Tugboats

I love tugboats. If I'd gotten a Merchant Maine license at a younger age, I might have pursued a career driving them instead of yachts.
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Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

Our last morning at Cascade Locks Cathy and I went for a hike. The trail started across the street from our hotel. The mountain forests here are incredible.

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My pal Gary.

On the road to Sturgis.
He left Portland the afternoon we arrived, but stopped off at Cascade Locks to see us before continuing on.
I need to figure out how join the fun in Sturgis next year.
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Back in Oregon

This is the view out of our hotel window at Cascade Locks, above the Columbia River.
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St Pertersburg skyline from Tampa Bay.

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Sunset sail.

One more sail before jetting off to the Pacific NW.
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Chef

The more vocal and demanding of our two cats.

Summer

I'm astonished to find that we're into August already.  The summer is flashing by.  Sailing Florida continues to keep me busy.  I spent this last weekend teaching.  I expect there will be mechanical work for me on various boats at the marina this week.

On Friday Cathy and I will fly back to Pacific Northwest for two busy weeks.  We'll be involved in wedding activities all next weekend.  On Monday I'll participate in a motorcycle trackday at Portland International Raceway riding an R6 that my friend Amy has generously offered to share with me.  It will be a blast being at my old home track, seeing some old racing pals, getting in laps on an R6 that potentially is even faster than my own.  The remainder of the week, until Thursday, Cathy and I will be visiting various friends around Portland.  Then we'll drive up to Seattle to see friends there, and on Saturday we get on a cruise ship for a week-long cruise up to Alaska. 

That takes us right up to August 20, when we return to St Petersburg.  On August 22 I'm slated to start a week-long teaching gig.  That will pretty well takes care of the month of August. 

And then we'll be into September - end of summer and the heart of hurricane season.

Off-season

I've wondered how much work there would be for me at Sailing Florida through the off-season.  So far, the answer is - plenty.  Since the 4th of July weekend the level of chartering activity has dropped off considerably, as expected.  But the demand for sailing schools continues.  Here are just a couple of photos from recent classes I've taught.

And when I'm not out teaching there are a long list of mechanical chores, like catching up with service routines on the diesel engines and generators: oil, filters, fuel filters, water pump impellors, belts, hoses, clamps, and so on. 

This is the Yanmar on our Beneteau 37 - one of several I've recently had my hands on.  Clearly this sort of work is more like work, and very different from a day spent with students out on the water.  Nonetheless I do get satisfaction from performing these service routines.  It's good for me to know these engines, and when I step back, start them up and hear them running again, I am pleased.

Yesterday, on the way home from work at the marina, I stopped, got off my bike and took this photo.  I think it says quite a lot.

"Sailing for dollars"

That was Captain Z's response to me.  "Sailing for dollars." 

I was teaching on our Beneteau 32 last weekend.  We were doing docking exercises over at the Harborage Marina when I saw Mike Zornes on a Flagship Sailing Catalina 25 with several students.  He was doing docking exercises too.  He waved at me. 

I hadn't seen Capt Z in a while.  I've been busy doing my thing with Sailing Florida out of the Vinoy Marina.  I'm sure he's been busy too, with his gig around the Harborage.  I went to the bow of the boat and spoke to him across the water. 

"How you been?", I asked.

"Sailing for dollars."