Sunday, August 21, 2011

Swallowing the Anchor

is the term for a sailor moving ashore.  We’ve now swallowed ours after almost 23 years aboard our little 31’ cutter.  We’re three weeks into life on Island Girl, our new yacht.  Three hectic weeks, especially for Brissy the cat and me, but thankfully Pam has made an easy transition.  It is a necessary change for us, but it is a big one.

The boat will soon be for sale, but I am so lucky that we were able to do so much more with her than we ever dreamed.  Pam was able to experience all of a sailing voyage around the world and I have my memories of it.

1

First winter aboard in 1988.  Nothing worked.  We knew nothing.

13

Tracy Arm in Alaska, 1996.

16

Baja, Mexico, 1997.

24

On passage to Galapagos, 1998.

27

A very dirty hull after a 30 day passage to the Marquesas, 1998.

31

Paradise on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, 1998.

37

Pago Pago Yacht Club in American Samoa in late 1998.

85

Approaching South Africa, 2002.

88a

Haulout in Richards Bay, South Africa, Christmas, 2002.

Zebras at water hole

The fabulous game park near Richards Bay, 2003.

P1010003

Thousands of dolphins passing by us in a feeding frenzy as we near Cape Town, 2003.

128

The best sailing in the world, South Atlantic, 2003.

136

The crew that helped us through the Panama Canal, 2004.

* * * * * * *

photo

And the new home is going to be just fine.