Caribbean adventures aboard Sailing Vessel Namaste -- Part I, preparations

Dan Miller's Blog ^ | January 1, 2014 | Dan Miller

[DanMiller]

Instead of posting today about hateful ideologies and those who support them, I decided to focus on something pleasant my wife and I did while young enough to enjoy it.

[DanMiller]

I need to get with the program. I posted the article today, not January 1, 2014.

[gorush]

Very nice. My wife and I lived aboard for four years back in the '80's. Great memories.

The annual bottom cleaning:

The day we sold her:

[DanMiller]

Memories can be comforting. Where did you sail?

[gorush]

Home port was Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, WA. Many trips north.

[coon2000]

Can you post the montage as individual photos so they can be zoomed in?

[DanMiller]

Sorry, I no longer have (or at least can’t find) the original photos so the montage is all that I have. However, you can hit control + a couple of times to enlarge the pictures.

[rktman]

Nice job of hiding the stainless 12 gauge mariner shotgun. I couldn’t spot it in any of the pics. :>}

[Hot Tabasco]

when we arrived in the Republic of Panamá.

I'll read thru it all as the day goes on.....

I have a cousin who built a house (not quite the type of house I would want to live in) on a small island off Bocas del Toro....and managed a small resort called Casa Cayuco for a short time.

He and his wife are back in the states working as property managers for someone in South Carolina I think......He still has the house in Bocas but I don't know what his plans for it are....

[TexasGator]

an office chair on wheels in a sailboat?

[DanMiller]

An office chair with wheels wouldn't be great on a sailboat unless it could be immobilized, at least while sailing. I recall one time, during our Caribbean 1500 cruise to Tortola, when I was standing at our old navstation talking on the radio. Namaste lurched to the left. I wound up on my butt in the galley.

[Conan the Librarian]

THanks for the photos!

My wife and I are closing on a 36 ft Ta Shing Tashiba on Monday.

We’re going to live on her until I retire (4 more years) and then cut the ropes and sail over the horizon.

So ready to go!

[Osage Orange]

Veddy nice!!

It's a dream of mine to sail the oceans.

I have a Melges C-Scow...and it's quite fun. Great for the lakes near me....

FRegards,

[Rebelbase]

Bump for later.

[DanMiller]

Good for you! Go while you still can.

I think that my flight instructor, who became a good friend as he helped with my commercial, instrument and multiengine ratings, pushed me. He was an ocean sailor as well as a pilot and, shortly before his death at the age of 55, he urged me to go while still young enough to enjoy it. When we learned of his death, we became serious about going.

[DanMiller]

I neglected to mention that the photo was taken very soon after our new navstation was installed. We promptly put several large eye hooks into the cabin sole to immobilize the chair with heavy duty bungee cords and had no problems with it.

[outofsalt]

Ping me when you unfurl the next installment.
I own an old boat in the York river and would enjoy reading yarns along my unfulfilled wishes. Fair winds.

[DanMiller]

I’ll try to remember. It will probably be toward the middle or end of next week.

[Col Freeper]

Dan,

Thanks for posting this.

It is a good (positive) read to start the new year with.

coon2000,

Maybe these will help.

I didn't have Dan's permission, but hopefully he won't mind.

I lightened/adjusted some of them a touch to draw out some more detail -- hopefully not enough to mess them up.

Happy New Year to both of you!

[DanMiller]

Thank you very, very much. If you don't mind, I shall copy them and put them in my Namaste file for future reference.