Sailing Terrapin

Friday, December 22, 2017

The Year In Pictures

What a fantastic year this has been! Baxter and I were reminiscing and decided to consolidate our favorite pictures and memories from the year and put together this ten minute video.

Hope you enjoy!

Friday, December 15, 2017

One of the advantages Baxter and I offer by staying in one place for a while (i.e. more than two weeks) is that we get to know it really well. We extend invitations to family and friends who could simply take a quick flight, land and leave the rest to us. Baxter and I line up the transportation, the hotel, and the fun-genda, as it has come to be known, essentially playing the role of a full time tour guide. Molly's Mom and sister experienced this in Guadeloupe last January, Edd and Becca on Tour-de-Caribbean in February, and then Mary, Regina, Brent and Amado in St Maarten in March. So we were so thrilled when Baxter's parents booked a visit at the beginning of December here in Plymouth.

We hired a car in Plymouth and were waiting at the door at Heathrow Airport as soon as they stepped out of customs. From then on, it was nothing but f-u-n! Within an hour, we were driving by Stonehenge and having lunch at a British pub. Afterwards, we made our way to Plymouth and talked about the exciting plans for the week.

We spent the next five days driving throughout southwest England including visits to Dorchester, Falmouth, and Salcombe, allowing us plenty of time to chat and catch up and experience each seaside town with its unique style and charm. The weather was, well, true to England in December so sometimes it was sunny warm(ish) and then five mintues later raining and cold.

The days went by so fast and before we knew it, we were driving back to London with six inches of snow on the ground. We had one last fun thing planned with them which was a tour of Highclere Castle, the estate featured in Downton Abbey. We had watched so many episodes with Baxter's parents so it was great to see inside the castle where "Earl Grantham wrote letters from his desk", where "Matthew and Mary were engaged", to see "Sybil's bedroom", etc. Another bonus was that the 5th Earl of Carnarvon (the family who owns Highclere) actually discovered the tomb of King Tut, along with Howard Carter.

Many of the actual artifacts from the archaeological excavation were on display, including a stone that dated back to 4000 BC, which still had carvings that were as clear as if engraved yesterday. Unfortunately, we couldn't take photos in the castle or the expo but it was wonderful to have the memories. We were so fortunate the dates lined up as tours in the castle are only available on select times. This particular event, Sing for Peace, also raised money for Syrian war refugees which has become a pivotal event in British history.

The next morning, we sadly said goodbye and dropped Baxter's parents at the airport. We headed back to Plymouth where the snow faded and the temperatures warmed. We had such a great time and welcome anyone interested in joining us for their own adventure.

Baxter's Mom and Dad paying a visit to Terrapin

Falmouth Haven Marina on a breezy winter day

Big smiles after breakfast at Fuel, one of our favorite eateries in Falmouth.

Fuel goodness! Who wouldn't want to eat this tasty deliciousness?

Walking through the town of Falmouth as the snow begins - but we were prepared

St Andrews Church in Plymouth, built in 700AD

Baxter's Dad had so much fun on Terrapin, he even tried our Cat's Meow - the best sleeping bag on the planet (duct tape and all)

Kala showed Granny her favorite beaches in Falmouth

Drinks by the fire at the Duke of Cornwall hotel

Having fun at Highclere - Isn't this is where Thomas tripped Bates in Season 1?

Such a beautiful estate

Staying in London for the night offered the luxury of a bathtub. We haven't see one of these since June in Atlanta.

Stopping at Starbucks after leaving London. Fortunately, we didn't have this snow on Terrapin in Plymouth

Thursday, December 7, 2017

What's On Your List?

As the seasons change and autumn transitions into winter, we can feel the change, especially on the boat where temps have dropped to 3°C at night. So, we are compiling our favorite reading list. Is there anything more cozy than snuggling with a warm blanket, a hot cuppa tea and a book that you can’t put down? Maybe a nice fire, but since we don’t promote open flames on boats, we’ll stick to the scene outlined above.

Here is our list of some of our favorites, mostly nonfiction adventure tales. If you have any that you’d like to share, please leave a comment – it is going to be a long winter.

Voyage for Mad Men - Story of the 1968 Golden Globe Race in which Robin Knox-Johnson became the first person to be recognized as a solo non-stop circumnavigation around the world.

Over The Edge of The World - Magellan set out for the Spice Islands going west around the world, proving that the world wasn't flat. One of the reasons I like this book is because it talks about the reign of Spain and Portugal as dominant world superpowers but in 2017, neither have very much influence. Power is fleeting and greed is tragic.

Salty Piece of Land - Surprising page-turner by Jimmy Buffet. He didn't set out to write a Pulitzer Prize winner, but it's entertaining and a bit philosophical.

Chasing The Horizon - Captain Fatty Goodlander with words of wisdom from his life living aboard sail boats.

The Climb - Anatoli Boukarev's answer to the 1996 tragedy on Mt. Everest. If you've read Into Thin Air by John Krakauer - this is the real story.

Once Is Enough - Miles and Beryl Smeaton. Sailed around Cape Horn in the 1950s and were dismasted - twice. Adventure at it's extreme.

Flirting With Mermaids - Sailing stories from a delivery captain, with a bit of romance thrown in.

Desert Solitaire - Edward Abbey's experience as a ranger in Moab, UT and the importance of nature to humans.

The Long Way - Bernard Moitissier's version of the 1968 Golden Globe Race. Very philosophical regarding the relationship of ocean to man and the solo journey around the world helping a person understand his very existence.

Barbarian Days - A life of surfing with struggles and adventures along the way.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Having A Jolly

Baxter, Kala and I no longer have a house. We have a home – on Terrapin - but not a physical house on a plot of land somewhere in the suburbs of the US. We do, however, have a few belongings that would not fit on Terrapin that we could not leave behind, even as minimalistic as we strive to be. Most of the things are gear related, or “tools” for future adventure as we think of it – climbing racks, mountain bikes, road bikes, skis, helmets (lots of helmets), BASE jumping rigs, our VW Bus, among other things. All neatly packed in a small 16x10 storage unit in Utah.

In planning our winter and spring travel, we realized there could be an occasion we might need a few of those things. So Baxter made a quick, 72-hour trip from Plymouth to London to Salt Lake City and back, while I stayed and watched after Terrapin and Kala. Leaving on Thursday morning and back by Sunday morning, Baxter, who has never been one to waste time, accomplished the mission and was back in the UK with “tools” in hand, equipped for future adventures.

While we were in London for 6 hours, we took the opportunity to visit recognizable historical locations that we have only seen in pictures – Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament and Big Ben. There is still quite a bit we have left undiscovered but we have plenty of time for that.

When someone at the marina asked us about Baxter's trip, they said "Off for a jolly?" Yep. That's exactly what it was.