Picture of the Day

We worked our way through a few major squalls last week!!

-Jim

Morpheus Spring Break

We just wrapped up a great week with long time friends Mike/Paula Tye and Joe/Michelle Hawkins in the British Virgin Islands.

We had just a little bit of fun!!

Paula Tye at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

More Super Yachts and Joe Hawkins Arrives!

Spent the day watching the YCCS Super Yacht Regatta

This is just one of about 500 photo's that I need to work through and then
share!!

Jim Gregory

Morpheus White 4

Tivoli is back!

We are enjoying some great weather here in Virgin Gorda along with Torben and Judy Bentsen. 

The YCCS Super Yacht Regatta begins tomorrow so there is plenty to look at around here today!!

Jim

Jim Gregory 

Perfect!

This may surprise a few of you, but we actually do not go sailing all that often...

Morpheus has a few modes, but most of the time she is in "house mode" and its a big deal to switch from that to "sailing mode" where she is ready to go offshore without things flying around.  So, its takes a bit to motivate us to pick up the anchor and go sailing.

Well, Saturday  was one of those days, and all the stars lined up for us!!

We needed to get back to the BVI's to meet some guests over the next few weeks.  The forecast for Sunday was WINDY so that motivated me from a "get there and go kitesurfing point of view", the seas were very calm, and the winds for the trip were forecast to be 10-15 knots on the beam.  Wow, we even got a beam reach thrown in!  (For some unknown reason, the wind always seem to blow either from where you are going, or where you have been.)

It was a spectacular sail.  I can't exaggerate here, it was perfect!!!

Lots and lots of visitors!!

Yesterday, we were sorry to see Johnny and Elizabeth Ryan leave after a
short but fun visit. We spent most of their time with us exploring the
harbors and beaches of St. Barths, before a very nice sail to St. Martin.

Johnny has sailed many miles on Morpheus, but for Elizabeth this was only
the second time she'd spent any time on the boat, and really the second time
she had spent any time on ANY boat!! Good for her to be willing to try
something new and probably a long long way from her comfort zone.

We had a great time with both of them and hope that they will return for
another visit in the future.

Now, after some quick shopping and fueling we are ready to head back to
Virgin Gorda. Its an 80nm sail and todays winds are light. 10 knots if we
are lucky. Hopefully, sailing will be an option, otherwise the batteries
and water tanks will be happy!!

We have a week on our own, before the Hawkin's and Tye's show up next
weekend. They are with us for about a week, and then the day after they
leave my Brother Bob and his family join us!!!

The next few weeks should be fun!!!

-Jim

St. Barths - picture of the day

Jim Gregory 

Waiting for Johnny And Elisabeth Ryan

Jim Gregory 

It must be nice!

It's good to be Helios. Or more accurately its probably great to own Helios. All four of them I guess. The sailboat is well over 100ft and the "tender" is probably twice that.

Wow!!

Lookin' Good

I learned how to tie a new knot

Made me laugh!

Heineken Regatta - Great Sailing, Great Parties!

I wasn't able to sail this year, but we were able to attend some of the parties. I need to talk to some of the organizers to figure out how they make it all happen, but somehow they throw a three day party, with three locations around the island, and at least three dj's or rock groups per night. Big stages, full on concert productions, etc.

On the last night, the headliners were the commodores! Those guys may have been around forever, but they were still GREAT!

Like I said, these guys throw a great event!

Jim

People are dumb!

This is what you see on a pack of cigarettes when you buy in St. Martin. 

How can someone look at this and still decide they want to part with a few dollars for some smokes???

Jim Gregory 

A great vacation.

Sadly, we are saying goodbye to some friends who have been visiting St Martin for the last week. We had a great time. And to cap it all off, we delivered a very happy Tory and Gibb to the airport, via dingy, while still in their bathing gear.

Stress...

Is non existent on our boat right now!

Cal's Football Team Needs to Start Winning!!

I'm not sure exactly when we started, but Pete McCormick and I have had an annual bet for many years now.  Pete went to the University of Oregon, and I attended the University of California.  Historically, neither school has been a football powerhouse.  However, over the past ten years both schools have flirted with greatness.

I'm pretty sure our bet started in 2005?  Despite losing the first year, things went pretty well for me for a few years.  But, lately this annual bet has become a bit of consistently bad news for me.

One objective of my trip home last week was to "pay off" our 2011 bet.  Please note that I was smart enough not to even consider a bet this past year.

In any case, I will attempt to provide a summary this bets history below and cap it off with photographic proof of my payment this year!!  Enjoy.

2005 California 20 Oregon 27 (I lose!)

I had to wear an Oregon Duck green and yellow jersey as I 

started Morpheus in all four Golden Gate Midwinter races.

 

 

 

2006 California 45 Oregon 24 (I win!)

What a great game.  It was played in Berkeley and we invited Pete to sit with our group of Cal Fans for the game.  Here is a picture of Pete enjoying the first half...

The bet was a good one as well!  The first of our more creative bets.  In this case, Pete and I planned to race to Cabo in early 2007.  The bet was that after finishing the race, the loser had to stand up in a bar in Cabo, drink three shots of tequila and then sing the other teams fight song!!

For reasons that I won't go into here (it's an entirely different story), Pete was unable to "pay off" the bet on the first night in Cabo as we had planned.  But that's ok, he came back strong the next night and did an amazing job!!

  

 

2007 California 31 Oregon 24 (I win!)

2008 California 26 Oregon 15 (I win again!)

Hey, this is going pretty well for me!!  In these two years, rather than looking for something short and very painful, we went for something more like a dull pain that just wouldn't got away.

Pete spent two long years with a University of California license plate holder on the back of his car!!

He was reminded of our bet every time someone saw the holder and said, "Pete, I thought you went to Oregon???"

 

2009 California 3 Oregon 42 (I lose!)

 

It's going to be tough to ever surpass this years bet.  The loser had to rent a chicken costume and then walk into a Kentucky Fried Chicken and order a bucket of chicken!! 

 

 

 

 

2010 California 13 - Oregon 15 (I lose!)

 I honestly can't remember what we did this year.  Perhaps it was so painful that I've blocked it from my memory???  Pete, help me out here??

 

 2011 California 15 - Oregon 43 (I lose!)

Now finally on to the bet that I went home to pay off.  This was actually much tougher than the previous years Chicken Bet.  At least with the chicken, once you put the head on, nobody knew who you were.

This year, the winner was able to select an item of "fan clothing" from the winning teams online "team store", and the loser had to wear this item of clothing while taking the winner out for drinks one night in San Francisco.
  
Pete was not kind to me...

Ouch!!

  

2012 California 17 - Oregon 59 (No Bet!!) 

Enough, is enough.  Until Cal shows some potential to at least compete with the Oregon Ducks, I will not be willing to risk further embarrassment.  Maybe in a couple of years!!! 

  

2nd Picture of the Day

When one picture doesn't do the dock justice, you just need to send another!

Jim Gregory 

Picture of the Day

Down here when we say the boats are big, we mean it!!

Jim Gregory 

Heineken Regatta Fleet

Picture if the Day

The fantastic view from the hills above Oyster Point, St. Martin

Jim Gregory 

Sorry it's sideways

This is what I've been doing!!

NYC with Patrick

Jim Gregory 

I am not comfortable with this!!

I am heading home today. I just walked out of the bathroom after changing into long pants and a long sleeves shirt. 

Debbie just laughed at me, and the dog turned her head in shame.....

Jim

Jim Gregory 

Surf's Up!

The big guys are all showing up here in st Martin today. The swells offshore are 9-12ft and building. Time to seek shelter and protect all that fancy gear onboard. It's a pretty amazing sight. Any of these alone would turn your head, to see them all together is something else. Wow!

FW: Aboard Russian Billionaire Andrey Melnichencko's $300 Million Yacht (VIDEO) - The Huffington Post

Thanks to Brother Bob for some quick detective work. Wow!


To: Gregory Jim
Subject: Aboard Russian Billionaire Andrey Melnichencko's $300 Million Yacht
(VIDEO) - The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2010/08/17/andrey-melnichenckos-300m
-yacht_n_685424.html

Guess you stopped reading the WSJ. They had a big story a while ago.

Bob

Futuristic Yacht

This super yacht just showed up. I haven't seen it before. Does anyone know anything about it??

Looks like Captain Nemo's Nautilus. Not sure it I like it or not. It's definitely interesting. 

Jim Gregory 

12 meter racing

The StFYC cruise came to town and I spent the day "racing" on board True North. 

I've finally sailed on a twelve meter!!

Jim Gregory 

Flags - Proper or not?

Ok all you flag etiquette experts....

I'm not sure about this one. 

If you have a boat with more than one mast, is it "proper" to fly a your burgee from the top of each mast?

I really don't know, but it doesn't seem right to me. 

Please let me know.

Jim Gregory 

How to celebrate St. Valentines Day

They certainly know how to celebrate Valentines Day here in St Martin. They really decorate the windows! This is the local Pharmacy. And they run great specials!

Picture of the Day

Morpheus anchored off Simpson Bay

Monsters at the gate

They all made it into the lagoon...

Surrounded by Monsters

Check out the lineup of Super Yachts looking to get through the bridge and into the st Martin lagoon this afternoon!!

I need to find the Super Bowl party that they are all heading to!!

Jim Gregory 

Back in touch....

Sort of....

We are Back in St Martin, which is great, but the Internet is spotty...

Best way to get us is email!

Deb

Ah...memories of my Bermuda Race work list

At least i had two weeks to get it done!!!

Before Bermuda

Attend safety at sea

Get cpr certified

Re seal bolt over seat bench

Crew gear

Tighten rig

Remove radar pole

Remove AP ram

Cut solar cables?

Run satphone antennae

Check backstay

Clean and paint windlass

Polish halyard shackles

Tape head stay junctions

Clean teak

Reaching strut

Inhalers

Spin gear

Switch halyards

Bump reef lines

Check main halyard pin size

Pack things to ship

Service vang

Bolts in stanchions

Strainers

Name on life jackets

beckson marine

Deviation card

Load racing sails

Load food

Double check all lifejackets

Lash hatch board

Offload cruising anchor and chain

Get 2nd fortress onboard

Get proper anchor rode and chains onboard

Assemble anchor

Block covers

Change Watermaker filter

20 gallons of fuel

40 gallons of water

Develop daily schedule with Gibb

Remove a gas bottle

Install lashing on storm jib

Get 2.4 gallons of emergency water

Deck plate for radar pole

Jim Gregory 

Back at St.Martin

Left the BVIs yesterday afternoon and had a nice sail back to St Martin. 

We had use all the time the BVIs were willing to give us, plus we have some friends scheduled to boat us this month, and of course there are boat projects to work on. 

Need to find a spot to watch the Super Bowl!  Go Niners!

Jim

Jim Gregory