Windancer IV - Crew Goes to the Birds

25112008Windancer IV has been getting in touch with nature. On our first day out we were visited by a pod of dolphins who frollicked in our bow. For the first time we saw babies swimming with their families. Later that evening as crew headed to their bunks we spotted a small black bird flitting on the deck. We attemped to feed it water and bread but it really didnt want anything to do with us and our crew member, Maris, will be docked one piece of bread in her rations !!!Ziggy MacKenzie, First Mate of Windancer IV. read more...

Windancer IV - A Day at Sea with Windancer IV

A typical day begins with the sunrise.If you are the lucky person on watch from 5-8am, you can see the seas lighten and suddenly the waves that you up til then only felt, are visible.Then over your left shoulder the clouds pinken, turning yellow and red over the hour.Within the hour, you suddenly spy a flashlight size brilliant light and within 10 minutes the sun is up.And a new day dawns. Since we have travelled over 15 degrees west, we have set our clocks back an hour and now, the skies lighten by 6ish.Fish lines are set while it is still dark.Up til this morning, we have had no luck, but today, we broke our dry spell.First a bite and then, we hooked our first small dorado which will be a lunch snack. As the person coming off watch, I started the espresso coffee.Captain John is always. read more...

Windancer IV - Passing the time...

Twenty days at sea is a long time. The Crew of Windancer IV must pass the time. Socializing is a big part of our day. There is so much to know about a person. To this day my Dad tells me things about him I never knew. Whether it's sitting on the bridge, talking to Maris in between the time she is singing or just a conversation over dinner. There is so much you can learn from a single person. Games are also a common occurance. Since catamarans don't heal, games of cards like Skip-bo, Phase-10 and Spit are played on a regular basis. Board games are also common. Uncle Bruce, Aunt Mar and Mom are all very commpetitve with their word games and Scrabble, Up-Words and Pick Two are played often. The one passion we all share to pass time is reading. with the slow rock of the boat lulling you. read more...

Windancer IV - The Adventures of Ed the Iguana

There once was an iguana named EdHe was green from his tow to his headHe lived in Spain in the sun not the runTo St Lucia he sailed it was saidHe sailed on Windancer, a catAnd every passage he passed a latFrom port to port, from castle to fortHe always wore his hatHe joined the Windancer crewThere was John and Ziggy to name a fewThe Captain was John Who skippered from dusk to dawnAnd when Ed was sea sick he turned blueThe first mate's name was ZiggyWhen she gets sun burnt she turns pink as a piggyShe loves to cook Or have her head in a bookAnd knows how to raise a sail and fix the riggyThey welcomed the iguana on boardWhen they won the ARC awardThey gave him a berthBecause he proved his worth'Til St Lucia they were mooredOn day 3 Ed caught a flying fishHe thought it was a great dishIt. read more...

Windancer IV - Sail Repair Team

The two Mar's - Maris & Marlene - made a great team, putting their reconstructive surgery skills to work on day 3. The gennaker snagged on the radar during a wind shift and after the flogging of the helmsman, the dining room table was swiftly transformed into a sail loft. In less than half an hour, the gennaker was rehoisted with barely a scar visible. Maris pays tribute to her mentor buddies at Di-Tech Sailmakers in Lavagna for their training.sail repair team. read more...