Over the years

I tell my wife at times, "You really blew it this time", her normal response is usually, "How much is it going to cost this time." And she waits for the shoe to drop.
"Well, honey, I saw this really nice sailboat, I think it'll work". "That's what you said about the last six."

I'm sure many of you understand. I've kept track of the boats I've owned over the years, some are duplicates, others a one time thing, some would be considered a overnighter, but we don't want to go there.

I've labeled them, sailed, and no sail. With out the list in front of me I'd guess about fifty fifty. Some I've drug to Mexico, three different ones on four trips; one was a little more special than the others. Even they are now history.

My family thinks it's an adventure going sailing with me, often times it is. "Just get in and let's go", is really not the way to do it. I've wondered, and they even more so, why I'm still around. After forty years I still seem to meet the odd bulkhead with a mix of steel barges and creosote covered piles. What's a few smudges eh?

Not always buying, being a carpenter, I like to build as well. Before I got into house construction I built my first boat. A 12' El Gato, by Glen L Marine. Never even had high school shop, on the first day starting glue up's a friend happened by, 'Mike',he says, you need way more glue, it's gotta squeeze out'. Him having four years shop, I listened. Later sold that boat , after many misadventures, to an unsuspecting cousin, actually, we were both unsuspecting.

How many over the years? Well that's an embarrassment I'll probably take to the grave with me. If there were a boaters AA, I'd be a obliged to attend.

Michael J Beebe

Pure Poetry

I enclose a link to the Poetry Corner of some poems of mine I wrote over time, mostly boating related, one or two not. Haven’t done a new one in a few years, I attribute it there being no rhyme or reason to life these days. Use them in some way, enjoy them I hope, toss’em in the round file. It’s all the same…….

Rich Green

Terns for the Verse

Fun to watch them fly and frolic
stunts and airs and high speed swoops,
but oh it renders me melancholic
to see my boat all covered in poops.

I hung up foils and owls and snakes
stood on the deck and waved my arms.
I thought I'd done all that it takes
everything but install alarms.

And yet each day I sadly view
Tern poops, tern poops, anew,
Tern poops, tern poops...residue.

Happy New Year

Website warning

Merry Christmas, 2015

10:30. Calm. Foggy. Waiting for a wisp of a wind so as to enjoy a calm, foggy day upon still waters. Far from the norm, most would not associate a pleasurable day on the water to be among the fog.

Looking back to a single handed sail, to Anacapa Island out of Ventura Harbor, Ca. what should have been an easy day trip turned into a marathon late night adventure, simply because of both captain, crew, owner, and galley cook, or perhaps it was the navigators fault, either way it all lay at my feet.

The memory comes from the late winter day showing dancing diamonds upon the oceans surface mid channel. With the setting sun telling me it was to be a long day, the parting gift was that play of sunlight upon the restless water which has lasted much, much longer then the tiredness dispelled by a rare sleep-in the following morning.

It is these things I crave. To see more of the splendors of God's creation upon an ocean so dearly loved. The views seen portrayed early in life by books, because of an adventurous father's weekly trips to the local library with five or six children in tow. Little did I know or understand: the sparks of imagination being ignited, the wanderlust being firmly imbedded, and the love shown, quietly, unspoken, of a father because he cared to take the tribe off library-ing, leaving quite repose for his love at home.

The library adventures didn't stop with the books, they were followed up with numerous trips, both long and short, the short cuts never short. With this support the road ahead was wide open.

It still is. And the diamonds, sparkling, are still dancing, waiting to be seen.

Michael J Beebe

Suggestion for Duckworks Store

Hi Chuck,

After reading this article, I am assuming you're thinking about what to add to the chandlery-- I guess besides hand guns (to repel pirates, unwanted boarders, the CG, etc) you're thinking of long guns and cannons. I think specialty armament for kayaks could be a big seller, after all, it's a niche market-- low weight, minimal recoil, saltwater friendly canons can't be a huge market, but it's one you could corner..... Cheers, Mike

Another Day in Paradise

Just another day, in paradise.  I had to check water depths at the ramp where We're gonna do the public naming/launching ceremony in two weeks.  These ramps all tend to flatten out at low water (following the river bottom contour.)  But, this one will be OK.

Fortunately, I picked a day when there weren't very many jet skis on the ramp.

Groundhog Day will be the official opening of boating season here at 48 degrees north latitude.  Y'all come, and bring your sun umbrellas...

Dan

7 Important Winter Swimming Safety Tips

Greetings from Sanford, NC!

I write to you today while the temperature outside is in the upper 30s - it feels very frigid to me, but I bet some people would much prefer this temperature to their own!

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about Polar Bear Plunges - with the temperatures dipping, the weather conditions are right. I love the idea behind them (braving the cold for a great charitable cause) but the extreme conditions do scare me a bit. If you’re not prepared for what lies ahead, you may be putting yourself at risk for injury (or worse…).

That’s an issue we can solve through health education, which is why I’m writing to you today. I put together some winter safety resources I found in hopes you’ll share them with your site visitors:

Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter:

https://www.cdc.gov/features/winterweather/

Top Ten Red Cross Cold Weather Safety Tips:

https://www.redcross.org/news/article/Top-Ten-Red-Cross-Cold-Weather-Safety-Tips

8 Ways to Handle Swimming in Cold Water:

https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/8-ways-to-handle-swimming-in-cold-water

10 Do’s And Don’ts for Polar Plunges:

https://blog.intheswim.com/10-dos-and-donts-for-polar-plunges/

Warning Signs of Hypothermia:

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/stay-safe-cold-weather/warning-signs-hypothermia

Basic First Aid Resources:

https://www.onlinenursingdegrees.org/nursingfacts/first-aid-resources.htm

7 Scientific Tips for Staying Warm:

https://www.livescience.com/49050-staying-warm-scientific-tips.html

Let’s get out there and brave the cold, but let’s be safe doing so, too. :)

Take care and stay warm!

Angela

Angela Tollersons ǀ atollersons@gmail.com

https://forfamilyhealth.net/ ǀ A Health & Happiness Resource for Families.

500 Westover Dr. #9372 ǀ Sanford, NC ǀ 27330

Check out this Punfest

On the Woodenboat forum

Kim A

DuckyPoxy

Hi Chuck

I have used almost a half gallon of duckpoxy and I really like it. The long working time is great, and I find that because of it I have a lot less waste. It has been pretty cool in Florida the last couple of weeks, and it still flows really nice even at the cooler temperatures. A fast would be a nice addition, but cranking up the heat is effective also.

Marty

Adventuring

I often tell my wife she has an adventurous spirit, a zest for life that is hard to contain. And why contain, feed the growth. We don't like cold. We've a friend, Andre, one of them northern snow bound Canadian's, who told me a few years back when launching our Paradox's in drizzly 35 degree weather, "This isn't cold".

Relative, maybe not a blood relative, but relative yet the same. So we're off. Adventuring. Where to? We're often asked. The best answer we can give, we don't know where we're going, but we can tell you where we've been.

We are headed east, an Alacrity 19 sailboat in tow, going to turn right in a day or two, go south until, as it's said, the butter melts. Where will we put in? Don't know. Sister gifted us a book, just arrived, traveling the highways and such. It may take longer to get to where we're going, the west coast, east coast, southern tip, the Keys? Don't have a clue.

We are fit for one another, my wife has a way of sniffing out a garage sale that amazes me. She says the same of me and sailboats. Once, coming to a stop sign, across the high way, houses, apartments, light poles, tress and such, I say, 'There's a sailboat' Where? Right over there, behind that house,. Your crazy! No really! Sure enough, a minute or so later, there she sat, on her trailer, mast up.

How'd you know? I saw the mast, honey. And so it goes. Adventuring. Crossing oceans isn't necessary, cross towns, state lines, and warmer climes can keep a couple busy many many years.

Two days hence: well that didn't work. Seems as if the years of ignoring sagely wisdom has caught up with me. One such adage, 'you keep doing that and later on you'll pay'. Pay I am, regrets none. It's just a knee. That old hit the knee high pole while riding bicycle has come home to roost. Today, it equates with too many trips up and down ladder preparing sailboat on trailer for above mentioned trip.

But there's always tomorrow, and the true arm chair adventure won't let a bum knee slow him down any. The trips are still to come, be they smaller and shorter.

We'll just have to wait and see what comes next. Destination did change, to a trip up north a ways, for our wedding anniversary, just so happens to be several lakes, sailing lakes. A friend I already spoke with on the phone said I couldn't fool him, he knows there's plenty of sailboats up there. He says they'll be one following me home.

I laughed so hard I couldn't speak for a few minutes. He nailed it.

Michael J Beebe