Lagoon 380 For Sale

Volleyball While Sailing?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

We often get asked how we keep fit while cruising, and usually I write about the sports I like to do. Today I thought I share a bit of Matt’s life on the  beach. He’s the one in the red shirt about to set the ball.

Volleyball

Everyday on Volleyball beach a group of people meet to play ball. There is anything from 2s to 9s at all levels of play. The 9s is fun volleyball. It’s comprised of nine people on each side, and as far as I can tell, a lot of laughter is mandatory.

On the other end of the scale is 2s. This is for the more serious players and Matt’s personal favourite. Next comes 3s and then 4s. Nothing like a bit of competition to make a guy happy.

If you’re interested in this lifestyle, Mattina is for sale.

Thanks for reading . . .

Writing Platform

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

Do you have place you love to write from?

Here is the view from my place this month. This is Sand Dollar beck in the Bahamas. I still can’t get over the colour of the water, and I’ll admit, it can be distracting. When I write from the bow of the boat, I usually use pen and paper. I worry about dropping my laptop overboard.

Using a pen for a change makes me write in a different way and I find it helps with my imagination. Then when I type the words I like to see the word count grow. It’s the little things that make me happy.

View from Mattina

Sometimes it’s good to sit back and reflect how great life can be. Then, back to work and get some words on the page.

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten in a Dinghy

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Farley here,

I’m a dog who is treated well and sometimes I’m a bit of a baby.  The water may look flat, but that’s an illusion. We’re about to head around the corner of an island and into open seas – and I don’t like to get wet.

Farley s Dinghy Ride

Did that last statement surprise you? I’m a dog who lives on a boat, spends hours every day on the beach, and my car is a dinghy. So what am I talking about? Seriously, getting wet annoys me. Kristina knows it. Sometimes she humours me – like in the photo above and holds me tight, but other times, she just says, “Suck it up, buttercup.”

“What does that mean?” I bark.

“You live on the ocean, pup,” she says.

The dinghy bounces and spray hits my face. Then I look my cutest and Kristina gives in, and you can see the results. I get to ride on her lap.

“Suck it up, buttercup,” I bark and make Kristina laugh.

Woof Woof . . .

Why Did I Ever Watch Jaws?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Is there a movie you wish you’d never seen?

Mine is Jaws. Even though I watched the scary movie a long time ago, the dreaded music sounds off in my head – and you know the music I am talking about – as soon as I swim laps. I like to watch a scary movie, something like Aliens works for me. I know I’ll never have to face an alien the way Sigourney Weaver did – at least I hope I won’t. But sharks? I’m in the ocean most days. I love to swim laps, but I’ve yet to make it through a session without thinking of Jaws.

Below are two dolphins swimming along my favourite beach for laps. A mom swimming with her young one. A lovely sight. An amazing opportunity to swim in the wild with a wild animal.  A big grey creature, but not the kind to be afraid of.

Dolphins at Sand Dollar

My only close up and personal encounter with a shark happened while I was kayaking. Unlucky for me, I got between a shark and its lunch. The annoyed shark bumped the side of my kayak. A good message to tell me to get away from the buffet. All the food was spoken for. Was I scared – yup. Did I go right back to the same spot the next day – yup. Somehow I feel safe in the kayak, but not while I’m swimming.

Someone please turn off the Jaws music so I can swim in peace.

Thanks for reading . . .

Procrastination Can Be A Writer’s Friend

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Procrastination? Don’t feel like writing but want to hit your word count?

Writing a novel can be an intimidating task, so why not try something shorter?

For me, when I’m overwhelmed or feel too pressured by word count, I write something else. I like to have my blogs written and pre posted. In my lifestyle, I’m never sure I’ll have internet access on a daily basis, so writing blogs ahead of time reduces the stress for me. You’re probably laughing and thinking what stress can I have living on a boat for the winter, but I take my writing and my blog seriously. Self induced stress, but still stress.

How does writing in smaller increments help with novel writing?

I find by taking on a shorter piece of work, I often get in the flow of writing and can switch over to the novel. Even if I don’t, I’ve been productive and written something.

Does it have to be a blog? Nope. You could write a short story or an entry in your journal.

How do you kickstart your writing?

Thanks for reading . . .

Wind sports in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

While we sail around the Bahamas, we are always on the search for places to windsurf or kite board from. We carry two windsurfers with us, and our friends  carry kite boards.

The sand bar below appears at low tide and gives everyone a launch pad for their sport of choice. This is just south of Big Farmer’s Cay. Playing on the sand bar keeps us on our toes as far as the tide is concerned. When the water comes up, it’s time to head back to Mattina.

Sandbar for Windsurfing

If we can’t find a suitable beach or temporary sandbar to launch from, Matt rigs on the trampoline and windsurfs from the back of the boat.

We have the routine mastered, so it doesn’t really matter where we are, as long as there is wind.

Thanks for reading . . .

Windsurfing in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

What does a sailor do when their boat is for sale? 

Enjoy the Bahamas of course.

But first, Matt must know what the wind strength is.

Matt cheking for wind

Then, off with our kiting friends to enjoy the water.

Matt ws

Thanks again to everyone who has helped us get the word out and to those who have contacted us about Mattina.

Thanks for reading. . .

Rain in the Bahamas?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Rain doesn’t happen often in the Bahamas, at least while we’ve been here, but the skies can dump a large amount of water in a short period of time.

What do we do when that happens?

Sometimes, I’m caught out on the beach, usually running with Farley, but that’s okay. The rain is warm and often a welcome cool down during a work out.

Sometimes, we’re on board. Then we hide. The main salon windows mean we get at 360 degree view of the anchorage and can keep an eye out for moving boats. 

Our cockpit enclosure keeps us dry and warm, so we have an extra room if we want to be outside while the weather decides to soak us. 

Enclosure SB View

Mattina is for sale and we updated the photo gallery yesterday if you’d like to see more pictures.

Thanks for reading . . .

Mattina in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

Emotions run full speed when life changes are on the way. Since we’ve put Mattina for sale, we’ve been very pleased with the response we’ve been getting. Gotta love social media for getting the word out there. Thanks to everyone who has shared, tweeted, or reposted my blog. The added visibility is a big help.

The added visibility also makes selling Mattina feel real for me, and I have to confess there is a little part of me that’s sad. But alas, new adventures await, and I’m excited about that too.

Mattina At Anchor

The Bahamas provide many  beautiful places to anchor, and there’s nothing like the clear blue water to entice a sailor to stay a while.

This is our fifth winter roaming the Bahamian islands and cays, and I’m still amazed at the beauty of the water.

Now I need to make the most of it and enjoy what’s on offer. Hence . . . time to go beach running.

Thanks for reading  . . .

Farley’s Friday: What? My Boat is For Sale

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Farley,

So I’m part of the pack right? Then how come I don’t get a vote when it comes to major life changes? See me looking like the captain. I think I look like I’m in charge and this is my boat.

Farley On Deck

But . . . I hear Kristina and Matt talking, and I bark, “Wait, I don’t want to leave the Bahamas.”

Kristina smiles at me the way she does when I’m not going to get my way. “Don’t worry, you get to stay with us.”

“Stay with you,” I bark. “I want you to stay with me in the Bahamas.”

“Whatever we end up doing, you’ll still be the centre of the universe,” Kristina says.

Now that’s more like it. I just want to know I’m the top priority in their lives. I don’t really care where we live as long as I get to run free everyday, I get fed yummy food, I get groomed, I get to play with other dogs, and I get to sleep on a cold, hard surface. Other than that, bring on the changes.

Woof Woof