"A Country Boy gets a real Key West Welcome! "
Yahoo, Captain Ferdy and crew are back with another late newsletter. It seems with all the fun we are having we neglected to let anyone know what we are doing. To give you a re-cap, in the last newsletter we had just finished reworking Pipe Dream in Fort Lauderdale and were heading for the Florida Keys for the remaining 8 weeks of cruising season. For those of you with the first signs of Alzheimer’s, our insurance company won’t allow us to be in the Caribbean or Florida between June 1 and November 1. It’s some silly thing about hurricane losses. These guys can’t take a joke!
Our first stop was at Key Largo to visit our friends Ray and Kath from Tennessee. We had a wonderful time and made plans to visit their home in Johnson City, Tenn. this summer. Jutta and I moved on to Boot Key Harbor on Marathon Key and spent a few days with Daisy and Ed of the sailing yacht "Siesta." Ed was doing charter adventures with the Boy Scouts and didn't have much time between work. "Uck", just the thought made us nervous, it was time to hit the trail. Our next stop was New Found Harbor to seek refuge from an approaching storm. All night long we were entertained by gale force winds of 40 to 50 knots trying to tear out our anchor. As you can tell, our life is not always a walk in the park!
Our final destination in the Florida Keys was Key West. Yes, that’s the place where men love men and women are safe! Most of my life I have had a love affair with automobiles and all types of racing. Our first day in Key West we saw a poster for drag racing. I convinced Jutta she must go to at least one drag race in her life time to see what goes on. Well, Key West has a new twist on "Drag Racing". It seems all the entries consist of hundreds of drag queens in full garb. Gay men wearing heels, fish net hose, slinky dresses, falsies etc., etc.. The races were held on Duval Street and the format went something like this: Two competitors would take a shot of booze, run through car tires, like we did in high school football practice, but without spike heels, jump into a waiting shopping cart that was then slalomed around plastic cones down several blocks by a pair of muscle men wearing nothing but a thong and tennis shoes. After another shot of something which I’m sure was some type of estrogen cocktail, they jumped back into the shopping cart and were wheeled back to the starting point. This went on all day. It goes to show you there is another side of life out there which a country boy from Yuma is not familiar with! Bed races on Duval Street were on the agenda for the following weekend. We were there enjoying adult beverages along the street with hundreds of other spectators waiting for the race to begin. Two hours after the advertised start time I was told by a policeman that the race would start as soon as all the competitors had tanked enough fuel at the Hog’s Breath Saloon. Well, I think it’s rude to keep a fully certified captain waiting. We skipped the races and enjoyed a blue grass jam at the Green Parrot Saloon instead.
Jutta and I cut the anchor line (pull up the anchor) and sailed back to Marathon Key to pick up Jim and Gail Philo from Arizona. The Philo’s open their home to us homeless sailors every summer. It’s not easy to repay their kindness so we try to roll out the red carpet when they visit Pipe Dream. For ten days we took them sailing through the Florida Keys and back to Miami from where they jumped on a flight back to reality. We sure miss them!
It was time to sail north to leave Pipe Dream in Savannah for Hurricane season. We had left our “Rocket” (the Hyundai) at Sail Harbor Marina in Georgia, ready for our return from the sea. Jutta and I drove back to Arizona the long way, which included a side trip to visit Kath and Ray in Tennessee, and to renew an old friendship with Susie and Larry in Albuquerque. This visiting is sure cheaper than hotels! Remember, never invite a homeless sailor unless you mean it.
After several weeks of being nurtured and well fed by Jim and Gail in Casa Grande, Arizona, Jutta and I flew to Germany to visit Jutta’s mother and to attend her niece’s wedding. We spent a month with German relatives and bummed around Bavaria with a side trip to Paris. In Germany, beer is cheaper than water and I’ve heard you couldn’t drink the water in Europe, so just to be safe I stuck to wine and beer. Being on a budget, I thought it would be a great way to cut a few corners. You know me, always trying to save a buck!!!
Our return to the States was uneventful. The only terrorist attack we encountered was from the luggage handlers in Paris and Atlanta. After our arrival in Atlanta, we were told by Air France that one of our three bags didn’t make it out of Paris. That didn’t bother me; a real man doesn’t need to brush his teeth, comb his hair, or change shoes. We still had most of our clothes in our other two bags. We cleared customs and caught the next flight to visit Jutta’s son, daughter in law, and their brand new baby. On our arrival in Chicago, United had lost our other two bags! I don’t need clothes, I’ll go naked, a la-natural, I just left France. You’ve got to keep a positive attitude while traveling. You know how hard it is to carry those heavy bags out of the airport. That was no longer our problem. We walked out of the airport, bag less, like we owned the place. On the positive side, I still had my wallet!
That just about wraps up our adventures up to now. We have been in Chicago for a couple of days and are still waiting for one more piece of luggage. Jutta is very excited because she gets to play with her first, new granddaughter, she is now a grandma. I have always been fond of older women! We hope to get the rest of our clothes, toiletries, and shoes before we leave for Toronto to visit more friends. You will hear about that trip in the next newsletter. Well, keep those dollars pouring in to the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund”, clothes and shoes are not cheap in Chicago.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Jutta and Ferdy
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Newsletter Jan/Feb 2007
"Fickle Ferdy has done it again!!!"
We’re back and with lots of Pipe Dream news. In the last newsletter I said we had put Pipe Dream up for sale and were looking at newer and bigger boats. It has always been my dream to own a catamaran, you know, a party condo on the water. After listing my “tuna schooner” with a broker he started showing us catamarans in the 38 to 40 foot range. These things were gigantic, lots of space for entertaining, three or four bedrooms, large decks for parties and big all over. I just stood there and dreamed of the future while Jutta looked at the basics. She’s no fun! She called me into the galley (for those of you land lubbers that’s the kitchen,) only one drawer and two cabinet doors. Where is all the storage? Oh, it’s under the settee (couch). We both love to cook and this sucks out loud. No problem, we can solve this; we will look at cats (catamarans) in the 42 to 45 foot class. That was more like it: Queen size beds, extra large galleys, lots and lots of cabinetry. These are the cats for me! Oops, a quick look at the listing price of $400,000 to $500, 00 made my stomach do a somersault. Due to the lack of response in the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund”, $3 dollars in the last six years, these tubs were out of the question.
We might have been slapped down by reality but we weren’t whipped yet. We started looking for used mono-hulls (one hole in the water to throw money into rather than two) like Pipe Dream but with new, modern amenities. After looking the entire month of December we finally found the boat we loved. But again, the dollar sign was the only hindrance from owning a beautiful Hylas. My god, you should have seen the price tag!!!!
Yes, you guessed it, we are keeping Pipe Dream and are remodeling. We are adding a large freezer, flat panel TV, new dodger and bimini (canvas and cockpit shade), solar panels, new easy to use rigging (things that control the sails,) a state of the art crackerjack navigation system, etc.,etc.. I forgot the decorator items! The sad truth is we didn’t find one boat that had been maintained and babied like Pipe Dream. In another month and a half we should be liv'n large, cruising the Bahamas, play’n again like the idle rich. Then we will run north, up the Eastern Seaboard and put Pipe Dream to bed again in Savannah. It seems Jutta has a niece getting married in Germany in July and we must attend the wedding. More ammunition for my next newsletter!
A lot of thought went into keeping Pipe Dream and continue the cruising life for several more years. We have decided to start chartering Pipe Dream on a part-time basis. Part-time so it won’t be like work! This is a “crewed charter” which means Jutta and I will pick up a couple somewhere in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Florida Keys etc, and take them aboard sailing for 3-5 or 7 days. They will have our master stateroom, gourmet meals and drinks included (yes, booze). We would like to have others experience the joy of sailing in paradise, and what a thrill to be aboard with Captain Ferdy. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention I passed all the tests for my captains (master) license and am anxiously awaiting the written proof of my accomplishment from the Coast Guard. I wonder if they would be interested in donating to the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund?” I will expect a little more respect in the future.
Jutta took off the month of January to visit her mother in Germany. This freed up my time to work on the boat and study for my captain’s test. I was very glad I had things to keep me busy; I get really tired of chasing those cocktail waitresses around the decks!
It's mid-February and we are finishing up the odds and ends on the boat. The Miami Boat Show starts in a few days and we plan to purchase the navigation system at the show and get the boat show discount. Installing that piece of equipment and putting Pipe Dream into the ship yard to paint the bottom should just about finish our remodeling of Pipe Dream. Then, "ADIOS", we are out of here, back to cruising in paradise.
Living on a sailboat gives you lots of time to think of the future and adventures to come. If this charter business pays off, this could be a financial windfall to the owners of Pipe Dream. If any of you are reading this newsletter would be interested in buying stock in the “Help Ferdy Cruising and Charter Business” let me know. This could be your retirement nest egg (or mine!). If you have any friends/ acquaintances who are interested in a crewed charter trip on Pipe Dream, please have them contact us.
From the decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
We’re back and with lots of Pipe Dream news. In the last newsletter I said we had put Pipe Dream up for sale and were looking at newer and bigger boats. It has always been my dream to own a catamaran, you know, a party condo on the water. After listing my “tuna schooner” with a broker he started showing us catamarans in the 38 to 40 foot range. These things were gigantic, lots of space for entertaining, three or four bedrooms, large decks for parties and big all over. I just stood there and dreamed of the future while Jutta looked at the basics. She’s no fun! She called me into the galley (for those of you land lubbers that’s the kitchen,) only one drawer and two cabinet doors. Where is all the storage? Oh, it’s under the settee (couch). We both love to cook and this sucks out loud. No problem, we can solve this; we will look at cats (catamarans) in the 42 to 45 foot class. That was more like it: Queen size beds, extra large galleys, lots and lots of cabinetry. These are the cats for me! Oops, a quick look at the listing price of $400,000 to $500, 00 made my stomach do a somersault. Due to the lack of response in the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund”, $3 dollars in the last six years, these tubs were out of the question.
We might have been slapped down by reality but we weren’t whipped yet. We started looking for used mono-hulls (one hole in the water to throw money into rather than two) like Pipe Dream but with new, modern amenities. After looking the entire month of December we finally found the boat we loved. But again, the dollar sign was the only hindrance from owning a beautiful Hylas. My god, you should have seen the price tag!!!!
Yes, you guessed it, we are keeping Pipe Dream and are remodeling. We are adding a large freezer, flat panel TV, new dodger and bimini (canvas and cockpit shade), solar panels, new easy to use rigging (things that control the sails,) a state of the art crackerjack navigation system, etc.,etc.. I forgot the decorator items! The sad truth is we didn’t find one boat that had been maintained and babied like Pipe Dream. In another month and a half we should be liv'n large, cruising the Bahamas, play’n again like the idle rich. Then we will run north, up the Eastern Seaboard and put Pipe Dream to bed again in Savannah. It seems Jutta has a niece getting married in Germany in July and we must attend the wedding. More ammunition for my next newsletter!
A lot of thought went into keeping Pipe Dream and continue the cruising life for several more years. We have decided to start chartering Pipe Dream on a part-time basis. Part-time so it won’t be like work! This is a “crewed charter” which means Jutta and I will pick up a couple somewhere in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Florida Keys etc, and take them aboard sailing for 3-5 or 7 days. They will have our master stateroom, gourmet meals and drinks included (yes, booze). We would like to have others experience the joy of sailing in paradise, and what a thrill to be aboard with Captain Ferdy. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention I passed all the tests for my captains (master) license and am anxiously awaiting the written proof of my accomplishment from the Coast Guard. I wonder if they would be interested in donating to the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund?” I will expect a little more respect in the future.
Jutta took off the month of January to visit her mother in Germany. This freed up my time to work on the boat and study for my captain’s test. I was very glad I had things to keep me busy; I get really tired of chasing those cocktail waitresses around the decks!
It's mid-February and we are finishing up the odds and ends on the boat. The Miami Boat Show starts in a few days and we plan to purchase the navigation system at the show and get the boat show discount. Installing that piece of equipment and putting Pipe Dream into the ship yard to paint the bottom should just about finish our remodeling of Pipe Dream. Then, "ADIOS", we are out of here, back to cruising in paradise.
Living on a sailboat gives you lots of time to think of the future and adventures to come. If this charter business pays off, this could be a financial windfall to the owners of Pipe Dream. If any of you are reading this newsletter would be interested in buying stock in the “Help Ferdy Cruising and Charter Business” let me know. This could be your retirement nest egg (or mine!). If you have any friends/ acquaintances who are interested in a crewed charter trip on Pipe Dream, please have them contact us.
From the decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
Newsletter July 2006
"A funny thing happened on the way to the airport! "
The zany crew of Pipe Dream has been a little lax in their checking in. In the last newsletter we had entered the United States through Cape Canaveral and found a marina for Pipe Dream in Savannah, Georgia. It took about two weeks to put Pipe Dream to bed (remove sails, dinghy, bimini, etc.) and prepare her for several months during hurricane season.Jutta and I headed out of Savannah in mid June and flew to Phoenix to visit my two grown children, Jody and Ryan. Jutta thought she had died and gone to hell. It was only 113 degrees for eight of our ten days in Phoenix. What a sissy! Since I sold my truck four years ago we decided it was time to reward ourselves and buy a fancy foreign touring car that was up to our high standards. The Humvee was too big, we didn’t like the stereo in the Lexus, and the Ferrari was too small. What's a sailor to do? Well, we bought a used 2004 Hyundai Accent, better known as "The Rocket". We were preparing for our next adventure, a land trip driving through Mexico and possibly all the way to Panama.Before taking off for Mexico, Jutta and I drove "The Rocket" to Yuma, Arizona, to visit my brother, and then on to Long Beach for our yearly slumber party (which we missed last year) with cruising friends Sue and Jake of the sailing vessel “Sipapu.” On the way back to San Diego to see Jutta's daughter, Kat, we stopped in Del Mar for a quick visit with cruising friends Doug and Lisa who had sold their boat “Mamouna” and were getting ready to move to their new house in Todos Santos, Mexico. Jutta’s daughter, Katryn, had just been hired by a medical company and she was moving to San Francisco. Naturally, we volunteered to move her to the "City by the Bay." It goes to show you, there is a fool born every day! Jutta and Kat packed up the apartment, loaded it into the moving van, and we were ready. Jutta drove "The Rocket", Kat drove her Jetta, and I was lucky enough to get picked to drive the U-Haul eight hours to San Francisco. We got a very early start and arrived in San Francisco in the mid afternoon. I pulled the truck up to the apartment building and we started to unload. Kat neglected to tell us she was renting on the fourth floor and there was no elevator. She owes me big time! Next time she moves, I'm leaving the country. After we finished unloading, the crew of Pipe Dream returned the truck and headed out of the City and south to Hollister, California, to visit our cruising friends Duey and Nan. Duey and Nan, former owners of the sailing yacht "The Great Escape", had recently sold their boat and are now doing the “land lubber thing.” We had a wonderful visit with them and got to spend time with their good friends Fernando and Nancy. They are fun people if you overlook their one flaw, they own a power boat (stink pot). Well, nobody's perfect. Nan and Duey were wonderful hosts and gave us an intimate tour of the road between Monterrey and Hollister. After a week we said Adios, (for those of you reading this in Boston that's Good Bye in espanglish). We fired up "The Rocket" and headed to Los Angeles to spend a few days with Brandon, Jutta's oldest son, to witness his room mate plus girlfriend and two yappy dogs move out. While in LA, we enjoyed a great breakfast with Julie, movie director of the film “Must love Dogs” (we’ve already booked our seats for her first Oscar Celebration.) Contrary to past experience, Brandon drove his Audi in a most civilized manner. I didn’t have to wear my “Depends” while riding in his car. Jutta and I helped Brandon arrange his kitchen, and mop and clean his cabinets, etc. I know I’m half Hispanic but moving furniture and cleaning houses looks like a pattern I don’t like developing????? Again, we fired up "The Rocket" and drove to Phoenix to pick up our good friend Gail Philo, then finally started our trip to Mexico. We crossed the border at El Paso and drove to Chihuahua. After a couple of days there, several days in Zacatecas, mucho tempo in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, we braved the road into Mexico City. I won't bore you with details but we saw many beautiful places, took a lot of pictures, sampled varios tacos, and drank muchas cervezas! After several hours of fighting traffic on Mexico City’s ring road (the “Periferico”) we arrived at Jutta's uncle’s home on Friday, August 4. Gail stayed over the weekend and together with Jutta’s uncle and her cousin Trixi we enjoyed a boat trip on the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. It seems something always happens to the zany crew of Pipe Dream. Monday early morning we loaded Gail into a cab and the three of us headed to the Metro (subway) for our trip to the airport. When we entered the subway, morning rush hour was just starting. As I was stepping onto the train, someone stumbled in front of me to create a commotion while his compadre slid his hand into my front pocket and lifted my wallet. Of course, I never noticed my wallet gone until the train was under way. A classic case of pick-pocketing you read about in tour guides!! There goes my money, two credit cards, ATM card, driver license, and my AARP card. Darn it, with it went my AARP discounts! We got everything canceled Monday morning, Gail made her flight and I was just out the cash. Things could be worse or so we thought. Jutta's uncle told us if I got caught driving in Mexico without a valid drivers license they could impound the car and I would need to grease a lot of palms to get the car out of Mexico. I first called the Mexican Tourist Protection Agency listed in our AAA tour book. After several calls no one answered. That didn't bother me, I can fix that, I'm an American and I’m going to the United States Embassy for help. The Embassy referred me to the Mexican International Drivers License Bureau. They told me if I brought in my US drivers license they would issue an international license. Well, that sounded like a “Catch 22.” Back to the Embassy. The next person at the Embassy told me they couldn't help but he was sure the State of Arizona would FEDX a copy of my records to me in Mexico City. Sure, I bet that would happen, my tourist visa in Mexico is only good for six months! I finally asked the embassy staff if they could come up with a very official looking letter with a big stamp saying I was robbed, lost my drivers license and this was a temporary permit to drive until I returned to the United States. Judging by their puzzled looks, it was clear that nobody ever suggested anything as unofficial as that before. They reluctantly agreed and had me write a statement and for ONLY $30 they put a very large and important looking US Embassy stamp on it. Remember there is only two things you can count on in this life, Death and Taxes. Don’t rely on your embassy in foreign countries. I guess I’m just going to have to wing it myself on the Mexican highways. Once a salesman always a salesman! I am counting on all my rich friends back in the USA to bail me out of a Mexican jail in case my 30 Dollar US Embassy stamp won’t work. Well, that’s about it, we’re still in Mexico City and will be leaving in a few days. “The Rocket” is full of gas and Jutta is at the Metro station trying to raise money in a tin cup. I’ve about sold all the pencils and these dark glasses are killing me. Remember to send your much needed dollars to the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund”. Adios! From the Decks of Pipe Dream (or “The Rocket”) Ferdy and Jutta
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The zany crew of Pipe Dream has been a little lax in their checking in. In the last newsletter we had entered the United States through Cape Canaveral and found a marina for Pipe Dream in Savannah, Georgia. It took about two weeks to put Pipe Dream to bed (remove sails, dinghy, bimini, etc.) and prepare her for several months during hurricane season.Jutta and I headed out of Savannah in mid June and flew to Phoenix to visit my two grown children, Jody and Ryan. Jutta thought she had died and gone to hell. It was only 113 degrees for eight of our ten days in Phoenix. What a sissy! Since I sold my truck four years ago we decided it was time to reward ourselves and buy a fancy foreign touring car that was up to our high standards. The Humvee was too big, we didn’t like the stereo in the Lexus, and the Ferrari was too small. What's a sailor to do? Well, we bought a used 2004 Hyundai Accent, better known as "The Rocket". We were preparing for our next adventure, a land trip driving through Mexico and possibly all the way to Panama.Before taking off for Mexico, Jutta and I drove "The Rocket" to Yuma, Arizona, to visit my brother, and then on to Long Beach for our yearly slumber party (which we missed last year) with cruising friends Sue and Jake of the sailing vessel “Sipapu.” On the way back to San Diego to see Jutta's daughter, Kat, we stopped in Del Mar for a quick visit with cruising friends Doug and Lisa who had sold their boat “Mamouna” and were getting ready to move to their new house in Todos Santos, Mexico. Jutta’s daughter, Katryn, had just been hired by a medical company and she was moving to San Francisco. Naturally, we volunteered to move her to the "City by the Bay." It goes to show you, there is a fool born every day! Jutta and Kat packed up the apartment, loaded it into the moving van, and we were ready. Jutta drove "The Rocket", Kat drove her Jetta, and I was lucky enough to get picked to drive the U-Haul eight hours to San Francisco. We got a very early start and arrived in San Francisco in the mid afternoon. I pulled the truck up to the apartment building and we started to unload. Kat neglected to tell us she was renting on the fourth floor and there was no elevator. She owes me big time! Next time she moves, I'm leaving the country. After we finished unloading, the crew of Pipe Dream returned the truck and headed out of the City and south to Hollister, California, to visit our cruising friends Duey and Nan. Duey and Nan, former owners of the sailing yacht "The Great Escape", had recently sold their boat and are now doing the “land lubber thing.” We had a wonderful visit with them and got to spend time with their good friends Fernando and Nancy. They are fun people if you overlook their one flaw, they own a power boat (stink pot). Well, nobody's perfect. Nan and Duey were wonderful hosts and gave us an intimate tour of the road between Monterrey and Hollister. After a week we said Adios, (for those of you reading this in Boston that's Good Bye in espanglish). We fired up "The Rocket" and headed to Los Angeles to spend a few days with Brandon, Jutta's oldest son, to witness his room mate plus girlfriend and two yappy dogs move out. While in LA, we enjoyed a great breakfast with Julie, movie director of the film “Must love Dogs” (we’ve already booked our seats for her first Oscar Celebration.) Contrary to past experience, Brandon drove his Audi in a most civilized manner. I didn’t have to wear my “Depends” while riding in his car. Jutta and I helped Brandon arrange his kitchen, and mop and clean his cabinets, etc. I know I’m half Hispanic but moving furniture and cleaning houses looks like a pattern I don’t like developing????? Again, we fired up "The Rocket" and drove to Phoenix to pick up our good friend Gail Philo, then finally started our trip to Mexico. We crossed the border at El Paso and drove to Chihuahua. After a couple of days there, several days in Zacatecas, mucho tempo in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, we braved the road into Mexico City. I won't bore you with details but we saw many beautiful places, took a lot of pictures, sampled varios tacos, and drank muchas cervezas! After several hours of fighting traffic on Mexico City’s ring road (the “Periferico”) we arrived at Jutta's uncle’s home on Friday, August 4. Gail stayed over the weekend and together with Jutta’s uncle and her cousin Trixi we enjoyed a boat trip on the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. It seems something always happens to the zany crew of Pipe Dream. Monday early morning we loaded Gail into a cab and the three of us headed to the Metro (subway) for our trip to the airport. When we entered the subway, morning rush hour was just starting. As I was stepping onto the train, someone stumbled in front of me to create a commotion while his compadre slid his hand into my front pocket and lifted my wallet. Of course, I never noticed my wallet gone until the train was under way. A classic case of pick-pocketing you read about in tour guides!! There goes my money, two credit cards, ATM card, driver license, and my AARP card. Darn it, with it went my AARP discounts! We got everything canceled Monday morning, Gail made her flight and I was just out the cash. Things could be worse or so we thought. Jutta's uncle told us if I got caught driving in Mexico without a valid drivers license they could impound the car and I would need to grease a lot of palms to get the car out of Mexico. I first called the Mexican Tourist Protection Agency listed in our AAA tour book. After several calls no one answered. That didn't bother me, I can fix that, I'm an American and I’m going to the United States Embassy for help. The Embassy referred me to the Mexican International Drivers License Bureau. They told me if I brought in my US drivers license they would issue an international license. Well, that sounded like a “Catch 22.” Back to the Embassy. The next person at the Embassy told me they couldn't help but he was sure the State of Arizona would FEDX a copy of my records to me in Mexico City. Sure, I bet that would happen, my tourist visa in Mexico is only good for six months! I finally asked the embassy staff if they could come up with a very official looking letter with a big stamp saying I was robbed, lost my drivers license and this was a temporary permit to drive until I returned to the United States. Judging by their puzzled looks, it was clear that nobody ever suggested anything as unofficial as that before. They reluctantly agreed and had me write a statement and for ONLY $30 they put a very large and important looking US Embassy stamp on it. Remember there is only two things you can count on in this life, Death and Taxes. Don’t rely on your embassy in foreign countries. I guess I’m just going to have to wing it myself on the Mexican highways. Once a salesman always a salesman! I am counting on all my rich friends back in the USA to bail me out of a Mexican jail in case my 30 Dollar US Embassy stamp won’t work. Well, that’s about it, we’re still in Mexico City and will be leaving in a few days. “The Rocket” is full of gas and Jutta is at the Metro station trying to raise money in a tin cup. I’ve about sold all the pencils and these dark glasses are killing me. Remember to send your much needed dollars to the “Help Ferdy Cruising Fund”. Adios! From the Decks of Pipe Dream (or “The Rocket”) Ferdy and Jutta
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Newsletter May 2006
"The Nation is safe with Homeland Security!! "
Yee-Ha, the zany crew of Pipe Dream is back! It’s been another month and time for your copy of the Pipe Dream newsletter, subscription information to follow (just kidding)!
Pipe Dream is now in Georgia sitting in a very nice marina. The Pipe Dreamers are getting her ready to leave for the summer. We must remove the sails, batten down all the hatches, and secure all equipment in case a hurricane blows through while we are gone. We should be out of here in about a week. Our friends, Dick and Vickie, on the sailboat “Chimere” found us the slip. As luck would have it, Dick will keep an eye on Pipe Dream during our absence.
In our last newsletter the Pipe Dreamers were in Georgetown, Bahamas, participating in the boat races of the Family Island Regatta. It took about three weeks for my backside to heal up after hanging out over the water on that twelve foot beam. Good rail meat I’m not, that’s for young guys! After the races we provisioned Pipe Dream with food, water, took on another keg or two of rum, lots of limes to go with our tonic - we don’t want a scurvy problem - and we were ready for sea. We sailed out of Georgetown Harbor in the company of sailing vessels “Millenium Falcon”, and “Varuna”. When you travel in the company of these two boats it’s party time every day. Our first stop was Long Island for a little sight seeing and cantina hopping.
Then we moved north up the coast of Long Island to a settlement called Sims. There we met up with some friends of ours on the boat “Free Bird”. We made reservations at the “Blue Chip Café” and had a farewell dinner party which consisted of all you can eat conch, fish and lobster. After dinner the Blue Chip had a “Rake and Scrape” band playing in the bar. We danced and sang island music until the wee hours. The next morning we said our good byes. Free Bird sailed south, Millenium Falcon sailed for Florida and Pipe Dream and Varuna sailed on to Cat Island. We spent a few relaxing days on Cat Island just playing in the sun and water. We needed a rest!
Our next stop was a small island called Little San Salvador. This Island is totally owned by Carnival Cruise Lines. The water surrounding this island is the most pristine we have ever seen. At the time we arrived there were no cruise ships anchored in the harbor. We called the office on our VHF radio and asked for permission to explore the island. We spent five wonderful days on Little San Salvador lying out on the lounge chairs and hammocks, taking wonderful showers after every swim and just exploring the Island. We walked through disserted bars, shopping areas, water-sports complexes with not a soul there. Aaah, the life of the idle rich! As soon as a cruise ship was scheduled to anchor, a large boat would arrive from Eleuthera, the neighboring island, carrying fifty workers to entertain the guests. The cruise ship would sail out of the anchorage, everyone would leave, and the island was once again ours to enjoy. During our stay at Little San Salvador the power cat “kath n’I”arrived with Ray and Kath aboard, who soon became great friends and joined “Varuna” and “Pipe Dream” for the next leg of our journey. Once again there was a cold front approaching the Bahamas and we had to pull anchor and run for cover. Sometimes we feel like “Chicken Little” and the sky is falling. Adios, we’re headed for Eleuthera Island.
The weather front did arrive and it blew twenty to thirty knots for two or three days. The one saving grace was that the power cat “Kath ‘n’ I had caught five big Mahi Mahi on the trip over. Ray hosted several Mahi barbecues and still had fish left in the freezer. The weather cleared and we were off to visit the picturesque town at Governor Harbor. Then we all moved on Royal Island for a few days to wait for a weather window to head for the States. The morning of May 24 the weatherman on the single sideband radio was predicting rain squalls and wind of 10 to 15 knots today. The rest of the week there would be no wind. Today was the day to cut the anchor lines and head to sea. We said our adieus, and there were a few tears shed in parting. We motored out of the harbor…and motored…and motored…and waited for that 10-15 knot wind. By the time we arrived in Fort Pierce, Florida, we had been motoring for 33 hours.. If any of you would like to know what the word “weatherman” means in English, it’s “LIAR”. There wasn’t a breath of wind the entire trip and not one rain squall.
On the evening of May 24 we entered the harbor at Ft Pierce. Being a good tax paying American, the crew of Pipe Dream should have taken a cab to the airport to check in with Customs and Immigrations. Well, we just took on Diesel, spent the night at anchor and headed out to sea at first light for Cape Canaveral. This is a large international cruise and commercial port and seemed the obvious place to check into the country. We entered the port and called on the VHF radio for directions to Customs and Immigration. Our next question was, where was the Customs dock? The conversation over the radio went something like this. “We don’t have one”. “Well, where can we dock the boat?” “Maybe one of the marinas will let you tie up there!” To make a long story short it seemed there was a fishing tournament going on that weekend and there was no room at the inn. We, being good Americans, stopped a policeman patrolling the harbor in a boat and asked where we could drop the anchor for about an hour to check into the country. He told us there was no anchoring in Port Canaveral and for us to enter the Intra Coastal Waterway and go to another port. By then it was 5:00PM on Friday evening and we knew the office was closed. The next morning I got up and was very nervous about being in the great USA without checking in. We had heard Homeland Security was getting tough about border security. I called on the cell phone to Custom and Immigration, “protectors of our boarders”, and asked about the possibility of returning to Cape Canaveral to check in. I was told by a very nice lady at their answering service that the office would be closed over the weekend and Memorial Day. Why don’t I try to check in next Tuesday? We traveled through Florida over the weekend and finally checked into the country at Fernandina Beach, a town at the Florida/Georgia border. The moral of that story is our borders are safe Monday thru Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00PM. The rest of the time it’s a crap-shoot. I know you will all sleep better knowing the Office of Homeland Security is taking care of us!
On a very sad note, this newsletter is dedicated to our close friend and sailing buddy, Bob Saemisch, who visited Pipe Dream with his wife Tish everywhere throughout Mexico, Central America and the Bahamas. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack this week. He will be truly missed.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
Yee-Ha, the zany crew of Pipe Dream is back! It’s been another month and time for your copy of the Pipe Dream newsletter, subscription information to follow (just kidding)!
Pipe Dream is now in Georgia sitting in a very nice marina. The Pipe Dreamers are getting her ready to leave for the summer. We must remove the sails, batten down all the hatches, and secure all equipment in case a hurricane blows through while we are gone. We should be out of here in about a week. Our friends, Dick and Vickie, on the sailboat “Chimere” found us the slip. As luck would have it, Dick will keep an eye on Pipe Dream during our absence.
In our last newsletter the Pipe Dreamers were in Georgetown, Bahamas, participating in the boat races of the Family Island Regatta. It took about three weeks for my backside to heal up after hanging out over the water on that twelve foot beam. Good rail meat I’m not, that’s for young guys! After the races we provisioned Pipe Dream with food, water, took on another keg or two of rum, lots of limes to go with our tonic - we don’t want a scurvy problem - and we were ready for sea. We sailed out of Georgetown Harbor in the company of sailing vessels “Millenium Falcon”, and “Varuna”. When you travel in the company of these two boats it’s party time every day. Our first stop was Long Island for a little sight seeing and cantina hopping.
Then we moved north up the coast of Long Island to a settlement called Sims. There we met up with some friends of ours on the boat “Free Bird”. We made reservations at the “Blue Chip Café” and had a farewell dinner party which consisted of all you can eat conch, fish and lobster. After dinner the Blue Chip had a “Rake and Scrape” band playing in the bar. We danced and sang island music until the wee hours. The next morning we said our good byes. Free Bird sailed south, Millenium Falcon sailed for Florida and Pipe Dream and Varuna sailed on to Cat Island. We spent a few relaxing days on Cat Island just playing in the sun and water. We needed a rest!
Our next stop was a small island called Little San Salvador. This Island is totally owned by Carnival Cruise Lines. The water surrounding this island is the most pristine we have ever seen. At the time we arrived there were no cruise ships anchored in the harbor. We called the office on our VHF radio and asked for permission to explore the island. We spent five wonderful days on Little San Salvador lying out on the lounge chairs and hammocks, taking wonderful showers after every swim and just exploring the Island. We walked through disserted bars, shopping areas, water-sports complexes with not a soul there. Aaah, the life of the idle rich! As soon as a cruise ship was scheduled to anchor, a large boat would arrive from Eleuthera, the neighboring island, carrying fifty workers to entertain the guests. The cruise ship would sail out of the anchorage, everyone would leave, and the island was once again ours to enjoy. During our stay at Little San Salvador the power cat “kath n’I”arrived with Ray and Kath aboard, who soon became great friends and joined “Varuna” and “Pipe Dream” for the next leg of our journey. Once again there was a cold front approaching the Bahamas and we had to pull anchor and run for cover. Sometimes we feel like “Chicken Little” and the sky is falling. Adios, we’re headed for Eleuthera Island.
The weather front did arrive and it blew twenty to thirty knots for two or three days. The one saving grace was that the power cat “Kath ‘n’ I had caught five big Mahi Mahi on the trip over. Ray hosted several Mahi barbecues and still had fish left in the freezer. The weather cleared and we were off to visit the picturesque town at Governor Harbor. Then we all moved on Royal Island for a few days to wait for a weather window to head for the States. The morning of May 24 the weatherman on the single sideband radio was predicting rain squalls and wind of 10 to 15 knots today. The rest of the week there would be no wind. Today was the day to cut the anchor lines and head to sea. We said our adieus, and there were a few tears shed in parting. We motored out of the harbor…and motored…and motored…and waited for that 10-15 knot wind. By the time we arrived in Fort Pierce, Florida, we had been motoring for 33 hours.. If any of you would like to know what the word “weatherman” means in English, it’s “LIAR”. There wasn’t a breath of wind the entire trip and not one rain squall.
On the evening of May 24 we entered the harbor at Ft Pierce. Being a good tax paying American, the crew of Pipe Dream should have taken a cab to the airport to check in with Customs and Immigrations. Well, we just took on Diesel, spent the night at anchor and headed out to sea at first light for Cape Canaveral. This is a large international cruise and commercial port and seemed the obvious place to check into the country. We entered the port and called on the VHF radio for directions to Customs and Immigration. Our next question was, where was the Customs dock? The conversation over the radio went something like this. “We don’t have one”. “Well, where can we dock the boat?” “Maybe one of the marinas will let you tie up there!” To make a long story short it seemed there was a fishing tournament going on that weekend and there was no room at the inn. We, being good Americans, stopped a policeman patrolling the harbor in a boat and asked where we could drop the anchor for about an hour to check into the country. He told us there was no anchoring in Port Canaveral and for us to enter the Intra Coastal Waterway and go to another port. By then it was 5:00PM on Friday evening and we knew the office was closed. The next morning I got up and was very nervous about being in the great USA without checking in. We had heard Homeland Security was getting tough about border security. I called on the cell phone to Custom and Immigration, “protectors of our boarders”, and asked about the possibility of returning to Cape Canaveral to check in. I was told by a very nice lady at their answering service that the office would be closed over the weekend and Memorial Day. Why don’t I try to check in next Tuesday? We traveled through Florida over the weekend and finally checked into the country at Fernandina Beach, a town at the Florida/Georgia border. The moral of that story is our borders are safe Monday thru Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00PM. The rest of the time it’s a crap-shoot. I know you will all sleep better knowing the Office of Homeland Security is taking care of us!
On a very sad note, this newsletter is dedicated to our close friend and sailing buddy, Bob Saemisch, who visited Pipe Dream with his wife Tish everywhere throughout Mexico, Central America and the Bahamas. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack this week. He will be truly missed.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
Newsletter April 2006
" Butt putty saved the day!"
The famous Pipe Dream Newsletter is back, you’re probably thinking this is your lucky day. The zany crew of Pipe Dream is winding down for their last month in the Bahamas. We haven’t just been sitting on our duffs all this time while in Georgetown -“we was busy.” I’m sitting here typing on the computer trying to build up calluses on my two fingers while watching Jutta mending our bimini shade and sewing a new wind scoop for one of our hatches. The weather is finally beautiful most of the time. Everyone had been talking about the awful weather in the United States this winter. Keep in mind, all that weather moving across the USA usually flows down through Florida and out across the Bahamas. The weather pattern this cruising season has been three or four days of nice weather followed by getting hammered by one cold front after another. This has put a little crimp in our travels but anything is better than working.
The first week of April we made our break and the Pipe Dream crew and Bob and Viv from sailing vessel Varuna buddy boated to Long Island. The people of Long island are the friendliest we have ever encountered in the Bahamas. Jutta and I had signed up for “Captain Bobby’s Budget Tours” given by Bob from Varuna and the price was right (free) and we didn’t even have to buy him a beer! Bob and Viv showed us the finer points of sticking out your thumb every time a car passed. We hitch-hiked all over the island for five days and rode in the back of more pickups than I can count. Our first stop was the settlement of Simms, then we hitched a ride north to Cape Santa Maria Resort, where Keith Richards from the Stones stayed several years ago. What a beautiful resort! We walked around and then went into the beach bar for a cool one. We all ordered a “Kalik” beer, the beer of the Bahamas, and when we got the bill they charged us $5.50 a beer. “Holy Christmas” they must have thought the Vanderbilts were in town. Adios, we are out of here. As luck would have it, there was a little bar on the highway and they had $2.50 Kaliks for the budget minded cruisers. That evening we ate at the Blue Chip Restaurant and had one of the finest dinners we have had in the Bahaman.
The next morning we sailed off to the settlement of Salt Pond. From there we hitched hiked to Dean’s Landing and snorkeled the deepest Blue Hole in the World, over 600 feet deep. After the dive we had to go to Mac’s Conch Bar for food and refreshments. In the afternoon Bob’s Budget Tours took us to explore some underground caves. We just barely had time to clean up for Happy Hour at the local hangout. The following day we caught a ride to Clarence Town and attended a kids’ sailing regatta. A storm was closing in on us and we had to bid Bob and Viv adieu (for those of you in Phoenix that’s French for bye-bye). Jutta’s son Brandon was due to arrive in Georgetown in a few days and we had to get back and beat the weather.
Brandon arrived on Pipe Dream and had five full days in Paradise. The night he arrived he got the Bahama Baptism. It was blowing 30 knots in the anchorage and we put his luggage in garbage bags, gave him a foulie jacket and had him put on a bathing suit on the dock and then headed for Pipe Dream in the dinghy. All were wet but we made it. The next day we found some shelter from the wind and waves in another anchorage. It was time we got off the boat to explore. We took Brandon to the “Chat and Chill”, the local beach bar and cruiser hangout. Brandon was hungry and got a fish sandwich and Jutta and I just had a Kalik. Big mistake! Brandon spent the next 24 hours hugging the porcelain god. We fixed him up with some butt putty we keep in our medical bag. “Welcome to the Bahamas Man.” Brandon had a wonderful three days left on Pipe Dream. Sometimes it’s fun to see a lawyer suffer!
Our days in Georgetown are drawing to a close. The last event before sailing out of the Exuma chain was the Family Island Regatta which is a four day racing event of the original style Bahamian sailing boats. Large island freighters were bringing the colorfully painted boats from every island. With a sign “Need Crew?” taped to my chest I volunteered to be “rail meat” on some of the boats. The race boats come in three different sizes: “C” class, the smallest, thru “A” class, the largest. The “A”class boats are about 20 feet long and have a 60 foot mast and a boom which is about 30 feet long. These boats have the largest sail I have ever seen. A weighted keel is built in but with such a large sail the only way to keep them upright is with a “pry”. The “pry” is a 3 x 10 inch plank about 12 feet long of which the “A” boats have two. They slide them out the side of the boat and five large men sit suspended over the water on each plank, that’s 10 bodies hanging over the water sometimes flying 10 to 12 feet above the water. The A-class boats have a 13 to 17 man crew, depending on the wind speed that day. This is why they call my position “rail meat”, we hang out over the water to keep the boat from tipping over and at maximum speed. Four days of racing and four days of straight partying just about wore us out. Sliding up and down on those planks took its toll on my sensitive behind. Thank God we had some diaper rash ointment in our medical kit! But, you know what they say about when the going gets tough?
Jutta and I have the month of May to travel north covering some new parts of the Bahamas. It seems our insurance company has a problem with us being down here during “Hurricane Season”. I thought a hurricane was a drink I had in New Orleans. By June first we must have the boat above the Florida/Georgia boarder. We have big plans for this summer, you will hear about them soon. Keep those big checks coming and remember not all the poor people live in the ghettos. Some have sailing yachts!
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
The famous Pipe Dream Newsletter is back, you’re probably thinking this is your lucky day. The zany crew of Pipe Dream is winding down for their last month in the Bahamas. We haven’t just been sitting on our duffs all this time while in Georgetown -“we was busy.” I’m sitting here typing on the computer trying to build up calluses on my two fingers while watching Jutta mending our bimini shade and sewing a new wind scoop for one of our hatches. The weather is finally beautiful most of the time. Everyone had been talking about the awful weather in the United States this winter. Keep in mind, all that weather moving across the USA usually flows down through Florida and out across the Bahamas. The weather pattern this cruising season has been three or four days of nice weather followed by getting hammered by one cold front after another. This has put a little crimp in our travels but anything is better than working.
The first week of April we made our break and the Pipe Dream crew and Bob and Viv from sailing vessel Varuna buddy boated to Long Island. The people of Long island are the friendliest we have ever encountered in the Bahamas. Jutta and I had signed up for “Captain Bobby’s Budget Tours” given by Bob from Varuna and the price was right (free) and we didn’t even have to buy him a beer! Bob and Viv showed us the finer points of sticking out your thumb every time a car passed. We hitch-hiked all over the island for five days and rode in the back of more pickups than I can count. Our first stop was the settlement of Simms, then we hitched a ride north to Cape Santa Maria Resort, where Keith Richards from the Stones stayed several years ago. What a beautiful resort! We walked around and then went into the beach bar for a cool one. We all ordered a “Kalik” beer, the beer of the Bahamas, and when we got the bill they charged us $5.50 a beer. “Holy Christmas” they must have thought the Vanderbilts were in town. Adios, we are out of here. As luck would have it, there was a little bar on the highway and they had $2.50 Kaliks for the budget minded cruisers. That evening we ate at the Blue Chip Restaurant and had one of the finest dinners we have had in the Bahaman.
The next morning we sailed off to the settlement of Salt Pond. From there we hitched hiked to Dean’s Landing and snorkeled the deepest Blue Hole in the World, over 600 feet deep. After the dive we had to go to Mac’s Conch Bar for food and refreshments. In the afternoon Bob’s Budget Tours took us to explore some underground caves. We just barely had time to clean up for Happy Hour at the local hangout. The following day we caught a ride to Clarence Town and attended a kids’ sailing regatta. A storm was closing in on us and we had to bid Bob and Viv adieu (for those of you in Phoenix that’s French for bye-bye). Jutta’s son Brandon was due to arrive in Georgetown in a few days and we had to get back and beat the weather.
Brandon arrived on Pipe Dream and had five full days in Paradise. The night he arrived he got the Bahama Baptism. It was blowing 30 knots in the anchorage and we put his luggage in garbage bags, gave him a foulie jacket and had him put on a bathing suit on the dock and then headed for Pipe Dream in the dinghy. All were wet but we made it. The next day we found some shelter from the wind and waves in another anchorage. It was time we got off the boat to explore. We took Brandon to the “Chat and Chill”, the local beach bar and cruiser hangout. Brandon was hungry and got a fish sandwich and Jutta and I just had a Kalik. Big mistake! Brandon spent the next 24 hours hugging the porcelain god. We fixed him up with some butt putty we keep in our medical bag. “Welcome to the Bahamas Man.” Brandon had a wonderful three days left on Pipe Dream. Sometimes it’s fun to see a lawyer suffer!
Our days in Georgetown are drawing to a close. The last event before sailing out of the Exuma chain was the Family Island Regatta which is a four day racing event of the original style Bahamian sailing boats. Large island freighters were bringing the colorfully painted boats from every island. With a sign “Need Crew?” taped to my chest I volunteered to be “rail meat” on some of the boats. The race boats come in three different sizes: “C” class, the smallest, thru “A” class, the largest. The “A”class boats are about 20 feet long and have a 60 foot mast and a boom which is about 30 feet long. These boats have the largest sail I have ever seen. A weighted keel is built in but with such a large sail the only way to keep them upright is with a “pry”. The “pry” is a 3 x 10 inch plank about 12 feet long of which the “A” boats have two. They slide them out the side of the boat and five large men sit suspended over the water on each plank, that’s 10 bodies hanging over the water sometimes flying 10 to 12 feet above the water. The A-class boats have a 13 to 17 man crew, depending on the wind speed that day. This is why they call my position “rail meat”, we hang out over the water to keep the boat from tipping over and at maximum speed. Four days of racing and four days of straight partying just about wore us out. Sliding up and down on those planks took its toll on my sensitive behind. Thank God we had some diaper rash ointment in our medical kit! But, you know what they say about when the going gets tough?
Jutta and I have the month of May to travel north covering some new parts of the Bahamas. It seems our insurance company has a problem with us being down here during “Hurricane Season”. I thought a hurricane was a drink I had in New Orleans. By June first we must have the boat above the Florida/Georgia boarder. We have big plans for this summer, you will hear about them soon. Keep those big checks coming and remember not all the poor people live in the ghettos. Some have sailing yachts!
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
Newsletter March 2006
"She’s not a rock star but her head got bigger!"
We’re baaaaaaaaaaack, anchored in Georgetown Harbor in the Exuma Island chain. It has been a great month for the zany crew of Pipe Dream. In last months newsletter the Pipe Dream crew was on the way to Georgetown. After island hopping for five days, and playing with friends, we finally reached Georgetown on March 3. We sailed into this secluded, protected bay thinking we were the only boat in paradise. The anticipation was building as we entered the anchorage. Out in front of us we could just make out masts of a few other sailboats, almost 400 of them. The 2006 Georgetown Cruisers’ Regatta had begun which meant 10 days of Pipe Dream Party Time. This year we participated in a many more events than in the previous year. To begin with, we crewed once again on the racing boat “Millennium Falcon”, owned by our good friends Bob and Bev from Toronto, hoping for at least 3rd place like last year. We were ready, we had practiced, and we could taste the bottle of rum for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Well, we finished last. All was not lost, of all the 28 boats in the race we had the best after race party!
Next, Jutta and I entered the team kayak race. Last year we took a third place against 20 kayaks all manned by teenagers. This year Jutta and I had been exercising for the race and we came in fourth place looser!! Those damn teenagers, where was the senior division? After that we entered the scavenger hunt with two other couples. Each couple needed to have their own dinghy because the list of items we needed were spread over the entire Georgetown Bay with only 90 minutes for the hunt. Hurray, we took a second place out of twenty teams. It was about time. Another memorable success for the crew of Pipe Dream. All in all we had a terrific time
. One of the highlights to this year’s travels to the Bahamas was the Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival held the week after the cruising regatta. This three day festival brought musicians from all over the islands, many of them recording stars. The Bahamas Tourist Bureau asked the cruisers if they would like to present a band playing music at the festival. The group was made up of John, keyboard and bass, Colin, lead guitar and bass, Bob, guitar, and Ashley, lead singer, and Jutta, believe it or not, percussion and back up singer. The group was called “White Folks on Boats.” They were the only white entertainers. “White Folks on Boats” opened for the headliner on Saturday night and brought the house down. The crowd of about two thousand were going wild. As you can probably guess it was hard to live with Jutta for a few days. It isn’t easy being a big star!!!! A couple days of boat jobs brought her back down to earth. It’s easy to be humble when you’re polishing stainless steel.
So far, the crew of Pipe Dream has made one trip out of Georgetown to visit Cat Island and Conception Island. Our trip was cut short due to bad weather. Our hopes are to visit many other islands before returning to the USA in June. We hope the weather Gods will be favorable.
As for “El Capitan”, that’s me, Ferdy. I also had several milestones during the month of March. To begin with we had a very large anniversary party on Pipe Dream to celebrate the 20th anniversary of my 39th birthday. If fact this will be the last birthday I will welcome. If any of you have been remiss in purchasing my present don’t feel bad I will just take the money!!!!!! The second milestone for me is I am now taking Yogurt, some of you call it Yoga, but what do you know? Every morning I roll out of bed at 6:00 Am and are at my yoga class by 7:30. I haven’t bought any crystals yet but I am thinking about levitation, then I won’t need a dinghy.
Keep those cards and e-mail coming we love to hear from you. It makes us feel good that you have enough time from your busy wourlk, no, worlk, no, sorry I can’t remember how to spell it, schedule. Remember to keep the money coming, keep in mind, a dollar a day keeps Ferdy away.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
We’re baaaaaaaaaaack, anchored in Georgetown Harbor in the Exuma Island chain. It has been a great month for the zany crew of Pipe Dream. In last months newsletter the Pipe Dream crew was on the way to Georgetown. After island hopping for five days, and playing with friends, we finally reached Georgetown on March 3. We sailed into this secluded, protected bay thinking we were the only boat in paradise. The anticipation was building as we entered the anchorage. Out in front of us we could just make out masts of a few other sailboats, almost 400 of them. The 2006 Georgetown Cruisers’ Regatta had begun which meant 10 days of Pipe Dream Party Time. This year we participated in a many more events than in the previous year. To begin with, we crewed once again on the racing boat “Millennium Falcon”, owned by our good friends Bob and Bev from Toronto, hoping for at least 3rd place like last year. We were ready, we had practiced, and we could taste the bottle of rum for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Well, we finished last. All was not lost, of all the 28 boats in the race we had the best after race party!
Next, Jutta and I entered the team kayak race. Last year we took a third place against 20 kayaks all manned by teenagers. This year Jutta and I had been exercising for the race and we came in fourth place looser!! Those damn teenagers, where was the senior division? After that we entered the scavenger hunt with two other couples. Each couple needed to have their own dinghy because the list of items we needed were spread over the entire Georgetown Bay with only 90 minutes for the hunt. Hurray, we took a second place out of twenty teams. It was about time. Another memorable success for the crew of Pipe Dream. All in all we had a terrific time
. One of the highlights to this year’s travels to the Bahamas was the Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival held the week after the cruising regatta. This three day festival brought musicians from all over the islands, many of them recording stars. The Bahamas Tourist Bureau asked the cruisers if they would like to present a band playing music at the festival. The group was made up of John, keyboard and bass, Colin, lead guitar and bass, Bob, guitar, and Ashley, lead singer, and Jutta, believe it or not, percussion and back up singer. The group was called “White Folks on Boats.” They were the only white entertainers. “White Folks on Boats” opened for the headliner on Saturday night and brought the house down. The crowd of about two thousand were going wild. As you can probably guess it was hard to live with Jutta for a few days. It isn’t easy being a big star!!!! A couple days of boat jobs brought her back down to earth. It’s easy to be humble when you’re polishing stainless steel.
So far, the crew of Pipe Dream has made one trip out of Georgetown to visit Cat Island and Conception Island. Our trip was cut short due to bad weather. Our hopes are to visit many other islands before returning to the USA in June. We hope the weather Gods will be favorable.
As for “El Capitan”, that’s me, Ferdy. I also had several milestones during the month of March. To begin with we had a very large anniversary party on Pipe Dream to celebrate the 20th anniversary of my 39th birthday. If fact this will be the last birthday I will welcome. If any of you have been remiss in purchasing my present don’t feel bad I will just take the money!!!!!! The second milestone for me is I am now taking Yogurt, some of you call it Yoga, but what do you know? Every morning I roll out of bed at 6:00 Am and are at my yoga class by 7:30. I haven’t bought any crystals yet but I am thinking about levitation, then I won’t need a dinghy.
Keep those cards and e-mail coming we love to hear from you. It makes us feel good that you have enough time from your busy wourlk, no, worlk, no, sorry I can’t remember how to spell it, schedule. Remember to keep the money coming, keep in mind, a dollar a day keeps Ferdy away.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
Newsletter February 2006
“We be here on Island time”
We’re finally back on “Island Time” where the day starts with coffee and ends with a sundowner (cocktail). In our last newsletter the crew of Pipe Dream was in Fort Lauderdale waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream and head for the Bahamas. We had been pinned down for a week waiting for a norther (heavy north wind) to subside. On Feb 6 the wind clocked around and very early in the morning (seven o’clock on Pipe Dream )we made our break across the Gulf Stream and on to the Bahama Bank. A north wind of only 15 knots against the Gulf Stream will build short and choppy waves 6 to 12 feet. That’s the reason we wait for a weather window. We have taken real beatings in those kind of seas and we don’t care to repeat it.
Jutta and I reached Nassau on Feb 8 after two stops to get some sleep on the Bahama Bank. Unlike our lengthy visit to Nassau last season we had three items of business to take care of before we left. We had to check in with customs and pay our $300 cruising permit, go to Potter’s Cay in Nassau harbor to have a conch salad and some conch fritters, and, most importantly, we needed a rum and cognac shopping spree before we left for the Exuma island chain. It seems the finest rum is about $10 per liter and French VSOP is $12 per liter. We never miss a bargain. All these things were accomplished in one overnight stay in Nassau and the crew of Pipe Dream crept out of the harbor and off to the Exumas.
The weather prediction was for a big cold front approaching the Bahamas in a few days. Our friends, Viv and Party-Bob on the boat Varuna, were headed for Pipe Creek and Pipe Dream was hot on their heels. It took two days to catch up with Varuna and we renewed old friendships over a barrel of rum and a plate of fresh caught lobster. The headache I woke up with the next morning was probably due to Bob’s cheap rum. One day I’ll grow up and be more careful, but remember: You’re never too old to have a happy childhood!
Well, the weather front arrived the next day and blew 30 knots all day and night. The following day the wind was down to 20 to 25 knots and continued to blow for 8 days straight. The Bahamas can be really suckie in January and February.
The weather finally settled down and Jutta and Viv went kayaking while Bob and I went diving every day for lobster. Bob shoots lobster like fishing in a barrel, meanwhile I draw blanks on the score board. I got buck fever on the only shot I took and missed. All was not lost. I volunteered to cook Bob’s lobster on my boat. It just goes to show some guys will do anything for a friend. I hope Bob appreciates it! It wasn’t a couple of days later I caught my first lobster of the season.
The crew of Pipe Dream and Varuna left Pipe Creek on Tuesday the 21st and headed toward Georgetown in the Exumas. If we really sailed hard we could be there in about 24 hours. But on our travel schedule it will take us about a week to get there. Remember, we are on “island time”. The Cruisers’ Regatta begins the first week of March and it lasts 8 to 10 days. You know we never miss a party!. I hope we don’t get a hold of some of that bad rum. Those headaches are tough.
It’s February the 26th and Jutta and I are preparing for another weather front approaching from the north. We are watching the thunderheads coming at us at an alarming rate. If you ever wondered where the saying “Batten down the hatches” comes from, it’s from people on boats.
Those of you who have been waiting to send your dollars to the “Keep Ferdy Cruising Fund” for the new state of the art weather prediction system, it might be a little late. We will just put on our rain coats, bend over, and hold on.
In a day or two we will be into the month of March and you will receive this newsletter. At the same time Ferdy will be enjoying another birthday on Pipe Dream. And remember it’s never too late to send something. We miss you all and Adios.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
We’re finally back on “Island Time” where the day starts with coffee and ends with a sundowner (cocktail). In our last newsletter the crew of Pipe Dream was in Fort Lauderdale waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream and head for the Bahamas. We had been pinned down for a week waiting for a norther (heavy north wind) to subside. On Feb 6 the wind clocked around and very early in the morning (seven o’clock on Pipe Dream )we made our break across the Gulf Stream and on to the Bahama Bank. A north wind of only 15 knots against the Gulf Stream will build short and choppy waves 6 to 12 feet. That’s the reason we wait for a weather window. We have taken real beatings in those kind of seas and we don’t care to repeat it.
Jutta and I reached Nassau on Feb 8 after two stops to get some sleep on the Bahama Bank. Unlike our lengthy visit to Nassau last season we had three items of business to take care of before we left. We had to check in with customs and pay our $300 cruising permit, go to Potter’s Cay in Nassau harbor to have a conch salad and some conch fritters, and, most importantly, we needed a rum and cognac shopping spree before we left for the Exuma island chain. It seems the finest rum is about $10 per liter and French VSOP is $12 per liter. We never miss a bargain. All these things were accomplished in one overnight stay in Nassau and the crew of Pipe Dream crept out of the harbor and off to the Exumas.
The weather prediction was for a big cold front approaching the Bahamas in a few days. Our friends, Viv and Party-Bob on the boat Varuna, were headed for Pipe Creek and Pipe Dream was hot on their heels. It took two days to catch up with Varuna and we renewed old friendships over a barrel of rum and a plate of fresh caught lobster. The headache I woke up with the next morning was probably due to Bob’s cheap rum. One day I’ll grow up and be more careful, but remember: You’re never too old to have a happy childhood!
Well, the weather front arrived the next day and blew 30 knots all day and night. The following day the wind was down to 20 to 25 knots and continued to blow for 8 days straight. The Bahamas can be really suckie in January and February.
The weather finally settled down and Jutta and Viv went kayaking while Bob and I went diving every day for lobster. Bob shoots lobster like fishing in a barrel, meanwhile I draw blanks on the score board. I got buck fever on the only shot I took and missed. All was not lost. I volunteered to cook Bob’s lobster on my boat. It just goes to show some guys will do anything for a friend. I hope Bob appreciates it! It wasn’t a couple of days later I caught my first lobster of the season.
The crew of Pipe Dream and Varuna left Pipe Creek on Tuesday the 21st and headed toward Georgetown in the Exumas. If we really sailed hard we could be there in about 24 hours. But on our travel schedule it will take us about a week to get there. Remember, we are on “island time”. The Cruisers’ Regatta begins the first week of March and it lasts 8 to 10 days. You know we never miss a party!. I hope we don’t get a hold of some of that bad rum. Those headaches are tough.
It’s February the 26th and Jutta and I are preparing for another weather front approaching from the north. We are watching the thunderheads coming at us at an alarming rate. If you ever wondered where the saying “Batten down the hatches” comes from, it’s from people on boats.
Those of you who have been waiting to send your dollars to the “Keep Ferdy Cruising Fund” for the new state of the art weather prediction system, it might be a little late. We will just put on our rain coats, bend over, and hold on.
In a day or two we will be into the month of March and you will receive this newsletter. At the same time Ferdy will be enjoying another birthday on Pipe Dream. And remember it’s never too late to send something. We miss you all and Adios.
From the Decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta
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