Sailing Class Florida 8.20.07

Rhet and Emily from S/V Emily.

Liveaboard Locals - 'Peace.'

sunset

5 year old Miranda 'playing out back' after dinner. one of the live aboard community.

For my sailing class, Craig and I sailed the small Colgate 26' a Training Vessel, for recreational boating and keelboat instruction. (Angela had to fly out today to California and work.) With Hurricane Dean roaring past Jamaica things got a little 'frisky' here. We had over six foot waves and 35 mph winds. Made for some real fun sailing. Had the side rails under water and the boat sailing so far over i was standing up sideways in the cockpit all afternoon. wow - this is sailing.

tomorrow i have review and the test for days 1-3 of classwork. it's going well so far. lots more bookwork yet to come.

the next lesson will be on a larger sailboat, a Cruiser. http://www.huntermarine.com/Models/36/36Index.html A Hunter 36' Cruising Boat. now that i have 'learned' the Basic Keelboat, i will be studying: basic cruising and bareboat cruising. learning the systems of the boat. (how all the stuff works on a live aboard)

having a great vacation. darn i'm smart now! -skip

Sailing Class 8.19.07

well - I'm in Marathon Florida all week. I'm staying on Craig's Morgan 41 Sailboat in the Marina and taking his beginning sailing class - Basic Keelboat. i just finished reading the book and taking the review. (i have a list of questions for the class/teacher)

this morning i awoke at 5:20 am to singing winds and a rocking boat as torrential rain fell on our decks. howling winds ripped through the marina for about 30 minutes and then the little squall moved on. i am now somewhat aware of what fear the people in the path of Hurricane Dean will face. i had 20 minutes of 30 mph wind and they will face hours of 100+ mph. flooding and everything imaginable being blown across their little island. im glad to be way up here in florida watching it on TV.

today we are going to go out sailing to take advantage of these great wind conditions. we will probably just go out past the draw bridge for an mile or two up and down the coast and back to the marina well before dark, (or before the storm front moves in on us here.) expecting more 30mph winds. monday will be roughest. (cant wait for class that day!)
sailing, Marathon, Fl. xo skip

note: i DIDNT bring my underwater housing camera - traveling light. so, no shots of the classes boat in rough seas. i did bring my 'large' camera and a single lens. have only gotten a handful of photos as i have been reading my course book. (finished now) we had a "mock test" last night over dinner with craig quizzing both angela and i. we did well, but there are test questions on things not covered in the book. (darn - i'll have to listen in class.) i am the only student, so i'll get to move at my pace. will try to turn the boat over.

http://www.skipsphotos.biz/