovely!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

It is Cold in Germany!

Landed in Belgium, went to France, Luxemburg, back to Belgium and then into Germany - and they were all cold, especially on the bike! So cold it took me three hours to warm up and I was forced to wear socks with Tevas (much to my daughter's dismay)!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

First Night of the Tour

Blackburn to Hull. On the Pride of York ferry overnight to Belgium. Dinner in the restaurant.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Wishing

Wishing is not a strategy.

Approach

If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it.

If you don't ask, the answer's always no.

If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.

Scotland Leaving Do

After two years with the great folks at the BSC in Scotland, it's finally time to go. They threw me a leaving do (my first since these aren't standard in the US) at Citation in the Merchant City in Glasgow. Attendees were Amanda, Malcolm, Ann, Sharon (all in the first photo) and Graham, Jon, Robert, James, Rob and Nicola. Amanda gave a lovely speech which left me close to tears and they all chipped in for a beautiful pin.

I'm feeling very nostalgic about leaving, it's been a great experience. Both sad (to leave) and happy (to be going sailing!).

Blackburn Market

One of our favourite things to do on a Saturday morning is to go to the Blackburn Market to pick up food for the weekend. It's a farmers market (plus other odds and ends) and a totally different experience to going to a grocery store. The food is always very very fresh, of excellent quality and the people behind the counter actually know you and know about the food they are selling. We find everything that we need there from fresh produce to the more gourmet items that we use in our weekend cooking.

This week we met up with Eileen and had a coffee - actually a large bowl of coffee!

Another Weekend in London

In London this weekend again! No complaints though – the weather has cooled a bit and it’s still sunny.

Went for a wander last night through the side streets of Chelsea searching for The Phoenix (by way of The Cross Keys). The Phoenix was eventually found and we have discovered another place which makes the list – very comfort foody! Leisurely ramble back to the flat and a not too hot (some might call it chilly) night’s sleep.

Up late and off to the Chelsea Bun for breakfast – perfect weekend fare! Eating at the Bun is always exhausting so we went back to the flat for a nap. After we recovered, it was time to go see Mama Mia again. What a fun movie! It was just as good the second time around!

Took Steve to Pucci’s for some proper pizza after the movie!

Square Rather Than Thai

The Thai Fair at Battersea was interesting, but crowded. Lines far too long to wait for food so we continued our ramble from the park into Battersea. Steve was up for Italian so we headed over to our favourite little square and had an early dinner at La Tosca – good food and very friendly. It’s very warm today (might be the hottest one this year) so we topped dinner off with a walk back along the Thames.

Weekend in London

This weekend is a London weekend - summer in England is the best, and summer days in London are fantastic!

Friday night we were both back to the flat reasonably early and managed to get locked out! Someone (we won't mention anyone by name (the cleaner!)) locked all the locks and with us sharing out the keys to various visitors hadn't reattached all keys to the various key rings. So we now know how to find a locksmith and that we cannot access our flat via any scaffolding.

After the flat opening adventure, we headed off to La Bouchee to celebrate Claire's birthday. Very, very French and one of our favourites. It was a warm evening so we were glad to be seated downstairs (which is our preference anyhow). Mussels and oysters to start with a very nice Cahors followed by Jarret de Porc for Steve and I and Ribeye for Claire. We broke down and had dessert, Steve had creme brulee and we had Chocolate Mousse - it was a birthday after all!

Saturday began with a walk to the South Kensington Farmers Market via Starbucks and breakfast. The stroll then extended to Sloane Square to visit the farmers market there (which was better) where we found the necessary items for a carpet picnic. Jess came in from Windsor and we headed over to Battersea park for said carpet picnic with books and blankets (for naps!). It was lovely weather for a picnic in the park!

Once it clouded up we walked back to the flat for more napping and then a quick washup before heading out to the Leicester Square Odeon for the new Indiana Jones movie. The popcorn was terrible and the movie was fun.

Over to Mr. Kongs for a post-movie discussion and a Chinese. They have the best soft shelled crabs and have expanded their menu and the restaurant for that matter. We had all the usuals (ribs, dumplings, squid) along with Steve's Hot and Sweet, and I tried a new Steak with Pickled Cabbage and Black Bean Sauce. Sounds weird, but it was very good!

Jess stayed the night and everybody slept very late (8:00!). We headed off to Starbucks to do the Final Detailed Finish Off By October 28th Plan. Breakfast was well deserved after that and Matt had joined us so we headed over to Chelsea Bun for one of their teeny tiny breakfasts. Actually their breakfasts are enourmous and they have a very nice selection beyond the Full English.

Some of us had a post-breakfast recovery nap while others surfed the web looking for property in Devon. To ensure that we didn't spend the whole gorgeous day surfing the web, Steve found a Thai food fair in Battersea Park so there's another walk in our future and that's where dinner will be!

Wimbledon

We were invited to the semi-finals at Wimbledon by the folks from BA. It was our first time there and what a great day! The weather was perfect, sunny and warm (bordering on hot). We started out the day at the Bluebird Cafe on the Kings Road which was all decorated for Wimbledon, right down to green tennis turf and umpires chairs - along with the huge tennis balls!

We took the Tube out to Wimbledon and then a taxi to the courts. After a wander around to explore (tennis courts everywhere) we found BA's hospitality booth and cooled off a bit with some Pimms and lemonade.
After lunch we headed out to watch the tennis. Both of the Williams sisters were playing, Venus on Court 1 and then in the next match, Serena was playing on Centre Court. We were able to see both matches!

I had always thought tennis was a little slow, but not when those two play! Fast, exciting and what a workout!

In between the tennis, we headed back for strawberries and cream. It was a great day, probably the most 'English' day we've had. Would definitely go again!

Sailing in Italy

A week sailing off the coast of Italy! Jess and Matt joined us as we explored the Aeolian islands located 35 miles off the toe of the Italian boot (very close to Sicily).

We chartered a boat out of Tropea, a great little Italian town overlooking the sea and a new marina. The town itself is perched upon a cliff with sandy beaches down below.

After a night at a local hotel, dinner in the old town and provisioning the boat, we were ready to go. This was our first trip out of sight of land, although we were only going to be a little ways off the coast. The GPS went out half way across, but the trusty Blackberry came to the rescue with its GPS telling us we were on the right track. Our first stop was the island of Stromboli.

Stromboli is known for its volcano and its black sand beaches. The volcano was fantastic and the beaches were...HOT! Lovely sitting on the boat or swimming off the stern. Beautiful as the sun went down.

We visited several of the Aeolian islands in addition to Stromboli including Filicudi, Salina, and Vulcano. The crew was well fed, although it took me until the last day before I came up with a salad that they weren't able to devour in one meal. We did a lot of swimming. Jess did a lot of snorkeling. And because there wasn't a lot of wind, we did a lot of motoring - didn't matter though because the weather was beautiful and it was so easy to get from island to island.

Highpoints included dinners on deck, the pizza place on Vulcano, anchoring in a secluded cove on Vulcano, deck showers, a very nice restaurant on Stromboli and toasting the sunset every single night.

Even returning to Tropea was great. Dolphins joined us for a swim off our bow for a good 20 minutes as we were heading back and then we anchored for the afternoon off the beach in Tropea having lunch, swimming and snorkeling on our last afternoon.

Our last day consisted of shopping and a lovely dinner up on the cliff overlooking the marina and the Med.

Here's a few of the pictures:

Amalfi

For Girl's Weekend this year Jess and I headed out to Amalfi, Italy. This is our annual weekend away (although this year it was a 5-day weekend!) where we go and explore some place new while doing lots of shopping and reading in the sunshine.

We flew into Naples and were met by the driver at the airport. It was just about dark when we arrived so I was very glad we didn't have to mess around with a rental car and finding our way out of Naples in the dark. Actually, once I saw the roads (and the cliffs) I was very glad we weren't driving at all! We left Naples and headed up, up, up these winding switchback roads. The view of the city and the Naples Bay was very pretty with all of lights.

We went over the top and started heading down - slowly, slowly around switchback after switchback. It didn't seem too high because it was dark (it was very different the next morning!). Finally made it to the hotel. It was a bit late so dinner was done, but we were able to get cocktails and sandwiches in the bar - much needed after the trip! There was a singer and pianist. There was lots of singing and dancing. The best part was when they sang 'Volare' and everyone sang - very Italian!

The next morning (and every morning thereafter) we had breakfast on the patio overlooking the pool, Amalfi and the Mediterranian. After breakfast we walked down the hill (with many, many, many steps) to Amalfi for a little exploration, shopping and lunch. Amalfi is a wonderful little seaside Italian town with great shops, huge lemons (soccer ball size 'cedros'), and delicious restaurants.

We did two things while in Amalfi - relaxed reading books by the pool (on a terrace overlooking the Med) or had a wander around Amalfi town. One day we took a bus tour up the coast. And every night we took the bus down to the town to have a lovely outdoor dinner.

We loved the hotel where the view and the service (Michela, maitre'd, was wonderful). Would go back there and to Amalfi again in a minute!

A little 'snapshot' of our trip:

Our Anniversary in Chester

This year we went to Chester for our 5th anniversary and stayed in a rather 'Fawlty Towers' hotel. Upon our arrival we ordered tea - it was on a platter that took two people to carry out!

Wales Rendezvous

We were invited to a James Bond night at Steve's work in Wales. Got all dressed up in our eveningwear and definitely looked the part. However once we got all dressed up, we realised we didn't actually want to go to a big party. Change of plans!

Instead we had a romantic dinner for two at the Celtic Manor, the gourmand tasting menu with wines to match. A lovely quiet evening, just the two of us!

Italy Motorbike Tour

Annual motorbike tour across Europe and down into Italy! Belgium, Germany, Austria, the Alps, the Dolomites, Pisa, Assissi, the Adriatic Coast and Venice!

The photos from the trip: