100 Days of Boat Rides

I'm not sure if Skipper J directly challenged Bo and I to get our sailboats out of the marina more often, or if he was just inferring that sailboats seldom leave their slips compared to their power boat neighbors, but Bo and I took the challenge to heart to defend all past, present and future sailors!  

Our primary goal was to find time for a boat ride every day.  Living in a marina certainly helps! The secondary goal was to learn to use our own boats better, safer, and with more confidence.  So that meant going out when we'd rather not...weather, work, life...insert excuse.

The rules were simple: 1. Untie the dock lines and leave the marina on a boat. 2. On anything motorized.  3. As many days as possible.

What we started 100 days ago, has me amazed, excited and better prepared for anything that might happen on the water.  And the help from friends and the diversity of boats has been incredible.  

My sailboat, Bo's sailboat, Skipper J's sport fisher, Michael's motor yacht and rentals, Attitude Sailing adventures, Sail Perdido excursions, Cold Mil Fleet's dolphin cruises, dinner cruises, a Hudson's paddle wheel, Capt. Gary's tug boat to New Orleans, a sailboat delivery from Key West, a folding dinghy, an inflatable dinghy, red snapper fishing on the Gulf...all were directly involved in reaching my century mark. 

As of today, I reached the milestone of 100 consecutive days on the water- from Memorial Day past Labor Day-rain or shine. Skipper J was with me as we sailed out of the marina under wind power alone.  I think he was a little proud of the accomplishment he helped start and finish...even if it was on a "darn old sailboat!"  

PS. Bo sailed everyday he was in town this summer.  Quite an accomplishment in itself.  And Kim was with me the entire time...I appreciate her encouragement and support. I'm glad she spent the summer on the boat sailing with me.  That's probably the biggest achievement of all!

Old Notes from a Great Trip

I found this today from 5 ½ years ago…

November 12, 2007 on airplane to Antigu

Can't seem to sit and write, am having a problem looking very far into the future. Goal setting is really gotten difficult. I don't seem to be able to focus on long-term thinking;  I'm no longer immortal and bulletproof.

I need to make some assumptions then focus ahead. At 49 I've got a bunch of good years left and I want to live them more like Pete and less like Sid (no offense, Sid).   I want to be healthy, agile, and adventurous.  If I could be healthy and agile to at least age 70 years old, that's 20 more years.  That seems like a long time. 

To get an idea of how much opportunity I have left,  let's look at what I've done in the past 20… 1987 to today.

If I go back to 1987, I'm still living in Kansas City working in real estate.  So in 20 years I've lived in three major cities worked in several different industries, started several companies and visited a bunch of countries.

I've learned to fly, sail, mountain climb and run a marathon. I was certified in scuba, jump from a plane, sailed across the golf and traveled alone without an itinerary. I've gone from Audis to Mercedes to a truck.  Owned 9 sailboats including a nine-year-old 35 foot Beneteau.

I walked in Mardi Gras, rode out hurricane, climbed Mount Whitney and saw the Masters.  Been to a Final Four that my alma mater won, and to a Super Bowl.  I’ve written articles that were published and a joke in Readers Digest.  Started a networking events company and have made friends everywhere.

And I went to Mexico and Belize on “Island Dreamin’”, met a girl with loves sailboats and traveling too.

Can I pack as much into the next 20 years? Why not?!

Trip Interrupted

Rick, Ryan and I successfully left Orleans Marina on November 11, 2011 headed for the Bahamas. With the exception of the delay at the Rigoletts Bridge, we had an uneventful trip to Gulfport, Mississippi. Kim came and met us for dinner at the Gulfport Yacht Club and helped get us ready for bed and our early start on Saturday morning.

Saturday was also a very nice sail to Bear Point Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama.

A storm was brewing on the Gulf, so we decided to delay leaving for Marathon, FL for a few days. With extra time at the marina, we decided to rearrange the boat for a more comfortable ride across the Gulf.

The morning we decided to leave for the Gulf crossing, we began having challenges with the chart plotter and the autopilot. The chart plotter was showing an incorrect heading and the autopilot wouldn't hold course. After sailing most of the day, trying every troubleshooting technique we could think of, we turned around and returned back to the ICW and Bear Point Marina.

As we pulled in to the slip playing "Hotel California" on the stereo, other boat owners at the Marina where there to catch our lines and help secure the boat. As we were discussing the symptoms of our challenge, Capt. Gary asked about new electronics and/or magnets.

Rick immediately asked me, "Where are those new speakers you bought for the boat in the Bahamas?" As I moved the speakers from where I had safely store them in the aft cabin, Rick immediately yelled "Everything's fine up here now!"

Two lessons learned: Number one, don't try to force Mother Nature to fit your vacation calendar. And number two don't put magnets near your boat's electronic compass.

52 Days and Counting

November 11, 2011 (11-11-11) is approaching quickly! My list of chores, errands, and needed acquisitions is getting longer! Still need to get courtesy flags, charts of the Bahamas, and organize more storage spaces. I need new deep-cell batteries, change the filters, and decide whether I need a folding bike or not. All in 52 days...

I'm excited that my brother Rick and nephew Ryan are going to sail with me, and sister-in-law Suzanne and niece Cali will fly down to visit. All will be perfect when Kim can fly down after her family cruise on a "big" boat!

Back to my list of list...fair winds!!

France and Ireland 2011

Just returned from a great couple weeks visiting our friends David and Laurie and playing with their two kids and two dogs.

As always Paris is a beautiful city with incredible sites...but our side trip this year was exceptionally entertaining...Dublin, Ireland.

Ireland is full of fun,happy Guinness drinking folks. Regardless of where we went, people were singing, playing and drinking Guinness.

Kissing the Blarney Stone was a one-day trip to Cork worth taking, as was the amphibious Viking tour in downtown Dublin. The girls liked the Christchurch cathedral and the boys loved the Guinness Brewery (especially the big boys!)

Paris and Dublin are high on my "Kodak moments" list, made even more special with the help of old friends!

Hypothyroidism and Gout

I don't know exactly how the two intertwine, but the pains in my joints are the result of high uric acid levels (gout), not Hashimoto's.

While having three beers at the New Orleans Yacht Club on Saturday, July 29th, my right ankle started to hurt as if I had sprained it. I blamed it on the shoes I was wearing, and threatened to throw them away. Sunday morning it was unbearable and Monday I couldn't walk. Tuesday I went in to see Dr Mary, and was diagnosed with gout...disease two in a month!

Looking back, I can see the disease progressing. Memorial weekend at Pontchartrain Yacht Club was the first time I had swelling and pain in my right big toe. Other occurrences happened simultaneously with the Hashimoto's flare-up, so I lumped them all together.

Unfortunately, the gout seems to be directly related to beer consumption. Although I drank very little in June & July, I did drink five nights in a row before this last bout. Tuesday with Derek, Wednesday at Melius, Thursday and Friday with Kim & Laurie, and Saturday at the club. Uric acid levels rise, pain sets in, and it took over a week to be relatively pain-free.

I've been experimenting with a home remedy of apple cidar vinegar. Seems to ward off the pain til late evening, thus making the gout manageable. I'm trying real hard to alter food & drink rather than beginning new medications.

So far, so good...

Office Biggest Loser Contest

It's time again for an office "biggest loser" contest. My starting weight is 269.5 pounds, and my goal is to lose 20 pounds in the next 30 days.

I met with Dr. Chuck Mary yesterday, and he is going to help me in my weight loss goal. He's going to help me try to get off all my medications within three months, with the deadline being when we go cruising.

Dr. Mary also doubled my thyroid hormone medication yesterday, so that should also help with weight loss.