Offline Blogging Software

August 12, 2013August 13, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

There is always something new to try or learn. This month, I decided to try the 30 day free trial of MarsEdit.

Why? I work offline most of the time. Living on a sailboat means I don’t have regular internet access, hence I need to write my blogs and upload when I have access.

I downloaded the free trial – I love a free trial. The free trial gives me time to decide if I want to spend my money on the software without taking the risk that I won’t like it.

My advice on first use: Once you download the free trial, check how many blogs you’ve written and set the refresh limit to this number. The first time in the software all of your blogs will download to your computer. After that’s done. reset the button to a lower number to speed up the process.

My likes:

When you write a scheduled post, the date columns lists the date the post is scheduled for so you can see your upcoming posts without having to go online. Sometimes I forget how far in advance I’ve written posts.
Easy addition of photos.
Adding categories and tags offline.
Works with WordPress – since that’s what I use for a blog platform.
Any time an idea strikes me for a blog and I happen to be working on my computer, I can pop over to MarsEdit and store the idea.
Free Trial.
MarEdit will download the latest version of a post when you hit the refresh button. This is helpful as I often write the blog but make changes when I see it online. These changes get sent back to my computer and then I have the latest version of the post.

Where I would like to see improvements:

Help file could be better. For example I couldn’t find an explanation of the Refresh vs. Refresh All command. I didn’t try the community forum or the support function. Since I work mostly off line these are not features I would use.
I’d like to create folders so I can organize my blogs and couldn’t figure out how to do this.
I’d like to be able to add a link but I guess that’s not a reasonable expectation from software what is meant to be used offline. To do this, I underlined the text to remind myself to add the link once I was online. Then I submitted the post in draft status so it wouldn’t go public on my blog. There is a link function, but you have to know the URL, and if you’re offline . . .
If you do add a link offline, and you want to the linked URL to open in another page, you need to go online and set this feature
Even though I set the post date to a later date and left the Post Status button as published I thought the post would be published on the date I chose. Instead the post published immediately. This is fine, except that I have a schedule I like to keep. I thought If I set the date, then it would post on that date. I learned I had to set the Post Status to draft and the go online and set accordingly.
Not all of my pages downloaded to my computer.

I think the software is a little over priced. After the thirty day trial I’m not sure I’ll buy the software. I’m still very positive about it, but I think I’ll look around and see what else it out there. If the price was $29 or lower, I think I’d buy in now.

These are just my views on trialling the software. If you’ve had a different experience I’d love to hear about it.

Are there any programs you use to help you write or blog? I’d like to try something else before I make my final purchase decision.

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: A Dog Dreams Of Sailing in the Bahamas

August 9, 2013August 9, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Farley here.

I had a dream last night, and I thought you’d like to see what I look like in my dream.

I dreamt about the Bahamas and sailing on my Lagoon 380 catamaran (with my humans of course).

Why am I dreaming? My papers arrived. Here’s how it works. Kristina sends $10 to the Bahamas with a form telling the lovely Bahamian people all about me. Then they decide whether I can enter the country, and I’m so wonderful I don’t see how they could refuse.

They mail back my visa along with a receipt for the $10, that’s US dollars by they way.

Right before we sail to the Bahamas from Florida I have to go to a vet. I don’t really like this part, but I have to have a health certificate. That doesn’t seem fair because my humans don’t need one.

Then we set sail across the Gulf Stream. I don’t like sailing overnight. I just can’t go to bed until Kristina does and she likes the midnight to 4 am shift. I try to convince my humans to only sail to Bimini. We can get there before dark and I get a good night sleep.

Once we arrive, my humans visit customs with my papers and then I’m set for the season. It’s a great deal – $10 for an entire year.

Now all I have to do is wait until November and we can get going.

Woof Woof.

Decommissioning a Lagoon 380 Catamaran.

May 29, 2013May 29, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Emotions are crazy and have a life of their own. I’m sad to be decommissioning my sailboat for the summer, but extremely happy to be going home to my family for a few months. Happy – Sad – Happy – Sad . . .

I just can’t have everything I want at the same time 🙂

We prepare the boat as if we are expecting a hurricane and have a two step process for Mattina. Part of the work is done in the water and part on land. Luckily we do most of it in the water and only a few hours on land. Too hot up on the hard.

In the water . . .

take down, clean and store main sail and genoa
wash all salon and cockpit cushions
remove all safety gear and store
maintain dingy engine
empty and clean all storage areas (what’s left of our food sits on the counter until we leave)
defrost and clean fridge and freezer
remove all batteries for anything that has batteries.
and on and on it goes.

THEN, Mattina gets hauled.

Mattina stripped and ready for hurricane season.

On the hard. I’ve listed a few items so you get the idea of what needs to be done. Our actual is list is 3 pages long.

maintain diesel engines
install dehumidifier
seal all hatches and put on hatch covers
close and plug thru-hulls
check deck drains clear
turn off fuel supply
disconnect batteries
disconnect solar panels
disconnect all radios and wifi
lock up . . .

Matt has a detailed decommissioning list that we seem to add to every season. I keep asking Matt why the list doesn’t get shorter and he just smiles and assigns another item to me.

Our dog gets the best deal. He plays on the dock and greets anyone who walks by. He also lets us know if dolphins or manatee swim by and we get to take a break and watch.

Farley waiting for someone to pet him. Anyone who walks by will do.

Thanks for reading . . .

Sailing in the Family Islands …

May 13, 2013May 14, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Of the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas with very limited internet access.
Love the time away, but miss the connection.
Will be back posting when we reach somewhere with better band width.

Thanks for reading.

Swimming with a Ray

May 1, 2013April 23, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

The magic of swimming with a Ray.

This ray kindly gave us a beautiful show at Sand Dollar Beach, George Town, Bahamas.

Family Island Regatta Boats Arrive . . .

April 24, 2013April 22, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

In George Town Bahamas. One of the joys of cruising is experiencing the local culture.

The excitement is building for a week of racing in the George Town harbour. The first boats arrived last week and more arrived today with a big entrance.

This big boy came right through the anchorage with lots of hooting and hollering.

For more information see: The National Family Island Regatta.

Thanks for reading . . .

Exuma: 60th National Family Island Regatta (repeatingislands.com)

Swimming with Sharks

April 17, 2013April 16, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Living the cruising lifestyle presents some exciting opportunities. It only takes a little courage to take advantage.

Compass Cay Marina in the Exuma island chain, Bahamas has a school of Nurse sharks that frequent the marina.

The sharks are used to human interaction, although the marina staff does recommend not putting your hand in a shark’s mouth – duh 🙂

My niece had the guts, I had the camera and off we went. She made me go in the water first. “Just in case,” she said. “It’s your duty as my aunt to sacrifice yourself.”

How could I argue? So I went first, nothing ate me and she came in after.

Here’s the proof we swam with sharks – okay I know they’re Nurse sharks and are harmless, but tell that to the adrenaline rushing through my body.

Is A Cockpit Enclosure Worth The Investment?

April 3, 2013March 28, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

If you are planning on spending long periods of time on your sailboat, I recommend the investment in a cockpit enclosure.

Maybe it’s fun to sail in spray on an afternoon adventure, but when you have no home to go to after the sail, you might want to consider staying dry.

Matt is sailing Allura, our Niagara 42, the first year we owned her. Doesn’t he look like he’s having fun? Rain is pouring on him, around him and dripping down is back. I’m in the main salon taking the photo (and I’m dry of course).

We lasted one season and as soon as we hit Florida, we had an enclosure made.

Mattina, our Lagoon 380, came without an enclosure. Sometimes we are smart and learn from our experiences – not always – but when we, are I like to point it out.

Before we left the coast of the US heading for the Bahamas, we had a full enclosure made.

Now we always sail dry.

Thanks for reading . . .

The Start Of My Sailing Life (kristinastanley.net)

Crowded Marina?

March 27, 2013August 24, 2013 ~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Compass Cay Marina during the march break . . . Where did the boats come from?

I’ve never seen this marina so full. We were all so amazed, since we’re used to being isolated out here, that our friend climbed to the top of the mast and took this photo.