ohana's voyage

Final Thoughts

2010-07-24T10:09:00.008-04:00

Well folks,

After 5528 nautical miles, we've made it back home. With a forecast promising good winds, we ran from Onset, MA through the Cape Cod canal and up to Boston Harbor--flying the spinnaker again to make the most of a down-wind run. It was great to scud into local water doing eight knots, finishing the trip with a great sailing day.

After a couple nights on the hook among the harbor islands, we made our way to the dock at Cottage Park Yacht Club and began the shift back to land life. Over dinner for those last nights on the boat, we were able to reflect on a year's worth of adventures. While there are far too many to be captures in any one concluding blog entry, the kids each worked on some poems to encapsulate certain memories they hope to keep with them.

We certainly have enjoyed putting together this blog. It has helped us chronicle the year and kept us in contact with so many of you. Thank you for taking the time to follow our journey and share your comments as you saw fit. (Matthew in particular deserves a gold star for his efforts!)
Thank you also for your support as we navigated the waters of losing a parent. We all appreciate the attention you gave us as we dealt with Grappy's illness and death.

Hopefully we have provided a little inspiration for each of you to step away from the ordinary. Perhaps you will volunteer abroad, or visit someplace off the beaten path. Or you may think about getting by with less, and paying close attention to how you use water, power, and food. Maybe you will step away from the media, the rat race, and American consumer distraction and find time to connect with those special to you ... or perhaps ... you will do all of these and head of on a cruising adventure of your own!

( Oh, and by the way, if you are looking for a boat, we have a great one available!)

Hope you enjoy what the kids have created.
Peter.

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Ohana
by Xavier

Overnight passages were cool.
Hiking to beautiful views in Maine, Puerto Rico, and St John.
Awesome natural water slides and jumps.
New foods from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Amazing white sand beaches of the Bahamas.

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The Trip
by Jeremiah
(to the tune of Phineas & Ferb theme)

We had 365 days on our sailing ship
heading south to sunnier weather.
So the ultimate goal of our family trip
was to create memories that will last forever.

Things like...

Spearing a grouper,
Diving for conch,
or seeing wacky flying dinghies.

Spearing a grunt on my birthday,
or kayaking to an island of monkeys.

Body surfing waves,
seeing rocket ships,
or racing on Bahamian boats.

Lassoing lizards,
Catching a mahi,
or eating mufungo and goats.

As you can see there is so much to tell,
I'm sure friends will have lots of questions,
when I get back to school this fall.

But no matter how hard I try,
There is no way to cover it all.

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An Amazing Adventure
by Catherine

There were islands and islands galore,
Mainland was a word rarely spoken
In the Virgin Islands, DR, Bahamas and more,
We all hoped the spell would never be broken.

We made friends with other boats with kids,
All of them cruising just like us,
We taught them card games where you make bids,
We took what came and made no fuss.

We watched amazing dolphin shows,
Displayed at sea for us alone,
And sharks so majestic and without foes,
They eat a fish whole, the scales, meat, and bone.

There were wonders every way I turned
And there are so many things that I have learned.

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Oh The Places We Went
by Josie

(with inspiration from Theodor Geisel)

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air...

...We are finished, yes finished.
Today is our last day.
We have been to great places,
Far off and away.

We have brains in our head
And a sail on our boat.
We could steer ourselves
In any direction we vote.

We were on our own. And we knew what we knew.
And we were the ones who decided what to do.

We looked around anchorages for things we might fear.
About some we did say, “We do not choose to stay here.”
With our brains in our head and our feet on our yacht,
We were too smart for a not-so-good spot.

We did not always find a place we wanted to be.
And in that case, of course, we headed straight out to sea.
It is opener out there in the wide open sea.

Alas we've moved home
No more nights on the foam,
But dreaming of times when we might again roam.

The CheeseBlock 360

2010-07-08T14:20:00.001-04:00

After having the chance to catch up with Nica, Jeremy, Julian, and Maddie (of Calypso) in Deltaville, we departed the Chesapeake and gladly headed for the more mild temperatures of New England. We had to motor south to make our way to the mouth of the bay, but once we passed over the bridge/tunnel, we raised the sails and started making our way towards Block Island.

The forecasts had promised 15 to 20 knot winds from the southwest, but at first we were met with lighter winds from the south east. Thankfully everyone felt comfortable with foredeck work, so sometime after eleven the first night (Sunday), we set up the whisker pole for the genoa and rigged a preventer on the main and began our downwind run towards home.

Monday dawned early with drier air and cooler temperatures than we had on the bay. With the sun up we were ready to try trolling for fish. Since we were running wing and wing, it was going to be hard to slow the boat when or if we got a strike. Therefore, instead of using the trolling rod and real, we let out the hand line (nice 100lb monofilament) with simple cedar plug. Within an hour or so, the bungee cord it was hooked to went taught and we knew something was on the line. Still moving at over six and a half knots, we tugged in our catch little by little. And as it got closer to the boat, we could tell we had another mahi-mahi. Not something we were expecting this far north. This one, however, wasn’t as big as our previous (26” vs. 50”), and we decided to throw it back. What we really wanted was a tuna. The cedar plug went back out and somehow we forgot about it for a while. Finally the kids noticed that the bungee was taught and we started hauling in the line to see what we had caught. Low and behold it was a tuna! It must have been on the line for a while, because by the time we got it on board it hadn’t much fight left. The amount of meat on the fish was amazing. We all had seared tuna for dinner that night and still we had at least eight pounds of filets left. It was nice to know Chasseur was going to be in Block Island and we would have someone to share it all with.

Later that day the sea treated with another gift, an amazing dolphin show that took place all around Ohana. In addition to having them scoot along in our bow-wave, this time we were treated to jumps and flips and tail slapping. Hopefully the attached video works and you can get a little sense of what we experienced.

The wind kept up for much of the next evening, but eventually died on us, leaving us to motor sail the last day and a half. But we arrived in Block Island with Chasseur helping to guide us in at night. Josie had made a estimate that our arrival time would be eleven o'clock (arrival time being when we passed the first buoy marking the channel). The blinking light came in to sight and the buoy was abeam of us at 10:59 exactly, Josie had guessed correctly. The night time temps were now in the low 60s, so we fished out fleece blankets that we hadn’t seen in months and all settled in for a great night's sleep.

Having stayed in Block Island for the 4th of July weekend, we are now slowly making our way towards Boston -- exploring the Elizabeth Islands and trying to remain in cruising mode and ignoring the siren calls of land based life.

-- Peter

Wandering in the Chesapeake

2010-07-05T10:21:00.006-04:00

After our adventurous stay at Onancock with Matthew and Clara, the six of us made the long haul (55 miles with no wind) up to the Potomac. We were able to dock at Camp Fleury and enjoy a few days ashore, crabbing, swimming, and meeting people. The boys managed to catch over thirty crabs in the crab traps, and George showed us how to steam them and then crack and eat them.

Then our wandering cruise started when we left Breton Bay with two other sailboats – Eagle’s Wings and Bravura. Our first stop was St. Mary’s, where Hart-a-Lee also joined for the night. Many of us went ashore that evening for the concert given on the lawn at St. Mary’s College.

From St. Mary’s we had to motor south past Point Lookout, but were then able to raise the spinnaker and sail up to the Patuxent River and Solomons Island. Unlike in the fall when it was rainy and 40 degrees, this time it was hot and humid, so we rigged our boom overboard and people came over and jumped off with us. We hosted cocktail time this night. (I refrain from calling it cocktail hour because it tended to last much longer than that.) We stayed at Solomons the next day, went to church in the morning, and then paid a visit to the Calvert Marine Museum.

After our second night in Solomons we ventured up to the Choptank River where we found a little cove off of Broad Creek. (Our charts showed its name as Baby Owl Cove, but Builder Fleury seemed to have another name for it.) As Ohana pulled into the cove and set anchor, there was one other boat who had up until that point the peaceful cove all to themselves. We had just finished setting up our sun shade when Bravura arrived and rafted up with us. Eagle’s Wings pulled in and secured to the other side of us, and finally Reel Sweet (Builder Fleury’s motor boat) tied on to Eagle’s Wings. The kids managed a dinner of pasta as the adult cocktail hour stretched from 6 until midnight.

The next day we hopped over to San Domingo Creek and dinghied into St. Michaels through the “back door.” There we explored the shops, had a great lunch, and cooled off with ice cream treats. That evening, back aboard the boats, we were treated to an amazing lightning show.

To escape the heat Ohana chose to indulge in some dock time when we got to Oxford. After plugging in and getting the AC running, we were picked up by Reel Sweet and enjoyed an afternoon exploration of the upper reaches of the Tred Avon. That night we all slept comfortably having freshly showered and settled down without sticking to the sheets.

From the Choptank we headed back to Solomons and the next day said our goodbyes before making our way south towards Deltaville. Joining the Wanderers with all their joy and humor made this tour quite the experience and furthered our understanding of all the treasures to be found here.

Onancock, VA

2010-06-17T10:12:00.007-04:00

Once again, it is my honor to be a guest blogger on the Ohana website, and this time we’re coming to you from the Delmarva Peninsula in the Chesapeake Bay. (You can pronounce “Onancock” however you like because we asked three people how to say it properly and got four different answers.) The lovely Clara and I decided that we would hook up with the “Crew” once they made landfall after their sail up from the Bahamas, and Liza chose the quaint town of Onancock as the meeting place. After some last minute planning (which was helped by not having many choices to begin with) we were all set for a three day visit with the “Crew”.

We drove down on Saturday and met up with everyone at our B & B, the Colonial Manor Inn, located on the main drag of town. We did see one car go by, but remember it was Saturday afternoon. Peter lugged up his portable Happy Hour Cooler, complete with wine, beer, and Sierra Mist, and we had Happy Hour on the porch, taking time to catch up with all of the kids. It still amazes me that all 4 are still here after almost 11 months on the boat!!! After Happy Hour we headed down to the town dock for dinner at waterfront restaurant. All 8 of us dined outside, and I had some soft shell crabs for the first time in my life. I wasn’t sure what parts of it to eat, so I ate everything just to make sure I didn’t miss a good part. It was the first of many crab dishes I would eat in the next three days. That night it poured rain and was unbearably muggy, but we didn’t even notice due to the fine A/C in our establishment.

The next morning (Sunday) we met up with the “Crew” for our short trip to Tangier Island (by “ferry”), another one of life’s little mysteries I had never heard of before this trip. To make a long story short, you’re going to have to read about the island on your own time because I don’t have enough space here to go into all the detail. I think one of the kids on the boat should have written a report on the island, but you know how kids get when the end of school is in sight. Anyway, its one of those little communities (like only 584 residents on the island) which wants to get on with its life without having the outside world poking its nose into their business. Good luck with that. I would like to say it was charming or quaint, but it was just a bunch of buildings on an island. The most fascinating aspect of the island was all of the graves in everyone’s front yards. There really wasn’t a town cemetery; everyone seemed to be just buried where they fell. They did have a very thorough history center/museum on the island, and we learned quite a lot of island history in our short stay. And for lunch we ate at a nice little restaurant and I had a crab cake sandwich (kind of like a crab patty at Mr. Crabs on Sponge Bob Squarepants)!!! Overall a very worthwhile day trip. We even got to see a lot of osprey nests (with chicks) on the channel markers on our trip back and forth to the island.
Once we got back from the trip Peter decided to bring Ohana into the town dock from its anchorage in the harbor, as we were planning on having dinner on the boat that evening (and it was necessary to have the a/c run for a few hours). Yours Truly was chosen to help throw some rope or do some other sailing thing and rode Keiki out to the Ohana to bring her in so to speak. Well, we fired up the engine, started to motor into the dock, and then watched the depth finder on the boat go to 0.0…..and then came to a complete stop. Even with my limited sailing knowledge I knew that wasn’t good. Luckily, there was space at another part of the dock, and we just tied up there instead. Of course all this time we created quite a scene and I think half of the town was there to help us tie up at the town dock. Sadly, I didn’t get to even throw a rope. But a few hours later we were back on the boat having…..not crab for dinner, but instead some grilled pork and apples. It was a little tight in the salon, but the 8 of us had a nice dinner, and afterwards played some games with the kids, and then called it a night.
On Monday morning all of us (minus Peter who stayed behind to do some work in the boat) headed to Chincoteague Island (part of the Assateague Island National Refuge) to see the famous wild horses. It took about 45 minutes to drive there. Now the lovely Clara & I had been there in 1999, but a lot had changed since then. Our first stop was to the Visitor Center to learn about the horses and all the other wildlife on the island. (Since it was an official school day for the kids, you could say this was a sanctioned field trip.) After that we took a 1.6 mile hike though the woodlands to get a better glimpse of the wild horses; at least that is what the brochure promised. All of us (except Clara who wisely stayed in the air conditioned car) were eaten alive by some very determined mosquitoes. In a very bizarre manner, the mosquitoes that bit Catherine left a series of welts on her back which were identical to Orion’s Belt---so in an indirect way we did learn a little astronomy while we were there. But we did see the horses from the road and along our hike, so it was not a total loss. After that hike we headed to another Visitors Center to handle some horseshoe crabs and oysters. Then some of us headed to the beach and others went on a marsh walk, where we learned about all the critters that live in the salt marsh (and about the mating habits of the fiddler crab). After that we took a drive on the wildlife loop in the park and saw some wonderful herons, egrets and other native birds. Lunch was a little late that day, but we ended up in another great little seafood place where I had (who would have guessed) another great crab cake sandwich!!! After we drove back we took a little siesta and then met up with Liza and Peter for an adults only dinner at a little bistro in town. This time it was soft shell crab for the appetizer and crab cakes for dinner!!!

When we got back to the dock, the sky was being lit up with a spectacular lightning display, followed by the booming thunder. Since the “Crew” was due to take off at 7am the next morning we said our goodbyes then (as we don’t do 7am on vacation). I couldn’t believe the time had gone so quickly, but then again I can’t believe they have only one more month to go in their year long sailing trip! It was a great three days in the lovely town of Onancock, a part of the country I doubt we would have ever visited if it weren’t for the “Crew”. Until next time……….

-Matthew

Downtown Tangier

Ponies of Chincoteague

The Fiddler Crabs in the Marsh

BIRAC 700

2010-06-07T14:21:00.006-04:00

The following is a collective effort with each of us contributing a paragraph or so.

(Care to guess who is responsible for each paragraph?)

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Ohana making the most of light winds.

Last time you heard from us we were writing from the sunshine and crystal clear waters of the Bahamas, now 650 miles later we are in the Chesapeake, back in Hampton, start line of the Caribbean 1500. During our passage we experienced the wonders of the sea, enjoyed various types of entertainment, took necessary safety precautions, and ultimately re-engaged with hustle and bustle of life in the United States.

It was awesome for the six of us to sail along at 6 to 10 knots and realize that we were alone, really alone. On the first day out as we headed on the course of 10 degrees magnetic, we slowly lost sight of Wild Horses, a boat headed for Block Island. As it disappeared over the horizon we did not see any other boats until we saw land about three days later. The quiet of the VHF allowed the sounds of sailing to become more pronounced. The rhythm of the waves lapping on the side of the hull combined with the chatter of kids singing or playing games in the cockpit became the ordinary. This alone time was precious to all of us. It allowed time to create, think and be together.

Sure we might have be out in the middle of nowhere and it might have been amazingly beautiful, but still we needed entertainment besides staring out upon the endless waves. Some of the more absurd methods of passing time included stacking dirty dishes into towers or concocting schemes to rid ourselves of two little, annoying, stick wielding brothers. (The Nintendo proved helpful in this regard.) More sophisticated forms such as listening to audio books, or playing Yahtzee also took place. Also a good amount of time was spent discussing and debating a whole range of different topics. We renamed unpronounceable jelly fish and convinced Josie to compare everything to the Carib 1500. Our passage was dubbed the Birac 700. “Birac” because it is “Carib” backwards, and 700 because the length of the “Carib” was rounded up, so we did too. On the last day of the passage it was calm enough for a treat, so the four kids hid up in the front cabin and watched movies. All together the days and nights passed quite rapidly.

Though much of our time was spent just hanging, we also had responsibilities that had to be carried out each day. Each morning Dad would start the day by listening to the weather the single side band radio (SSB), which is like a Ham radio. This was at 6:30 a.m., an hour later, he would turn the SSB back on and check in with Chasseur and Stolen Hour (two family boats we have been cruising with and were making a similar passage to the one we were.) Together, they would discuss the weather, give their lat. and long., and talk about anything else of interest such as fish caught or a malfunctioning engine. A similar conversation would take place at 7:30 p.m.. These conversations added a nice bit structure to our days, especially since the only other thing that had a definite time were our night shifts. For night sailing, we split the night into fourths. Catherine was in charge from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m., then Dad took over from 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. Mom had the 2 – 5 watch and I was on from 5-8. During night watches we would listen to music, and look at the stars or sunset or sunrise. Every 10 minutes or so we would check our position on the GPS, look around for lights on the horizon, and check on any change in the direction and speed of the wind. Day watches, which the four kids covered, were a little different. In the day time there would always be some one else up in the cockpit with you, so if you had to quickly down to grab something you could just ask someone else to cover for you for a bit. Since the weather was nice we did one man (or woman) watches, but if the weather were to have turned sour we had a plan for doubling up the watches. These watches not only gave structure to the day but gave us a time that we had to be up on deck and got to see some amazing stuff.

We saw an assortment of animals during the passage. The first time we saw a Portuguese Man- of-War we thought it was a plastic cup or floating trash. After many more passed by, some close to the boat, we knew that they were jellyfish. Later on during the passage we heard the trolling line zipping out. We knew we had a big fish. After a long fight, we finally got a huge mahi-mahi aboard. We watched as its vivid green and yellow slowly changed into dull silver. Two days later, Mom spotted some dolphins and we all rushed up to the bow to see them play in our bow waves. A few of them would fall back a bit and then surf a wave until they had enough speed to jump – some spinning, some flipping, some arching – the looked like they were showing off. The beautiful blue water and all these wonderful animals made the days quite entertaining.

As we got closer to Virginia, the sights changed. We saw fighter jets dropping flares out of the sky. We saw cargo ships, huge masses of metal that carry containers on their decks. We also saw seven fishing boats that were going out to the gulf stream. We were definitely getting closer to civilization.

Initially, we thought that it would take about five or six days for us to make the passage from Marsh Harbour to Norfolk. With favorable winds Saturday afternoon through Sunday and with the three-plus knot push from the gulf stream, we arrived off Cape Hatteras late Tuesday night. We motored through the calm weather on Wednesday and passed into the Chesapeake Bay by eight that evening. As we dropped the hook for the night it seemed clear to all of us how far we had come since the fall. The trip odometer had crossed 4700 miles and we had at least one experience to go with each mile. While we still had over a month and a half before our scheduled return home, this passage highlighted the confidence and camaraderie that had grown among us, something even more precious than the photos and the memories that we will be bringing home as well.

Fresh fish for dinner!

(and breakfast, and lunch, and dinner again)

Bahamas By Boat

2010-06-02T12:35:00.005-04:00

The palm trees, the bushes, the slight rolling hills,
The crystal clear water, shining near blue,
The breeze lightly blowing, it never quite stills,
The blinding white beaches, so fine, soft and new,

These beautiful wonders take over my sight,
They make up the paradise in which I am,
Illuminated by the gorgeous sunlight,
The water as docile as a newly born lamb,

In all the amazing reefs that I've seen,
The beauty I look for I've found here at last,
This place beats anywhere else that I've been,
Just as rich and as true as it was in the past,

The reefs and the beaches, the sun and the land,
This is perfection what else could I demand,

-Catherine Jacob-Dolan

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This was a school assignment so no I am not just spurting out poetry. Dad wanted me to post my poem on the blog so others could read it. So there it is, a sonnet following the rhyme scheme: abab,cdcd,efef,gg.

More from the Bahamas

2010-05-20T11:03:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

The Bahamas have continued to amaze us as we spent the past days working out way up the Exuma island chain, with stops in Staniel Cay, Fowl Cay, Wardrick Wells, Hawksbill, Shroud, Highbourne, Allen, and Ships Channel cays. We are now in the Abacos and hoping to get a weather window later next week to make the run to the Chesapeake. Leaving the clear blue waters and relaxing undeveloped corners of the Bahamas will be hard, but we are also looking forward to being in the states and checking out the southern parts of the Chesapeake.

Below are more pieces the kids have put together. Enjoy.
--Peter

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Swinging from the Halyard

“One , Two, Three, Let Go!” I cried, and Josie released her hands and pushed off with her feet as I cranked the winch and slowly made final adjustments to her height. We were finally bringing a dream to reality. Way back in Long Island Sound we had observed a boat completing an interesting stunt, which we were now copying. In a harness clipped to a halyard we climbed to the outside of the lifelines and pushed off. This all took place on the leeward side of the boat while we were on a beam reach and nicely heeled over. We swung out over the water and soared through the air, or if Dad rounded up quickly and the boat heeled way over we got bounced along the water.

Josie, Jeremiah, Mom and I all took turns swinging off the boat. Flying over the water was tons of fun, like … well not really like anything else we’ve done. We flew through the air with sometimes only our feet hitting the water and other times being soaked quite thoroughly. The bow waves would come up and spray us. The feeling was amazing, the water, the wind, the adrenaline rush. Boat swinging is something I want to to again.

-- Catherine

Glossary of terms for landlubbers:

beam reach – when the wind is blowing across the boat, the boat is sailing across the wind, a beam reach is the fastest point of sail also it gives the most heel
bow – the front of the vessel
halyard - a line running down from the top of the mast, usually used to hoist a sail.
heeled – when the boat tips over because of the wind catching the sail.
landlubber – a non sailor who resides on land, sailors are superior to landlubbers
leeward – the low side of the boat when the boat is heeled over, the side with the sail(s)
lifelines – the lines sometimes netted that are arranged to keep passengers from falling over board
to round up – to come closer to the wind
winch – a round almost bobbin like appliance used to crank in sheets and haylards

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Thunderball Grotto and Jumping from the Spreaders

On the afternoon of Friday the 30th of April, we arrived at a Big Majors Spot, a little island near Stainel Cay. Once we set the anchor, the five of us (Mom stayed back) jumped into Keiki and (with Jeremiah driving) zoomed over to Thunderball Grotto.

When we arrived at the dinghy mooring, we quickly put on our snorkel gear and jumped in. The second I got into the water, I was surrounded by little Sargent Majors. These 4 inch long fish usually have yellow and black stripes, but some times they have blue and black instead. Around the grotto these fish came right up to my mask, hoping for food, but even though I did not have any they swam around me anyway. Under the cloud of Sargent Majors were a few very colorful Angelfish and some beautiful coral. After all our snorkeling experiences this year, we had never seen so many fish which were unafraid of humans.

The unique behavior of the fish was but one of the special features of Thunderball Grotto. From the dinghy mooring we were able to swim through a tunnel into a sunlit cave. The cave itself was about 100 feet long with a widest part of about 25 feet. The height of the cave in the middle was about 30 feet, but at the two entrances it was only about 3 feet from the water (at low tide). In the ceiling there were two large holes. (These were conveniently located over the deepest part of cave.) Shafts of sunlight flooded down through the holes lighting the cave and the water. To be snorkeling in a cave without the need for flashlights impressed all of us.

I had heard that people jump from through the holes and they were only a little higher than the other cliffs I had jumped from so a bunch of us decided to check it out. I did not jumped that day because it looked a little too scary. I knew, however, that I had to come back the next day and make myself jump.

I returned the next day, and did jump, but not after after thinking way too much about it. I had jumped off two cliffs before and this was only a little higher, but I had never before jumped through a hole. I was scared that I was going to hit the other side of the hole. I was still worried even after I had seen Peter from Stolen Hour and Sandy from Pilgrim jump without getting even close to the other side of the hole. The only reason I was able to make myself go was after seeing Evan, who went right before me, literally step off the edge. After I jumped Hayden leaped and nearly landed on my head, Hannah followed Hayden and Catherine jumped after Hannah. Dad jumped next and Peter from Stolen Hour jumped again. Later Hannah from Pilgrim and her mom Polly jumped. Everyone found it scary but certainly enjoyed the thrill.

Outside the grotto from the dinghy mooring.

(People on top are near the roof holes)

Near the hole you need to drop through.

Inside the grotto

My jumping adventures continued three days later while on a mooring at the south anchorage on Wardrick Wells. I invited the kids from the other boats, Stolen Hour and Pilgrim, to come over and jump off our boom. We jumped for a while, but quickly got bored of having to crawl all the way out to the end just for one quick jump. I decided that it would be a good time to call Peter from Stolen Hour to see if he wanted to jump off the spreaders with me. He said yes and came over in his dinghy. Peter free climbed up the mast and sat on the spreaders. I did not think that I had enough upper body strength to free climb, and I also was very scared of falling back down to the deck. Instead I was hauled up in Dad’s climbing harness. After slipping out of the harness, I stood at the end of the spreaders for a while just to be sure there were no sharks around and because ... as always ... I was a little scared. I jumped eventually and it was a very long fall. Even though this was my fourth jump from this height, it was a challenge because I had to push off while balancing on a thin piece of metal. In the coming months I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more jumping adventures.

-- Josie

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Lizards on a Leash

To make a lasso to catch lizard you need a piece of grass. Then you tie a slip not at the end of it. Then you find a lizard and very quietly sneak up behind it and up the lasso around its head and pull! Hayden, Hans, and Jeremiah each lassoed lizards. To free the lizards you would either cut the lasso or the lizard would break free itself. Sandy, the dad on Pilgrim, taught us all how to do this. It is something I want to do again.

-- Xavier

Lionfish

When I went snorkeling I saw a lionfish. It was a foot long. It was extremely beautiful. It had wavy stripes of orange and brown on its whole body. On its side it had feather like fins each one made up of many oval shaped smaller fins. Its spines are so poisonous that one spine can make you very very sick if it pierces your skin. Its spines are 4 or 5 inches long It was exciting to see the lionfish because there are not easy to see.

-- Xavier

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Spearfishing

There are other ways of fishing than a casting rod or a trolling rod ... spearfishing is one of them. I learned how to spearfish from a great birthday present that my mom and dad set up.

Unlike fishing with a rod, with all the line and lures and stuff, you just need one piece of equipment for spearfishing. The spear I used had a 4-5 foot long and ½ inch diameter fiberglass pole. At the end of the pole there were three 6 inch prongs. At the other end there was a ¼ inch thick rubber band that is attached to the pole by a tightly rapped rope. With this in hand you can jump in the water and you are ready to go.

To shoot a fish you have to hold the spear correctly. First you hold the rubber band between your thumb and pointer finger. Then you pull the band up the rod and hold on with the hand that has the rubber band in it. Then when you see the fish you want to spear, you dive down and let go of the rod. You need to hold on to the rubber band or else it goes shooting down to the bottom. The spear will cut through the water and hopefully hit your target.

The first fish I speared was a small mouthed grunt. They grow 6-10inches long and live in schools. This makes it easier because if your spear misses the fish you were aiming at you still have the chance of hitting another one. Another fish you can spear is snapper. They grow in a range of 1-3 feet. Snapper are harder to catch because they live alone and are usually on the move. I almost speared one, but I was not fast enough. It darted away. The more experience you get, the more kinds of fish you can go after.

This is probably one of the best birthday present ever, because I will always remember how excited I was when the spear went right through the grunt's head. (Matthew, this was almost as fun as blowing something up.)

On the hunt.

Going after a school of grunts.

Fun in the Bahamas

2010-04-27T13:00:00.001-04:00

Since leaving the Dominican Republic we made our way overnight to South Caicos. We checked in at Cockburn Harbour and spent the next day exploring the beaches and snorkeling. The clarity of the water was amazing and the variety of fish was incredible. After Cockburn Harbor we crossed Caicos Banks to Providenciales, where we stayed through Easter.

With the encouragement of Calypso, another family boat that we met in Luperon, we then headed out for Little Inagua, one of the southern most island of the Bahamas. We then crossed with them to Hogsty Reef, the closest thing to an atoll that you can find in the Atlantic. It is a 3 mile x 5 mile horseshoe reef that rises up out of almost nowhere. (Try Google images for a good picture.) There are two wreck on the reef, with one being a big liberty ship. Quite amazing.

From there we sailed to Datum Bay which is found on the south west tip of Acklins Island. We took the dinghy around to the ocean side and explored the trash and treasures washed up along the beach. Upon hearing about Grappy's death, we made our way up to Clarence Town, on the south eastern part of Long Island. The people at Flying Fish Marina we quite helpful in getting the boat secure and our family to the closest airport.

The kids and I returned to the boat on the 19th. We explored Dean's Blue Hole (see Josie's entry below) and were amazed by some dockside entertainment (see Jeremiah's entry). On the 21st we made our way to Conception Island, where we swam, hiked, snorkeled, built sand castles, and did a little fishing (see Xavier's entry). On Friday with light winds and calm seas we motored to Elizabeth Harbor (Georgetown), on Great Exuma. The Bermuda Family Island Regatta was going on and we were able to watch the last race of the day. Chassuer was in the harbor as well and we had a great dinner with them, catching up on their adventures since we last saw them in Vieques. Saturday was a blast with the kids crewing on some of the local race boats (see Catherine's entry).

From here we plan to slowly make our way up the Exumas and then on to the Abacos. Sometime towards the end of May we will do a multi-day passage to either Beaufort, NC or Norfolk, VA, depending on the weather window we get. Hope you enjoy the entries and pictures below.

--Peter

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Dean's Blue Hole

While we were in Provo we were told of Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole the world, which is on Long Island, Bahamas. When we returned to Clarence Town from Pittsburgh, we decided to go check it out.

It would have been a three mile dinghy ride to the hole from the marina, but our inflatable dinghy was leaking air and needed some attention. Instead we decided to walk the four miles to the blue hole. After walking about a mile and a half along the road we were able to hitch a ride up to the turn-off. From there we walked the last half mile or so along a sand road to the beautiful beach.

When we reached the beach I was surprised by how small the hole was in diameter. I was also amazed by how dramatic the color changes were. The water started out at about one foot deep and had a clear color with a slight hint of turquoise, then quickly dropped to about fifteen feet. This water was a light shade of aquamarine and formed a thirty foot wide ring around the blue hole. The blue hole itself had a depth of 638 feet and was a beautiful sapphire color. The blue hole was 60 feet in diameter and a very popular free diving spot.

During our visit there were two divers practicing for a free diving competition that was coming up, but I felt no need to dive into the deep creepy depths. I did, however, swim across the blue hole with Catherine, Jeremiah and Dad. I was encouraged by the fact that it was not very likely that there were sharks swimming around below me because they would have had to swim through very shallow water to reach the deep water. On the far side of the blue hole cliffs rise up about forty feet overhead. We thought about climbing the rope ladder that hung from the cliff, but it looked too tricky. We had heard of a path that led to the top of the cliffs, so we swam back to Xavier and went in search of it.

We found the path and walked along the cliff edge till we reach a point that was about 25 feet from the water (Yup, I did jump off another 25 foot cliff.). Catherine and Dad jumped from there as well. Jeremiah jumped from a place that was about 10 feet lower and Xavier walked along till the drop off was not far from the water and jumped from there. After jumping we swam back to the beach and started the walk back. We walked for about 10 minutes before a car came by and Dad stuck out his thumb. The nice man driving the jeep drove us all the way back to Flying Fish Marina where we were keeping our boat.

Blue holes are amazing geological features and they though they probably all look similar, there is something to be said for going the deepest one in the world. It is like going to Mt. Everest or to the Dead Sea, it is simply really cool to be somewhere where that is one of a kind. There is no blue hole deeper than Deans Blue hole, it is the best you can get.

(To see more pictures of this blue hole you can Google it or look for it on Google Earth. Try “Deans Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas” or find Clarence Town and track northwest along the coast a bit)

– Josephine.

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Dockside Aquarium

While we were at Clarence Town, we saw lots of sea life. Snappers, rays, and sharks swam around the dock of the marina. The crystal clear water made it easier to identify the sea life because we could see the details and shapes a whole lot better. Out of all we saw, the coolest were the sharks.

At the marina there was a place where all the fishermen cleaned their fish and then dropped the leftovers into the water. One evening we watched a person throw in a carcass of a wahoo which was tied to a rope. If it was not attached to the rope the sharks would down it in one bite.

There were two big lemon sharks, one small black tipped reef shark, one big black tipped reef shark and one small nurse shark. When the sharks attacked the carcass they rolled back their eyes to protect them from getting scratched. When they do this they have to find the fish by movement. This was hard for them because the fish was not alive. (Near the end of the video, you can see the shark snap at the air.) This feeding fest went for a long time until the big reef shark ripped the fish off of the rope.

One very interesting thing was that all the fish, rays, and sharks had a rank in when to eat. There was a lemon shark the size of Dad and a black tipped reef shark the size of Xavier. Even though the reef shark was smaller it got first dibs and the lemon shark could only watch a perfect meal go down the reef shark’s throat.

This was a great experience for Xavier (the shark expert), for me, and for everyone else there. Since I have seen this it is a little harder to jump off the boat.

-- Jeremiah

Shark video.

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Fishing at Conception Island

When we were at Conception Island, we went fishing. The first day we used lures and spaghetti for bait to try to catch horse-eye jacks. They were about two and a half feet long. The next day we went fishing again in the morning. We used lures to try to catch trunkfish. They were about a foot in length. We were fishing for about forty-five minutes when we hooked a fish. Jeremiah was casting and caught a trunkfish. When he realed it in, we noticed that the hook was caught in the gill. We had to release our catch because we were in a national park. That night we were trying to catch jacks again. We used hooks and cheese for bait. It seemed that the jacks like it. The first bite we got the fish took the hook so we had to replace it. The second time it took just the cheese. This happened about ten more times. I kept moving from the side of the boat to the companionway telling everyone what was happening. It was a lot of fun.

-- Xavier

On the beach at Conception Island

One of the trunkfish swimming by our boat.

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Georgetown Junior Races

Off we set at 7:20 bound for the race boat anchorage. All the cruiser kids had been invited to join in the Junior Race, one of the many races held during the Family Island Regatta. Josie, Jeremiah, and I were all taking part. Amid all the confusion in the anchorage the three of us wound up on the boats: Sweet Island Gal, Smashie, and Lady Ruthnell. The start was pending so up came the anchor, up went the sail, and out to the start line we tacked.

Lady Ruthnell at the start.

Besides from the fact that they were junior races there was also one other major difference, the boats anchored at the start line. At the start of most races the boats just tack back and forth trying not to cross the line early and using the right of way to their advantage or other boats disadvantage. In our case the advantage was with whomever could haul the anchor in fastest and in the meanwhile raise their sail and set a straight course for the first mark. When everybody was ready the siren blared and we set off. The first race consisted of only two legs instead of the traditional three. Lady Ruthnell coasted along in a rhythmic pattern of heeling over and flattening out. A pattern matched by the shifting of weight on the pry, the board extended out from the side of the boat that the crew sits on to balance the boat. Haley and Alana, the two other girls on the boat, and I pretty much spent the first race figuring out what to do and when. Soon we had it down pat.

Jeremiah out on the pry.

The second race proceeded just like the first but the third was a full three legs. On the final race Smashie (Jeremiah’s boat which Evan from Chasseur skippered) came in first. Lady Ruthnell claimed 4^th on that one.

Sweet Island Girl - Josie has on yellow hat.

Win or no win, it was tons of fun. Stories were swapped for the rest of the day and overall everyone had a blast, each of us glad we were in Georgetown for the regatta and especially the junior races.

-- Catherine

Rounding the second mark.

Sad News

2010-04-26T12:12:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone,

As many of you already have heard, Eliza's father passed away two weeks ago. We were in the undeveloped parts of the southern Bahamas, no internet, no cell service, and only the one other boat we were traveling with ... However, Eliza's cousin was able to get a message out on different SSB cruising networks, and we got the news in time to get back to Pittsburgh and be there for the wake and funeral. It was an emotional time with lots of tears and hugs and stories and even laughter. The variety of people and the distances they travel really speaks to how much we all valued and love Bill/Grappy.

Eliza has stayed on in Pittsburgh to help her mom and will join us in Georgetown, Great Exuma, in the Bahamas.

The kids are all working on great blog entries to illuminate the adventures we have had since the DR. We hope to post them later this week.

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers you have shared with us.

Peace,
Peter

Catherine wrote a thoughtful and heartfelt piece about my dad that she read to us at the funeral. I want to share it with all of you who have been following us this year.

My Grappy

My Grappy is the man who I beat only once in hearts,
My Grappy is the man with tricky clues for password,
My Grappy is the man who wouldn't let me near the dishes,
My Grappy is the man who had a crossword and pencil in hand.

My Grappy is the one who owned the kitchen,
My Grappy is the one who turned tour guide for Josie and me,
My Grappy is the one with a heart for sports and a head for words,
My Grappy is the one who deemed every mother 'Mother dearest love of my life'.

My Grappy rode the incline with me,
My Grappy went to Steelers games , twice with me,
My Grappy played cards with me,
My Grappy will always be with me.

My Grappy is with God now, I hope He can play Oh Heck,
My Grappy is gone now, in being but him I will never forget,
My Grappy gave me precious memories,
My Grappy made the world a better place not only for me.

My Grappy must be remembered,
My Grappy deserves to be honored,
My Grappy must be shared, because,
My Grappy gave me happiness as I hope he did for you.

So to keep My Grappy alive try to be like him,
Give someone what he gave me,
Love, Life, Happiness and most of all memories,
I love My Grappy and I think he loved me.

My Grappy will be alive in me always,
Find your Grappy and make him a home in your soul,
Grappy's soul left his body and now we can make room for that soul in ourselves,
Grappy lives on in everyone who loves him.

My Grappy is at peace,
My Grappy is in me,
My Grappy is mine alone,
My Grappy is loved.

--Catherine

(There should be no size difference in the text. I messed up and can't figure it out.)

Leaving the DR and heading north

2010-04-02T10:16:00.013-04:00

Eliza has rejoined the crew after successfully helping her parents transition from their home to a new apartment in a senior living community, and we have officially begun our return north. We completed an overnight run from Luperon (in the Dominican Republic) to South Caicos and from here we will make our way up through the Bahamas and then on to the eastern seaboard.

Our time in the Dominican Republic was an eye-opening cultural experience. Having to communicate in a second language, rolling with the bureaucratic process of checking in and out of each port, experiencing the natural wonders, grimacing at the burning trash piles, and enjoying the warm-hearted spirit and friendly faces that greeted us whenever we went ashore, all will make up integral parts of our memories of this country.

Below are pieces the kids have put together describing some of the experiences we had in the Dominican Republic.

-- Peter

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While we were in Samana, we were invited onto the Harvey Gamage. It is an old schooner used by Ocean Classroom. It is 131 feet long. It is wood and has lots of cabin space. They have only one fresh water pump that you have to pump by hand. On board they have a captain, a 1st mate, a 2nd mate, 3rd mate , three deck hands, one cook, and two full time educators, and the kids. The kids travel and learn. The Harvey Gamage is three times the size of Ohana. It has much more cabin space and much more sails. It has taller masts. The Harvey Gamage was huge.

--Xavier

The Harvey Gamage

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Those of you who live in Boston, know that in the summer a popular trip is a whale watch. In the summer whales inhabit the northern waters, but when winter comes around all the whales leave to come to the Caribbean. We had read in our cruising guide that there were many whales in the area of Samana so as we were leaving this bay we kept a sharp lookout.

Finding the whales was easy enough, Dad just followed the whale watching boats. The whale watching boats here in the Caribbean are very different from the ones that can be seen in Boston Harbor. These boats are much smaller and have outboard engines (most had two 150s I think). They are just one level without any roof or snack shack, just a open boat with a steering wheel, lots of seats, and many tourists. We followed and low and behold they led us right to where the whales were.

There was probably three whales that we saw, all humpbacks by Xavier’s calculations. We saw them spout water from their blow holes and wave at us with their fins. Their bumpy backs emerged from the water numerous times. With each appearance came the sound of the camera snapping and of much oooh-ahhhing. We watched the whales for about half an hour at which point they took one last breath and returned to the deeps of the ocean.

Once the whales had disappeared for the time being, the whale watching boats returned to the harbor and we continued on our way to Luperon.

-Josephine

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Hola! From Luperon! Our last stop in the Dominican Republic is a sailboat filled, mangrove lined, hurricane hole. We arrived Sunday morning and promptly ran aground. Luperon is a harbor full of bumps and ditches. We freed Ohana from the mud and proceeded to set our anchor with success. When we were motoring in, we saw one boat with kids on it and another one radioed us with advice for where the deep spots could be found. After Josie, Dad, and I crashed for two hours (minus a short interuption from the Marina de Guerra). Once everyone on board felt recharged we showed our faces above deck and were immediately rewarded with a visit from the two kids from Osprey, Kayo the 12 year old boy and Kylarnie (or Birdie) the 10 year old girl, stopped by and told us about plans to visit the marina pool. We chose to stay back and just chill for the day.

Feeling braver on our second day, the five of us venture into town. We bought fruits and veggies and noted where we could buy roasted chickens for dinner. Later the dad on Osprey, John, stopped by to invite us to come along to a fast pitch softball game being played in town. After lunch Xavier, Dad, and I headed over to find the field empty of not only fans but players as well. Confused we continued up the road to buy dinner while we are on land. On the way we ran into the family from Osprey and the couple from Kaya (a catamaran Osprey knows). They were glad to see us but sad to inform us that the game had been canceled due to the rain from the previous night. Next door to the restaurant the six of them were eating lunch at is a place named Steve’s there Kayo and Birdie taught Xavier and I how to play pool and we got to know each other while the adults talked and drank beer.

Upon invitation the three of us returned to Ohana, changed into bathing suits and picked up Jeremiah before heading to the pool. There the kids from both Osprey and Calypso, the first kid boat we had seen during our entrance to the harbor, had already set up camp. Our day of fun was crowned by Nica, the mom from Calypso, and her daughter, Maddie, coming over to play cards after dinner.

In comparison the next day was drab with primarily a school day aboard the boat, but a climax after dinner. Jeremy, Nica and Maddie, from Calypso, joined us along with Kayo and Birdie, from Osprey. A very interesting game of Mafia was the end product. It consisted of excitable narrators, crazy debates, quite a ruckus, and fun all around.

A day of school on land, swimming in the pool and relaxing in the evening followed the night of Mafia. After that came Wednesday, was the day of Mom’s return. Osprey and Calypso spent the day horseback riding, Dad picked Mom up and went provisioning, we kids cleaned and organized the boat.

Thursday was another pool day when Mom met the other adults and switched back to island life. On Friday all three kid boats set out for a full day adventure. We were headed to the waterfalls! A week ago Calypso and Osprey had done the first seven waterfalls but now we were off to do all twenty-seven! They were amazing! Jeremiah will tell you more.

Adios until the Bahamas.

– Catherine

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Sliding down 15 foot waterfalls that had made a natural waterslide and jumping off 25 foot ledges into icy water is what we did for 2 hours on the 25th of March.

Xavier about to head down a slide.

To get to the ledges overlooking the river you climb up a rope with knots for handholds. You then would walk to a ledge overlooking a deep spot in the canyon. Last you would push off of the ledge propelling yourself outward so you land in the deep spot of the river avoiding the submerged rocks. When I jumped off the tallest ledge I was thinking “ Why haven't I hit yet?” The drop seemed endless. On some of the waterfalls, instead of jumping into the canyon, you could slide down the chute it had carved.

Jeremiah halfway down the big drop.

To slide down the sometimes bumpy sometimes smooth waterfalls, you would cross your hands across your chest in a X position. Then the guide would hold you until the person before you swam out of the way. Next the guide would let you go sliding down the waterfalls. Unlike slides at a amusement park, these are risky. You have to wear a life jacket and a helmet. Some of these slides led into deep pools of water while others led you into canyons with steep walls. Though you could get hurt the risk was worth the fun.

Floating down the canyons after jump.

Once in the canyon, you swam along ducking under overhangs and studying cool rock figures. One time there was a cave that we dared each other to enter. No one went in, though some swam near the entrance. Another time the canyon was so skinny that it was almost impossible to stop to study rock figures because the current swept us along at a fast pace. These passes were unique because there weren't a lot of them.

All of us at the end of the ride.

While zip lining in Puerto Rico was great because you got to repell as well as zip line, this adventure was focused on one thing, waterfalls. Both experiences were new and exciting. They tested your nerves by offering opportunities that started an adrenaline rush. I look forward to the next time we do an adventure like this.

-- Jeremiah

Dissecting a Coconut

2010-03-13T11:08:00.010-05:00

Recently we took some time to fly back to Pittsburgh to visit with Hunna and Grappy. We felt it was important to take time to connect with them while we can. Eliza has stayed behind to help her parents with this life transition they are working through. The kids and I returned to the Dominican Republic and are moving the boat around from the south coast to the north coast and look forward to the time when Eliza rejoins the cruise. This chapter has changed the course of our journey, but we feel grateful that we had the flexibility in our lives to visit and help out. We are also thankful for the kind words and support that many of you have extended.

After a brief taste of snow and winter, most of us are back in the realm of clear blue waters and white sand beaches. Jeremiah has put together a piece describing a recent activity.
Enjoy. - Peter

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While we were playing at Saona Island a coconut fell out of a tree and landed by our dinghy. We thought it would be cool to crack it open like we did with our cousins in Puerto Rico. Instead of prying at it with sticks and banging it with rocks, we brought it back to Ohana and used different tools that we had. These were a machete, a saw, a hammer, and a flat head screw driver. We knew that we needed to get the outer shell off, and then get through the thick husk. We used the hammer to pry up rectangles of the outer shell that the saw had cut. Then we used the machete to hack down to through the husk to the inner shell. The saw came out again and we made a small split in the inner shell. Finally we used the screw driver to crack open the shell. We ended up with halves, each with about an inch of white flesh around the inside. The “milk” was clear, but had bits of husk in it, so we poured it overboard. Each of us tried a small piece of the flesh. Half said “yick” and half said “yum.” Overall this way was more efficient then when we smashed them on the beach in Puerto Rico.

-- Jeremiah

On the beach at Isla Saona

Using the machete to remove the husk

The results!

More on our time with Orphanage Outreach

2010-03-02T20:43:00.006-05:00

Each of the kids took time to write about their time volunteering in the Dominican Republic. Xavier has already posted his thought, and below are excerpts from Josie, Catherine, and Jeremiah. This was an incredible experience for our whole family and it was hard for each of us to try to get it all down in words. Nevertheless, we hope this help you understand a little of what our week was like.

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From Catherine:

Orphanage outreach was an experience full of learning, teaching, making friends, and helping others. Within the volunteers there was a strong sense of camaraderie. We shared our teaching experiences, passed on tips and exchanged stories of success or frustration. We also shared episodes of what happened when were were playing with the orphanage children.
For me, there was one girl who latched right on to me. She also latched onto Josie. Whenever one of us would walk onto the field between the orphanage and the volunteer area, we would hear, "Eh! Eh! Eh!" and see little Mery awkwardly clapping her hands and running towards us. Most of the time I spent with Mery was passed by playing her favorite game -- throwing the ball as far away from me as she could and having me bring it back. Sometimes, though, she would just lead me around holding my hand and saying "Corre, Corre" when she wanted to run somewhere instead of just walking...

Mery with Josie

From Jeremiah:

When we taught in the schools I noticed may differences between JFK in Monte Cristi and Brackett in Arlington. The first was that the kids wandered around the classroom and no one seemed to mind. There were even kids that came into the class we were teaching that didn’t belong there. They would try to get a sticker that we were giving out and then leave. Another difference was that the teachers taught by writing something on the board and the kids would copy it down. They didn't have any textbooks or worksheets. A third difference was how the teachers disciplined the students. At Brackett, students get warnings, lose recess time, or get sent to the principal. At JFK, the teachers would hit the students with a stick or twist their ear. This was strange. I’m glad I am a student at Brackett instead of JFK.

Our family at the JFK school in Monte Cristi

From Josephine:

To get to school each day we walked along the dirt, or sometimes mud, roads. As we walked through the neighborhoods everyone would greet us with a very happy “Hola” or “Buenos Dias” even though they did not know us. Everyone seemed more than content to sit around on their sagging front porch gabbing away with whomever. They did not appear to be worried about the fact that there was a hole in their roof or that they did not have running water. They seemed at least as happy as their next door neighbors who may have had a nicely painted house and two shiny cars. I did notice that in Monte Cristi when people got more money they did not up and move away to a nicer part of town, rather they improved their house so they could stay near their own neighbors. I thought this was great because it meant that once people somehow got more money they did not think they were better than their neighbors and they should move away from them. Seeing these people really proved to me that happiness does not come through material goods or money.

One of the homes on our walk to school.

One of the 12 paved streets in Monte Cristi
with a variety of building types.

XB's reflections on Orphanage Outreach

2010-02-23T09:21:00.008-05:00

The things I want to remember about my week at Orphanage Outreach are playing with the kids, walking to school, and teaching.

I played many games with the kids at the orphanage. We played soccer, football, and lots of basketball. Even though we didn't speak the same language or know each other's names, we still had fun.

In addition to helping at the orphanage, we helped out at a public school. To get to the school we had to walk down dirt roads. When it rains, it turns the streets into treacherous mud. These days are like snow days in the U.S.A., so kids would just stay home. I am glad we have paved roads at home.

When it didn't rain we would walk to the school and teach English. One lesson was about Family. The students had to draw their family and we showed them the English words to write down. We also taught them about colors. We played "Slap-it." When a color came up on a die, the first one to slap the right word on the board wins. Teaching was fun.

This experience was amazing. I am glad it was part of our trip.

Enroute to Orphange Outreach

2010-02-13T09:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we closed up Ohana, put her on a mooring ball at the marina in Boca Chica and began our journey to the orphange in Monte Cristo. Peter used his spanish and bargaining skills to get us a taxi ride to Santa Domingo where we then boarded a bus to Santiago. The taxi ride was quite an experience! With motor bikes weaving in and out of traffic, semi's with exposed engines and wobbly wheels, and horns beeping as cars merged from lane to lane without fear, it made New York driving seem civil!

We had not been outside of the protected marina zones since our arrival in the Domincan Republic and it was shocking to see the poverty. We were aware of the two very separate classes in the DR, it still did not buffer the effects of actually witnessing it. The tin roofed homes, the beggars on the streets of Santiago, the kids begging at the car windows, a mother sitting on the street with her malnurished child in her lap, was very disturbing.

The kids have not been outside the hotel yet to explore the city. Peter and I went out yesterday while they caught up on their t.v. time. So as I am writing this we are preparing to go on an walk to the park and monument which sits high on a hill in the town. I am interested to see what the kids observe and how they process the difference between the marinas and the city.

We are going to the airport at 2pm to meet the other OO volunteers. From their we head to the orphanage and begin our week of work. It will be nice to be off the boat and with others for this time.

We will be sure to post and let you know all that we are experiencing.
Thanks for your prayers for our family. It is wonderful to know that our circle of friends and family is present to support us!

Peace,
Eliza

Prayers Please

2010-02-09T09:09:00.002-05:00

As I am sitting in here in a plaza in the Casa de Campo Marina, I am aware of how blessed I am. At the end of January I left Peter and the kids in Puerto Rico and flew to Pittsburgh to be with my mom and dad. My dad was admitted to the hospital on January 11th due to complications from his chemo on November 13th. During this period he had lost 35 pounds and was barely able to attend to the daily tasks of self care. He was discharge on January 26th and was able to share a drink with Mom to celebrate their 49th anniversary on the 27th. It was a very special moment for me to witness.

As I write this Dad is still struggling. He needs 24/7 care because he is too weak to get out of bed, to dress himself and to even do the crossword puzzle! When I was with Mom and Dad, I was able to bear witness to his struggle of figuring out how to "live a diminished life". He prayed to the Lord to take him and just let this end. It was painful to say the least to hear this from him but the conversations that he and I had about this were such a gift. I was able to move to the point of listening to him instead of being his cheerleader and with this shift he shared pieces of himself with me that I will always treasure. As our dialouge developed, I assured him that the money he spent on my MSW was paying off! He felt heard, and I was his listener.

As I was preparing to return to Puerto Rico and the Ohana crew, I contacted Fr. Ken who is the pastor at St. Scho's. He had visited Dad in the hospital and knew of his sickness and stuggle. We spoke for awhile and he validated the conversations I had been having with Dad as being helpful to him. Fr. Ken came to meet with Dad just before I left. He was able to combine the spiritual and the medical aspects of Dad's condition. As a parting gift he gave Dad a new prayer. Instead of "Lord, take me away"....it became "Into your hands O Lord, I give up my life". More of a trusting prayer than a requesting one. He led us, Mom, Dad and me, in a pray service which focused on trusting in God's choices. We all received communion and I cried throughout the entire service. It was such a relief to me that this man was a part of my parents lives. He was so caring and thoughtful, intelligent and understanding. It was awesome. Fr. Ken will continue to meet with Dad on a weekly basis and will meet with my siblings as needed.

As the snow falls heavily in Pittsburgh and the temperature in the Dominican Republic reaches 80, I am very confused about where I belong. Mom has told me since June 27, 1992 that my place is with Peter and our family, however, I am finding it hard to synch that with my life right now. My siblings in Pittsburgh are doing an amazing job. It is just difficult to not be hands on and in the immediate mix. I am aware that there is nothing that I can "do" for Dad at this point, I think it is just the selfishness of wanting more time with him.

So as I ramble on, I want to ask all of you the pray for my mom and dad. Pray that they may find a peaceful space in all of this chaos and pain. Pray that Dad finds hope and a will to live. Pray for their amazing cargiver, Frances, who is more of a blessing to our family than she will ever know.

Love and Peace,
Eliza

Underground and Up Above

2010-02-06T10:10:00.007-05:00

To pass the time while we waited in Boqueron for Mom to return from Pittsburgh, we decided to rent a car and further explore inland Puerto Rico. Our exploring took us to the Rio Camuy Caves. These caves are huge caverns accessed by taking a tram ride down into an enormous sinkhole and following a path through a side entrance into the North Cavern. The underground river that created the caves has receded back under ground and only comes up to the surface four times, once where it starts, once in the cave, one in the sinkhole at the far end of the cave, and once in the town of Camuy where it leads to the sea. The river left behind these monstrous echoing caverns for us to wonder at. The caves are large enough to fit two jumbo jets!! Millions of stalactites drip down from the ceiling and millions of stalagmites grow from the floor. Did you know that it takes from 200 to 1,000 years for ONE cubic inch of stalactite or stalagmite to form? I sure didn't. I knew it took a long time but not that long!! The formations were amazing, they resembled ice cream cones and hills and spikes and daggers. There were even ones that had grown into columns. All these sights plus huge high ceilings and the sounds of the rushing river make these caves an experience to remember.

After touring the caves we grabbed lunch at Subway and then we headed to the Arecibo observation center, home to the largest radio telescope/satellite dish in the world. There we watched a film about the astronomy center and saw the dish. We also spent time exploring the interactive exhibits in the visitor center. An interesting display the center had set up was scale 3D map of the solar system. In the parking lot there is a gold ball on a post representing the sun and as we walked to the center we passed Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. We ran into Saturn at the observation deck by the satellite. The planet stations are to scale in distances we figured even though we missed a few of them. We all learned loads at the center.

We had an amazing day exploring inland Puerto Rico and all of us returned to the boat at least a little wiser.

-- Catherine

The Cave Entrance.

Only a matter of time before everyone is wearing one of these!

The other cave exit.

Arecibo radio telescope.

Dolphins on the Way to La Parguera

2010-01-27T14:48:00.007-05:00

We saw something really cool two days ago. We saw dolphins two miles off shore while we were sailing. The dolphins were jumping and playing in our bow waves. There were about thirty dolphins. We went up to the bow to examine them more carefully. When we were up front we saw two babies. Catherine grabbed the camera and took a movie. Hope you like the movie.

-- Xavier

Volunteer work in the Dominican Republic

2010-01-24T14:08:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

In our efforts to make this something more than a "Club-Med" sailing trip, when we are in the Dominican Republic we plan on doing a week of volunteer work. We hope that this will give all of us a chance to experience more than just the tourist features of the countries we are visiting and we are looking forward to sharing our energy and skills with others. To help us accomplish this, there is an organization called Orphanage Outreach that has a program set up for family volunteers. Though their program we will be helping out at an orphanage and in the surrounding community in Monte Cristi.

Over the past months many of you have supported us with you comments and interest, now we would love it if you would consider supporting our efforts financially by making a donation to Orphanage Outreach. Any donation, from $5.00 to $500 would make an incredible difference in the lives of the children at the orphanage.

To donate you can do so through Orphanage Outreach's web page

www.orphanage-outreach.org/estrella.php

Use the Find a Volunteer to Sponsor link and search for "Jacob-Dolan"

Then follow the steps provided.

If you would rather send a check, please do so by making it out to Orphanage Outreach, and mailing it to Peter's mother,

Jacquie Dolan.
951 Laguna Rd
Pasadena, CA 91105

(She will cull together whatever checks she receives by the end of February and submit them together to Orphanage Outreach.)

We will be sure to share our experience with you here on this blog.

Thank you for your support,
Peter, Eliza, Josephine, Catherine, Jeremiah, and Xavier

Visual Quiz

2010-01-24T14:00:00.004-05:00

We visited Isla Caja de Muertos the other day, and went on a great hike up to the lighthouse which sits atop the center of the island. Along the way we saw this sign:

See if you can spot the oddity that we found.

(Answer to be posted in a few days.)

A post from Clara

2010-01-23T11:50:00.002-05:00

Clara has put together a post about Christmas. I able to add it to the blog but it appears below because I dated it to go along with Matthew's entry. Please scroll down to see it.

Salinas

2010-01-19T15:26:00.007-05:00

WOW!!! Manatees are amazing! I personally have seen two, but three have been sighted in all. They come up to breath every three to five minutes, in the event that they need to escape danger they can hold their breath for up to twenty minutes. Manatees feed on sea grass, like warm water, enjoy protected bays and dislike running engines. So life along the edges of Salinas Bay is supreme, boats stick to the deep channel that runs through the middle of the bay, only dinghys could navigate the shallow banks near the mangroves, mangroves are another factor that pleases the manatees. Well the first manatee sighting was back in Farjado at the marina two others have been seen here at Salinas.
Another interseting experience we have had here at Salinas is that we rented peddle, yes peddle not paddle, boats from the marina. These boats are bicycles on pontoons with platforms on either side the peddles power a propeller which is attached to a stationary rudder on the back of the boat the rudder can be pulled out of the water in order to drag the boats up on land. And yes if you peddle backwards the propeller does spin backwards. The handle bars control a rudder that is between the pontoons right in front of where you sit and peddle. On these boats if you have no desire to get at all wet then that is fine you do not have to get wet in the slightest. These boats were loads of fun especially when you are drifting with the wind and/or current.

-Catherine

Dockside Science

2010-01-17T09:45:00.006-05:00

After New Year's we were somewhat stuck at the dock waiting for the refrigeration to get fixed. The boys had enjoyed the fireworks we set off for New Year's (this seems to be a Puerto Rican tradition ... when in Rome) and they were interested in creating more explosions. So the following science experiment ensued. Xavier and Jeremiah worked together writing different parts of this entry. Enjoy.

-- Peter

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today we started a science experiment. We combined Coke and Mentos to watch it blow up. We did it at the slip at Puerto Del Rey Marina. We did this because I wanted to blow something up. Tomorrow we are going to do something similar with vinegar and baking soda. I can’t wait to see which explosion is bigger!

[Day One]

Materials for Day One

On our first try we used 1 cup of Diet Coke, 2 Mentos, 1 crystal lite ice tea container, a measuring cup and tape. First we measured 1 cup of Diet Coke into the measuring cup. Next we pored the Coke from the measuring cup into the crystal lite container. We then taped the two Mentos onto the cap of the container. We walked out onto slip number 1086. We shook the container, so the Mentos would fall. We placed it down and stepped back to watch it explode. The top domed and then flew off into the water, Coke spilled out after it.

On the second try the Mentos were dropped in the Coke before we could get the top

On the third try we did the same set up as the first. This time we hit the top so the Mentos would fall instead of shaking it. The outcome was different too. The top only domed it did not pop off.

On the fourth try we did the same thing as the third except with two cups of Diet Coke. The top came off and knocked over the container.

On our last try we used one cup of Diet Coke and three Mentos. The top only domed.

[Day Two]

Materials for Day Two

We used vinegar, baking soda, measuring spoons and cup and a plastic bottle. Our hypotheses for all of them was the top will fly off. The first try we put one cup of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle. The outcome was the top domed.

The second time we used two cups of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda. The outcome is that the top flew off.

The final try we used one cup of vinegar and two teaspoons of baking soda. The outcome was the top blasted into the water and the bottle jumped up off the dock.

During this experiment we learned that the combination of Diet Coke and Mentos is less powerful than the combination of baking soda and vinegar. This became clear because the vinegar and baking soda shot the top off farther. It would be nice to figure out a way to get the ingredients to mix after the top was on. That way it would not explode too soon and we could compare our results better.

-- Jeremiah and Xavier

Success with vinegar and baking soda.

Rainforest Adventure

2010-01-03T18:59:00.020-05:00

After ten days in Puerto Rico, it is clear to us that we have only scratched the surface when it comes to the wonders and experiences that this land of enchantment holds. The northeast costal area provided ample activities for us when visiting with the rest of the Jacob clan, and we even had a soggy taste of the interior with them. (See Matthew's report on our visit to El Yunke National Forest.) Waiting for repair work on the boat's refrigeration gave us the impetus to explore more of the interior. With a forecast for sunny skies we headed back into the rainforest on a hiking, climbing, rappelling, and zipline adventure.

We all woke early on Sunday and piled into a rental car for a drive to Caguas where we were to meet up with our guides. The drive inland took us past lush pastures, flowing green banana (or maybe plantain) plantations, and spectacular views of the top of El Yunke and surrounding peaks. Once in Caguas we piled into the adventure company's van and headed up into the mountains. As we wound our way up the narrow road (one lane wide but a two way road) Marcus and Diego (our guides) explained that we were passing through an area once covered with sugar and coffee plantations. Over the past seventy or so years as agriculture diminished the rainforest has reclaimed this area creating a wild natural orchard. Tropical trees of all sorts were mixed in with banana, plantain, and breadfuit trees. Wild coffee plants crept through the understory and bright red blossoms of Poinciana shrubs accented the landscape. All very different from the semi-arid landscape of the Virgin Islands which we have become accustom to.

Once we reached the vicinity of the Carite Rainforest, we hopped out of the van and donned our gear. It seemed quite odd to put climbing harnesses on over bathing suits, but in short order Diego and Marcus had everyone cinched up and ready to roll. After climbing up the road to where it forded a river we left the pavement and headed up the river. It quickly became clear why we had bathing suits on. Unlike our hikes in West Virginia where the point was to not fall in the water, here we were splashing right up it.

Once we reached a 30 foot set of cataracts, we left the river and began climbing up through the forest. Clinging on to branches, roots, and fixed ropes we made our way onward finally arriving at the rappelling station. Marcus clearly reviewed proper rapelling procedures and then decended down the rope. From the top, as he disappeared down the face, it looked like a pretty straightforward decent. Only after each of us started down did we realize what we were in for. After about 15 feet the wall sloped rapidly inward so that we were left hanging free in the air with a huge 80 foot waterfall tumbling beside us. With each addition foot of our decent, we inched closer to the falls until we had to turn and walk down the lower face of the falls themselves. Those of us at the bottom in some ways wanted to warn whoever was coming down next, but that would have taken much of the thrill out of it.

After we all completed the rappelling there was still more in store for us. Hiking a little ways down through the forest lead us to the first zipline station. Here we clipped into a set of rollers and flew across the valley soaring above the treetops before landing on the other side. Back and forth we went on a series of three lines, shouting and screaming with surprise and excitement. Then it was only a short hop to the place were our hike began.

A great part of this whole adventure was the chance to sit for a meal with everyone before heading home. Diego and Marcus served us a meal cooked up by a local family which included great regional dishes. Everyone enjoyed trying the breadfruit fritters as we chatted about all the different activities. We even tried practicing our Spanish and appreciated the tutoring our guides provided.

On our drive home we again marveled at the amazing scenery, and we wonder what other adventure might this place have in store: exploring limestone caves, seeing a huge radio telescope, finding a bay full of manatees, or an island crowded with monkeys. Each of these are possibilities ... we will be sure to let you know what we discover.

Below are some videos from the day's adventure.

(A few of them are sideways because we don't have the software with us to rotate the view 90 degrees.)

Eliza rapelling down the falls.

Xavier coming in for a landing.

Josie zipping right along.

Catherine flying through the treetops.

Christmas is Wherever You Are

2010-01-02T11:20:00.000-05:00

"Better late than never,” as the saying goes. I don’t know if that’ll be true in my case. It depends on if my style of writing measures up to that of the sweetness of the Jacob-Dolan’s or the entertainment value of Matt “Funny Man” Jacob’s. But I’ll give it a whirl because I want to give my perspective on spending Christmas in the islands with the Jacob-Dolans, complete with a Christmas Eve miracle, a Christmas angel, & the firm belief that “Christmas is wherever you are”.

What smart alecs we were on Christmas Eve! The 8 of us spent the day touring the forts of Old San Juan, then letting the Sangria flow at dinner. We walked around the town square where festivals were happening on every corner & every square inch of space was decorated for the holidays. It was wondrous! But on the way home, it started to pour down rain. I mean, it was like someone turned a hose on us full blast. Drainage was poor & the roads quickly became flooded. Liza & Peter were in one car with Josie & Xavier, while Matt & I were in another car with songbirds Catherine & Jeremiah. We laughed as we hydroplaned & made fun of other cars that stalled as their engines got flooded.

We dropped the Jacob-Dolans off at the marina, then Matt & I went back to the resort. It was surreal --- we actually saw horses wading in the streets! Our smart alec ways caught up to us. We drove into 4 ft. of water & our car died. Water came into the car up to the seats. I got a little freaked out when I saw how scared Matt was. He kept insisting we HAD to get out of the car. I told him no power on earth was going to make me leave the car & he would need the Jaws of Life to get me out. Orange construction barrels were floating in front of us!

Then, a miracle --- a Puerto Rican angel appeared out of nowhere at my window. He encouraged us to put the car in neutral & he would push us. As he spoke, he reached down into the water & pulled out a bicycle that hit him in the legs. He just casually put it back down & it floated away. Matt said, “There’s no way I can let him push me,” & he got out of the car to help. WHOOSH! Even more water came into the car. I steered the car until we were clear of the water. Matt kept yelling at me to put the car in Park, but I got flustered & just kept turning the windshield wipers on. He came to the driver’s side & put the car in Park & by the time he turned back around the angel was walking down the street. He didn’t want accolades, he didn’t want money, he had just done his good deed & went on his way. He saved our lives, & no one can convince me otherwise.

By the grace of God, our car started again & we made it to the hotel. When we opened the car doors to get out, it looked like a cartoon with all the water draining out of it. The employees were most accommodating & gave us tea while they used a Wet-Vac on the car to get all the water out. Here’s the killer --- there was only 200+ miles on the car! It was brand new!

The next morning, we went to church. I guess it was painfully obvious to the “regulars” that we were newcomers to the congregation, but everyone was most helpful in translating the mass to us. The “band” --- not a choir, but a band --- played guitars, maracas, tambourines, etc. Everyone in the church was clapping & dancing. What a joyous celebration! Some of the ladies brought extra maracas & tambourines & were passing them out. It was such a festive service. Even when the folks were walking through the aisles collecting donations, they had their maracas with them!

Towards the end of mass, a man explained to us that the priest was going to take the statue of Baby Jesus out of the manger & anyone could come up to the alter & say a private wish to Him. Catherine & I took him up on his offer. Then the man explained that the priest was asking anyone who had a Christmas birthday to approach the altar. There was a lady who went up & even though we didn’t understand what she was saying, her emotions were so genuine & she began to cry, which got some of us teary-eyed as well. Right before mass was over, the priest asked if there was anybody from out of town. All of a sudden, every single finger in that church pointed to the 8 of us & the whole congregation started clapping. What a beautiful moment! The priest asked where we were from and in my faltering high school Spanish, I told him we hailed from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

We all returned to the Ohana and exchanged gifts. The Jacob-Dolans had found a piece of a palm tree a couple days prior and that served as our Christmas tree. What a wonderful afternoon we had on the boat, laughing and joking. Liza & Peter were gracious hosts and time just flew by. Matt and I treasure our time with the kids. We then headed to dinner at L’Estacion. We ate outdoors amidst the enormous palm fronds and it was absolutely magical being there together.

I have to admit, I felt a little trepidation at spending my first Christmas away from home, but I tell you in all honesty: In all my 49 years, this was hands down the BEST Christmas I’ve ever had, & that’s the truth. I realized I didn’t need the stockings hung up on the fireplace or grandma’s special stuffing in the turkey because truly …… Christmas is wherever you are. THANK YOU, Liza, Peter, Josie, Catherine, Jeremiah, & Xavier for making this Christmas so very special for me & Matt. We love you all so dearly!

- Clara Jacob

WHAT I DID IN PUERTO RICO ON MY CHRISTMAS VACATION

2010-01-01T18:55:00.000-05:00

I know I put a recent comment on the last blog concerning the above topic, but I wanted to come clean and post a real blog entry. After spending three consecutive nights on Ohana, I passed the initial initiation and am now allowed to post my most intimate thoughts for the world to read. I hope everyone is as excited as I am. Kdfh/sflnla fjkkslfjdklhfhafhl kl……..Sorry, I must have passed out on the keyboard. Anyway, here we go.

Wed Dec 23rd: The lovely Clara & I arrived in San Juan a few hours later than we hoped thanks to USAir and their “mechanical” problems. Surprisingly our luggage was there when we got to baggage claim, and we were off on our journey…..except there is only one road from San Juan to Fajardo, and it took us almost 90 minutes to go 35 miles. Got to the Fajardo Inn and were pleasantly surprised to find a very nice establishment in the middle of nowhere. While Clara unpacked I went to the Puerto Del Rey Marina to pick up the Ohana Crew and bring them back to our hotel. While the adults had a light dinner in the Blue Iguana Restaurant the kids watched iCarly and ate vending machine candy. It was a toss up as to who had the better time.

Thurs Dec 24th: We met up with the Ohana crew and headed to Old San Juan to do a little sightseeing. Our first stop was San Cristobal Castle at the northeastern edge of the town. The structure was massive and had literally hundreds of different levels and rooms on the five different levels. There were a lot of exhibits about the defense of the fort from the 1500s to the late 1800s, but very little about the ½ hour it took the US to steal it from Spain in 1898. Oh well, I guess we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. After spending a few hours in that fort we headed up to the northwestern edge of the town to tour El Morro, the oldest fort on the island. Only 5 levels to this one, and there was a famous 77 step staircase which dropped from one level to another at a 45 degree angle. After many hours in the PR sun it was cocktail time, so we headed to Mojitos for some dinner and adult refreshments. We sampled a PR favorite (Mofongo) and were quite refreshed by the time we left. On the way home it rained, which is like saying Da Vinci painted a few things in his life. As I said before in my comment, the road in front of our hotel was covered in four feet of water, but I didn’t realize this until I was stuck in our little rental car in the middle of it. Since simple physics won’t permit a car engine to work under water, I (and our Christmas Eve angel who appeared out of nowhere) had to push the car 75 feet through the water and part-way up the hill to our hotel----all while someone was holding a giant garden hose over our heads. Did I mention the rain?? Luckily the hotel had a wet vac, and even luckier that the rental car company won’t be reading this blog.

Fri Dec 25th: MERRY CHRISTMAS. Headed to mass this morning in the Fajardo town square with the Ohana Crew. Everything was in Spanish but it didn’t matter as the joy of all the people in the church was overwhelming. We truly felt like part of their little community. After church we headed back to the marina to take our first steps on Ohana. One small step for Matt; one giant step for Clara! We exchanged a few gifts and Clara and I kept thinking the same thing: Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot. How does a family of 6 rather strong willed people spend 1 year living on that boat? But so far there have been no attempted felonies onboard, so whatever they are doing seems to be working. Once we were done on the boat we headed to La Estacion for our family style Christmas Dinner. (I’m hoping to be able to cut and paste the menu from their website and post it below because I can’t spell half the things we had.)

Sat Dec 26th: Now as I try to recall the days they start to blur one into another. Perhaps I shouldn’t have had the full pitcher of sangria for dinner. Oh well…..we really just hung around one of the two pools at the hotel today with Liza and the kids while Peter did some repair work on the boat. Then Liza and I headed off to the airport as the Smiths (Katie, Stuart, Elsie, Luke) and the Kerrs (Thomas, Anne, Jordan, Grace, Ryan and Liam) were flying in to meet us. Both flights were pretty much on time, although security at the airport was a little bit tight because of that idiot on the Amsterdam/Detroit flight who lit himself on fire. We got everyone back to the hotel and had a nice little get together until all the kids did their best China Syndrome imitation and it was time for me to get the heck out of there. Who knows what they did the rest of the night.

Sun Dec 27th: It was time for our first day trip on Ohana. A motley crew was assembled; actually it was mostly a chick cruise, but I was allowed to attend because I had to take care of Clara. We set sail at around 11am with Peter, Liza, Josie, Catherine, Katie, Elsie, Anne, Jordan, Grace, Clara, and yours truly. Our destination was….somewhere out there. I think it was Isla Palamitos or Palimoninos or something like that. Peter set the anchor about ¼ mile off a small sandy island and everyone except Peter and Clara swam to the island. (Josie, Catherine and I jumped into the water off the boom.) We snorkeled around for a bit and then headed back to the boat. Peter rowed Kekei over to the island to give some of the wimpier people (won’t mention names Katie or Anne) a ride back to the boat. I even got to take the helm on the way back to the marina. Quite cool.

Mon Dec 28th: Today we lost a member of our party, but it was planned. The always lovely Clara ditched us to spend a few days in Palm Springs CA with a good friend of hers. So she and I left the hotel at 7am that morning to get her to the airport for her 10am flight to Philly (and then to Phoenix and then finally to Palm Springs). I think she arrived safely as I have not received notification from the airlines to the contrary. A group of us headed to one of the beaches in Luquillo after lunch, and we were treated to some awesome surf. The little boys had a blast being tossed around by the breaking waves. Annie put on the best show as she didn’t quite make it over one wave and it planted her in the ground. 6 year old Liam had the line of the trip: After one wave rolled him over a few times he emerged from the foam, covered with sand, and said rather bluntly: What the hell happened there? At least I thought it was funny……..When I got back to the hotel I found that Josie & Catherine had shanghaied my room, and I was told to report to Ohana for my first night’s sleep on the boat. Liam joined me as we took the girls’ places on the boat.

Tues Dec 29th: Did not wake up screaming this morning covered in puke, so I guess it was a successful night on the boat. But today is the big day for it is the first annual Male Bonding Overnight Sailing Trip 2009. Capt Peter was joined by Jeremiah, Xavier, Thomas, Ryan, Liam, Stuart, Luke and yours truly. We set sail at 10am after having to listen to Liza try to tell us all the stuff we should be doing on our male bonding trip. As if. Once that nuisance was taken care of we got down to serious business. Thirty minutes after leaving the marina Luke put on a spectacular projectile vomiting show starring the chocolate milk and pancakes he had for breakfast. Luckily I was upwind to witness the event as Stuart got him to the side in time. But I’m proud to say that he held up well after that initial purge and had a blast for the rest of the trip. Peter found us a nice mooring ball, I hooked the rope, and Thomas got us tied up. Then the motor was put on Kekei and we headed off to Little Palaminito for some swimming and snorkeling. This island is only a couple of hundred feet long and has a nice sandy slope to the beach. There was some great bodysurfing being done by all the little boys. Once we were back on the boat Peter grilled some hot dogs and sausage and we got down to some serious bonding. Liam was my star pupil as he learned a new line to say to his mom when she asked him to do something: “I’m sorry honey, but I can’t hear you without a beer in my hand”. (Annie loves it.)

Wed Dec 30th: A nice sized storm came in from the north overnight and made for some interesting sleeping. After breakfast the rains came, but it was time for Ohana to get the lead out. We got the sails up and we were off to the races. Liam and I were hanging on in the front of the boat as we plowed through the surf at speeds of up to 8 knots. (This is like going 80mph in your dad’s old station wagon, the one with the simulated wood grain paneling.) Thomas took the helm and put us through a nice tack move while we were still on the front of the boat. I kept wondering if we should be there, but no one said anything so I guess we were fine. Liam sure didn’t mind. We were soaked from all the waves breaking over the bow but were having a great time; you know, male bonding and all that other good stuff. We got back to the marina, and Peter did an excellent job of getting the big boat into the little slip, although I was none too happy with being assigned the bow lines. I was supposed to be the first one to jump off the boat onto the dock to keep the bow from causing havoc to anything in its path. Anyway, we got “near” the dock (kind of like Puerto Rico is near Cuba). There was a good 6-7 feet to the dock and Peter is yelling at me to JUMP!!!! Now, 25 years and 25 lbs ago, no problemo…..but I did my duty and the limp should go away in the next few months. Overall, a great trip and a great experience. And to think they have done that almost every day for the past 5 months.

Thurs Dec 31st: More rain in Fajardo, so the only logical thing to do was embrace it. All 17 of us headed up to El Yunque National Forest (of Rain) to do a little hiking and exploring. We started off with a little 1 mile loop, had some PBJs for lunch, and then did another 1.7 mile hike along some spectacular waterfalls. And the whole time it just rained and rained and rained. We ended up at the Visitors Portal as I guess some overpaid consultants of the National Park Service decided this sounded better than Visitors Center. Anyway we pretended to learn something and tried not to fall asleep during the movie. After dinner, we all gathered in one of our hotel’s parking lots and Peter put on our own mini-fireworks show. We had some champagne and toasted the New Year, and everyone was in bed by 9:30pm. That’s called Island Time.

We’re supposed to be headed to Culebra tomorrow by Ferry if the weather cooperates. If not I guess we’ll just hang by the pool. And then all the visitors head North on Saturday, back to the snow and cold and non-80 degree weather. For the crew of the Ohana, its onward for the 2nd half of their year long adventure.

It’s been an exciting week so far for everyone here in PR, especially for the little kids; and a wonderful 10 days for me. Sorry for the long winded post, but I just couldn’t find the time to do this every day. There was always something better to do!!! But we’d like to thank Peter, Liza, Josie, Catherine, Jeremiah and Xavier for being such excellent hosts and allowing us to share a part of their amazing journey this year. And I hope they’ll keep on bloggin’ so we can keep up with all of their adventures.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

The Guest Blogger.

17 fools who don't know to get out of the rain.

Yours Truly at the helm of Ohana ... sailing off into the sunset.

"I think Liam is around here somewhere."

Male bonding 101 on the foredeck.

(Ask Liam about the wise quotes he has added to his repetiore.)

Where is our ration of Grog!!!

This doesn't look like a plank ...

Bio-bay on Isla Vieques

2009-12-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

If Puerto Mosquito on Isla de Vieques is not officially one of the top ten natural wonders of the world, then it should be. This bay is beyond words, full of living stars. This ecosystem is very fragile The water is warm, shallow, salty, and unpolluted by boats, cars, boats, and electric light. (It must stay this way for the beauty to remain.) The red rooted mangroves surrounding the bay produce minerals and vitamins which help the dinoflagellates in the water flourish. These tiny creatures live in Mosquito Bay and give off light – bioluminescence-- when they are disturbed, appearing 100 times their actual size. In a gallon of normal sea water there are usually 20 – 50 of these creatures, but a gallon from “bio-bay” has 500,000-700,000, making it the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.

We took a tour of this astounding bay with our friends from Bojangles and Chasseur. It was a partly cloudy night with a waning crescent moon low in the sky, perfect for our adventure. We kayaked through the dark water that illuminated with our every touch. Jumping fish streaked like comets across the inky black surface. When we reached a deep spot in the bay the symphony of colliding kayaks echoed, boom, bang, crash across the water. Abandoning our kayaks we plunged into the water. The excitement of seeing our arms glow with microscopic plankton, our legs outlined with an eerie shimmer, and our friends sparkling crazily was beyond reason. Hollers of “Look at this … Watch me … Try this … This is so cool!” filled our ears. After hearing those exclamations we changed our minds, this shouldn’t be just in the top ten, it should be the first.

– written by the whole family while sitting on the steps of El Fortin Conde de Mirasol in Isabel Segunda, Vieques.

St. John -- USVI

2009-12-18T12:36:00.000-05:00

Pardon the long delay in posts. It can be attributed in part to lack of wi-fi connections and part to “island time” mentality that has the days slide one into the next.

Over the past two weeks we spent time cruising around St. John, doing some volunteer work, visiting favorite spots we found when we were down here four years ago, and hiking and snorkeling with Bojangles and Stolen Hour (two other family boats that were part of the Carib 1500). We also had an amazing “shore leave” in St. Thomas. John and Joanne hosted our family at their home, treating us to great cooking, helping us with Christmas shopping, and letting us relax around their pool. Additionally, as I worked on various boat projects, John and the whole CYOA staff shared various insights and energies with me, helping us tune up Ohana for the next legs of our journey. Currently we are exploring Culebra, one of the Spanish Virgin Islands. We will head to Vieques shortly and then make our way to Puerto Rico for Christmas.

While at St. John, our family took a day to join with others who were volunteering to help maintain the national park. Eliza and the boys helped out a second day and then spent a day hiking with those they met. Below is a reflection Jeremiah put together after his volunteering efforts.

-- Peter

--------------------------------------------

Xavier, Mom and I spent two days volunteering to help preserve and maintain trails on St. John. We worked with people from the American Hiking Association. One of the people we met had orange neon boots and she was writing a story about them to bring back home to her friends. One time she put a soldier crab on her boot, then put a band-aid on the boot because the soldier crab pinched it. Another person we met was Tony. He was the one who rolled a huge 200-500 pound boulder down the hill that crashed down about five trees with fist size trunks. The tree that stopped it was about three times bigger around. Both Tony and Vicky were very nice. I am glad that I went and met these new people.

– Jeremiah

Trail work

Teamwork to move a huge boulder.

Taking a short break.

Tony with a smaller boulder.

Falling Water

2009-12-10T09:37:00.004-05:00

While Josie, the crew and I sailed the boat down to the Caribbean, Eliza and the rest of the kids visited family in Virginia and then headed to Pittsburgh. As part of their stay in western PA they visited two Frank Lloyd Wright homes -- Kentuck Knob and Falling Water. Catherine has put together the essay that follows to share her insights about one of those homes.

--Peter

You might think that you are in the middle of no where but actually you are in the middle of Pennsylvania. The land is hilly but not quite mountainous and rhododendron bushes are everywhere. A stream runs through this landscape and its bed is shaded by tall deciduous tress. Here somewhere on these 500 acres of land is one of the most striking sights, the house called Falling Water.

If you look at Falling Water, you would see that it belongs here in this wilderness. This is a hidden piece of paradise. You are all alone here but that is good. The peace of nature is so much a part of the house itself that even the windows have no blinds because you have no need to block the path of nature. Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect, saw no need for landscape lights so the world outside is perfect, natural black at night. The house itself is built right into the landscape to the extent that if you go to the hearth in the dining room you will see that the floor by the hearth is actually a boulder that the house was built right around.

Since nature is so much a part of Falling Water, you will find that even from the inside you are pushed out to it. With windows taking up entire walls nature flows through the house as fluidly as air. From every terrace you can hear the sound of Falling Water. You might even notice that all the reinforced concrete is painted ocher, the same color as a rhododendron leaf when it first falls. The sandstone floors are shined with wax so when you look they should remind you of wet stones in a river bed. These are other ways to make you feel more a part of everything outside.

The great room also has ways to make you feel like you are outside, it has the best view of the stream and even has a stair case called “the hatch” leading right from the room to the water. The great room you will see is appropriately named as it is a great huge room. This room is actually many rooms in one, the dining room, the living room, and the lounge, and each room is separated by merely a change in ceiling height. There is a also desk for business, seats galore for cocktails. The great room, like every other room, has its own terrace. This terrace has a spectacular view of the falls. You could call it a common room maybe because so many different things can be happening at once within the same room but they are as apart as if there were actually walls.

Falling Water was not what the family expected,you see, they wanted a house with normal rooms separated by walls and a nice view of the waterfall. Frank Lloyd Wright would not build a house looking at the waterfall, no Frank Lloyd Wright said the house had to be part of the waterfall itself. Well as it turns out the family loved the house, it had and still has a certain magic to it. For example a family of three could live here comfortably and not feel as if they are lost in a huge house but that family of three could also invite a good number of guests to come visit and not feel crowded in any way. Falling Water amazes everyone but for different reasons, that is just another bit of magic.

It might not be a looming castle with a great hall for giant feasts, it might not be a cozy cottage where you light a fire in the fall, maybe not even a nice square house that fits right into a friendly neighborhood, but you will find that all those together do not come close to adding up to the house called Falling Water.

-Catherine Jacob-Dolan

A Caribbean Thanksgiving & Notes from Eliza

2009-11-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Our Thanksgiving of 2009 was very different from all the others we have had. This year we splashed in the tropical water instead of avoiding the ice cold waves of Pleasant Bay. We ate a pot luck dinner at 3pm because if we waited longer the bugs would ruin the feast. At the Cape we eat around 7pm after Grammy has finished all the cooking. Usually we are with my dad’s family for this holiday, however, this year we were with new friends who we’ve met on our voyage. We liked the change in the thanksgiving holiday and look forward to what 2010 will bring.

-- Jeremiah and Xavier

Just a bit different from Plimouth Plantation?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hello all you wonderful followers.

I am sitting in the air conditioning of our boat on the dock at Sopher’s Hole Marina while the boys are doing their school work. Since our reunion on the 15th we have started a new scheduling system which seems to be working well for all. We do “school” from 8:30 to 11:00am each day, lunch, then snorkel, hike or gather with others for social time. The effort the kids are putting into their work is impressive and the amount of resistance that we get is quite limited.

This routine has allowed me some time to breathe. The adjustment to such small quarters has been challenging for most of us. I seem to be the last of the strugglers. I did not imagine this was going to be so difficult.

Thanksgiving was exciting and energizing. We were able to Skype both sets of grandparents before the gathering on the beach. It blows my mind that I can talk into the computer to PA and CA with such a great connection. I know it will be great once we can Skype one of you face to face.

For Thanksgiving, thirteen boats gathered on Prickly Pear Island for a pot luck meal---27 adults and 13 children, including a couple from New Zealand, two boats from Canada, and the rest from various US cities. There are so many unique stories about why people choose to cruise for an extended period of time. I wish I was a better writer to be able to share these with you all. But it is not to be.

We are off to St. John tomorrow. I am looking forward to revisiting some of the anchorages from our last trip here. From there to St. Thomas to hopefully meet up with John and Jo, get supplies, a new bimini and then to the Spanish Virgins by the middle of December.

Hope this finds you all well and I am truly thankfully for all the love and encouragement you have shared with us.

-- Eliza

Thanksgiving poems

2009-11-27T06:51:00.002-05:00

Here are some acrostic poems that we created for Thanksgiving.

Tropical Waters
Hot and Humid
Awesome Exploring
Noisy Chickens and Goats
Kilgour's Hockey sick flagpole
Swimming Squid
Gorgeous Coral Reefs
Ice Cold Daiquiris
VanAlstines Catching Conchs
Inviting beaches
Numerous Islands
Giant Hermit Crabs
- Jeremiah

Tropical Trees
Hot Weather
Awesome Fish
Nice Water
Kind People
Snorkeling
Glowing Plankton
Interesting Fish
Vigorous Crabs
Interesting Coral
Newts
Good to be here
-Xavier

Turquoise Water

Happy Humans

Abandoned Sweaters

New Flip Flops
Kind Winds
Sandy Beaches
Green Hillsides
Important Sunscreen
Virgin Islands
Interesting Lobsters
Nervous Minnows
Grand Weather
-Josie

Terrific fish
Heavenly views
Aqua water
Never the shivers
Keys (Cays) all to ourselves
Soft sand
Gorgeous pictures
Interesting coral
Vivid colors
Incredible sights
New day, more to see
Great snorkeling

-- Catherine

Togetherness
Helpful folks
Aunts and uncles
Nieces and nephews
Kindness and knowledge
Sense of peace
Grammy and Gip
Imagination
Voyaging afar
Individual uniqueness
New friends
Grappy and Hunna

-- Eliza and Peter

Hermit Crabs (& Dinghy Poll Math Homework)

2009-11-24T08:29:00.000-05:00

We are in Virgin Gorda North Sound near Prickly Pear Island. On Prickly Pear Island there are hermit crabs the size of an adult's fist. Their bodies are red and dark maroon. Their shells are swirly black and white. We collected about one dozen. We made a huge castle for them. We watched them play in the castle for two hours. They ate Ritz crackers that we fed them. We named all of them. Climber Crab, Coconut Fred, King, Nestmaker, Big Man, Active Johnny and Greedy are some of the names we made up. It was sad to leave them.

-- Xavier

Jeremiah and I with two of the hermit crabs.

We called this one Pincer.

Our crab castle and the beach on Prickly Pear.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you to everyone who participated in the dinghy naming poll. Given the graphics the polling widget produced, it should be clear that the winning name was Casey's suggestion - Keiki. (Our whole crew thought that was a very creative submission.) To help understand those graphics the widget puts together, Xavier has taken the time to create his own tally sheet and from that create his own bar graph. Had he been at Brackett this year, he would have come up with a question and polled his classmates to create his data. With your help he was able to do a similar assignment. Thank you for your interest and support.

-- Peter

Xavier with his tally sheet.

Xaver with his bar graph.

Caribbean 1500

2009-11-19T21:03:00.002-05:00

Ten days at sea is a long time, especially on a rocking forty-five foot sail boat. The trip was not always easy, with strong winds and large waves, but there were fun times when we saw some very cool things that can only be glimpsed out in the ocean. The good times always canceled out the challenges making the trip enjoyable and memorable.

I finally understand why ocean sailing is called “blue water” sailing. Out in the ocean, past the Gulf Stream, the water is an absolutely gorgeous color of blue. It is the color of the Crayola’s cornflower crayon, and the blue of the American flag. Sometimes if the light hits a breaking wave just the right way a turquoise color can be seen, which is just as pretty, but in a different way. The water out in the middle of the ocean is more beautiful than along the coast.

As we sailed through these wonderful seas quite a few sights jumped out at me. One morning out of these blue waves came about twenty dolphins swimming toward Ohana. They leaped and twirled and appeared to be having a magnificent time. Later on, once the sun had set, the stars put on a show equally amazing to the one of the dolphins. Out in the ocean without the light pollution of cities, so many stars sparkled like diamonds that the more well known constellations were hard to find. One evening while on deck, I saw a shooting star, which was awesome. Even on cloudy nights there were light shows to observe. In the wake of the boat phosphorescence dotted our path through the sea. These breathtaking displays added variety to each day of the journey.

For most of the voyage the waves rocked Ohana like she was a small milk carton bobbing up and down the waves. We rolled over the enormous twenty foot waves, and smashed into the smaller crashing waves. When we got pounded by the smaller crashing waves they would come over the side and soak everyone. The entire cockpit became covered in a layer of salt, so anything we touched would leave some white dust on our fingers. We were all very relieved when the seas calmed down, the sun came out, and everything dried off.

Once we arrived in Tortola we quickly learned that our little problems were nothing compared to the troubles other boats in the rally had. One example is that our autopilot had a little trouble keeping a course toward the end, but started working again, while another boat blew their autopilot completely the second day out and had to hand steer the entire way. We also had a block break free and break a window, but that is not as bad as a boat who had an uncontrolled jibe and lost all their sailing instruments. Another problem we came across was that we had to change our fuel filter while sailing, but at least our engine worked unlike a few other boats. Last and probably least, we had a stay sail line chafe through, but that is not even close to as bad as having a broken in boom furler, which means you cannot raise your main sail. After hearing these stories we realized how smoothly our trip went.

After ten days at sea, land was a great thing to set eyes on. The trip was not nearly as easy as flying to the Caribbean in an airplane, but I learned plenty from it. The memories that have come with this experience will last a lifetime and the confidence that I have gained will help me in the months of sailing still to come.

-- Josie

The crew in Hampton, VA

(Dad, me, Diane, Dave, and Jim)

At the helm.

One that didn't get away

Tending to a loose staysail.

One of the smaller waves breaking on the bow.

One of the dolphins at Soper's Hole (the finish).

The crew in Tortola, BVI!

Caribbean Arrival!

2009-11-12T13:53:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note say that we have arrived safely after an amazing passage.
We picked up a mooring at Soper's Hole last night around 2:00 a.m., cleared customs this morning and made our way to Nanny Cay by 10:00. Josie is working on a piece about the passage which we will post in a couple days.

- Peter

Caribbean 1500

2009-11-01T23:19:00.000-05:00

After making our way down the Chesapeake Bay, we have spent the past six days in Hampton, VA participating in the activities and events that make up the departure components of the “Caribbean 1500” – a sailing rally that goes from Hampton to Tortola. In order to make the nine to eleven day sail we have had to add crew members and Eliza, Catherine, Jeremiah, and Xavier stepped off the boat for a little while. Dave, Jim and Diane (each an experienced sailor) have joined Josie and I to help move the boat to the Caribbean. Eliza and the younger kids will then fly down and meet us in the Virgin Islands.

At this point, we have bought all our provisions, fill all the tanks, stowed most of the loose items, and are ready to depart Monday morning. Our goal is to get out across the Gulf Stream before Tuesday evening, when the wind is predicted to build and shift towards the northeast (contrary to the current... not a good thing). From there we expect to sail close to the rhumb line for most of the journey. We should have a full moon and fair weather and are hoping for an exciting time.

We will keep in touch with the rally organizers via short wave radio, but will not be able to update this blog until after our arrival in Tortola. Each boat in the rally, however, has been given a satellite transponder which transmits our location a couple times a day. For those of you who are interested in following our passage, you can track our progress by going to www.carib1500.com and looking for the “Boat Positions” link. Then choose the “Cruising Class” group of which we are a part. You should then be presented with a map of the western Atlantic and the tracks of the different boats in the cruising class. I think we are one of the red tracks.

Looking forward to warmer weather!

-- Peter

Flying the Spinnaker

2009-10-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows the story of Goldilocks, right? First the porridge was too cold, second the porridge was too hot, the third time it was just right! Well, we’ve tried sailing with the spinnaker three times. First there was not enough wind, then there was too much wind, then the wind was just right.

Our spinnaker is symmetrical and we use our whisker pole with it. A whisker pole is a pole that is attached on one end to the mast and the other is attached to the line that controls one corner (or clew) of the spinnaker. Once Dad and I set up the whisker pole, we hoist the spinnaker in its sleave to the top of the mast. Then we hoist the sleeve up off the spinnaker. The spinnaker fills out in the wind (if there is any) and off we go. All of us as happy as Goldilocks … well at least before the bears came back.

– Catherine

A more pleasant downwind run than our transit of Delaware Bay.

Fall on the Chesapeake

2009-10-24T09:22:00.000-04:00

The Chesapeake has given us lots of different weather. For example, at Solomons Island it was cold, wet, rainy and disgusting. It had been like this for 5 days and all we did was try to stay dry. Everything seemed to be wet because of the drips that came through the hatches and from condensation. Instead of being stuck out in the water on our anchor, we docked at a marina. We were able to visit with the Kilgours (s/v Bojangles), explore at the Calvert Marine Museum, and run a little heater that we bought.

A day later (in Mill Creek) the sun came out and there was not a cloud in the sky. So we put everything up to dry out. Instead of being crowded inside, we went kayaking and searched for Bojangles. When Dad and Xavier came back with no luck, Xavier and I went out in the dinghy and found them. We then moved our boat and rafted-up with Bojangles. We shared a little cove with calm waters and lots of trees. There were fish jumping and even bald eagles. This was fantastic.

-- Jeremiah

Fall on Mill Creek

Sunrise on Mill Creek

Dinghy Name Poll

2009-10-18T14:31:00.000-04:00

Okay folks!

The suggestions to the right have been submitted for your consideration. ------->
(Thank you Matthew for encouraging participation!)

The poll will be open until October 25th.
Please be sure to participate.

Thanks,
Peter

Visiting with Family

2009-10-18T14:28:00.000-04:00

One of the great parts about this trip is the chance to catch up with friends and family. In New York we were able to stay with Bill, Sharon, Will, Stella, Cecelia, and Georgia. It was nice to be able to see their soccer and football games, engage them in heated Wii competitions, and learn about their different after school activities. Their insights into fun city activities and their hospitality made our stay an amazing one.

Pittsburgh didn’t quite make our itinerary, but the Smith family came to us and visited us on the Chesapeake. Catherine put together the following report.

----------------------------------

We were at a dock at Kent Island, MD, just north of the Kent Narrows Bridge, and the Smiths, our twin cousins Luke and Elise and our aunt and uncle Katie and Stewart, were coming to visit us. The whole family had spent the morning not only doing school work but cleaning and organizing the boat. We all wanted Ohana to look her best when the Smiths arrived. Katie and the twins were seeing Ohana for the first time, and we wanted her to look good.

The Smiths arrived around noon. After everyone said hello and ate lunch we boarded Ohana and set off. Once we were far enough out into the Prospect Bay we raised the main sail and the staysail. We sailed for quite a while before we turned around, dropped the main sail and sailed with just the staysail to where we were going to anchor. Once we were hooked Dad took two dinghy trip to get everyone to land. The Smiths then checked into their hotel and got their room.

The Smiths came down and all the kids went swimming in the pool. Elsie and Luke wore their life jackets so they could swim in the deep end. The parents then went out to dinner while we kids watched a movie and ate pizza.

The first night, Jeremiah and I slept at the hotel while the twins slept on the boat. Katie and Stuart also slept at the hotel and Mom and Dad were on the boat.

Everyone gathered on land the next day. We first visited a conservation area where we hiked and saw owls that the park was helping heal. Then we stopped at a playground where we hung out for a while. That night we all ate dinner on the boat, shrimp scampi for some and chicken for others. Elsie, Josie and Xavier joined Katie and Stuart on land for the night.

Everyone was on the boat for the last day, Mom took some people out for a row and Katie and Stuart went of a kayak ride together. I just chilled and read my book.
Eventually it was time for the Smiths to return home. We said our good-byes and we were all sad to see them leave, but we had loads of fun when we were with them.

-- Catherine

Dinghy Naming Contest

2009-10-13T13:54:00.001-04:00

Matthew has raised the issue that we need a name for our dinghy.

He has suggested:
"Son of Fast Zoomer"
"02"
"Ohana Jr." (aka "OJ")

We would love to hear other suggestions from all of you. We will collect them and then put together an online poll to see which wins the "Readers Choice" award. (Xavier will be able to use the polling responses for some of his graphing/data analysis assignments.)

Please submit your ideas by Saturday, Oct. 17th.

Put those thinking caps on!

--Peter

Kent Island, MD - Dinghy ride

2009-10-10T19:52:00.006-04:00

Liam had requested a video of the dinghy. During the Smith's visit with us this weekend, Josie gave Luke a ride around the creek we were anchored in. Here is the clip.

NYC to Chesapeake

2009-10-05T20:58:00.004-04:00

For those tracking our progress, here is your next installment of connect-the-dots:

Departed NYC in the afternoon and motored past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazano Bridge. Pointed out where Grammy and Gip grew up. Pulled into Gravesend Bay for the night.

After a rocky night we rose early and sailed down to Sandy Hook/Atlantic Highlands. The wind had been out of the south for a few days, so there was a slew of boat anchored inside the breakwater waiting for better winds. Among them “Bojangles IV” one of the boats that is doing the Carib 1500 and which has kids aboard. The supersoaker the Piersons gave us proved quite helpful in the kayak/dinghy water fight that ensued. (Eliza’s addition: When Peter went to meet the folks on the other boat, a fierce gusty front quickly hit us. Our anchor slipped and with Josie on the anchor, Catherine on the phone with Peter and Eliza at the helm, we were able to raise the anchor and keep the boat into the wind and miss hitting other boats in the process. Easier than our adventure of the same sort in Portland.)

Departed Sandy Hook after “boat school” for the run down the New Jersey coast. (With winds out of the west blowing 15 to 20 knots, it proved to be a much faster ride than when we brought the boat north to Boston.) We ended up pulling into Cape May around 11 the next day. Bojangles IV arrived a few hours after us. They got a slip at the dock and invited us over for drinks and then the group, four adults and seven children, went out for a relaxing dinner. Two tables: kids and adults!

After the overnight run, a day ashore was in order. So we headed to the Cape May public library which included a nice walk through the town with all of its historic Victorian homes. The Bojangles IV crew joined us for this adventure which ended with an afternoon trip to the beach. Warm water, blue skies, slight breeze and lots and lots of shells to collect. (Hunna and her mother and aunts used to vacation here in the forties. Cousin Mimi shared that the older generation called themselves themselves “Fanny Dippers”.)

With the winds shifting to the southeast, we stirred the crew early the next morning and began what turned out to be a grueling trip up Delaware Bay. Shallow water, scattered shoals, huge commercial ships, following swells that kept throwing the stern around and pushing us close to gybing … ugh! We finally made it to the eastern entrance of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and threw the anchor down behind the northern breakwater. Both parents had very stiff upper backs which some of our lovely children offered to massage before bed. What gems!

The next day dawned calm and bright with the tides in our favor for a run through the canal. By noon we were officially in the Chesapeake. Ready for real showers and the luxury of hopping off the boat (rather than dinghying ashore) we headed for the Sassafras Marina in Georgetown, MD.

Tony and Carol, who keep their boat in the slip next to where we were docked, generously loaned us their car so that we could drive into Galena for mass and provisioning. The people at the marina were mostly motor boaters and all very willing to chat and offer advice about where to go in the bay. Peter and Eliza had a date night, dinner and the Steelers game, while Josie babysat the kids on Bohangles IV and Jeremiah went along for a sleepover. Catherine and Xavier entertained themselves with the computer for the evening. All having some space from each other.

We pushed off from the dock this afternoon to explore the eastern shore, making our way to Worton Creek. Next, we will probably head to Rock Hall, and eventually Kent Island. There we will meet up the with Katie, Stuart and kids. Looking forward to showing them our home for the year! We need to be in Hampton, VA by October 28th to begin the prep work for the Carib 1500, but before that we will make a stop at Shirley and Hunter’s (Tom’s aunt and uncle) and possibly, but not likely Cousin Mimi’s camp. I think that we may have to save that visit for the ride back up the bay in the spring.

We just finished a family game of Gin Rummy and everyone is snuggled into bed reading. The geese are very active with their calling and hooting. Such relaxing night time sounds!

– Peter (and a bit of Eliza)

New York City

2009-10-02T20:13:00.016-04:00

Here are some poetic reflections on our time in NYC:

The statue of liberty had a crown,
and a beautiful gown.
Central Park had sun.
The water park was fun.
The T-rex was king of the room,
even though he’s met his doom.
Chewbacca was fearless,
The shark was cheerless.
The octopus was cute,
The figures are mute.
The empire was tall,
The peace cranes were small.
The crowded subway was bad,
Ground zero was sad.

--Xavier

New York, crowded with traffic, stuffed with people wandering about,
Cousins sometimes nice but sometimes you want to wish them away
Drodica and Sith with four arms that can tuck in then pop out,
Chewbacca, life size, made of Lego's, fights to keep clones at bay.

Water park, toddlers screaming and lots to do,
World Trade Center, where lots were lost and very sad.
Ferry to Ellis stuffed to the top and as loud as a zoo
Subways filled like a storm cloud and smelled very bad.

Statue of liberty, made of copper and gold,
Dinosaurs filled two rooms some short and some long.
The blue whale, made of blubber to keep out cold,
The Empire shop, full of cool things and some that had King Kong.

The Empire State Building was very very tall,
In New York we had a ball.

-- Jeremiah

She’s tall and she’s silent and perfectly still,
Lady Liberty is her name,
It’s full and and it’s crazy and home to crystal,
Times Square holds a ball of great fame.

From the top of the Empire State Building you see,
The city laid out before you,
In a horse-drawn carriage you will be,
Excited about what you could do.

Natural history catches anyone’s attention,
With all those dinosaur bones,
Also a humongous blue whale, did I mention?
And Easter Island heads of stone.

New York is busy and full and fun,
And New York interests everyone.

-- Catherine

The first thing we saw as we entered the city
On our way down the river on Ohana our boat
Was the Statue of Liberty looking so pretty
Slowly by the green lady we did float.

Ellis Island was a stopping place
For many who came to get to a country so free.
To the top of the Empire State we did race
For views as far as the eye can see.

To the Natural History Museum we did go
There we saw many cool things
We saw an Easter Island statue, a big whale, and a dino
We saw a big T-Rex and a small one with wings.

I cannot say what part of this stop was the best
The entire thing was a super fun fest.

– Josephine

Fairfield

2009-09-24T15:13:00.005-04:00

In Fairfield we did many fun things such as shop, fish (in the lake), and make fresh pesto; but for me the highlight was visiting with family. The relatives we saw the most were Sally and Ernie, since we were staying at their lovely home. It was quite nice staying at their house, they made us dinner, they let us do laundry, and took very good care of us. Grandma Martha was another relation that we were lucky enough to see quite a bit. She came over for dinner twice so that we would have plenty of time for wonderful conversation. Casey also came to dinner at Sally and Ernie's one night and we all had fun visiting with her. The next morning Maryanne, Mimi, Steve, Maisie and Benjamin came over. We all enjoyed watching Ben ride a small tricycle while Ernie carried Maisie around upside down. It was my first time seeing Benjamin and he was super cute. It was really great to see people as well as be on land for a while.

-Josephine

Mystic Seaport

2009-09-23T08:37:00.006-04:00

At Mystic Seaport you could:

-visit the ship smith shop,
-go aboard the Charles W. Morgan, the only surviving wooden whaling ship,
-watch a barrel being made
-visit the rope walk (the rope factory),
-board a fishing schooner,
-walk through one of the many informational museums,
-or peek in all the different mock seaport shops.

The whole family spent their time wandering around the site, learning about everything from the sailors' music to their jobs or even what they ate.

We all enjoyed the time we spent at Mystic Seaport, and we all left at least a bit smarter.

- Catherine

Boat Building

2009-09-15T15:42:00.007-04:00

Jeremiah and I have been building boat for one week. We built six paper boats. We used these materials: scissors, tape, paper, and toothpicks. We folded the paper into a whole bunch of shapes. We put toothpicks on for masts, stays, and keels. We used scissors for cutting the sails into good shapes. We were able to make many different designs.

We changed the materials we used because the paper was getting soggy. For the hulls we used foam rubber instead of paper. We used four toothpicks to keep the hulls together. Then we put a piece of paper on it to prevent the toothpicks from snapping. We duct taped the paper to the toothpicks. That helped a lot. We made four masts to hold up the sails. Our masts were made of toothpicks and each mast has five toothpicks. I like this boat a lot.

We were delighted when we got to sail it. After we anchored near Mystic, CT, Jeremiah and I got in the dinghy and put our boat in the water. We putted along next to our boat while it sailed. Check out the video to see it cruise along.

– Xavier

Boat School

2009-09-12T20:12:00.003-04:00

As per Michael's request, here is a shot of life aboard during school hours.

Plymouth (Sept 8)

2009-09-12T19:48:00.009-04:00

We went to Plymouth and while we were there we saw the Mayflower II and learned lots. The boat was 90 feet long and had four decks. There was one kitchen on the main deck. The passengers live on the second deck below the main deck. They had a dreadful life because the could not go on deck when the weather was bad. It was very crowded and there was not a lot of air moving around. I am glad I was not on the Mayflower.

-- Xavier

One of the "nice" sleeping area a family of Pilgrims might have shared while on the Mayflower.

Listening to one of the role players.

-------------------------

The day after visiting the Mayflower, we caught a bus to Plimoth Plantation. There we saw a Wompanoag home site and a 1620s English colonial village. It was fun and interesting.

Wompanoag people and the English Colonists have some similarities and some differences. Wompanoag people used spears and bow and arrows to hunt and protect themselves, but the colonists used muskets to hunt and cannons to protect themselves. Wompanoag people didn’t waste much, for instance they boiled the brains of a deer in water for 30 minutes, then they smoothed the brains onto the deer hide to soften and stretch them out to make them more comfortable. The colonists only took the meat and threw the rest away. Wompanoag people let their children play until they wanted to work. Colonists made their children work, work, work starting at the age of four. They both were scared of each other because they had different beliefs and languages. They also both used straw on their houses. Last, but not least they both depend on corn for food. As you see they have similarities and differences. I think I would have rather lived like the Wompanoags.

-- Jeremiah

At the Wompanoag home site.

Plimoth Plantation

One of the cannons.

Sept. 5 - Sept 10

2009-09-10T22:12:00.002-04:00

Hello to everyone playing along at home. Here is a quick update for those of you tracking our progress. Hope you have your push pins ready.

Saturday 9/5: Departed York, ME with light winds – sailed and motored to Newburyport, MA.

Sunday 9/6: Departed Newburyport early in the morning in order to ride the tide out while there was still enough water over the bar at the mouth. Wind out of the northeast had picked up overnight stirring up the seas and making it a rough ride reaching around Cape Anne. Once we rounded the point, however, we could run down wind and the lee of the cape calmed the swells somewhat. The wind died on us as evening approached and we anchored outside Cohasset Harbor for the night.

Monday 9/7: With only light winds from the south, we motored down to Plymouth, arriving early enough to pop ashore and visit the replica of the Mayflower and walk around a bit.

Tuesday 9/8: Spent the day ashore visiting Plimouth Plantation. Officially started “boat school” with everyone taking time to write about their experiences.

Wednesday 9/9: With 15 to 20 knot winds out of the northeast we departed Plymouth around eleven and scudded down to the Cape Cod Canal, averaging 6 knots with the staysail and the main reefed down one. Even more amazing were the 9 to 10 knots speed-over-ground readings we achieved in the canal! (What a help five knots of current can be when it is heading in the right direction.) We shot out of the west end of the canal and ducked into Onset Harbor for the night.

Thursday 9/10: The wind continued to blow from the northeast so we decided to use it to keep moving the boat. We skipped across Buzzards Bay and made the 25 mile run to Westport Harbor in just a little over four hours. With rain in the forecast we will probably stay put tomorrow and then look to head across Rhode Island Sound and into Long Island Sound over the weekend.

--Peter

York September 1-5

2009-09-08T20:43:00.004-04:00

We arrived in York on the 1st much to the excitement of all of us. Some of us were excited to take a shower, some wanted a full sized bed that does not move when a lobster boat drives by at 5:30 am. Some of us were looking forward to flush toilets while others longed to go to the wonderful candy shoppe named wisely after me (“Sweet Josies”). Still others were more than ready to win some tickets
playing skeeball at the nearby arcade.

We got all of this (plus some) during our visit with Julie and Ellen. We all took many showers, one every day!!!!! We also got big beads, which we shared, but they did not move so we were satisfied. As for flush toilets not only did they flush, but we also could put our toilet paper into them (which is something that we cannot do on the boat).

A great surprise that arrived was visitors, that is right folks we got fans coming from near and far to see the great and wonderful Jacob-Dolans. The first group was the Donovan crew (of which Elsa a good friend of mine is included), but that is not all ... the very next morning the Galantowitz (good friends of Catherine) arrived.

Sweet Josie’s Candy Shoppe is quite the shoppe and I got to go there twice. For the longest time I have thought that this was the best candy shoppe in the world (mainly because it is named after me), but now, thanks to Ellen, I have found an even better shoppe. This candy palace -- the candy shoppe of all candy shoppes -- is called Yummies. Candy fills this place from floor to ceiling. Absolutely all kinds: licorice, gummy bears, jawbreakers, chocolate toilet seats, you name it they’ve got it. Plus their prices are much better than at Sweet Josie’s. Now when we visit York this will be our favorite candy stop.

Right before the Sweet Josie’s, Yummies excursion, Ellen treated us with a visit to the arcade. We all played skeeball, Take-five poker bowling, coin shot challenge, video motorcycle racer, and more. Added all together we four kids and Ellen won 843 tickets, yeah, we rule the arcade. With all of those tickets we bought one inflatable puffy thing, a bouncy ball, and some tootsie rolls. Some winnings!

Sadly the next day we left to make our way out of lobster pot land and towards the warmth of the south.

-Josephine

Portland

2009-09-07T09:54:00.001-04:00

After a long exhausting overnight from the White Islands to Portland ME we pulled alongside a dock at Portland Yacht Services. We split into two groups Mom and Catherine and Peter, Josie, Jeremiah, and Xavier. Mom and I found a cute cafe to get a snack and write letters in. After we finished, we browsed touristy shops and I bought postcards. Later we ran into everyone else and together we went to Flatbread Pizza for dinner.
The chance to run around and kick a ball in a park tempted all the kids the next day. So we kids with Mom in tow set out for the public park. There we swung on the swings and kicked the soccer ball around and explored the paths around and through the park. That night we feasted on fresh scallops from the wharf with spaghetti and tomato sauce.
When the next day dawned Xavier and I set out on our own to spend the time how we wanted before we met everyone else in the diving shop. We looked in the nick-nack stores but found nothing that caught our eyes. We then revisited Beals Ice Cream Shop which we had found the previous day. With delicious cones of ice cream we set out for the dive shop. There we browsed the flippers, snorkels, and face masks, waiting for the others to arrive from the marine store where Mom had been buying foul weather gear. Everyone found their snorkle gear easily and everyone left happy.
Later that day Tropical Storm Dan was due so Dad and Jeremiah moved the boat out onto the anchor. The whole family visited with Norman, Dad and Mom’s old friend from college. Everybody excluding Dad and Jeremiah slept on land while our men tended the boat. With Dan still raging people just hung out a bit until Jeremiah and Dad showed up to bring the majority of the family back to the boat. Jeremiah and I accompanied Dad in the task returning the car to Norman. Back at the dock we boarded the dinghy for the rough ride back to the boat. Once on the boat Dad and Mom move us to a safer and calmer location where we spent the night the next day we revisited the dock where we got off and attended church and Dad, Xavier, Jeremiah, and I went provisioning. With full bags and a fulfilled shopping list we returned to the dock. We set off to Seal Cove a sheltered spot nearby on the south side of Cape Elizabeth. The memory of Portland is printed forever in our minds as a an adventure into a new side of Maine sailing.
-Catherine

Aug 16 - Aug 23

2009-08-24T19:30:00.013-04:00

We have had an amazing set of days since leaving Swans Island. On Sunday (after a morning trip to the quarry) we jumped over to Frenchboro (on Long Island) and spent two nights there. Wednesday we ran up to Southwest Harbor to provision and then moved up to Valley Cove (in Somes Sound). After two great days there we began our return back down the coast looking for a good harbor to sit out the effects of Hurricane Bill which passed offshore Saturday night. We found a great spot in Laundry Cove, on the island of Isle au Haut. Across these days we’ve enjoyed all the fruits of cruising in Maine – easy sailing, challenging fog, great hiking, and bracing swims.

Hiking has figured prominently in our shore activities and Frenchboro provided us with great trail choices. Sunday afternoon we headed out on a trail that left from the harbor and ran around the northern headlands. The trail wound through a lush spruce forest, carpetted with bright green moss and punctuated with great views of the rocky coast. At the end of the trail we arrived at a beach made entirely of smoothly rounded stones. The girls were intrepid enough to take a few short swims while the boys made stone forts that were slowly engulfed by the rising tide. On Monday we traversed the island and followed a trail to Rich’s Head. The isthmus connecting the main part of the island and this extension was again made of rounded stone, but was also strewn with a panoply of items washed up by storms – lobster traps, floats of various colors, plastic bottles and containers, and driftwood of all shapes and sizes. While these trinkets were fun to explore, the real treasure was discovered on our trek back along the southern coast. On our return we found over a dozen full sea urchin shells … and we never had to leave the trail. They were all located in the grass and underbrush near the trees lining the coast. Evidently, birds must take their finds into the trees to eat and then drop the remaining shell. We will now think twice about scanning the tideline for these delicate treasures, and rather look to the woods. Such are the unique and interesting discoveries that lend wonder to every hike.

Along the Deep Cove Trail

After stopping in Southwest Harbor to fill our pantry and “fridge” (and indulge in warm water showers ashore), we headed into Somes Sound – the closest thing to a fjord that you can find in New England. Here too we found an amazing anchorage with great hikes right at hand. Just up from the mouth of the sound can be found Valley Cove. Valley Peak and St. Sauvier Mountain rise up steeply out of the water and tower over the cove. The protected nature of this cove made it perfect for kayak excursions and the warm sunny weather enticed us all to take quick dips – Josie, Jeremiah, and Catherine even swam to shore. On Thursday all of us headed ashore and hiked along the Valley Cove Trail and then up and back along the Valley Peak Trail. This gave us a great view of Ohana in the cove and the Cranberry Islands in the distance.

Valley Cove Trail w/Ohana in the distance

From St. Sauvier Mt.
(Ohana is the boat to the right of the others)

Friday morning, Catherine and I took the dinghy back to Southwest Harbor to pick up some more provisions. We had hoped to pull into a little cove close to the food mart, but the fog was so thick we couldn’t find the entrance and ended back at the town dock in the harbor. Thankfully there is a free bus that runs around Acadia and so when our bags were full we were able to catch a ride back to the dock. The same fog made it quite a challenge to navigate out though the Cranberry Islands and then over the Bass Harbor bar. Nevertheless, once we were in Bull Hills Bay we were able to raise the main and run out the genoa. As odd as it might sound, sailing in fog is much easier than running with the motor. It is easier to hear the motors of other boats, and although it is still important to dodge lobster buoys, the fear of having one get wrapped in the prop lessens. Thanks to the wonder of GPS and radar we navigate all the way to Isle au Haut, where the fog lifted just as we began our approach. Threading almost blindly between the shoals, ledges, large rocks and small islands that make up so much of this area took a great deal of concentration. It is hard to imagine the skill it took decades and centuries past to work these waters safely.

With gale warnings in effect for Saturday night and Sunday and predictions of the seas to build to 20 plus feet, it felt great to get ourselves tucked into Laundry Cove on Isle au Haut. It had a nice mud bottom for great holding, and with only a few local boats moored in one corner, we could run out a lot of scope and still have room to swing safely. Additionally, Flake and Kimball Islands frame the northwest and west/southwest sides of the cove, cutting off any swells running in from the ocean. Although the gale warning came about because of Hurricane Bill passing offshore on Sunday, we had stronger winds on Friday night. (In fact we heard that a few tornadoes touched down in southern Maine that evening.) Saturday provided dry enough weather to explore the part of Acadia National Park that makes up more than half of this island. Saturday night proved quite uneventful with some wind and heavy downpours passing through every so often. By ten the next morning the skies had cleared and we were able to pump out the dinghy and go ashore. The locals were all commenting on the size of the breakers rolling in from the ocean, so we hiked out to an old lighthouse that is now privately owned. The owners, who had run a B&B for years on the property (and now have it up for sale … any takers?), said they had never seen such large waves. Sitting high on the rocks, watching the crashing white water, and feeling the spray left us all in awe of the power and the beauty of the sea. A feeling I am sure we will run deep in us by the end of our adventure.

- Peter

Watching the surf

Yikes! That's a big one!

Isle au Haut Light

Aug 16

2009-08-19T11:01:00.003-04:00

Usually when you think of swimming on an island you think of swimming in the ocean, right? Well on Swans Island there was an alternative to the numbing, salty Maine ocean water -- a freshwater filled quarry. A long abandoned granite quarry had been completely transformed into a popular swim place. Complete with a diving platform and conveniently places strings of buoys that divided the quarry into thirds, the quarry offers swimming for everyone young and old. To one side a little jetty of rocks provides the perfect stairs, jumping platform and sitting spot (for those who didn’t want to swim themselves and for those who have finished swimming). Why would anyone want to leave the water? It was quite warm and refreshing. The big dark rocks around the quarry made the perfect lounging surface for any swimmer looking for a warm perch. While the quarry isn’t crowded, there is always someone diving or cannon-balling or just goofing off. That’s why everyone loves it.

- Catherine

Aug 15

2009-08-17T09:41:00.006-04:00

For this trip I have set a few goals for myself including: learn how to french braid hair, perform a good dive, understand roman numerals, get to the top of the mast, and spend a night on deck. In this last week I have accomplished two of these goals – nearly perfecting my dive and getting to the top of the mast.

I was hoisted to the top of the mast while we were at Bucks Harbor. This was a very nerve racking experience. My task was to attach a block to the top of the mast by using a U-bolt. Once I got the block attached my job was to tie the thumb screw to the rest of body of the U-bolt, to keep it from coming loose. As soon as I learned the details of my mission I was harnessed in and Dad started to crank me up the mast. When I reached the first set of spreaders I was relieved to be able to put me feet down and take some deep breaths before continuing on to the next set. I am not normally afraid of heights, but when I was up there with out anywhere to put my hands or feet except for around the mast it was very scary. Once I left the second set of spreaders the next stop was the top of the mast. The view from up there probably would have been very nice, if I could have thought of anything except for, Wow! that would be a far drop. Finally, after a bunch of knot tying, thumbscrew screwing, and deep breath taking, it was time to come down. Man, I was glad to have my feet back down on the deck. That was one goal to check off my list.

The next goal was completed two days later at Swans Island. On the island there is an old quarry full of fresh water which is great for swimming. It is very deep and there is a float in the middle. The whole family swam out and took turns diving, or cannon-balling, or belly flopping off the platform. I was very surprised and proud at how good my first dive turned out. I got the hang of it right away. This was the first time I have ever felt confident with my diving, before I would mostly do belly flops or something else with a big splash. Now I will be able to neatly dive off the boat all the way from Maine to the Caribbean.

- Josephine

This is the picture I took from the second set of spreaders. After this point I was not brave enough to let go of the mast to take a picture.

This picture Catherine took from the deck when I was at the second set of spreaders.

This is me at the top of the mast trying to get everything to come
together without dropping anything.

Aug 13 - Aug 14

2009-08-15T09:49:00.004-04:00

We sailed for four hours down Eggemoggin Reach from Bucks Harbor to Bear Island. We got there and put down the anchor at six o’clock. While we dropped the anchor, Dad’s right pinkie finger got caught between the chain and the roller. I got an ice pack for him. After that we had dinner and then we went for a look. We decided that it was too buggy, so we headed back. Dad promised that we would explore the next day.

The next day we got up and ate breakfast and then after breakfast we set out on an adventure. We went in kayaks and a dinghy. On the island we found a whole lot of sea urchins and sea urchin’s shells, snail shells too and a whole bunch of muscle shells. After that we walked around a bit and then we found a sea star. It was bright pink. It was a really nice island.

- Xavier

Ohana at Bear Island, ME (southeastern end of Eggemoggin Reach)

Tide pool (sea urchin near center of picture)

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Live sea urchin and a shell we found.

Sea star among muscles.

Aug 8 - North Haven Island

2009-08-11T21:02:00.008-04:00

When our family landed on North Haven island the main street was crowded with people, so we decided to see what was going on. We discovered that it was Community Days and they were about to have a “Codfish Relay.” The point of the relay was to dress as a fisherman and carry a huge cod back and forth four times. The rules were that you had to have at least one strap of the overalls on, both arms in the oilskin coat, and you couldn’t help your partners dress or undress. There were four teams and they didn’t have enough clothes for four teams so they did two teams at a time. Some people whizzed by. Some jogged past. In the last race the cod’s head almost snapped off. “Cod-dangit!” (the winners) had some fast runners and some people that could get the clothes on fast. This is why they won. It was a great race and we were happy we saw it.

- Jeremiah

The start

The speed

The cheering crowd

The determination

The guts (and the head ... and tail).

Aug 5 - Aug 7

2009-08-09T11:54:00.003-04:00

We have made it to Penobscot Bay and have had some great sailing weather. We also had one scary incident that has reminded us all of the power of the wind and reintroduced us to the kind and helpful nature of the people of Maine.

With the battery/electrical problem sorted out, we left Boothbay Harbor for a short sail around Linekin Neck to Christmas Cove. We poked along with light winds and through heavy fog arriving in the late afternoon. The next day dawned clear and bright with winds forecasted between 5 to 10 knots out of the southwest, so we decided to set out for Tenants Harbor. We had a great run across the mouth of Muscongus Bay and up into Penobscot.

Everything was going smoothly until a few miles outside Tenants Harbor we snagged a lobster pot buoy on our keel . We had been on downwind run with the mainsail well out over the port side, but in the commotion of trying to come free of the pot the sail gybed. As the boom whipped from one side to the other it picked up enough force to snap the large bronze snap shackle holding the mainsheet to the traveler. The loose shackle and block then hit Xavier in the head, knocking him across the cockpit and leaving him with a nasty gash on his temple. With Eliza tending to Xavier, everyone else helped get control of the sail, drop it, and get the motor running. We were then able to call for an ambulance to meet us in Tenants Harbor.

The kindness and generosity that met us in Tenants Harbor was amazing. The harbor master shuttled the EMTs out to us, so they could attend to Xavier before we docked. He then led us to a commercial dock at Cods End market because there was more water there than off the town landing. Many hands were there at Cods End and they helped us bring Ohana alongside. As a sudden downpour began, the rest of the St. George Fire and Rescue team ignored the rain and helped bring Xavier off the boat and up to the ambulance. Once Xavier, together with Eliza and Jeremiah, departed for the hospital in Rockport, the people at Cods End found us a local lobsterman's mooring that we could use for the night. Dealing with such a accident at home would have been trying enough, in an unknown place it could have been much more difficult. Thankfully everyone we met helped things go smoothly, their calm attitude and patient demeanor allowed us to focus our energies on helping Xavier.

Xavier ended up with five stitches and a “wicked” black eye. He stayed with Eliza and Jeremiah at a hotel in Rockland that night and the girls and I motored the boat up the next morning. We plan on taking it easy for the next few days, sailing over to Northhaven, Vinalhaven, or the White Islands before returning to Rockport to have XB’s stitches removed. We will take time to talk about what happened, how it has affected all of us, and what steps we can take to sail more safely over the coming months.

- Peter.

July 29 and August 04

2009-08-04T15:11:00.005-04:00

Here is a dogshark. His home is at the Maine State
Aquarium which we visited today. This aquarium was very small,
only one room, just barely big enough to accommodate the giant
lobster which looked about 30 pounds.

Here are the four of us in front of the trout tank not looking
all that excited to get our picture taken.

It is Xavier's birthday, the first one to be celebrated
on the boat!!!!!!!!!!

Xavier used some of his birthday presents very
creatively to create this castle, which even has a tree swing.

Here we are at the Aquarium touch tank touching
the dogsharks, who, surprisingly enjoyed being touched.

July 29-August 02

2009-08-02T14:55:00.003-04:00

Marblehead to Newburyport to Boothbay Harbor, ME. Our trip started out like any day-sailing trip, we started by visiting Lovell and George’s Islands. The next day was back to the dock in Winthrop to tie up loose ends and then out again.
Thursday night we anchored at Great Misery Island, near Manchester Bay, Mass. The next day we sailed from Misery to Newburyport - Black Rock Creek to be exact. There we swam/kayaked ashore and hung out on the beach. Around 2 o’clock we left Newburyport and set sail for Pemaquid Point on our first overnight.
Wait ... how did we end up at Boothbay you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. So we start out sailing and but when we went to use the auto pilot it crashed. Then the new GPS/Radar started acting weird so we pull out the old GPS and then the digital compass started acting up. So I sat there reading off the ever changing directions that the GPS says we were going. Finally Dad diagnosised the problem to a failure in the house batteries. To fix this we ran the engine. With the digital compass back I was relieved of my tedious job. After only a short while Josie and I both headed down to the bed that we shared for the night. When Jeremiah’s shift ended I headed up on deck to take his place. My shift-from 12 to 3 was filled with bumps and wobbles and flapping sails. I took the wheel for some time while Dad rigged preventor and yes you guessed it "prevents" the boom from swinging around too much. When my shift ended I went and woke up Josie and then just fell into bed. I woke up and we were anchored. I assumed we were in Pemaquid but when I looked out of the companion way(staircase opening) there were the masts of the latest boat being worked on in Boothbay Harbour Shipyard. When I inquire as to why we were in Boothbay not Pemaquid I was informed that Boothbay has better places to buy boat batteries than Pemaquid. So that’s how it all happened and here we are now in Boothbay enjoying the thrill of revisiting an intriguing town full of wonders in the forms of shops and boats and sights. Our adventure has just begun.
-Catherine

The Plan

2009-07-26T14:17:00.001-04:00

Here is a map showing
our sail plan
... as it stands
before departure.

We will be leaving Boston in late July and heading up to Maine for August. Then down to New York in September. We will explore the upper Chesapeake during October and then head offshore to make our way to the the Virgin Islands in early November. In December/January our plan is to track west across the Caribbean -- Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc. --to Central America. We are working on finding a service project that our whole family can take part in and spend a couple weeks learning more about the country and the people in whichever Central American country we can make this happen. Early next spring, we will make our way up to Belize and Mexico and then to Florida. Finally, we will follow the warm weather north, returning to Boston in July 2010.

Sailing on a strict schedule is a great way to make things miserable for everyone. So there are sure to be variations, changes, additions, etc. all of which you will hear about on these pages.

The Crew

2009-07-26T12:38:00.004-04:00

Peter and Eliza attend to the duties of captain, first mate, cook, teacher, and entertainment director. Josie (age 14), Catherine (12), Jeremiah (10), and Xavier (8) make up the rest of the crew and all help with sail handling, navigation, galley duty, and trip reporting. All of us will take part in creating log entries over the course of the year.

The Boat

2009-07-26T09:53:00.001-04:00

Our home for the next year is a 45' cutter-rigged sailboat.
It has three cabins, three heads, and a raised salon with lots of space -- at least as far as boats go.