Mattina

Alarms Needed: Writing Takes Over Life

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

I don’t know if this happens to others, but when I’m writing my entire brain focuses on what I’m doing, and it tunes out ‘real life.’

This can be a problem while writing and living on a sailboat.

It’s shocking, I know, but sometimes I have responsibilities on the sailboat. My husband, Matt, could be off windsurfing, playing volleyball, or spear fishing, and I’m on the boat writing.

I might need to turn off the water maker when the tanks are full, turn of the generator when the batteries are charged, or re-angle the solar panels when the sun moves – which it has a tendency to do during the day.

Matt learned that when I’m writing, there is a slight chance I could forget my duties. And yes, he learned from experience. His solution: he sets an alarm.

Now you’d thing that would be enough, but it’s not. He leaves me a note for what the alarm means.

I’ve learned to read the note as soon as the alarm goes off and attend to the task right away. If I sit back and start writing without doing what I was supposed to do, there’s a good chance I forget.

Sometimes the boat needs take precedence over writing, but I still love to write while I’m on my catamaran.

Thanks for reading . . .

Cruising and Keeping Fit

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Like most things in life, keeping fit is more fun if you have friends to keep fit with. I’m not going to talk about New Year’s resolutions, because I don’t make any, but I often get asked how do you keep fit while sailing. It depends on where we are. I run on the beach, swim laps, windsurf, kayak, walk, and with so many choices, I find yoga is an easy one to add in.

 

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The cost of equipment is low. If you don’t have a yoga mat, a towel is fine.

Yoga can be done almost anywhere, but a shady spot to hide from direct sunlight  is best.

It doesn’t matter what skill level you are at, everyone is welcome to work at their own pace.

Having fun is the most important part.

Thank for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: Iguanas Bite Dogs?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

Farley here.

My title was a little dramatic, but I got scared by a big old iguana. I think he was a grandpa protecting his gang.

Let me set the scene.

I’m in the dinghy leaning my head out into the wind, my paws are getting wet, and I’m excited about getting to shore.

I can see it, smell it, almost feel the sand on my feet when . . .

“Oh, there’s a sign posted,” Kristina says. “Maybe the island is private.”

My heart sinks.

“Let’s land and go read it,” Matt says.

Yay. As soon as the bottom of the dinghy hits the shoreline, I jump over Kristina’s legs and get to shore (just in case they decide we’re not going).

Now, I’ve never seen an iguana before and this one was pretty big.

Iguana

As Kristina read the sign, I heard her say, “No pets allowed. We better go.”

Too bad. I’m already out of reach. I’m going to have some fun.

The iguana charges me and tries to bite my nose. What’s up with that? Lucky for me, I am stellar quick and got out of the way. But does that stop me from chasing the iguana into the bushes. Nope. I’m off.

I can hear Kristina and Matt yelling for me, but my brain has turned off. I swear I’m not ignoring them, but I’m too excited to listen.

I stop abruptly in my tracks. “Wait.” I hear the dinghy engine start then fade away. “They’re leaving me?”

I bolt to the beach, my heart is pounding. “Don’t leave me,” I bark.

Too late, I realize it’s a trick. Kristina is in the dinghy, but where is Matt? I turn, and there he is standing behind me, leash in hand. I run to the left, then the right, but darn, he gets me. On goes my leash and Kristina comes back for us.

I should have known they wouldn’t leave me. I watch longingly as we drive away. I can see Grandpa iguana laughing at me.

Woof Woof.

Thanks for reading.

MATTINA Enters The Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

We had a wonderful entry into the Bahamas this year. We sailed from Biscayne Bay (just south of Miami) to South Bimini. We were welcomed in a lovely marina: protected from all sides, floating docks, beach and nature trails nearby.

We are at the same latitude as Miami, but it’s warmer here. I have no idea why. Today we filled our day with yoga, beach walking and swimming. Our boat is the second one from the right and we are surrounded by friends.

Gang at South Bimini

We haven’t had time to go spear fishing yet, so we hooked up with a local fisherman for some conch and lobster. We just couldn’t wait for the fresh seafood! Our friends are doing the negotiating.

Bahamian Fisherman

Thanks for reading . . .

Mattina: The Journey is the Destination

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

Well sometimes. For me it depends on the journey, the destination and the end goal.

Right now we are sailing with the goal of getting to the Exuma island chain in the Bahamas. To do that we have to get across the tongue of the ocean. That’s the journey part.

When we get there, I can focus on writing. I miss writing every day, but our plans change rapidly depending on the weather, and I can’t focus. I know, you’re feeling very sorry for me 🙂 Can’t have everything.

Here is a photo of why we are trying so hard to get to the Exumas and while I don’t mind putting my writing on hold for a bit. The clear blue water is world class.

Ray swimming by Mattina
Ray swimming by Mattina

Next blog: The next time we have internet access.

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: Dog in the Bahamas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 17 Comments

Farley here.

I made it. I’m on the beach! My humans said we had an easy crossing, but it was still a little bumpy for me. And wearing a tether all day gets a little old.

Ah, that feels good.
Ah, that feels good.

Life doesn’t get better than this. I heard somewhere that ‘it’s better in the Bahamas’ and it must be true. I cleared customs with no problem. I even have my own paperwork, so if my humans leave the Bahamas I can stay. Ha Ha. Wouldn’t that be funny.

Oh, on second thought, maybe not. Who would feed me, walk me, groom me, and generally spoil me?

Right after clearing customs in South Bimini, it was off to the beach for a swim and a roll in the sand.

I forgot that when I get this sandy, I have to shower before getting back on the boat. I don’t like that part. What’s wrong with a little sand everywhere?

Woof Woof.

Thanks for reading . . .

Mattina Underway – so what happens to my writing?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

It’s travel time again. Matt, Farley and I are heading south along the Florida east coast and hoping for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream and enter the Bahamas. We are traveling with one buddy boat and trying to hook up with 2 or 3 more. It’s fun to arrive in a pack, with your friends already imported with you.

While we are traveling, I have no idea if I’ll have internet access along the way. My next shot at blogging will probably be once we are in the Bahamas. So if I’m quiet on this end, that’s why.

I always think I’m going to have time to write while we are underway, but it never turns out that way. Somehow, when the sailboat is in motion, I can’t concentrate on writing. Writing while sailing is a romantic idea to me. It’s a dream, really. The reality is I get busy.

I need to be in a quiet anchorage in calm weather to produce a good word count.

See you on the flip side.

Thanks for reading . . .

Mattina: Final Provisioning Before Heading Offshore

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks getting Mattina loaded with our winter provisions.

One of my favourite outings is a trip to the Vero Beach Farmer’s Market.

The farmer picks the grapefruit and oranges the day before the market. There is nothing like eating fruit that fresh. The fruit hasn’t sat in a warehouse, truck, or grocery store. It’s a special treat for us.

We get enough for about six weeks.

Fresh fruit: Yum, Yum.

Our fridge can’t store bulk amounts so I’ve learned a few tricks over the years. Oranges and grapefruit can be stored unrefrigerated in a dark space. To make them last longer, I wrap each piece of fruit in tin foil. This will keep the fruit for 6 weeks, hence the reason I stock for that length of time.

Side cabinet in spare cabin. Easy access, but still dark and cool.

Now that we are ready to go, the weather isn’t cooperating. The next part of our journey means crossing the Gulf Stream. The stream runs south to north, and we don’t want wind against current – it creates sloppy seas and big waves. Wind out of the east doesn’t work because we’d be slamming into the waves. We certainly don’t want squally weather. Really, we’d like a beam reach at 15 knots.

Is that too much to ask for?

Thanks for reading . . .

Mattina: Provisioning for the Winter

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

Matt and I have settled in Vero Beach, Florida for a couple of weeks, giving us time to do our final system testing and provision the boat for the winter.

The Lagoon 380 has ample storage for the foods and supplies we want to take with us. Over the last few years we’ve noticed grocery shopping has improved in the Bahamas, and we worry less about having everything with us.

I’ve kept a list over the years that I keep updated. During the winter months, I mark when we run out of something and know if I have to buy more or less of an item the next season.

Below you see my first pass at loading the boat up. We take several goes at it until we’ve filled our storage spaces.

And now I get to put all this away!

To give us more room for meat, we load our freezer with unfrozen meat. This takes up a lot less space than putting frozen meat into the freezer. It does use more amps than if we put it in frozen, but it’s worth it. We layer the meat by type, alternating rows. First row steak, next pork, next chicken, and then start over with steak. This way we don’t have to dig to the bottom for a type of meat we want.

We try to store evenly by weight in each hull, allowing the boat to sit flat on the water.

We’ve also found that once we are ‘out there’ we don’t need as much as we do on land. If we don’t have it, we do without and we always seem okay with that.

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: To Nap or to Steer the Sailboat?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Farley here.

Cruising is exhausting. I have to keep track of birds, dolphins, other boats, dogs on shore and bridges. Kristina and Matt let this all pass by without keeping watch.

Sometimes it’s all just too much for me, and I need a place to crash. If the boat is bouncing around too much, my favourite place is in the cockpit. There’s a spot I fit perfectly. If I’m in here, Kristina doesn’t insist on tethering me (unless it’s really rough, but then I don’t mind.)

When it’s smooth out, Matt lets me drive. My owners put a new back on the helm station seat this year, and I can lean into it without falling through. Much better than the old seat. I’m pretty sure they upgraded this feature just for me.

“Steer to shore,” I said. “Can’t you smell the squirrels?”

Woof, woof.