Category Archives: People

A Delightful Overnight Trip

18 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in Local Sailing, People

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The Far Reach anchored overnight in the working harbor of Oriental, NC.

Sure, there is some hyperbole if I said sailing for me is like breathing for the average lubber.  But, you get the point.  I needed to go sailing and an overnight trip on the Far Reach seemed like just the ticket.  With the southern US under what seems like constant threat of hurricanes this year and homeschool in full operation we have to fit sailing in when we can.  But, we finally we had a window of opportunity and grabbed it.

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Thinking Back on the Passage

11 Wednesday May 2016

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11 May 2016, The Far Reach, Anchored, Sint Maarten, West Indies 

Last night I found myself thinking back about our passage from Cape Lookout to the BVI. I feel fortunate that Tricia and I made the trip together. She and I have sailed together since before we were teenagers and let me tell you that is a long time! I couldn’t have asked for a better shipmate. A retired San Diego Fire Captain, she is smart, athletic, tireless, fearless, and harder than woodpecker lips.

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My sister Tricia.  I could not have had a better shipmate.

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Circumnavigating Sint Maarten by Ferrari

28 Thursday Apr 2016

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25 April 2016–The Far Reach, Anchored in the Lagoon, Sint Maarten.

My number one priority is to get the chafing halyard under control. To do that I needed to get back up the mast and confirm exactly where the chafing is taking place. The anchorage in Simpson Bay was very rolly. So, last Monday morning, I weighed anchor about 0900 and got in a line of boats to make the 0930 opening of the Simpson Bay draw bridge. We made it through easily and without fuss and anchored in the still lagoon, on the Dutch side, in about 7-8 of water.  I climbed the mast the next evening when the wind had completely died. Flat as a mill pond.  A fellow cruiser hauled up my working jib with the chaffed halyard and of course it was clear to see the problem. Right where I thought.  I know what I need to do.

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The chafed halyard.  Not good.

Next day, I sent the photo off to Robert so he can fabricate the right kind of hardware to solve the problem.

I was restless. Not too much you can work on when you have a boat with almost no systems. Time to take a drive around the island. I rented a car. A red Ferrari. $30 for the day. Hard to beat a price like that.

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The Camaraderie of Sailing

13 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Boats, People, Voyaging

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Granuaile sailing past the Far Reach on her way to the BVI.

The Far Reach, Moored, Elephant Bay, St Thomas — Back in February we met Richard and Eilish Wylie on their magnificent self built 35′ steel gaffer Granuaile. They hail from Northern Ireland and are wrapping up a two year voyage to the Caribbean. This is their second trip to the Caribbean. They are intrepid voyagers. They spent last summer on Grainuaile about 70 miles up the Essequibo River in Guyana, S. America before working their way back up the West Indies this winter.

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Granuaile

01 Tuesday Mar 2016

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Granuaile is a steel Wylo 35′ gaffer built by Richard Wylie

The Far Reach, Anchored, Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI–1 Mar 2016

Yesterday, we rented a car and drove the length and width of Tortola. Though I have been to many places in the world, Tortola probably has the steepest, most twisty, and narrowest roads I have ever driven. Lots of fun. It’s even more interesting as the roads are often not marked and the map we were provided was one of those cartoon maps. I wouldn’t I have wanted it any other way.

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Reunited!

26 Friday Feb 2016

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The Far Reach, Anchored, Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI–26 Feb 2016

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Hooray! My family finally arrived a couple weeks ago. It’s terrific to have us all together after being separated for almost three months! We spent some time in St Thomas getting everyone settled in to life on the Far Reach. The kids have been working on dinghy handling, snorkeling, and sailing skills. They had no trouble restarting homeschool just where they left off a few days before. It a lot of fun to sit on the bridge deck and watch them down through the companionway at the saloon table working through their lessons.

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31 Dec 2015–The Largest New Year’s Eve Beach Party in the World!

31 Thursday Dec 2015

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The Methodist Church, Jost van Dyke

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The harbor was filling up fast on New Yers Eve.

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New Years Eve–A sea of stars. ( Photo by Angela Large)

The Far Reach, Anchored, Jost van Dyke–31 Dec 201–The Far Reach has been anchored in Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke for about a week. We sailed in looking for a tranquil place to spend some time to nourish body and spirt after our 2 1/2 week upwind bash from Cape Lookout, only to learn that our exact location is the site of one of the largest New Years Eve’s beach parties in the world! Continue reading →