Wow it's been a long time since I posted anything, but hopefully that will change this summer. We are planning to take a month of and sail around on Lake Michigan.

More to follow, Dean

This is just crazy, but what else would I expect :)

WOW! Now this is a great story! :)

I got an email the other day, the header said "I found your bottle".

I thought, what? Although those who know me, do know I have thrown bottles overboard with a note in them before. I opened the mail and this is what it said:

9/10/2012
Hi
I'm from Portugal, Caldas da Rainha, and last week I went to the island of Azores, Sao Miguel to a little vacations.
I found your bottle in Mosteiros, a seacoast village.

Cynthia Surgy
--------------------------------------------------------

That just floored me!!! Should I believe her? I must, because she had my email, and I always put it on the notes. I google earthed the azores and about freaked out! Wow !

So I replied back:
WOW ! Are you serious?? If it is the one I am thinking of, I tossed it overboard off the coast of New York City in Oct. of 2010. If possible could you take a picture of the bottle and the note, so I know it is not a hoax, I guess it's not because you got my email.

More details please, Thanks Dean

ps. I think I have a You Tube of me tossing it overboard, I will look for it.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well I didn't take a video of it getting tossed overboard, and I later realized that it was actually tossed over, out off Atlantic City on our offshore run to Cape MayNJ. I got to thinking back, we were weathered in at AC for 5 days due to wind. We made the dash out of there, got to Cape May and the wind blew for another few days, so, we left with the hi-outgoing tide, and with the wind, it just shot out offshore and kept going!
I was soooo anxious to hear back from her, my mind was just racing!

A few hours later I got this email:

Yes, I have pictures and I just put the note on my scan.
I was just looking from some natural pool, of sea in Mosteiros and in a little space where some wood and garbage were, I saw a bottle and I said to my mother: look, a bottle, It would be so cool if it had a message, just like in movies.She just made a joke and when I looked better I saw that the bottle really had a note :)
Really, a youtube? I would like to see that.

Sorry for my english, Cynthia

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These are the photos she sent, ( had to put them in the photo gallery) you really gotta love the smart phones with cameras nowdays!! What luck that I get photos of the mariner itself, being rescued from the sea a year and 11 months after being cast away!!

A few years ago I tossed one overboard when we were under the Mackinaw Bridge (Michigan) and it was found about a month later, only 17 miles south east of the bridge, but it was still cool to hear from the people.
While on our trip of a liftime, I also tossed one over in the middle of Lake Huron and Lake Erie, with no response yet.

I don't know where this will go from hear, but I think it tops off our voyage in the best of ways!!!
Good Karma !!!

Hey Everybody, I went sailing !!!!

I got an iinvite from Markie the other day, to come and crew aboard Restless on race night. I was lucky enough to go with them. We won our division and the weather was absoutly beautiful.

Only video can show you how nice it was, enjoy

Dean

I just found out that an old friend followed our adventure, MIKE KUNA, you brat, you never commented, I can't believe it !!! I did some real goofy stuff I would have thought would make you comment. :)

Chrissy was telling me about bumping into you at the Corner Grocer.

Other that that, no sailing for me, just keeping busy with the garden, you can see what is happening there at

bachelorvalley.blogspot.com

enjoy, Dean

I had a chance to sail with Mark and Cat last weekend on Restless, we went to Oyster Bay in Lake Charlevoix, and it was awesome !!!! It was totally sunny, but no wind and we had to motor the 2 hours up and back, but so what :)

We have talked about selling Rubaiyat and downsizing to a 26 ish footer with a trailer. So I can launch for just a couple days or a week and do all the rig, launch and load myself. With this dog career it just isn't gonna work to put Ruby in for the summer without a seasonal slip and time to use her. I am thinking about $25,000. range, so if you know someone interested let me know, but we are still just THINKING about it :) Chrissy favors a 20ish footer fishing boat with a cuddy, which I have no problem with either or both :) would be fine too :)

Trying to sell the 1988 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide 95th. Anniversary edition too, $8800. at this point, hoping to fund a slip and storage for the big wood boat for a year or so, and buy chrissy a car of some sort. The 1987 Pontiac Grand Am that Mom gave us is getting pretty tired but working just fine for what we need around town.

So, enough mumbojumbo for now, sitting at mydesk drinking coffee, chasing the sprinkler anround the garden and brainstorming for getting back to being a Mariner.

later, Capt. Dean

Oh Yeah !! I had the day off yesterday, I went sailing !!!!

I decided to get the dingy out of the garage, put the tubes on, climb up in Rubaiyat and get the sail, mast and boom, rudder, tiller and center board and get it ALL PUT TOGETHER !!

i just love that little thing, it sails real nice too. I put it in Lake Charlevoix and sailed to Oyster Bay, then across to Irish boat shop and met Mark and his crew on Iieee. We sailed back to Oyster bay and went swimming, had a couple beers and enjoyed the anchorage.

It was really packed with boats being the week of the 4th. of July.

I took some video of sailing, you cansee it here or on my You Tube channel.

Later, Capt. Dean

I've been feeling a little bad lately, kinda like I've been going behind her back. Chris and I have been talking about pullling her out of the garage for the summer. Not to put her in the water, but to finish cleaning and unloading her. Not sure if we will pull her out or just take the garage door off, so we can use the garage.

Sorry, this blog is gonna be slow for awhile, but I do hope to do some sailing with other people, providing some blog material.

Feel free to comment, Dean

don't forget to check the other blog I have for the garden and wood boat.
bachelorvalley.blogspot.com

I've been feeling a little bad lately, kinda like I've been going behind her back. Chris and I have been talking about pullling her out of the garage for the summer. Not to put her in the water, but to finish cleaning and unloading her. Not sure if we will pull her out or just take the garage door off, so we can use the garage.

Sorry, this blog is gonna be slow for awhile, but I do hope to do some sailing with other people, providing some blog material.

Feel free to comment, Dean

don't forget to check the other blog I have for the garden and wood boat.
bachelorvalley.blogspot.com

This is where it starts :)

The boat got delivered this morning May 30th. 2012. Everything went smoothly and it is resting nicely in the yard by the house.

I took the shop vack and a bucket of bleach water to it and in about 2 hours it feels like we could move aboard !!!

Ohh, lost my head for a second :)


ALERT...ALERT....ALERT....

I have decided to keep this blog for our sailing adventures and not pollute it with the old wood boat stuff. That is gonna be a complete long term blog, and keep the garden out of it too.

I will be keeping this one going too but probably not as often anymore, we will be doing some boating this summer with our sailing friends. The Rubaiyat will need some attention too, it is still loaded with alot of the "living" stuff we loaded aboard so long ago.
I might even pull it out of the garage for the summer, but not sure.

So the new blog is: bachelorvalley.blogspot.com

http://bachelorvalley.blogspot.com/

Keep checking in and feel free to comment on either blog. You Tube will have alot of garden stuff too.

Thanks for following, and keep it up.


Capt Dean

This is a 1962 40' in Seattle

This one is a year older than mine and for sale for $65,000.00 :)


I am going to Traverse City today to get the stands and blocking !! The boat will be on the trailer today and here at home tommarow about 10 am.

Will be posting more for sure !!!!

Dean