First Matey

Actually the second first mate. First mate Bruce will join the journey Nov. 4th in Fort Meyers.

The Captain

Ahoy, I hopes you all are wearing your PFD's cause I fears its a strange voyage ahead.

Ahoy-hoy,

Mates, you will notice in the sidebar a new item titled 'Gabcast'. The fine folks at Gabcast provide this free service which I find commendable. It enables people such as myself to embed audio files that you can play and hear. I can update these files from any phone (I think) and this will enable me to communicate when I can't post a blog.

To hear the audio, just click on the play button on the Gabcast player and you should have success. I don't know yet what happens when there is more than one audio post, so that's an adventure that awaits.

The Captain

Dear First First Mate,

I'd love to be able to reveal the source of the name of the Mary Mary but I have been sworn to secrecy. There is an old law of the sea that states "He who speaks with a loose tongue will soon be fishing with a loose hook". I don't actually know what that means but I sure as hell am not going to chance that it means don't reveal any secrets.

Which sounds like a contest to me. He who can make sense of the riddle will receive a free... um... hat, yeah that's it. A hat.

By the by, soon there will be audio feed to this blog and you can hear the actual voices of those that have survived the voyage speaking of their time aboard. Once the voyage commences, of course. That will be, as we know, Oct. 29th.

The Captain

Ahoy...

Well, it seems that my crew list is expanding. The first leg of the voyage will be from Bradenton, Forida to Fort Meyers. On this trip will be the former owner of the Mary Mary (now the Five Cats) Bradley Johnson and his daughter, Brooke. They will accompany me for four days in which time I will get my feet wet, so to speak, and figure out how to run this massive boat.

On Nov. 3rd they will leave me and on Nov. 4th I will joined by new crew member Bruce Hunter who will learn what I know and then, in the next five minutes, will be on his own.

I am half way through, sort of, my Power squadron boating course and know what safety equipment should be on board; which is probably a good thing. Unfortunately, the section on plotting a course begins while I am away on my first voyage. Ah, timing... it's everything you know.

It is now approximately three weeks to bon voyage time and I am studying hard. I know for instance, how hail is formed. And, as far as I can make out, starboard is on the right facing the bow. (Kidding, I know way more than that)

Did you know the scurrying ripple on a water caused by gusting wind is called a "cat's paw"? Well, I did.

Today I was provided with the small outboard engine for the dinghy, but unfortunately I can't get it to Florida right away, so rowing will have to do it.

I do, however, have a rather nice hat for the trip and it will serve me well as passersby take snapshots of the sinking boat. (Don't worry, I knocked on wood just now)

Till next time, then...

Captain

Ahoy...

This is The Captain speaking. This blog will be recording the voyage of The Five Cats, a 36' Grand Banks Trawler that I, The Captain, will be taking from Tampa, Florida to Toronto Canada over the winter of 2006/07. I will try to keep you apprised of the doings on board, although, as the rum ad goes, "What happens below decks, stays below decks." This is, of course, meant to mostly keep embarrassing moments of bad sailoring from surfacing. Moments which I, the Captain, a neo-phyte boater would rather keep to myself. Ahhh, what the hell. I'll be forthcoming if you'll be kind.

Today is Thanksgiving, Canadian-style, and therefore I am, of course, drunk. I just want you to know that I will not be indulging that way while I am navigating the Intercostal Waterway. No, I will be stone-cold sober and on the look out for things of interest to bring to you the blog-readers.

There will be photos, hopefully, and comments from the various famous crew members who have been shanghied to help me on this strange adventure.

You, the bloggee, will be welcome to give comment or criticism as you see fit.

So, that is that. On Sunday, Oct. 29th, I fly to Tampa to begin the journey. If the wind is fair I should be enroute as of Monday, Oct. 30th. (Actually wind has little to do with it as the Five Cats is a powerboat, still fair is fair) First stop, in all probability, will be Sarasota.

Give me your best wishes as I will need them. You can send any advice or notes along and I will try to integrate them into my float plan. I will be posting information about myself, my crew, the boat and sundry other fascinating things up until departure.

More later me hearties...

The Captain