sailing

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.

Dog Games Underway

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments
One day, Farley will catch a ball...

What games does your dog like to play? #sailing Many of these can be played underway.

Farley, although he can’t catch a ball, loves to try.

By standing in one hull and tossing him the ball, I can entertain him without the worry that he might go overboard.

He can run from one side of the Lagoon 380 S2 to the other.

Wheaten’s are jumpers and agile. He has no problem diving down the stairs and roaring back up again.

He gets to stretch his legs and have fun at the same time.

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!

What’s a Man to Do When…

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

His wife is busy writing? #sailing Ripping back and forth on his windsurfer works pretty well. Nothing like the exhilaration of a good jump to keep a man busy.

Cruising on our Lagoon 380 catamaran give’s Matt a great platform to find awesome windsurfing locations.

Farley Gets Sandy

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

#sailing Farley loves to play on the beach. What Wheaten Terrier wouldn’t?  He’s spent hours back on the boat sneezing. A little bit of sand up his nose must be really irritating.

He uses the tramp to roll around and get clean.

We love this because it keeps sand out of our main salon. By the time he’s done rolling, he’s fairly sand free.

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?

Crab Hunting

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments
Dig, Dig, Dig: A great way to get exercise.

Hungry? Is Farley thinking the crab hiding under the sand is his next meal?

So far, the crabs are too quick for him. It’s amazing how fast a crab can run when motivated.

Farley – 0. Crabs – 50. Not a good streak.

Lucky for Farley we’ve provisioned enough dog food for the season.

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.