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Morpheus was designed by Carl Schumacher, built by Davie Norris Boatbuilders in New Zealand and launched in 2002. She spent her first 18 months cruising the South Pacific before reaching her home port of San Francisco. Since that time, Morpheus has been raced and cruised extensively. This blog will document her ongoing adventures.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Morpheus Spa Treatment
Jim
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Saturday, April 16, 2011
Charleston, SC
We had a pretty easy trip from Fernindina, FL to Charleston, SC. Just about 24 hours travel time and light winds between 5-15 knots. Perfect traveling conditions.
No stress other than the traditional midnight excitement as we passed Savannah. Obviously, Savannah remains a hub of shipping. You can see the traffic jam we sailed through in the picture to the left. This is our AIS display onboard that picks up broadcasts from other ships and plots their name, callsign, heading and speed on our charts. We are in the center of the display sailing North while the three ships highlighted in red (for danger) all seemed to be taking aim at us!! We ended up holding our course while each of them took turns passing within a mile of us over a period of time no longer than 15 minutes!!!
We pulled into Charleston at about 10:30am. Right as the breeze started to come on pretty strong and as the 250+ boats sailing in the Charleston Race Week were heading out to their race courses. Nice timing!
Later that afternoon, after watching the demolition derby that was the return of those 200+ boats, we ran into Erik Shampain for a record third time on this trip. (We saw him in San Deigo racing Etchells. We saw him in Acapulco racing big boats, and he's here now sailing the CRW.)
Next we tracked another friend down. Bill Sandberg (from American Yacht Club) is down working with the race committee and we arranged to grab a ride from him over to Lyn and Peggy Comforts place for dinner. Dinner was great, we shared lots of stories and heard a few as well.
Today, I am sitting on the boat hoping that it doesn't blow away!! From the current weather forecast....
It's currently blowing a steady 25 with gust to 35 at the dock. The front is about an hour away, and Debbie has deserted me for the safety of the bar at the head of the dock!
More soon, I hope!
-Jim
 |
| Why are they all trying to hit us??? |
We pulled into Charleston at about 10:30am. Right as the breeze started to come on pretty strong and as the 250+ boats sailing in the Charleston Race Week were heading out to their race courses. Nice timing!
 |
| The Fleet tried (and failed) to all dock at once! |
Next we tracked another friend down. Bill Sandberg (from American Yacht Club) is down working with the race committee and we arranged to grab a ride from him over to Lyn and Peggy Comforts place for dinner. Dinner was great, we shared lots of stories and heard a few as well.
Today, I am sitting on the boat hoping that it doesn't blow away!! From the current weather forecast....
...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...TORNADO WATCH 150 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... .THIS AFTERNOON...S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT. SEAS 4TO 6 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS LATE. SOME TSTMS MAY BESEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND WATERSPOUTS.
It's currently blowing a steady 25 with gust to 35 at the dock. The front is about an hour away, and Debbie has deserted me for the safety of the bar at the head of the dock!
More soon, I hope!
-Jim
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Next stop Charleston, SC
Honest, I didn't plan it this way!! But, this is turning out just right. Deb and I plan to head for Charleston tomorrow afternoon, and Charleston Race Week is happening this weekend! Not only that, but the marina recommended by our local friends turns out to be ground zero for the event. Not only that, but Gosling's (my favorite rum) is sponsoring the parties!!Sometimes things just work out....
Monday, April 11, 2011
Florida's Most Recent New Resident
Today Debbie cut the cord with California and officially became a Floridian.Wow!
-Jim
Sunday, April 10, 2011
A "Wind Event"
Sometimes I exaggerate. Not often. Sometimes I see things that I think are
significant, but others don't seem to think so. Well, I experienced a
Tornado in West Palm Beach, while everyone else had a "Wind Event". I'm
from California, but doesn't wind swirling around in a circular motion count
as a tornado? No one ever believes me when I see tornadoes...
Last week, I was enjoying lunch at this nice little street café when one of
the waiters pointed out that the front expected for about 2PM was moving in
right on schedule. I look up, and there was a big black line of clouds
coming. So I paid my bill and walked down the street to do some shopping.
Wam! The wind kicks in, dirt and sand start swirling around so bad I had to
put my sunglasses on to see. I look over my shoulder, and about 100 yards
away, over a decorative pond and fountain thingy, is a swirling mass of
water and dirt, coming my way. I call that a tornado... So, I start to run
across an alley for the hotel that is about 50 feet away. And then I get
that sinking feeling, "Aaa Darn!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see this
elderly lady hanging onto a pipe staircase banister, with her cane in one
hand, shopping bags in the other, being buffeted back and forth by the wind.
No ducking under cover for me. I change course, run and grab her, when her
son in a SUV pulls up. Yeah! So I open the door, put her in the car, then
bolt up the stairs into a doorway alcove and watch the "Wind Event" go by.
I'm watching as palm fronds and coconuts are being torn off the trees and
landing on the cars that are parked by the valets... lots of Mercedes,
Jaguars, etc. all with their car alarms going off after being pelted by
coconuts. Then, a big trash dumpster on wheels starts rolling at the far
end of the alley, picks up speed, and crashes right into the rear of the
elderly ladies' SUV, which then takes off to avoid being rammed again by the dumpster. It then starts to pour rain, and the wind calms down a bit.
After a few minutes of hyperventilating and calls to my brothers and sisters
who know about Tornadoes, I went on to finish my shopping. No one else in
West Palm Beach thought it was a tornado. It was just "really windy."
Ahh, well, I guess I just exaggerate...
Deb
significant, but others don't seem to think so. Well, I experienced a
Tornado in West Palm Beach, while everyone else had a "Wind Event". I'm
from California, but doesn't wind swirling around in a circular motion count
as a tornado? No one ever believes me when I see tornadoes...
Last week, I was enjoying lunch at this nice little street café when one of
the waiters pointed out that the front expected for about 2PM was moving in
right on schedule. I look up, and there was a big black line of clouds
coming. So I paid my bill and walked down the street to do some shopping.
Wam! The wind kicks in, dirt and sand start swirling around so bad I had to
put my sunglasses on to see. I look over my shoulder, and about 100 yards
away, over a decorative pond and fountain thingy, is a swirling mass of
water and dirt, coming my way. I call that a tornado... So, I start to run
across an alley for the hotel that is about 50 feet away. And then I get
that sinking feeling, "Aaa Darn!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see this
elderly lady hanging onto a pipe staircase banister, with her cane in one
hand, shopping bags in the other, being buffeted back and forth by the wind.
No ducking under cover for me. I change course, run and grab her, when her
son in a SUV pulls up. Yeah! So I open the door, put her in the car, then
bolt up the stairs into a doorway alcove and watch the "Wind Event" go by.
I'm watching as palm fronds and coconuts are being torn off the trees and
landing on the cars that are parked by the valets... lots of Mercedes,
Jaguars, etc. all with their car alarms going off after being pelted by
coconuts. Then, a big trash dumpster on wheels starts rolling at the far
end of the alley, picks up speed, and crashes right into the rear of the
elderly ladies' SUV, which then takes off to avoid being rammed again by the dumpster. It then starts to pour rain, and the wind calms down a bit.
After a few minutes of hyperventilating and calls to my brothers and sisters
who know about Tornadoes, I went on to finish my shopping. No one else in
West Palm Beach thought it was a tornado. It was just "really windy."
Ahh, well, I guess I just exaggerate...
Deb
Friday, April 08, 2011
Can someone explain this please???
 |
| Fernandina Beach, Florida |
We have traveled North from Palm Beach to arrive in the South?? What's up with that?
It really does seem like an entirely different world here. The people are much more relaxed. Definitely not in a hurry. Very polite (I've never been called "sir" so many times in my life!) And...they talk "funny". Very slowly with that distinctive southern accent....
So, why didn't we run into this in Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, or Palm Beach?? Is it the influence of the Northeastern "snowbirds" that makes those towns seem more "North" than "South"??
Whatever the reason, we are defintely in "The South" now!
Sort of nice so far,
-Jim
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Palm Beach to Fernandina Beach
Well, once again if left to her devices, Morpheus would be arriving at a new port in the middle of the night. Deb and I have spent the late afternoon and evening today doing what we can to slow down in order to have daylight when we arrive. Even so, it looks like we'll need to stall by sailing a few extra miles.Not much to report. Winds around 10 knots from the SE all day with very flat seas. So, lot's of small projects and reading onboard. Just finished reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the 1st time. Great book. How did I get this far without reading it??
All's well.
-Jim and Deb
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Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Yes. Definitely Stuck Again
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Famous for being stuck off Key West
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Sunday, April 03, 2011
Kiteboarding - Jupiter Beach, FL
Deb's brother Dan and I spent a beautiful day on Jupiter Beach today. (just North of Palm Beach)
The winds were a little light, but I managed to have fun for a few minutes.
Deb spent the day with her sister Tori at the horse show. Tori had a great day and was the winner of the days first event!!
A good day was had by all!
-Jim
The winds were a little light, but I managed to have fun for a few minutes.
Deb spent the day with her sister Tori at the horse show. Tori had a great day and was the winner of the days first event!!
A good day was had by all!
-Jim
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Friday, April 01, 2011
Just hanging out
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