Sailing with Nine of Cups
| Vessel Name: | Nine of Cups |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Liberty 458 |
| Hailing Port: | Denver, Colorado, USA |
| Crew: | Marcie & David |
| About: | We've lived aboard Nine of Cups since 2000 and have managed to accumulate 86,000+ nm under the keel since that time. We completed a circumnavigation in April 2015 and managed to sail around the five great southern capes. Come along with us for the ride! |
| Extra: |
07 July 2016 | Us: East Walpole, MA / Cups: Chesapeake, VA
Taking a breather ...
Since we'll be off the boat during July and August, we plan to post only three times per week. The Captain will continue writing a practical Blue View post each week, we'll keep you up to date on what's happening with us and then throw in some cruising nuggets as well.
06 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
Keeping fit
We’ve written before about keeping fit on the boat. David is so much better at a regimented exercise program than I am. I have all the best intentions, but I can always think of something better to do than sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts and running in place. It doesn’t take much to distract me. Walking, [...]
04 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
Happy 240th Birthday, America
Growing up in New England, I took for granted just how lovely a summer’s morning can be in Massachusetts. It’s comfortably cool and everything smells clean and fresh. Spider webs glisten with morning dew and it’s just great to be alive and breathe in the new day. Being back at Lin’s house conjures up wonderful childhood memories of summer mornings past. And this is not just any morning … it’s the 4th of July, the best holiday of the summertime in the USA.
02 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
Leaving Cups and a Road Trip
Leaving Nine of Cups is never easy. We know she’ll pout while we’re gone and so we do our best to make sure she’s as comfortable as possible before we leave. We were whirling dervishes trying to get everything ready.
01 July 2016 | Virginia Beach, Virginia
Hunting & Gathering - Virginia Beach
We had lots to do before leaving Cups. David was intent on getting as many chores done in advance of our departure as possible so that once we return in September, we can spend time sailing in the Chesapeake rather than doing repairs and maintenance. Much of what we needed in the way of parts and supplies, [...]
Beginners Guide to Vegemite
Vegemite, in case you didn't know, is a yeast substance and a by-product of beer production here in Australia. Supposedly the first guy to come up with the recipe was looking for a vitamin B source during the war years. He probably had left-over yeast sludge from making his home brew. Anyhow, the result is Vegemite and Aussie's eat it the way Americans eat peanut butter ... in great quantities and with gusto.
Supermarkets provide lots of shelf space for Vegemite and Vegemite wannabes. I also found another option which is Vegemite Cheesybite, a combination of Vegemite yeast product and long life cream cheese. Doesn't that make your heart flutter?
Over Thanksgiving dinner, our Aussie friends were coerced into trying pumpkin pie. They'd never tried it before. "Why turn a veggie into a fruit pie?" Craig asked. Everyone politely ate some. No one spit it out, but they didn't ask for seconds either.
The discussion somehow turned to Vegemite. I pulled out a small, unopened jar from the locker.
"Why not try it now?" Craig prompted.
"No", I responded quickly. "We want to photograph it just in case David vomits or spits it out. We want to capture it on video or YouTube, but not at the dinner table."
Jody added, "When we were kids we'd spread butter on Vita Weet crackers and then the Vegemite and squeeze the crackers together till all the butter and Vegemite oozed through the cracker holes like little worms. Then we licked it off." That sounded appealing and very promising.
"Hold on to that jar. It'll be worth gold to any Australian in another part of the world where you can't get Vegemite." Aha, an investment prospect.
Wendy and Ian laughed. Ian said "Spread on the butter first. You need a layer of butter and then the Vegemite." "You don't need much", added Wendy.
Leanne, an Aussie friend, e-mailed from Fiji after she read the post: "Less is better".
That point became very clear to us.
Then Steve from Auckland sent an email. He distinguished between Marmite and Vegemite.
"To the uninitiated, it's like comparing the taste of used engine oil from a diesel versus a gasoline engine. That doesn't stop the arguments between proponents of Vegemite vs Marmite from becoming similar to intensity and extent as your average religious war. Vegemite appears to be more popular in Australia ... Marmite was originally an English brand though the NZ version is apparently not the same as the UK version. Since NZ's Marmite production facilities were in Christchurch and were badly damaged by the earthquakes, there has been a shortage of Marmite in NZ as the factory is still not up and running again .... This has been widely reported as Marmageddon." This is obviously serious stuff.
Steve went on to say, "My wife likes to eat Marmite and chip sandwiches ... a concoction involving spreading Marmite on fresh, fluffy white bread and then a layer of potato crisps topped with another slice of bread. I commonly refer to this as a crime against the gastronomic universe. This doesn't deter her at all." We liked Steve's input. It really gave some personality to the discussion.
I was wondering if Vegemite was available in the USA and a quick internet search revealed that it's available through Amazon.... "It's Vegemite, it's good and it's available in America. It gets to the point where you don't care how much it costs, as long as you have it." So, Americans reading this have the opportunity to experience Vegemite without having to come to Australia. Though we highly recommend the trip.
Want to witness our first taste of Vegemite? Visit www.justalittlefurther.com for pix and a video clip. Mmm...mmm...good!
Happy Australia Day!
We're definitely looking for some comment on www.justalittlefurther.com!!!
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