2 flights, 1 hotel, 2 shuttles, 1 taxi, 2 buses, and 2 very fortunate hitchhikes later, and I'm in Panama. Sadly, there aren't that many boats here, and the hotel is full. Luckily I found a boat I met previously that's rescuing me. Finding a permanent crew spot, however, looks very daunting.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
As the Cruising World Turns, part Trois
Ah today, Tuesday, the day that we were finally going to be able to lay our hands on the long-awaited auto-pilot part. So I jumped up and was like "ok, let's get goin, what do we have to do, go go go."
Todd didn't seem concerned and set off on a different boat project.
I stayed calm until around noon, but then let my concerns be known.
Our island agent brought the part after 3pm, which again, would have spurned me into action.
Todd, however, decided it was time for a drink and a cigarette. I went downstairs to get out of the smoke.
When the agent left Todd came in and said "you're probably going to be happier if you get to Panama. We aren't going to rush leaving." I said, "yep, you're right."
Within 15 minutes my new flight was booked. I leave tomorrow at 3pm. Unfortunately I have to overnight in Miami. I arrive in Panama on Thursday early afternoon.
Todd didn't seem concerned and set off on a different boat project.
I stayed calm until around noon, but then let my concerns be known.
Our island agent brought the part after 3pm, which again, would have spurned me into action.
Todd, however, decided it was time for a drink and a cigarette. I went downstairs to get out of the smoke.
When the agent left Todd came in and said "you're probably going to be happier if you get to Panama. We aren't going to rush leaving." I said, "yep, you're right."
Within 15 minutes my new flight was booked. I leave tomorrow at 3pm. Unfortunately I have to overnight in Miami. I arrive in Panama on Thursday early afternoon.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Joys of FindACrew.Net
Here's my favorite inquiry so far (spelling errors included):
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Dear Jen,
My girlfriend and I are planning to start full-time cruising this summer. She is tall, gorgeous, and very bi. She has two teenaged boys (11 and 13) that will be joing us.
We are looking for an open-minded woman to assist tutot the boys and share our open lifestyle.
If you are interested, pleae frop us a line.
-----------
No comment.
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Dear Jen,
My girlfriend and I are planning to start full-time cruising this summer. She is tall, gorgeous, and very bi. She has two teenaged boys (11 and 13) that will be joing us.
We are looking for an open-minded woman to assist tutot the boys and share our open lifestyle.
If you are interested, pleae frop us a line.
-----------
No comment.
New Pics Online
I added some pictures of the interior of One World. Link is to the right: http://picasaweb.google.com/heyjenjackson
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Subscription
Alright, sorry for all the confusion with the Google Groups thing, but I finally figured out how to add 'Email Subscription' to this blog.
On the right, there, you'll see a place to enter your email address. Then you just get emailed every time I update the blog.
That's nice and easy right?
On the right, there, you'll see a place to enter your email address. Then you just get emailed every time I update the blog.
That's nice and easy right?
As the Cruising World Turns, part deux
Woke up this morning, and even before I had a chance to pee Todd informed me that he had changed his mind again. He thought he'd always regret it if he turned around now, but that sailing around the world was too big of a bite to chew. So his new destination is Australia, and would I consider staying on at least until Panama.
My gut reaction was 'No way, Jose, I don't want to put up with any more drama. I'll find a new boat in Panama. And if I don't by the time you guys get there, we'll talk.' (Mind you, while I have been looking forward to getting *off* the boat and away from Downer Central, I've also been dreading re-packing my bag, 8 hours of flying/airports, the 2-8 hours it'd take to get from Panama City to Colon, and the schlepping of myself around the docks again. P.S. staying in a hotel would be lovely, however.) Anyway, Melissa then had a very good point....what's the purpose of this whole adventure of mine? TO SAIL! And if we're really getting out of here Wednesday night or Thursday morning, then I'd get to SAIL to Panama. Should I still not be happy after the passage, I can just as easily get off there and find a new boat. It's tough to argue with that.
So it's done - my flight is cancelled (Credit can be used within the next year, but travel MUST originate from Curacao...haha, not likely. I feel bad for Todd that that's $560 thrown away, but then again, it was his doing.)
Oh ya, Happy Easter.
My gut reaction was 'No way, Jose, I don't want to put up with any more drama. I'll find a new boat in Panama. And if I don't by the time you guys get there, we'll talk.' (Mind you, while I have been looking forward to getting *off* the boat and away from Downer Central, I've also been dreading re-packing my bag, 8 hours of flying/airports, the 2-8 hours it'd take to get from Panama City to Colon, and the schlepping of myself around the docks again. P.S. staying in a hotel would be lovely, however.) Anyway, Melissa then had a very good point....what's the purpose of this whole adventure of mine? TO SAIL! And if we're really getting out of here Wednesday night or Thursday morning, then I'd get to SAIL to Panama. Should I still not be happy after the passage, I can just as easily get off there and find a new boat. It's tough to argue with that.
So it's done - my flight is cancelled (Credit can be used within the next year, but travel MUST originate from Curacao...haha, not likely. I feel bad for Todd that that's $560 thrown away, but then again, it was his doing.)
Oh ya, Happy Easter.
Friday, April 2, 2010
As the Cruising World Turns
I realize that my blog is now reading like a soap opera, and I have to laugh. Matt, would you say I'm still living a "blogable life"?
Let's see, it was yesterday (wow, feels like ages ago already) that Todd said "we have to talk." He had made up his mind – he wasn't ready to cruise, financially and emotionally. So he's turning the boat around and going home to the BVI to work for a few more years. The back story here which I've learned piecemeal is that he started this voyage thinking he'd have his girlfriend, her kids, and her bank account added to the kitty. A few weeks before I came, she left. He thought he could carry on but as it turns out, he doesn't want to. Now, everyone that knows the guy thinks that if he would just get sailing that he'd snap out of this state he's in. But Todd doesn't wanna. Sooooo, he offered to fly me anywhere I wanted to go, and put me up for a few weeks once I got there as an "I'm sorry I got you into this mess". It was very generous.
I pretty much knew what my plan would be immediately, but I needed to spend an hour or so reeling over the news. Truth be told, I was going to try and find another boat in Panama. But it's infinitely easier to find a boat if you're on a boat. So I had a chat with Ian, who is the co-master of giving pep talks. (I say co-master because folks say I'm the master of pep talks.) He echoed the details of my plan: get flown to Panama and put up in a hotel; find another boat. The experiences of the last month are not wasted – I've learned a lot about what to look/watch out for. The right thing will come along, and if it doesn't, well, cross that bridge when I come to it.
There was a slight chance of hitching a ride on one of a couple of boats here in Curacao that are headed to Panama. But the boat we were closest with, Lison Life, set a policy of no crew which they wanted to stick to. Liberty had a full house. So why monkey around? Get my booty to Panama!
Todd and I booked a flight for Monday morning, and he'll give me cash for the hotel and taxis in Panama. Sooo nice!
What the other crew, Melissa, is going to do I don't yet know. She hasn't been on the boat since Todd broke the news. She's got a friend visiting so she's off with him. Lucky girl.
The atmosphere on One World is, as you can imagine, somber. 2.5 more days.
Let's see, it was yesterday (wow, feels like ages ago already) that Todd said "we have to talk." He had made up his mind – he wasn't ready to cruise, financially and emotionally. So he's turning the boat around and going home to the BVI to work for a few more years. The back story here which I've learned piecemeal is that he started this voyage thinking he'd have his girlfriend, her kids, and her bank account added to the kitty. A few weeks before I came, she left. He thought he could carry on but as it turns out, he doesn't want to. Now, everyone that knows the guy thinks that if he would just get sailing that he'd snap out of this state he's in. But Todd doesn't wanna. Sooooo, he offered to fly me anywhere I wanted to go, and put me up for a few weeks once I got there as an "I'm sorry I got you into this mess". It was very generous.
I pretty much knew what my plan would be immediately, but I needed to spend an hour or so reeling over the news. Truth be told, I was going to try and find another boat in Panama. But it's infinitely easier to find a boat if you're on a boat. So I had a chat with Ian, who is the co-master of giving pep talks. (I say co-master because folks say I'm the master of pep talks.) He echoed the details of my plan: get flown to Panama and put up in a hotel; find another boat. The experiences of the last month are not wasted – I've learned a lot about what to look/watch out for. The right thing will come along, and if it doesn't, well, cross that bridge when I come to it.
There was a slight chance of hitching a ride on one of a couple of boats here in Curacao that are headed to Panama. But the boat we were closest with, Lison Life, set a policy of no crew which they wanted to stick to. Liberty had a full house. So why monkey around? Get my booty to Panama!
Todd and I booked a flight for Monday morning, and he'll give me cash for the hotel and taxis in Panama. Sooo nice!
What the other crew, Melissa, is going to do I don't yet know. She hasn't been on the boat since Todd broke the news. She's got a friend visiting so she's off with him. Lucky girl.
The atmosphere on One World is, as you can imagine, somber. 2.5 more days.
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