the f-word

Yes, I heard it again at the office again today.  Furlough.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I wasn't.  Mr. Ice-Cream Man, I'll take another scoop.  Yes, make that a double dip recession cone please.

This is when I'm really glad I have a boat and can think about just sailing away.

But I was soon distracted from the furlough talk when I heard about John Welsford's new boat and new blog.  Boats are more fun to think about than business.
I will always appreciate John's Pathfinder design.  It is a boat that can be built by an absolute amateur like myself, and at the same time it is a design that can handle some pretty exciting water.  I can't thank him enough for the adventures I've had on Spartina (above).
John's blog is fairly recent, just a handful of entries so far.  But it looks like he is focusing on his new boat May (below), an 18 foot gaff-rigged sloop.  It is a beautiful boat, modeled after the workboats of 1800's on the South Coast of England.  Doesn't she look great?
John is writing about the boat, gear and cruising - he already has done a five day cruise on her.  This will be a fun blog to follow.  Cruising New Zealand in a small boat, what more can you ask for?

And then later I was caught off-guard when I checked Dawn's blog and read this phrase - "as I prepare for my 8th Challenge next week..." Next week?  I had been following both Dawn and Dawn Patrol's training on their SPOT track - Dawn was out paddling again over the weekend and it looks like Dawn Patrol may have been sailing late last week down on the coast -  but I didn't realize it was coming up that soon.  It kind of snuck up on me.   But I'm glad to be caught off guard, another distraction to keep me entertained.

I have been enjoying the Watertribe's discussion board with messages about parties and packing lists, safety equipment and scouting reports.  If you want to learn how to cruise a boat safely this is a great place to start.
Check out this load list and packing chart from Iron Bob and The Juice.  That list would be a great gear check list for any sort of cruising on the water.  And if you wonder how to put all that stuff - enough for two people - in a kayak, there's a diagram to explain it all.  Like I said, you want to learn about cruising start at the Watertribe site.

So furlough or no furlough, I'll be glad for what I have.  Warm breezes from the south are on their way and I'll look forward to whatever is over the horizon.

steve