TTSA in Trinidad
Here are some pics of the Trinidad & Tobago Sailing Association’s Marina in Chaguaramas, Trinidad.Read more
The crew has landed
Well folks, we made it. I’m not sure where to start on the day, because there is so much to say. We got off in Miami without a hitch—Jason with guitar in tow, me checking and rechecking that I hadn’t left anything behind, as usual. We ended up with 2 full empty rows to ourselves on the plane, so we caught up on the sleep lost in anticipation last night, then read a magazine article or two and landed in Trinidad just after 2 p.m. I spotted my first foreign bird about 15 minutes out of the terminal, called a kiskadee. It’s a yellow chested one with a white crest…Read more
Twas the night before takeoff…
The past few days have been a whirlwind of preparation and picking up last minute items. For those of you who are wondering, yes, I got my guitar. I picked up a Martin LXM in Neptune Beach about 3 hours before flying to Miami. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. I’m hoping not to be thrown overboard. In Miami we’ve had a few visits and send-off dinners with Lara’s friends & family. I got to meet her Abuelo and Abuela (that’s grandparents for any non-Spanish speakers, which includes me, LOL) over a great Cuban lunch. I’ve been able to get my fill of Cuban food. I think I’ve eaten…Read more
John’s first post
By John Ranahan, owner of Kijro It seems like time for me to put some comments on the post. I’m sitting at TTSA in Chaguaramas, Trinidad, waiting for Lara and Jason to arrive on 2 February. Kijro is finally back in the water, and lots of work is still being done on her, getting her ready for the crossing. Today I’m having the new roller furler put on and having more electrical work done. I decided about a year ago that I wanted to take the boat “home” to Micronesia, where my wife, Jean, and I now live. It is also the home of our elder daughter, her husband, and…Read more
Some words on why…
But often, in the world’s most crowded streets, But often, in the din of strife, There rises an unspeakable desire After the knowledge of our buried life; A thirst to spend our fire and restless force In tracking out our true, original course; A longing to inquire Into the mystery of this heart which beats So wild, so deep in us–to know Whence our lives come and where they go. – From Matthew Arnold’s The Buried Life (1852)Read more
A Bon Voyage Surprise
I came in to work yesterday, pretty late because I was signing my car away to Mom, and we stopped to have our last lunch together before I go. I called Diane to tell her I was late, and she sounded pretty tense about it. I felt bad, because she’s been very busy lately and I knew we were supposed to have an 11:30 meeting, and by then it was noon, but I couldn’t put a meeting before saying bye to Mom. So I asked her for another 40 min, and she “begrudgingly” granted it. After saying my goodbyes to Mom, I came into the office, and our interns Jennifer…Read more
Breaking Away 2
With the holidays past and everyone returning to work after the two-week break from the office, I was finally able to sit down with my boss, the company owner, and some coworkers to let them know what I have been planning. The news was received well and all seem excited for my upcoming adventure. There is still much work to be done at the office, as I will be instrumental in helping to train in-house staff to handle some of my day-to-day work, as well as helping to select consultants to fill the gaps. The workload now seems a bit daunting. It is strange how making such an announcement finally…Read more
Stocking for the Sail
The supply lists keep getting longer, and I get the feeling we’ll have to start making some hard decisions soon. Wetsuits: John’s sister, Paula, and I chatted on Facebook this week, and she mentioned she has a wetsuit I may be able to use. She says she bought it for her trip with John and Jean to Galapagos and hasn’t used it since. I hadn’t even thought about the cold waters off the eastern side of the Pacific! There’s another thing for the list. Reading material: I’ve succumbed to the idea of getting a Kindle. When you think about it, 160,000 books in less than 1lb vs. the weight of…Read more
Breaking Away
I took Jorge and Diane, my employers and dear friends of 5 years, to dinner tonight to break the news. Actually, in the end they took me to dinner, but I invited them and they insisted, so that’s a story for another day. We went to Orsay, a mod French-American place in Jacksonville’s Avondale neighborhood, and we shot the breeze until dinner was pretty much done. Then Jorge popped the question. He didn’t phrase it exactly how I expected, but I suspect he was testing the waters. “So, are you happy here?” Of course I’m happy. I’ve always been happy at Brunet-García. It’s a great place to work. But as…Read more
The Journey Begins
This past Saturday, November 28, 2009, after a successful Skype call across the Pacific, Jason and I informed John that we will be making the trip to Trinidad to join him on his sail to Micronesia. Ever since then, the gears have been spinning. We’ve pored through cruiser sites, cookbook catalogs on Amazon, and technical sites on the particulars of SSB and SSB email almost nonstop for the past 48 hours, minus while at work. We’ve informed our families, and we’re working on informing our employers. I’m really freaked out by that prospect. I love my job, and I fear I’ll never have one this flexible and fun to work…Read more
Into the Sun 