News

Sunday May 15, 2005 - Island Time sails again!
After preparing on and off for 4 days, Island Time was ready to sail offshore again. My South African friends were late and we managed to cast off at 1930 hours on Friday night, May 13. Crew on board were my son Gideon, his girlfriend Jessie, South African friends from Houston - Jaco, Magnus, Karen and my Portugese friend, Jose.
It was tricky navigating through Matagorda Bay, but with Gideon and Jaco at the bow armed with spotlights, we were soon in the Port Lavaca channel, heading for the jetties. The waters were very rough as the tide was going out against the 20 knot SE winds. Poor Jessie was very seasick and most others felt a little queezy as well! Once in the Gulf, we hoisted the sails and set a south westerly course. We sailed all night on a close reach, port tack. Everybody took some well needed sleep but I did not sleep at all. Just too many platforms to allow me sit back and relax.
When Jose relieved me at the helm I managed to catnap with the radar's bedshaker in my hand. However, it kept waking me as we approached more platforms.
Early morning we passed 3 Navy frigates as they patrolled the waters.
Ten miles from Port Aransas the winds died and we motorsailed the rest of the way. We arrived at PA at 1030, after being boarded by the Texas Park and Wildlife game wardens who gave me a ticket for an unregistered vessel! The law has changed here while I was on my solo circumnavigation!
After docking at the marina, everybody took a well deserved shower while I cooked up a breakfast of scrambled eggs with boerewors.
Jose and I stayed on board while everyone else took the trolly bus to go sightseeing and shopping.
Late afternoon we set up a fire at the marina and BBQ'ed lamb "tjops". They were really very delicious! Thanks Jaco, Magnus and Karen!
There was a function going on for paraplegics and Jaco, Gideon and myself gave them a brief talk on my solo circumnavigation.
I went to sleep early, exhausted.
At 0415 hours Sunday morning Jaco woke me up and we cast off the docklines and motored out of the marina into the channel. It was a beautiful morning with absolutely no wind. We motored all day through the Gulf while I prepared another scrambled egg and bacon breakfast. Jaco took hundreds of pics with his new camera.
Magnus tried his luck trolling, hoping for a wahoo, but no luck. We spotted a lot of dolphins and stingrays, also schools of tuna.
At 1400 hrs we entered the Matagorda Bay jetties and once back in the bay the easterly winds picked up. We hoisted sails and sailed the last 20 miles under full main and colorful spinnaker!
A first successful trip for Island Time with crew onboard.

15-May-2005   14-May-2005   02-Apr-2005   26-Mar-2005   26-Feb-2005   05-Feb-2005   22-Jan-2005   
15-Jan-2005   08-Jan-2005   01-Jan-2005   25-Dec-2004   18-Dec-2004   11-Dec-2004   04-Dec-2004   
27-Nov-2004   20-Nov-2004   13-Nov-2004   06-Nov-2004   30-Oct-2004   23-Oct-2004   16-Oct-2004   
09-Oct-2004   02-Oct-2004   25-Sep-2004   18-Sep-2004   11-Sep-2004   04-Sep-2004   28-Aug-2004   
21-Aug-2004   14-Aug-2004   07-Aug-2004   31-Jul-2004   24-Jul-2004   17-Jul-2004   10-Jul-2004   
03-Jul-2004   26-Jun-2004   19-Jun-2004   12-Jun-2004   05-Jun-2004   29-May-2004   22-May-2004   
15-May-2004   08-May-2004   01-May-2004   24-Apr-2004   17-Apr-2004   10-Apr-2004   03-Apr-2004   
27-Mar-2004   20-Mar-2004   13-Mar-2004