Bahamas

Catamaran or Monohull

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

#sailing. Mattina, our Lagoon 380 S2, is sailing along the Bahamas Banks with Different Drummer, a Bristol 47.

Sailing in the flat water on a windy day is exhilarating on either boat. We are sailing from Norman’s Cay to Pipe Cay. One of those “once in a lifetime” days that we seem to be getting a lot of.

This has been a windy season in the Bahamas. The wind has been kind and come from the East, and we’ve had more days than usual where we can sail the banks under full sail.

We’ve sailed from the Bahamas to Aruba and back with Different Drummer. For that trip we were on a Niagara 42 sloop.

Whatever you sail, the opportunity is there for an adventure.

Dogs and Dingys

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#sailing Sometimes your pup needs to need to be tied and sometimes not. Cali is in the foreground, Farley in the back.

When you forget to bring a leash, it’s perfectly acceptable to use the dingy anchor.

Normally Farley isn’t tied, but we’re at Emerald Rock in the Bahamas. The island is covered with little animals that I think they are tree rats – but what do I know.

The wheaten terriers were bread as ratters, so Farley thought he was supposed to chase these little critters. So. . . poor guy actually had to be leashed.

Windsurfing and Kiting At Compass Cay

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#sailing Our friend, Wayne, is on the kite board. Matt, my husband, is on the windsurfer. Both are  having an exciting ride in the shallows between Compass Cay and Pipe Cay, Bahamas.

This is a high tide ride only.

At low tide, the sand shows through.

The game for the week was to hit the beach about halfway to high tide

Dogs and Yoga?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment
Farley is late for class.

#sailing What could be better than a downward dog to make you feel good? Farley’s answer: A downward dog on the beach with your yoga pals.

Yoga is an easy way to keep fit while cruising. If you don’t happen to have a yoga instructor handy you can bring yoga classes on an iPod and play them on the beach. You’re only gear – A yoga mat. It doesn’t weigh much and doesn’t take up a lot of room.

Doing yoga alone is okay, but it’s much more fun with friends. Farley attends regularly and find his spot near the others. If you’re not watching he’ll grab your mat before you do.

Cruising Friends

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments
Emerald Rock, Bahamas

#sailing One of the fun things about cruising is happy hour on the beach.

This is the our gang we tend to travel or buddy boat with.

Debi and Bruce on a (on left of photo) Bristol.

Matt and I (holding my lap dog – not) on a Lagoon 380 catamaran.

Sue and Paul on a Grand Banks.

Sharon (holding Cali) and Wayne on an American Tug.

Buddy boating gives us a sense of community and safety. Between the boats, we always have what we need on hand. Okay, not always, but we can usually rig something together.

Throughout the season, the boats travel to different spots and regroup as the wind takes allows us. We all like different conditions for traveling, and we all like to “bump” into each other once in a while.

Cruising Blogs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment
Sharon kiting with my windsurfing husband. Norman's Cay Bahamas.

There are many great cruising blogs out there. Our friends, Wayne and Sharon, are travelling on their boat, My Sharona. Their blog highlights the joys of cruising. Sharon is a talented photographer and her photos are definitely worth checking out. Enjoy!

Finding Time To Write

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#writetip Every season I have the dream that I’ll have endless hours to write. We live on a sailboat. What could we possibly have to do to keep us busy?

When the wind changes direction, and we have to move the boat, it’s not like I have an option. I can’t say, “This is my time to write, close a door and settle in.” Sometimes I’m even mid-sentence when an issue comes up and I have to move quickly. So much for completing a thought before leaving my Mac.

What I’ve learned is to write in short bursts. I still get my writing time in, just not in long sessions. I’ve also learned that if it’s impossible to write, I read about writing and how I can improve. Short time frames are useful if you read one good writing tip and think about how you can use it on your novel.

Meanwhile, I’m living on a Lagoon 380 S2 in the Bahamas, so who will feel sorry for me?

Writing in a Small Space

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

#writetip #sailing Continuing with  my theme of writing and cruising, here are some tips on writing in a small space.

I don’t actually consider my Lagoon 380 S2 a small space. She is 38 feet long and with her two hulls, there is a lot of room. It’s just close together.

There are three sleeping cabins, a main salon and a cockpit. There is a built in desk in the starboard hull. But, and here’s the big but, It’s hard to be invisible and write. I can hear all that’s going on in the boat and around the area.

So I hear my friends launch their kayaks, heading out to explore and how to I resist? I allow myself one (okay maybe two) activities during work days (Mon – Fri). Saturday and Sunday are my weekends. I might write, but I don’t feel I have to.

That modern invention, the iPod, is a great way to tune out noise. If you can write to music, and don’t have a quite place, it might work for you.

Dog Training in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments
Attentive Dogs?

Who ever said a beach wasn’t a great place to train dogs? #sailing #dogs I certainly have their attention here. You’d think I was holding a piece of steak, but nope, it’s a ball. All three want to be the first to get to it after I throw it.

Farley (the Wheaten Terrier) will chase it and and then sit down beside it.

Jasper (the Spaniel) will pick up the ball, bring it back to me, and then not give it to me.

Calli (the Jack Russel) will run beside the other dogs barking at them.

I think I may need a new training program.

There must be a dog out there that would bring a ball back to me.

Arrival in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments
Pure Happiness

Monday is usually a day I blog about writing #sailing But we’ve arrived in the Bahamas.

Farley represents how we feel.

We left the Florida coast at 4 AM and arrived in Lucaya, Grand Bahamas at 3:30 PM.

Crossing the Gulf Stream was a little rougher than we expected, but we had enough wind to motor sail. We would have preferred no motor, but were happy having the main and genoa up to boost us along.

The window to cross was short and closed up behind us. We are now waiting in Lucaya  at the Sunrise Resort and Marina for the wind to settle down and let us move further south. It’s a great place to get some writing done.

After this we island hop, so internet access could get a little sketchy.