Ireland Part 1 - North West bound trip

Ireland Part 1 - North West bound trip
Overall impression so far is that Ireland is a very wet and sparsely populated country with folks from Cork buying up a lot of the land and old homes on the West coast. The economic growth of Ireland seems to have benefited people in
the larger urban centres but there is no evidence to show the same is true in the smaller towns and villages. Depletion of fish and seafood stocks are creating economic hardship along the coast. Tourism from EU countries as well as the major Irish centres is filling in the income gap to a small degree. Many of the tourist shops are owned by chains or outsiders who hire immigrant EU labour for the busy months. Little of the money stays in the villages. The tourist goods are manufactured in the Far
East, identified as Irish Designed and priced to the affluent wallet. Traditional music, if you can find it, is generally of very poor quality or is similar to a grade school concert with the village children performing. Modern rock or current top 10 hits seem to be the mainstay of most pub bands. The only things about Ireland that have met my expectations are the lush green growth, poor villages, hatred of the British and the taste of real draft Guinness.
Comments follow for the various Ports of Call so far visited.
Crosshaven - no anchorage - use docks or moorings
We stayed at the Royal Cork Yacht Club to rest up from the Azores crossing, filled water tanks, did laundry, updated the web site and tried to find traditional Irish music. Crosshaven is a small village with a large number of pubs and restaurants priced to the tourist trade with marginal quality and no traditional music of any kind (while we were there). The RCYC had the best food by far. Went to Cork by taxi and returned by bus. The Cork marine store was poorly stocked and very expensive. Cork
was impressive with an interesting mixture of new and old architecture. All of the chain stores were in evidence. A very busy city teeming with people from all over the EU. Cork is the second largest city in Ireland after Dublin.
Castlehaven - good anchorage
Anchored off a castle ruin in Castletownshend , visited a church (Protestant … the Catholic one is 2 miles out of town), attached graveyard and a highly recommended local restaurant for lunch. We met an avid sailor and his family who were from Cork and had a summer place in the village. This was a British stronghold up until Irish independence.
Sherkin Island (Baltimore) - good anchorage
Anchored off castle ruin and did a walking tour of part of the island … Horseshoe Bay … the abandoned Northern fishing village … the local school. Met the same fellow from Castlehaven and a sailor that we had met in the Azores. The sailor was single-handing a 36-foot sloop on his way to Norway.
Schull- good anchorage but hard to find
A very busy harbour filled with commercial fishing and tourist boats. The town has a great bookstore, grocery stores, a bank, several pubs and a misnamed farmers market. At night the street is filled with the overflow from the pubs and young drunks.
Kitchen Cove (Dunmanus Bay) - good anchorage
A pub and a plaque commemorating the Air India crash. We found the pub but were unaware of the plaque until after we had left. The small village was very poor, the pub in great need of repair, the locals resigned to a bleak future.
The anchorage held a couple of tourist sailboats as well as one cute fishing boat.
Glengarriff (Bantry Bay) - marginal anchorage - use moorings
We had a very disappointing lunch at a highly recommended hotel but found a lively tourist-catering village not far way. An island off the mainland was stocked with flora from all parts of the world and developed as a private garden. It is now owned and operated by the government as a park. We found some "traditional" music here but it was aimed at the mainly EU cliental.
Dunboy Cove - good anchorage
A historically significant site since it contains the Dunboy castle ruins (blown up by the English in 1602) and the Dunboy mansion ruins (burned by the IRA in 1921). There is now a major hotel/condo redevelopment project on the site.
Sneem (Kenmar River) - good anchorage
The anchorage is two miles from the village up a river that dries out at low tide. We were given a lift to town by a women from Cork who is building a summer home in the village … much to the chagrin of her husband who has a boat and wants to sail. The village was full of tourists from Cork and the EU.
Darrynane - marginal anchorage … watch drying rock
An almost landlocked port that requires careful navigation to enter at anything but high tide. Large beach area, sailing school, water sports, pub and "trailer park" for the tourists from Cork and beyond. Finally met some Irish that were not from Cork.
Portmagee- no anchorage - use moorings
The starting place for our Skellig adventure. We had to take a mooring ball far from town since there was no place to anchor. Landing the dinghy was a challenge since there were no facilities for small boats at the town dock. All of the space was reserved for local fisherman or tour boats. We managed to get seats on a tour boat (40 Euros each) that made the trip to Skellig Michael. Jane made it to the monastic site 200 metres above sea level while Brian stayed tending the birds at sea level. The
village is again focused on the tourist trade but seems to be in a better state of repair than others. Several suburban style housing developments are evident near the village.
Ventry Bay - good anchorage
There is a post office and pub catering to a large vacationing population. A sand beach attracts, a "trailer park" and scores of "B&Bs" provide accommodation. Activities range from Scuba diving, swimming, horse back riding and fishing. We met folks from the US and Cork but no locals.
Dingle - no anchorage - use marina

Bermuda and Azores comments

It has been a while since I updated this subsite. I had thought I could maintain a
daily log but that fell by the wayside when I realized I was not a writer. Opinionated
perhaps but unable to express ideas in a written form. Here is an attempt to summarize
a couple of months worth of experience. In a few words, the exploitation of the common
folk continues wherever we go. It is sad to see how the modern global economy is creating
a new wealth class structure that preys upon the economically depressed areas, driving
up property values, increasing taxes and forcing people to leave homes they had occupied
for generations.
In Bermuda the development is so complete that space no longer exists for new exploitation.
The service industry is dominated by imported labour, young Eastern Europeans for the most
part but also from the Caribbean. Bermuda was very expensive and very British. A controlled
environment where your movements as a foreign vessel were noted and restricted.
The Azores provides a different twist. There is a lot of land but in most cases
uninhabitable so houses are built by the ruins of older houses often without tearing down
the old stone structures. During the last century over half of the Azores population left
to find work in the US whaling industry. They sent money back home, they sponsored
relatives, they retired and came home "wealthy". I spoke to a man that had immigrated to
Canada and had returned within the last few years. He was complaining that so many
retirees were returning home that it was hard to find a cheap farm or even house to buy
anymore. The language is Portuguese so a fair number of service workers come from the old
Portuguese colonies such as Brazil. The availability and cost of food was on a par with
smaller Canadian towns.
Bermuda caters to British and American tastes while the Azores provided us with our first
glimpse of European marketing, packaging and products.

May 11, 2007 Bermuda

So we're in Bermuda. Not a planned stop over ... in fact I was dead set against coming here.
Too expensive. Herb , our router, had other ideas. "You want to die or just get real sick,
the choice is yours". We chose the obvious and headed south east instead of north east and
managed to avoid the first major tropical named storm of 2007. One boat has not been heard
from ... she crossed a location 24 hours after we did ... one day ... life and death. Her
EPIRB stopped after 30 hours ... nothing has been found. So much for the safety gear we
carry ...I hope it works better for us. The planned book entitled Sailing across the Atlantic
will be renamed. Big stroke across the word Sailing and substitute Motoring. We have had the
motor running for most of the trip from Charleston to Bermuda. When you are faced with 10 to
18 foot seas, 15 knots of wind and on a close reach the only way to gain any headway is to
motorsail. Our sails have behaved, the motor has been our golden steed and we have made
progress. If we have to motor to the Azores I am going to be really pissed-off. I bought
a sailboat not a bloody motor sailor. Bermuda ... folks on Bermuda Radio are very professional,
Customs folks were very nice except they decided my flair gun was a dangerous weapon and put
it in a safe. Now suppose I have an emergency that requires use of flares ... must be an
example of British humour. We have not been ashore since we arrived due to the number of
mechanical failures that occurred on route ... the number of things that find a way to leak
after being bashed about is incredible. I'll let you know about terra-firma next message
... brian

May 2,2007

On our way. Currently 36 miles from the shoreline and about 80 feet from the bottom.
Having a great sail. We were in Charleston for a number of days but somehow managed not
to see any touristy attractions. I guess that's one way to save money but I'll try and
schedule some for our next stop over. Onward to the Azores ... only 18 days away. ... brian

May 2,2007

On our way. Currently 36 miles from the shoreline and about 80 feet from the bottom.
Having a great sail. We were in Charleston for a number of days but somehow managed not
to see any touristy attractions. I guess that's one way to save money but I'll try and
schedule some for our next stop over. Onward to the Azores ... only 18 days away. ... brian

Welcome to South Carolina April 15,2007

A final comment regarding the Bahamas. For all those republicans and libertarians
out there that want to minimize government interaction with private exploitation.
Spend some time in the Bahamas without a fat wallet or credit card. Enjoy.

We are currently at dockside in Charleston waiting out a 3 day storm that has
included tornado warnings, 40-50 knot wind gusts, sustained 35 knots. We have
every line we own holding us to the dock and the boat is heeled over 15 degrees
due to the wind pressure. I hope the Atlantic will be calmer.

We are staying at a county run marina. The rates are the lowest in the area, the
facilities are better than most. They take all profits (and they are substantial)
to help finance the operation of other county recreation and conservation areas
that can't break even. Great setup and the facilities are continually improved.
The only drawback is the lack of marine/food stores within walking distance.
The Cooper River Marina is a model of how things can work to benefit both local/
transient boaters and state residents that use the other parks ... brian

Abaco Cruisers Net comments

My partner and I have been aboard our boat, Pilgrim, cruising the Sea of
Abaco and listening to the Abaco Cruisers Net since the last week of
January. We are leaving for Charleston within the next week for the
next leg of our world cruise by way of the Azores.

We may not typical of the cruisers we have met in the Abacos. We may not
typical of the cruisers we have heard on channel 68 and on the Net. We
enjoy cruising with other boats and getting to know other cruisers, but
we also like to meet local folks and learn about similarities and
differences from our background and experiences.

We also love remote anchorages and observing wildlife and fishing. We
are distressed by the "adult winter camp" and country club environment
in Marsh Harbour and Hope Town and Great Guana (Nippers/Grabbers); there
are too many US ex-pats in control leading to the loss of any local
flavour except notably on Man-O'-War and Green Turtle.
We were shocked at how few birds, indigenous animals and fish we saw.
The lack of local produce or fish varieties in the markets was a clear
sign of the decline in local production capability and any real interest
in maintaining a non-service oriented economy. The overfishing by "Sport
Fishermen" was very apparent evidenced by both the boasts "on air" and
lack of availability of product at the fish monger.

I mention all of this to let you know that our comments probably do not
reflect the general cruisers and cottage listeners to the Abaco Cruisers
Net.

We found the gender and sexual orientation insensitivity especially of
Jeff and Pete to be offensive. Many of the jokes and comments were just
not appropriate for the 21st century North America or Europe. The net
could be both informative and fun without taking shots at women and
gays. You may not have much control over the ads (invitations), but the
anchors could be just as effective and less corny and offensive.

On the positive side, we were happy to hear daily weather forecasts(and
have learned to take the "mostly sunny" forecasts with a bit of
saltwater) and were glad to learn of other boater's suggestions and
needs. We got in touch with one boat heading out to the Azores (but via
Bermuda) and had some good chart exchanges.

We wonder if the Bahamian government is interested in attracting
cruisers. Everything they are doing seems to favour development of
resorts, golf clubs, and condos at the expense of Bahamians and the
environment. It is hard to get access to beaches because the facing
land appears to be all private, often with locked gates (Treasure Cay),
no trespassing signs (most Cays) and unpleasant dogs (Man-o-War)
deterring us . The lack of formal/official weather forecasts and a
totally volunteer rescue service (they took over 20 minutes to respond
to a drowning outside of Marsh Harbour regardless of what was reported
on the net ... we listened to the whole incident while it was happening)
are other indications that cruisers' needs are not important.

It appears that the entire boating focus is on those folks that can
afford to spend a couple of months at dockside or on a mooring ball.

April 4, 2007 reflection

I had promised a reality check on the Bahamas but Jane has done a superb
job in the latest update. I will add a few ramblings ...
1. If you are intent on visiting the Abacos and if you wish to expose
your liver to life in the "fast lane" then head for the "Sea of Abacos".
It is party central for the north Bahamas.
2. Be prepared to spend 1.50 to 2.50 dollars US a foot for a dock if and
only if the "Dock Master" deams you worthy. We did not cross enough
palms with enough silver to be deamed "worthy".
3. Mooring are the same deal ... 15 to 20 per night if they let you on.
4. Hope Town, Little Harbour and Marsh Harbour are very much "in crowd "
oriented. If your not part of it you spend your life at anchor if you
can even get in.
5. Bottled US near beer is 4-5 dollars US at a bar ... mixed drinks are
more, soft drinks are 2-4. Gin and Rum bottles are very inexpensive but
Scotch is almost nonexistent and very expensive. Drinking water is .25
to .50 US a gallon at a marina if you can get in.
6. Cheapest wine is from Chile and is only available at "local" stores.
7. Food is from the US and is 10 to 40 % higher. Only the cheaper brands
are stocked and most are stale dated.
8. Vegetables arrive one day a week in most Cays and there is a mad rush
when they do arrive. Expect lower grade for everything.
9. There are "NO RETURNS" and there is NO Customer Service period.
10. Don't take any paper period from land to your boat. The number of
bugs that inhabit a paper bag is beyond belief.
11. The Marsh Harbour "dock hands" at the public dock will cause you no
end of grief. They assist you arrive and depart even when asked not to.
If they take exception to your attitude they make sure that your dink
is rubbing against the concrete wall. They try and extort tips since
they are freelance and not associated with any tourist group.
12. Beaches are supposed to be public from 25 feet above the high water
mark to the water. In most places the public access is via a commercial
establishment and they make it clear that freeloaders are not welcome.
In the case of Treasure Cay you have to trespass past locked gates to
get at the public beach. On the beaches that can be accessed without
trespassing there are usually guard dogs petrolling to keep you away.
13. There are a lot of Canadian boats in the Abacos. Most are sail. Most
are party folks. They spend a lot of time at anchor.
14. There are a lot of Americans in the Abacos. Most are power boaters
and cottagers. Most are party folks. They spend a lot of time at
dockside and on mooring balls. They own most of the real-estate, rental
cottages and service industries.
15. The Bahamas are an independent country yet the US folks see to think
it is their God given right to run the country. The local "cruisers net"
is staffed by US folks associated with the US Government. They like to
have everyone "check-in and out" of the area just like the "Home Land
Security Folks" in the US. They keep lists of all boaters in the area
regardless of their country of origin. Cruisers are "encouraged" to file
sail plans if they leave the Abacos area. If you are a women or have
an alternative sexual orientation be prepared for snide remarks and
off-colour comments from the "cruisers net hosts". This is a male
dominated environment of the old school with no apology.
16. We have not experienced a great deal of welcome from the local
inhabitants aside from the folks in Green Turtle. I suspect it is a
jaded reaction to the kind of people they have to deal with on a day to
day basis.
17. I weep for the Bahamas. I wish they could get their act together but
the allure of the almighty US dollar has blinded the politicians to
undertake a course that will cause their eventual destruction ...

Green Turtle Cay, April 2 2007

It was like coming back to reality. Our arrival at the anchorage in
Green Turtle was announced by roosters crowing and cormorants hunting.
Once anchored we went ashore to be among the local community of people.
Not much had changed. The dogs still slept under the cars to escape the
noon sun. The fish monger still had little to offer due to the chronic
overfishing of the waters by US based "sport" fishermen. The rum had not
increased in price and our lunch of hot wings was still the best outside
of our condo in Toronto ... at a price that was very affordable. We are
anchored just outside of the community of New Plymouth. In the morning
we will move into the main harbour and join the rest of the cruising
community waiting for a weather window to venture further north. Jane
and I now understand why some cruisers spend the entire winter in Green
Turtle Cay. It has much more to offer than the Sea of Abacos. brian

March 20 ... post dog attach

It has been two days since we reported a vicious 4 dog attach on us to the local "US Warden". Nothing has happened except once I made it known that I had photos of the offending dogs AND a shot of them forcing a women into the Atlantic to escape their jaws that she notified the "Tourist" bureau. Interesting chain of command. They have, of course, not contacted us. Between beach guard dogs at Man-o-War Cay, the security folks at Bakers Bay, the lack of public beach access at Treasure Cay, Little Harbour
and Great Guana Cay I'm beginning to think the Abacos is an area to avoid. When we finally leave this area I think I'll post another update giving the reality vs the Bahamas marketing hype. So far the Bahamas are "not better". The winds have been 20-30 knots from the NE. The situation has been described as "unusual" by local meteorologists ... they keep expecting the winds to lighten as in past years ... what if they don't? One of the consequences of global warming may be that historical weather
patterns fail to materialize ... if the Bahamas becomes a rain,wind and gale driven environment what will become of all the US development capital that has poured into the area. I'm not sure folks will be interested in spending a great deal of time in an area with high winds, cool temperatures rain and frequent hurricanes. I can't say I'm unhappy with the prospect since it very unsettling to see a country selling itself to self interest groups from the US. Money talks here. Bring lots if you plan
to come. Just hear a very interesting IDEAS program on CBC featuring David Suzuki and Stephen Lewis on climate change. I wish more people were interested in their and their kids future on this planet... brian

March 5. 2007

Even the locals have had enough of the constant cold fronts that seem to hit us every 3 days. This week we have had 2 cold fronts a day apart. In other news, they have found that Lake Superior is warming faster than had been projected ... the research folks are now looking for money to investigate ... the mantle is no longer in place along the Atlantic sea bed mid ocean ... seems there is a piece of earths crust missing around the Canary Islands ... so much for the theory of plate Tectonics. Toronto
has closed the Gardiner Expressway today due to falling ice sheets from the CN Tower. They are waiting for the wind direction to change before they open up the highway. In the Bahamas we heard (on very public VHF radio) a very irate Yank tearing a strip off the Bahamian government officials because they would not grant him an immigration stay extension a month before his current 50 day one expires. His crowning argument was that even though he had stocked up the boat in the US before coming to the
Bahamas he planned to spend a couple of hundred dollars on supplies if he was allowed to stay. One thing has become very clear ... most Yanks don't consider the Bahamas as a country but rather as an extension of Florida. Sad. What is even sadder is that the Bahamian Government is allowing unchecked development funded by US companies to occur that will destroy the natural beauty of their country. The Bakers Bay golf course development, if it is allowed to proceed, will destroy the best reef on the
North end of the Bahamas. There seems to be a move afoot by folks to see the natural wonders of the world before they are gone forever ... only problem is that the influx of tourists is the very thing that is destroying the environment once you consider the support structure that is required to support the increased tourist trade. enough . brian

March 1,2007

So Al Gore made the Hollywood gift list. Interesting ... Wonder if it will have the same effect as it had on Mike Moore. What a way to shut a guy up. Just give him a gold plated statue of a ?. Also in the news ... scientists discover new life species under the south pole ice cap ... thanks to the wonderful folks in the US for melting all that ice that has hiding the beasties. Wonder where they will call home now. Also in the news ... the Greens had reached the same level of public support as the
NDP. About time to refocus priorities. And yes it hailed and blew like stick in the Bahamas as a major series of thunderstorms went through. They had never seen hail in the Bahamas until now. For some reason the US folks here are not able to understand that global warming is becoming a very real issue. They keep blaming Canada and Siberia for the rotten weather. I'm in shorts but I can't get a good nights sleep because of the high winds and being on anchor watch every night. I wonder if it worth
the tradeoff. brian

Feb 22, 2007 Is it really better in the bahamas?

There was an ad campaign a while ago that used the catch phrase "its better in the Bahamas" ... I am having a hard time understanding what is better. The Abacos (North Bahamas) don't cut it as a better place. It is full of folks that are intent on regaining their lost childhood. There are few if any "local" folks that are not involved with the tourist trade. Most services are provided by imported labour. The majority of businesses and homes owned by outsiders or recent work permit holders. I have
not seen an official (Police or otherwise) outside of the immigration office staff since we have been here. There is one radio station that gives the weather at 0700 and 0800 hours daily. The "cruisers net" offers local events and weather at 0815. The net is run by an American embassy "official" who tries to maintain a certain amount of control over the cruising folks. They want everyone to check in and checkout ... shades of the Coast Guard. Most days of the week have a "special" offered by one
of the local bars ... (they all seem to have their own days) ... the going minimum price seems to be $20 per person regardless of what is offered. The weather is consistent ... five days of high wind and 2 days of calm. The high winds always have a westerly component and there are very few secure anchorages available. In most cases people head for March Harbour or Treasure Cay to pick up a mooring ball or dock. Public access to beaches is difficult to find ... most beach front property (US owned)
is posted with warning signs if not guards to keep the riff raff from coming on the beach. Water access via dink is only possible at a government dock if you can find one... The Yanks have landed ... heaven help the country. Brian

Feb 10, 2007

The Bahamas ... interesting place if you are into adult summer camp. Every morning at 0815 the cruisers net comes "On Air" on channel 68 to detail the weather, events and where you should spend your money. There are 15 major eating establishments within 8 miles and they all want you to be there for the 1 pound steak specials ... or maybe it's the lobster specials or maybe it's the special drink specials. There are no fish, there are few birds, there are few living things on the bottom of this vast 12 foot deep sea. This part of the Bahamas is beginning to feel like a month long warm water bath except I don't have my rubber duckie (ref. Hitchhikers Guide). There is a major storm every week, so in every 7 day period there are 3 days of pleasant weather and 4 days that are unsettled. The group dynamics continue from the ICW days. The local US ex-pats have taken the organization of the cruisers as their life mission. They set the rules and agenda for what goes on, quite independe
nt of the local authorities. In any event it is nice to sit here in shorts waiting for the next rain storm hoping that it will bring some long awaited fresh water to rinse the salt from the decks ... The authorities make a big deal out of boaters declaring any weapons that are aboard as if they have a low tolerance for firearms ... however we have heard semi-automatic and automatic weapons fire at both Green Turtle Cay and at Man-O-War Cay very close to anchored and moored boats. I guess the local authorities have to practise their marksmanship somewhere. brian

January 29 12:46 AM On anchor watch

We have spent the day playing refugee. Yesterday a large cat anchored close to us, this morning we moved since we did not dance to the same tune in the growing winds. Before we were able to re-anchor the gale hit with blinding rain at 30+ knots of wind. We found a clear spot and dropped the hook ... much to the displeasure of a boat directly ahead of us. They were jumping up and down waving all sorts of appendages. Their radio signal was garbled and not understandable. So we sat in the downpour working out our next move. Having been displaced by a larger boat earlier in the morning we were not about to be forced out of our current position without a clear plan. Once the rain subsided the forward boat managed to communicate their concern. There was a current that would force Pilgrim very close to their boat even though we were 300 feet apart, why we would swing with the current and they would not is beyond me. We decided to sit tight ... they were not happy. As it turns out the opposing shore had the final say ... a large gust of wind swung us into shallow water and we had to pull ourselves free with the anchor. Time to move again. Another gale hit just as we hauling. The water blew into spindrifts making it hard to pick our way through the anchored boats. After several failed attempts we ended up close to where we had originally spent the night. This time ahead of the cat but positioned for a wind shift forecast for midnight. It has become very clear that boaters in these waters are very protective of their personal space (anchor swing room). They make it very clear that strangers are not welcome in their "backyard". I had mentioned alliances formed by boaters during their trip down the ICW and across the Gulf Stream. Now I am beginning to understand their real purpose. Alone you can be bullied, with allies a radio call away you feel an increased sense of power to push your agenda. While we were looking for a new place to settle the radio chatter between allied boats
became a modern jungle drum ... here they come ... they had better not try to settle here ... can't they just stay away. So here I sit at midnight watching the wind speed climb to 30 knots, watching the distance to the anchor, keeping an eye on the boats around us and hoping
for that promised wind shift that will place the position game back in my court. Have a good night ... Brian

January 25, Day 3 in Bahamas

We made it across the Gulf Stream, have spent two nights at anchor and are spending the third in a marina. We observed a much lighter current flow in the Gulf Stream than expected ... less than 1 knot where 3.5 was the expectation. The water temperature was much lower than documented for this time of year, 70 degrees instead of 75 degrees. The winds have been stronger and have not followed the "normal" flow patterns. This afternoon we were hit by a major gale ... 30+ knots and blinding rain as we approached Crab Cay (a narrow channel into Spanish Cay). The weather forecast calls for 25 knot or higher winds for the next 5 days that go fully around the compass. Boaters that want to cross the Gulf Stream will have to wait another week or more for a weather window. What concerns me is the fundamental weather pattern shift and the diminished Gulf Stream effect that I have observed. What may have focused this issue in my mind was a book called "The Coming Global Superstorm" from which the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" was spawned. The book is mostly post-modern-scientific speculation BUT it has a kernel of truth ... If they had taken out most of the wild speculation it may have received more interest but in its current form it is close to a tabloid read. The main point that caught my interest was the discussion of polar ice cap melting and the effect on the Gulf Stream. Over the past year most of the predictions they have made have come true. Major ice loss in both poles adding fresh water to the polar seas resulting in a reduced Gulf Stream flow ... and they predict an eventual stoppage of the stream resulting in a new ice age. Borrow the book and have a read ... watch the movie to see how a simple but important concept is corrupted by Hollywood. Yes dear friends I'm on the Green House Gas soap box again.
The Bahamas ... an interesting place. Spoke to a fellow today that cooked our dinner ... interesting meal of Conch and Flounder. His main concern was generating traffic for his kitchen during the winter months. Some nights there are no customers, some nights only a couple. He enjoys his job so he stays open. His plan for coping was to start a major redevelopment program to expand His marina and resort site by adding condos and more activities. He owns the island ... it has an airstrip, hotel rooms, a marina, a restaurant ... etc. The cook is worried that by expending his island he will no longer be able to enjoy the island for the reason he bought it. To retire to a less stressful environment. Interesting thing about humans ... they can't stop developing, expanding and consuming ... Brian

January 21, 2007 Second last day in the U S of A

Sunday and here we sit waiting for our weather window. If all goes well we will be off to the Bahamas Monday at 11 pm. We have been sitting for a week in North Lake Worth waiting for South winds and watching the culture unfold. The Dolphins arrive at high tide on the ... the birds arrive shortly after to feed on the bits left over. The boaters descend on the local Publix and West Marine stores just after noon and the store staff scurries to get reorganized soon after. At five the cocktail parties start and end at sundown. We sit and wait in shorts and tees listening to CBC weather reports for Canada. Such is life in the retirement zone. The ICW has been avoided by choice, we prefer to go out into the Atlantic. It is a lot safer. We had to spend 30 minutes in the ICW today moving from North Lake Worth to Lake Worth and were passed by no fewer than 5 cigarette boats going full throttle ... within 20 feet of out hull. I wish they were in season. The ICW can be viewed as a microcosm of the North American social environment trapped in a linear flow of time. Boaters of all varieties enter the system, mingle, mix, form relationships, travel awhile, depart, remix and on and on. The trip takes a couple of months and with daily intersecting paths the possibilities are endless. If you travel outside you play the role of the loaner ... the outsider ... not in the mainstream. More on this later ... cheers.

Rant update

In yesterdays rant I singled out NOAA as a bad actor. Here is an example
of what they can influence with incorrect data. Their forecast for
Tuesday included a gale warning from the North. So being cautious we
decided not to venture forth into the Gulf Stream crossing staging
anchorage today. At 1800 today the forecast not only didn't mention the
gale but forecast perfect crossing conditions. In addition they are
forecasting that the rest of the week will not be pleasant for a Gulf
Stream crossing due to strengthening northerly winds. So ... I should
have ignored the gale warnings and gone to the staging area with the
full understanding that whatever NOAA says is totally incorrect. I plan
on monitoring forecast and actual conditions for the next week to see
how bad the forecasters really are. I guess experience equates to how
many grains of salt you can put to the recommendations of the "experts".
BTW ... what is behind the increased US hysteria toward IRAN? Does Bush
really want Armageddon as his legacy?
Brian

January 15, 2007 Lake Worth, FL

We are now in Lake Worth thanks to the intervention of a pod of Dolphins (Coryphaenidae). Pilgrim is equipped with the latest navigational tools but they all require a human analysis and interpretation. I made an assumption regarding the location of the 1/2 mile harbour entrance navigational aid based on data from the GPS and radar. The various electronic devices give a lat/long but not a visual picture. The pod intercepted us as we approached the shore (1/2 mile away) and through extensive jumping displays on our starboard side pushed us further to port to avoid them. Every time we tried to turn to starboard the activity increased as if they were trying to communicate important information. Well they were. Once we settled on the correct course to the channel the activity stopped. A job well done. I hope they never leave (ala... Good-bye and Thanks for all the fish). I think the aquatic mammals have developed beyond the homo-watevers ... they deal with and are in s
ynch with the natural forces of nature ... homo-watevers still think they are on top of the food chain. I wonder which species survives the next 100 years.
My current rant is directed to the NOAA weather folks. The forecast was for 15-20 East winds diminishing to 10-15 overnight with 4-7 foot seas for the Cape Canaveral to Lake Worth run. We observed and experienced 15-20 increasing to 20-25 overnight with 7-10 foot seas. I suspect that a large number of boating accidents are due to people believing NOAA forecasts. I'm not sure that a private company can provide better forecasting but it all goes to show that YOU need to know how to interpret various data sources to reduce the risk.
The truth is out there ... dig harder ... Brian

January 9, 2007

So here we sit in Cape Canaveral... awaiting delivery of a drilled prop
shaft. No space shuttles to light the sky ... no dropping humans from
the space between the stars. A time to observe the basics of life. Why
are folks so interested in the daily specials from the various fast
grease outlets? Why is there a pervasive sense that ones spouse is the
enemy? Why are guns more accessible than a good bottle of scotch? Why
are the Americans so paranoid? An interesting ... at least to me ...
observation ... Florida is a centre of war-vets from the Vietnam war.
They are easily identified by their pony tails ... tattoos ... skinny
frames ... and tendency to over indulge. These are folks that have
never re-entered the social stream and live on the periphery of society.
I wonder what will happen with the troops that come back from Iraq. The
US is not interested in vets regardless of the fuss and blunder of
public display. I only shutter at the number of trained killers that
will be walking the streets of the US once the Iraq fiasco is
terminated. Then again they may be sent to Sudan to continue the war out
of Iraq. It is only mid January and it appears that the US is headed
into another decade long quagmire. I have yet to hear anything from the
Canadian Government in support of Kyoto or against the latest US
stupidity. Have a great 2007. Brian.

January 1, 2007

We heard the shouts, the fireworks, the cheers and the gunshots. Another year is upon us. May we survive. I watched the Al Gore movie while we were back in the condo. He has made his presentation thousands of times around the world and no one is paying attention. Too bad ... with the latest news of a major ice melt down in the Arctic it may not be too long before the reality of global warming finally hits home. Happy new year... Brian