tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-173243112011-04-21T16:50:51.672-06:00Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.comBlogger4631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-327913078345948822007-10-11T07:57:00.000-06:002007-10-11T08:47:19.509-06:00

in response to many requests for the Funny Monkey Attack video from our readership! and as a bonus here's a fun clip of Danny and Allen catching a gallon of ceviche, er I mean a dorado, somewhere north of Cuba...

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-74484449861191925632007-09-07T05:24:00.000-06:002007-09-10T21:15:39.148-06:00

Last night, we traded our beautiful boat, our trusty steed, the steward of our dreams for the last 7,000 miles and two years, for a small rectangular piece of paper with 5 very important digits on it. are we thrilled? yes. a little sad to see her go? yes.Our end of the deal includes delivering her to Rhode Island with the new owner on board - sort of a tutorial on Ute's sytems - so we'll even

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-23764761928596983342007-08-27T23:00:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:21.886-06:00

here are some of the prize artifacts from the archaeological dig in our icebox. We also found 6 Safeway canned good items that were purchased at the Pack & Shoot in West Oakland and transported all the way here on board......

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-36505368203831788812007-08-27T22:43:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:22.289-06:00

here's a video snapshot from the offloading of Ute. the last week has been a funny, funny, and bittersweet time for us; we're sad to say goodbye to this way of life and at the same time, we can't sell the boat fast enough! let the next chapter begin! To get our stuff of the boat, as you'll see in the vid, we pack it up on Ute, transfer it to the dinghy (ideally without accidentally dropping

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-7523232833229106352007-08-14T14:38:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:22.630-06:00

Thanks Julie and Vanessa for the VERY timely anniversary gift! (we haven't picked a spot just yet, still reading)

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-62467832989206968072007-08-14T14:36:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:22.701-06:00

Count Basil and Wootie the Agouti are very proud to have made the trip all the way from Panama to Connecticut.

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-73050805971138114912007-08-07T16:39:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:12:22.949-06:00

We left Norfolk on a beautiful sunny day - last Thursday to be more specific. As much as we would have loved to visit family and friends in the Chesapeake area and around DC and New Jersey, we knew that reality dictated our highest priority should be just getting the darn boat to New England already. And so it was with apprehension and excitement that we departed for what would likely be our

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-18583286534045016912007-08-07T16:34:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:23.088-06:00

  lounging on land is pretty swell.....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-78753143841308921952007-08-07T16:31:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:23.359-06:00

Ute's the only one who hasn't had a bath yet! 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-60724731260838217732007-08-07T16:08:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:23.532-06:00

 we're thrilled to see they're training up the next generation of sailors here in Mystic, so that twenty years from now, these kids can blow their life savings to spend two years seasick, get struck by lightning, contract flesh-eating tropical diseases, get homesick, do away with all personal hygiene standards, and come home broke. oh, and have the adventure of a lifetime.

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-87490340509350955892007-08-07T16:03:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:24.071-06:00

 all smiles in the Mystic River!

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-55940669356379121222007-08-07T16:00:00.000-06:002007-08-07T16:11:03.844-06:00

 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-8284264414786688132007-08-07T15:59:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:24.261-06:00

 Cora was thrilled to find scrapple, a favorite treat, in the supermarket in Norfolk - you can't buy it anhywere but the Delmarva area. We ate it with gravy and biscuits as a final farewell to the South....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-28939424642940457222007-07-31T22:32:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:24.861-06:00

at the 2nd Dismal Swamp lock, the lock master collects conch shells from all the cruising boats reporting back from warmer climes, so we had to make a contribution on Ute's behalf! Our molluscan offering was from the very first conch we ate in sunny Guanaja, Honduras. Now it will grace a small garden in North Carolina....I wonder if any of its companions hail from Guanaja too?

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-42007955426300577302007-07-31T22:04:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:25.867-06:00

What was truly surprising about our trip through the Great Dismal Swamp was how much it brought our Panama Canal transit to mind. Much like Panama, we spent today motoring through an almos-pristine, moist, thick, seemingly impermeable jungle in a thousand shades of green. We kept our eyes on the branches overhead and the shores and were rewarded with fleeting glimpses of wildlife: muskrats,

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-36444970202495665002007-07-31T21:01:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:25.971-06:00

Allen helpfully points out as osprey's nest

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-62727495875982071992007-07-31T20:57:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:26.077-06:00

the Dismal Swamp is sort of a throwback to another time....it was started in the 1700's by George Washington and his cronies and dug mostly by slave labor, and used heavily in the Civil War to transport troops and more. It's pretty amazing. The Army Corps of Engineers does its best to maintain a dredged channel of at least 6 feet deep, but as funding has oscillated over past years, so has the

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-75523808869492598002007-07-31T20:54:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:26.354-06:00

here's how "thrifty" (read: cheap and with some screws loose) we've become on this trip - I drained a can of cranberries to make muffins the other morning, and couldn't bring myself to throw away all that perfectly good cranberry juice syrup, so I saved it and made two fake Cosmos later that day with vodka and a lime. and you know what? they were pretty damn good too....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-12516537410885141892007-07-31T20:50:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:27.833-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-54065382150363471352007-07-31T20:49:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:27.936-06:00

we've had a fix on Buster for awhile now, so we always know how far away he is.....we're getting closer every day!

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-68980267783608214382007-07-31T20:48:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:28.131-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-81236093995110232582007-07-31T20:43:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:28.758-06:00

we've passed under - and through - so many cool bridges on this trip....some lift up, some swivel, some rise up, one was even on pontoons and just floated on out of the way! Some have required intricate timing; other are open all the time. The funniest part was how many times we stopped rush hour traffic and made dozens of cars wait ten minutes just so lil' old Ute could pass on through. too

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-80171234377598576652007-07-31T20:41:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:29.152-06:00

the crew at Anchor Marina.....thanks again y'all!The highlight of Anchor Marina was the restaurant, "Captain Poo's" - which happens to be one of our many nicknames for Buster. gotta love it

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-40988593161671688632007-07-31T20:37:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:29.362-06:00

I'd tell you more about this sewing gig, but as you can see, it's a black project...another couple weeks of our lives were spent staring at this pile of metal.....trying to do sewing work amidst the deconstructed engine was, as always, a barrel of monkeys

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-2640248429828244902007-07-30T14:54:00.000-06:002007-07-30T15:01:35.470-06:00

Phew! Finally, some internet access! It’s been too long…..evidently Americans are greedy with their technology…it’s funny to us that we routinely used wifi access while bobbing amidst remote islands in the Caribbean….but can’t get a connection here in the U.S. for all the tea in China.I’m posting this from the North Carolina Welcome Center on the NC/Virginia border, where they are decidedly

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-22144473441674545812007-07-16T10:21:00.000-06:002007-07-16T10:32:04.513-06:00

yup, we are still stuck in tha South....the boat gods have demanded further sacrifices of time and money....so we're doing some work on Kiki in North Myrtle Beach....sorry we've been so out of touch but we are sort of in the middle of nowhere, and right now I'm using the email at a Kinko's about 8 miles from the boat, and they are charging us about the same amount of money I spent on a year of

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-20661366109776659402007-07-05T11:07:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:30.286-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-26340402565604172852007-07-05T10:57:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:31.108-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-70470475303897369572007-07-05T10:48:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:31.976-06:00

anchoring in the middle of a field of marsh grass is still trippy for us...especially when horses are grazing nearby.....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-16996531117103794782007-07-03T19:31:00.000-06:002007-07-03T19:40:28.441-06:00

From Fernandina it was just 15 miles to Cumberland Island, just over the border into Georgia. We'd been told Cumberland was an ICW "must-see" - and we weren't disappointed! Georgia is home to several beautiful barrier islands like Cumberland, but most have been developed over the last few decades. One thing that makes Cumberland unique is that it's 85% federally protected parkland, and the

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-58405305670222134482007-07-03T19:08:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:32.398-06:00

After leaving beautiful Ft. George Island, we pulled into Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, for a couple days. Not only was it a perfect spot to wait for our repaired autopilot to (hopefully) catch up with us, but we had the great good fortune to overlap there with our friend Robert Halverson (dad to Julie, Grandpa to Baby Graham!). To say that 'timing is everything' on this trip is surely

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-44195220649130940102007-06-28T10:52:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:33.758-06:00

So, lightning, it is really powerful. Maybe we were just too cocky about all the power the wind generator was producing? Maybe we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe we didn’t have the boat properly grounded? Who knows? We were struck by lightning early Friday morning and were about to find out what else could go wrong.Cora left off with Ute being towed into the marina. After we

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-35511040408182933792007-06-27T07:49:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:33.913-06:00

goodnight Ute

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-63276058934472219332007-06-27T07:38:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:34.451-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-46943511081852825362007-06-27T07:36:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:34.981-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-68892513115445182162007-06-26T15:33:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:35.239-06:00

 just a spoonful of spoonbills

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-43516039195387065632007-06-26T15:29:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:35.377-06:00

 the St. Aug posse

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-44642727171692635042007-06-26T14:59:00.000-06:002007-06-26T15:27:42.972-06:00

..this hot, sunny Tuesday night finds us anchored next Amelia Island - one of our last stops in Florida, we think. Heavy afternoon showers - luckily with no lightning in attendance - passed over quickly and gave way to sunshine (and mosquitoes). We spent all of this last weekend in St. Augustine, which was a blast! Tim and Ariel drove up from Melbourne to visit us and also their old friend Jim

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-13811594454240585742007-06-24T15:16:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:36.188-06:00

here are the pics that were supposed to publish with the Miami post...dunno why they didn't work

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-8164729278465589392007-06-22T13:06:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:36.313-06:00

Derek kayaked out to meet us in the ICW when we came up from Ft. Pierce...talk about a welcome wagon!

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-67502765131185021712007-06-22T13:04:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:36.552-06:00

thanks goodness the lightning didn't fry the propane solenoid.....we never could have fixed all this stuff without hot tea!

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-81483948500753947062007-06-22T12:50:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:37.328-06:00

...I find it amusing that St. Augustine, Florida is called that, when really they mean "oldest continously occupied European settlement". My history is a little rusty but I think there were a couple humans here in North America before the Spaniards. No matter, it looks like a charming little town - we just pulled in - and the row of waterfront businesses does look decidedly quaint and, yes,

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-50437239444462338842007-06-16T14:49:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:38.658-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-19131288953385241772007-06-16T13:48:00.002-06:002007-06-16T14:59:12.499-06:00

Okay, we're not entirely sure that's true. But we DID get struck by lightning, yes lightning, last Friday at around 8 in the morning, about 5 miles off Ft. Pierce. To answer the most FAQs: the boat is floating, yes it was f*&#ing terrifying, yes nearly everything wired into our 12V system got fried, and yes we are totally fine. better than fine, really - in fact we're thrilled. Thrilled? well

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-79210870535310901462007-06-16T13:48:00.001-06:002007-06-16T13:48:57.552-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-74488191276389775662007-06-16T12:03:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:38.705-06:00

Our sail from Key West to Miami was nothing short of fabulous. Hebe and Ute left together on a picture perfect morning with turquoise seas and baby-blue - almost lavender - skies overhead. A swim stop was mandatory for both boats....the string of keys looked tantalizing and we promised each other we'd come back and explore someday when we have more time. We were halfheartedly racing in very

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-556148835816607502007-06-02T11:58:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:38.977-06:00

For the last two weeks, Hebe and Ute have been sharing one "station wagon" to run errands: Ute's inflatable dinghy. The quarter-mile trek to land across major chop, serious tidal currents and powerboat wakes is always a good way to get soaking wet - especially when it's loaded down with the four of us and whatever we need to take to or from land! The tourists at the watefront restaurants always

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-10957013260875077892007-06-02T11:53:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:39.425-06:00

Hebe's sailing rig for their dinghy came in handy hereit's cool to see ibises just walking around town....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-61621012063583289782007-06-02T11:16:00.000-06:002007-06-02T14:25:49.421-06:00

So here we are, still in Key West on June 2nd...hard to believe...and not quite what we'd planned! We woke yesterday morning to hear the warm and wonderful computerized voices of the Wx channel perkily reminding us that June 1 marks the official start of Hurricane Season. Allen would have loved to be as far north as about Annapolis right now and I feel much the same way.....but what can you do?

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-85185646958436623332007-05-21T13:51:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:39.992-06:00

Yup, we're still here in beautiful Key West. We keep meaning to write a nice long juicy post replete with tales of re-entry and journey planning details, but we're just having too much fun to slow down! We are happily reunited with Hebe after a year apart - she sailed in on Saturday night just in time for a beautiful Florida sunset and we spent most of the weekend swapping stories with them and

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-54942083277028730652007-05-17T00:19:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:40.490-06:00

The rumors are all true....well, at least the one about us re-entering the motherland. We're anchored just off of Key West....being in Florida is cool but....if this is the land of the free, why is everything so expensive? We arrived late last night after a mostly relaxing passage...checked into the country this morning...said a teary goodbye to Danny after a wonderful lunch with his parents...

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-16877277249645232252007-05-09T20:10:00.000-06:002007-05-09T23:48:37.664-06:00

We just wanted to say THANKS to Ray Jason for the great write-up about Ute in the May issue of Sail magazine! Check it out if you get a chance. Cheers, UTE

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-12310256657478810652007-05-09T20:05:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:40.623-06:00

one sunny afternoon on Water Key found us embroiled in a beach croquet tourney. What better sport to play in a former British colony? I insisted that the entire crew wear their croquet whites and linen.....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-76605302654763938022007-05-09T20:03:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:40.697-06:00

there was always someone up in the rigging coming into each new anchorage

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-75333242126298135332007-05-09T20:00:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:40.870-06:00

shopping for dinner at Spruce Cay

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-40565787154359641192007-05-09T19:55:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:40.975-06:00

the lagoon inside Turneffe Atoll was always some titillating shade of green. The three atolls of Belize (Turneffe, Glover and Lighthouse), along with Chinchorro atoll near Xcalak, Mexico, are the only true atolls in this part of the world. Pretty neat stuff. (and that little speck on the horizon in the pic is Ute at anchor).

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-7780415198233991332007-05-09T19:44:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:41.466-06:00

some islands were ripe for land exploration. some coconuts weren´t.

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-20313208993199305602007-05-09T19:29:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:41.756-06:00

another Belize first was actually catching edible fish! Between that and all the conch, we´ve been eating like kings for the last couple weeks: mackerel tacos, red snapper marinated in ginger, soy sauce and peppers, conch fritters, fish chowder.......yum.........the tasty lobsters of Belize, however, eluded capture. too smart or just too fast? we´ll never know. we sure did have fun trying

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-23083410014201350462007-05-09T18:18:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:12:42.132-06:00

We could only safely sail during the day when we were inside the reef, so the passages were mercifully short: we usually sailed from about 7 AM to 1 PM and then played the rest of the day - at a different island every day. And since we were inside the reef, we got all the wind with none of the waves. I could definitely get used to daysailing! Everyone is awake at the same time (well besides

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-44001043317391985292007-05-09T18:12:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:42.397-06:00

So unless you've seen a detailed map of Belize lately, you may not realize that Belize includes literally hundreds of little cays and islands tucked behind a thriving barrier reef (the second longest in the world) plus a trio of offshore atolls. We'd heard so many superlatives about Belize that we feared it might not live up to our expectations, but it was SPECTACULAR! lots of cruisers we've

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-2340861678738063622007-05-09T17:41:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:42.863-06:00

the ice delivery man in Placencia, Belize.....Belize had lots of cool grocery items, our favorite being canned butter - perfect for a boat with no fridge!

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-77288156401982980182007-05-09T17:32:00.000-06:002007-05-09T23:17:10.259-06:00

Hi everybody from Isla Mujeres! We arrives here two days ago after a couple weeks of blissed-out island exploration in Belize and Southern Mex....wow! I will try and get some pictures and Belize stories up here tonight as time and connectivity allows...in the meantime the report is this: we are outta here tomorrow morning bound for, drum roll please, Key West USA. so you'll forgive us if we

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-68926390886109910262007-04-21T16:55:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:43.279-06:00

we each took a turn at the top of the mast today, trying to fix our twisted jib halyard....working on the new halyard end.....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-8259716497685457712007-04-21T16:31:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:43.392-06:00

It’s fun to see the keel of your house floating inches above the seafloor….

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-76688868625638490832007-04-21T16:24:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:44.472-06:00

Hunting Cay lived up to its name, proving to be the mother lode of conch. As dedicated conservationists we harvested only conchs that were well past reproductive maturity – you can tell the old ones because they’re huge and have a really big “lips” on their shells. Despite Danny’s Florida heritage he’d never actually caught and prepped a conch himself. He was a natural, though: on his very

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-1284544708387456792007-04-21T16:15:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:45.021-06:00

Everyone should get a vacation like this at least once in their lives…..days spent snorkeling, playing Jacques Cousteau, futzing with different fishing lures, exploring reefs, slapping on another layer of sunscreen, getting mildly freaked out by sinister-looking rays and barracudas, languidly sipping rum with a perfect tropical sunset as a backdrop.Post-sunset, it’s time to pore over the sea

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-28501848395986144302007-04-20T18:36:00.002-06:002008-12-08T19:12:45.138-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-68404951178940940662007-04-20T18:36:00.001-06:002008-12-08T19:12:45.447-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-3164199029926633042007-04-20T18:36:00.000-06:002007-04-20T18:40:56.156-06:00

so we made it to Belize and it's gorgeous...we love it! spent a couple days at Tom Owens Cay, then a night at Hunting Cay, and checked into Placencia today. Having a ball. Belize ir very organized, and with that comes the inevitable sticker shock of U.S.-like prices, but so far that's our only objection.We're in the process of assessing just HOW paranoid we are about the oncoming hurricane

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-86921152845757706442007-04-16T20:11:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:46.966-06:00

Yesterday we happily succumbed to the nerd pull of La Ceiba's insect museum. The museum is small, but jam-packed with thousands of outstanding bug and butterfly specimens collected all over Honduras by one guy, Robert Lehman, a schoolteacher from Ohio who has lived in Honduras for years and years.We oohed and aahed over beautiful butterflies, colorful coleopterans and other wonders of the insect

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-50766995077806909942007-04-16T15:34:00.000-06:002007-04-16T15:43:09.316-06:00

so we're finally headed for Belize tomorrow morning, probably (we had to wait out a big cold front the last few days).We're sorry the blog is so screwed up - we 've tried to fix it to no avail - so I guess there'll be no archives or old posts until Blogger helps us out - which could be awhile, unfortunately. We're headed first for Placencia, Belize, to check in, but we'll probably stop at some

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-23505320954658885972007-04-15T13:37:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:47.141-06:00

another element of the perfect birthday was carrying on our Ute tradition of Birthday Bacon. This means you get a whole plate of bacon delivered to you in bed on your birthday.Luckily the marina has a big palapa with a full kitchen and bar for guest use: perfect for frying up a couple pounds of pork in the early AM hours. We also made good use of it by throwing a joint birthday party there on

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-50915315866176408382007-04-15T13:27:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:47.644-06:00

We met a lot of colorful characters at the lodge but our favorite was definitely Pausito, the four-month-old anteater orphan being raised by the lodge staff. Not only we we able to help feed him his bottle full of soy-milk-and-termite smoothie, but we also got to snuggle and play with the curious little fella. We were surprised at how monkey-like he was in the way he used his "hands" and his

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-3586332098077899002007-04-15T12:37:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:47.865-06:00

we think we've figured out the elements to a perfect birthday in the tropics. we're happy to pass on the results of our research to you.....Allen's birthday was experienced in Surprise format. I packed for him Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, we caught a taxi into La Ceiba to meet another ride that would take us to Jungle River Lodge on the beautiful Cangrejal River in the nearby

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-69712160794003765282007-04-11T21:49:00.000-06:002007-04-11T21:51:00.452-06:00

some shots from the last couple days of sailing....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-82975325734083147172007-04-11T21:19:00.000-06:002007-04-11T21:54:11.241-06:00

Goodbye Jonesville...Hello Danny...Goodbye familiar friends and neighbors....Hello beautiful new anchorages....Goodbye sewing...Hello sailing!and just like that, our time in Roatan was up. We worked hard and played hard during out three months there, and we'll really miss it. Thanks a million to the island folks that made our time there so rewarding and memorable.We sailed on on Easter Sunday (

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-21944837277505580142007-04-03T07:45:00.000-06:002007-04-03T08:02:42.839-06:00

hang onto your hats people.....times they are a changin'. I am back from L.A., Allen has settled in from his Southbound adventure and our buddy Danny shows up today for SIX fun weeks aboard Ute. We're saying goodbyes and wrapping up loose ends here in Roatan in anticipation of our departure on Sunday or Monday of next week (probably). The sewing machine is stowed, along with yards of Sunbrella

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-69651284583983482912007-03-22T19:18:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:48.141-06:00

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-73136537822688583122007-03-22T13:07:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:48.572-06:00

the boys will be home tomorrow! that's the latest. They're flying Bocas-Panama City this morning, Panama City-La Ceiba tonight, staying over in La Ceiba, and taking the puddle jumper our here tomorrow. Hooray!And, here is today's installment of cute kid pics....I couldn't help myself....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-59569259215307937272007-03-21T19:26:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:48.648-06:00

I confess, I think this one is my most favorite. All of our friends in Bocas seem okay with the fact that I miss Gladys the most of all. When she and I used to spend every day together in the sewing room she was obsessed with my basting tape and regularly tried to steal it away and hide it so she could gnaw on it later. So when Allen left I sent along a special treat I had made for her, The

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-44216813179476984162007-03-21T19:21:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:48.778-06:00

reunited with Hebe

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-38460709382647845952007-03-21T19:16:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:48.946-06:00

our friend Susan in Bocas was nice enough to accept the role of designated photog during Allen's brief time in the islands....here are some of my fave shots...thanks a million Susan!!aforementioned cutest French girls ever, Marjorie and Estelle

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-60768036811202204222007-03-21T00:30:00.000-06:002007-03-21T00:43:53.285-06:00

So in a few short days I’ll be on a plane for Los Angeles…and it occurred to me today that perhaps I should get a new pair of pants for the occasion. Partly so I won’t freeze, but mostly because the shorts I wear nearly every day are a pair of men’s swim trunks I got at the West Marine Bargain Store for $5 two years ago. I have torn out the butt of these shorts so many times that their entire

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-38536478187765898062007-03-20T08:34:00.000-06:002007-03-20T08:35:42.858-06:00

that's right, the cat's outta the bag....and into the Bocas Marina. Congrats Allen and Dwayne on a successful delivery! According to our good friend Susan in Bocas Marina, they rolled in there last night right at sunset - arriving in style no less. Allen was heartily greeted by Estelle and Marjorie, the world's cutest French girls, as well as a bevy of former neighbors.Then it was back to the

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-87194732394337783182007-03-19T16:31:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:49.282-06:00

 wildlife in the school "parking lot"

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-15357927738722091952007-03-19T16:22:00.000-06:002007-03-19T16:23:41.989-06:00

Remember Scott and Allison, the crew on the big fancy Dutch boat, the sewing machine gurus that helped us out in Bocas del Toro? (see October archives for pics of us transiting the canal on the boat they crewed/captained). anyway..they've moved on and their new project is pretty cool...they are ground crew for the Earthrace. Earthrace is a bio-diesel powered boat that is, as we speak, racing

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-16204614646010762622007-03-19T16:16:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:49.418-06:00

 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-11514090803399475662007-03-19T16:15:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:49.513-06:00

 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-20661364954828246472007-03-19T13:18:00.000-06:002007-03-19T13:20:53.019-06:00

 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-41883816320335841982007-03-14T12:49:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:49.653-06:00

what happens when you mix 39 kids between 1st and 6th grade, who speak two different languages, into one classroom? MAYHEM! but it's fun, sweet, somewhat controllable mayhem.....make that barely controllable....

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-87331929132813873542007-03-14T12:44:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:49.787-06:00

 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-22737417947808730622007-03-14T12:42:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:49.890-06:00

 midmorning break at Jonesville Point school

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-41229981644398935412007-03-13T23:03:00.000-06:002007-03-14T07:16:07.483-06:00

hi everybody - just wanted to let you know that Rum Boogie - the catamaran - made it to Providencia last night, and is planning on leaving for San Andres tomorrow. the Captain says they are doing great and that cat sailing is fun and fast....I'm so happy for them, and glad to hear that they're right on time....nice work baby!Allen said the Vivorillos were breathtaking, and like no place he's

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-35300039661898566422007-03-12T17:02:00.001-06:002007-03-12T19:09:39.956-06:00

for those of you who need a monkey fix. notice we were very careful not to trigger an attack by calling them "funny". we learned our lesson in Panama.

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-65277141491172901632007-03-11T19:43:00.001-06:002007-03-11T19:57:15.816-06:00

what do you know! we finally got enough dimes together to buy an outboard that actually runs (sorry hon, but that last one just plain DIDN'T). here it is IN ACTION on the "road" to the next bight...I know this is kind of like some really boring home video from your coworker's vacation or something but you have to understand, this is exiciting news!

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-80104320946348023662007-03-11T18:10:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:50.077-06:00

hi everybody, just wanted to share that the boys made it to the Vivorillos just fine yesterday, stayed the night, and weighed anchor this morning, bound for Providencia. I would guess they'll be there by Tuesday or so. If they're using the waypoints I plotted for them, they'll get to turn downwind any minute..or maybe even already have...hooray! go cat go! This info came from a neighbor, who

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-13998613967380537782007-03-11T15:01:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:50.089-06:00

 getting ready to leave

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-2433985931636654002007-03-11T14:50:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:50.144-06:00

 the Captain at the helm of his new charge

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-49285631706937769862007-03-11T14:39:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:50.336-06:00

 

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17324311.post-34830050172488251452007-03-11T14:32:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:12:50.479-06:00

 and this is what a lunar eclipse looks like from the deck of a gently rocking boat......

Lucky Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01247090068748827575noreply@blogger.com0