Call for Questions

The blog is back.

With this post, I am officially declaring the 2011 Windleblo blogging season begun.

Thank you, patient followers, for checking back faithfully in search of new postings. Please accept my apologies for keeping you waiting so long. I have a good excuse...which I will divulge in a moment.

But first, a request.

During a recent conversation with my sister-in-law Susan, she asked if I would please post details of life aboard Windleblo. What's it like to live aboard a 40-foot sailing vessel, she wonders. Seems my past postings have not adequately addressed this topic.

Her request led me to wonder...what else do you want to read about?? Is it the culture and people in the places we visit, the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings we encounter, the natural world around us (plants, wildlife, etc.), our life aboard as a cruising couple, sailing "tech talk" (i.e., safety, navigation, operating systems, etc. on a sailing vessel), or something else??

Please reply with a comment or send us an email at windleblo@gmail.com with your suggestions. As the season progresses, I will attempt to address the topics you want to read about, making these entries more relevant and interesting for you.

Now for my excuse for being away so long.

Just last week, I completed examinations in Newport, Rhode Island, earning me two key credentials...the United States Coast Guard Captain's License and the Royal Yachting Association Yachtmaster Offshore credential.

To prepare, I have had my head in the books every spare minute since last February. No time for blogging, or much else for that matter. My efforts paid off as I felt well prepared for the courses and exams, which extended over two weeks.

The crescendo occurred during a day-long practical exam on Narragansett Bay aboard a Freedom 38 sloop. All day long, two cohorts and I were thoroughly grilled by the Yachtmaster examiner, a 30-year Royal Navy submariner, on boat handling, navigation, piloting, and ability to command. In turn, I would respond to the best of my ability to instructions like, "In the next 90 seconds, plot a three point fix, then plot a DR position after 12 minutes at a course bearing of 220 magnetic at four knots," or "Take the helm, perform a tack, a jibe, and a tack under sail only to retrieve this fender I have just thrown overboard." Toward the end of the day, we were tasked with generating a complicated passage plan as a final test.

At each turn, the examiner critiqued our performance, routinely pointing out failings and rarely offering praise. Very "gauntlet-like," I imagined this is what it feels like in the Royal Navy.

Even up to the last minute, the examiner did not let on how well I was doing, but then he extended his palm for a handshake and advised that I had passed.

Hallelujah!

Now we look forward to our June 11th departure for Europe and a new season aboard Windleblo.