Persistent Lady - Wednesday, June 18th 2014

“Can you bring it more to starboard?”“Yeah, Jake, I’ll get you over there, just be careful with the gaff.That sucker is huge!I am not sure you can bring it on board by yourself.”“Yeah I can bring it on board if I can just get it hooked.Oh No!Lost it, quick circle back around while I still have a chance!!!”“Ok, I will bring the boat starboard side to and I can block the wind that way.Let me know when I am close enough and I will go to neutral and just coast up to it.”“OK. You are pretty close, just slow down and I am pretty sure I can land it.There!Got it, now just a quick pull and Viola!!”“Man, that is huge; I never saw a fishing float that big before, must be four feet tall, probably washed overboard from a fishing boat in a storm.But what in the world will we do with it? It’s hard. read more...

Persistent Lady - Tuesday, June 17 2014

Just finished cleaning up the galley.Sherrin made an apple coffee cake during her morning watch and today is my day for KP duty. So far she is doing a great job of ‘using every pot in the kitchen’ as Poppa used to accuse Kris of, back in the day.Just kidding dear, only making a little joke, no harm intended, just trying to provide a little levity for the reading audience (I know she can do more damage than that if she is provoked!).There may be no better way to start your day than a cup of coffee, a little coffee cake, and the sea breeze blowing through the cockpit. Well, two out of three is not bad.No sea breeze, just the sound of the diesel engine pushing us along at 6 knots toward our destination.Chris Parker really nailed it when he cautioned us to reserve enough fuel to motor the. read more...

Persistent Lady - Monday june 16, 2014

Monday June 16, 2014 The sun finally came out about 2:00, still cloudy but can feel the warmth on your skin.Very nice, and the solar panels will be charging.Light wind, under 10 knots, the grib file says to expect about 6 knots but based on observation, I would guess closer to 8, but variable in strength.We are making between 4 and 5.5 knots over the ground based on the GPS, but cannot sail the rhumb line so we are sailing a course about 30 degrees North of the line and are currently located about 10 miles North of it and 350 miles from Gibraltar.Because we are sailing higher than desired we will take longer to get there, but what else do we have to do?Not like we are missing out on the big sale at the mall or anything.When we start motoring we will just point our nose at Gibraltar and. read more...

Persistent Lady - Sunday June 15, 2014

Well, it’s overcast again today.Pretty much ever since we installed the solar panels that Kris and D sent us the sun has been hiding.The one day we had full sun, we went 17 hours between charges, which is almost double our average, so we know they work well, just need the sun. Kris andD did a great job of picking out all the small incidental things we needed to install the panels, we literally just opened the box and took out the things we needed, everything was there.THANKS, Kris and D!!!It is a brisk day in shorts and tee shirt; yesterday I was in long johns, sweatshirt and jacket for my 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM watch, but I was not feeling well, alternately freezing and then too warm and a headache.No interest in eating, did not even try the lemon pie.This morning, I feel much better and. read more...

Persistent Lady - Thursday, June 12

Sherrin was making a pie this morning during her morning watch.She has promised us an Eagle Brand Lemon pie and a chocolate pecan pie before we arrive in Gibraltar.Jake and I are secretly hoping for the lemon pie because it will require refrigeration and we don’t have room in the fridge for it.We have planned out a pie eating contest; save one slice for Sherrin and split the rest.Then set a timer and the first one to yell “DONE” wins.Can’t wait!However, the fresh water pump is not working and right now Jake and I will have to attend to that.Sherrin asked us to get the Karo syrup out of the bilge while we were down there, so I think we will have chocolate pecan pie today.Not a bad choice, as it is one of my absolute favorite pies, but no pie eating contest.The pump turned out to be bad.It. read more...