So now that I have the time I will write about some of the fun and not so fun times.

Early on 30 years ago on our 8th sail on our first boat a 1977 42' Irwin. Our selves and 3 other boats left Dinner Key Marina in Miami to go to Bimini, Bahamas for a 4 day weekend. It was quite rough and 2 boats decided to turn around about 10 miles into the gulfstream (looking back with my 20/20 hinesight) they were right.
But as Gloria and I say it is never that simple, had we turned around we never would of had this expierience. We left around midnight a to arrive in the daylight, no gps or loran just a compass and local knowledge as to the course and what we "should see" when we arrive. So after the alloted time of around 8 hours, no sight of land then 45 mins. later, we see it a small strip of sandand trees right where our friends said it would be. A rough crossing but tolerable and after all that was why we bought that boat! THEN as we sailed upon the bank the water went from dark blue to crystal clear blue and we could see the bottom in 60' my son Shane and I stood on the bow and watched our shadows race across the bottom. Later my son wrote in a paper for school that was his best memory (I would have said it was mine also, very cool to have the same great memory for us).

More on this trip later
THE TRIP from Hell HOME.