About Me

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Sacramento, California, United States
so salty pieces of coral from surfing Hawaii in the 60's and 70's getting reef pounded living in my body fall through my skin from time to time!

sailing to Oahu

Jimi Hendrix was playing on Oahu. I had never sailed. Surfed Mexico, California, Hawaii! Aw, how hard could it be to sail 90-110 miles from Kauai to Oahu? Piece of cake, right? Remember it was the 60's! This is so bad. We thought we were looking at Kaiena Point,Ohau, knowing we weren't going to make the concert! But at least we were in site of Oahu-wrong! Coy, who had never sailed before, me,who had never sailed before, jeff and Abbott etc. We were looking at the sleeping giant on Kauai! We had done three-sixty's in the night! We sailed on the only tri-marran I've ever sailed on ( except later ) in my life, missed the concert! It was at the Waikiki Shell Ampitheater ( Moon eclipsed . We finally made Nawilwili Harbor! The Skipper tried to give us his boat saying, " It's trying to kill me"! We watched him go stark raving mad not even realising that had we got caught in the channel current we were on our way to Japan! Remember it was the 60's and we were going to see Hendrix. I left out some of the good stuff but I will make up for it later!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Whangarei, New Zealand

       A right turn and up this river we went.  After low tide mud swill prop turning as we went uphill
we arrived with, " Windigo " intact.  A Roberts 45, still alive on our way to Auckland.  The " Bay of Islands was a thing of the past as was, Dove and Nelson Island, where " The Duke" provided libation for a sailing event the his " Duchess" , in a race yelled, " give way" , I jibed unto a lee shore so that he might win. another race.  I didn't make the point on the jibe but we survived.  I had right of way and was totally committed to the ram.  We are a heavy, well built boat with a solid crew!  I gave way because I am a sailor and can!
      I got my hair cut in Whangarei
.  I think it was my last haircut.  I have long hair that doesn't grow any more or any less.  My beard I trim but not recently.  Now is hiding bad teeth and a great smile.  So long ago
was New Zealand but Captain Cook would say also, " Long Ago ".
      How many people can pronounce Whangarei?  ( fong-ger-ray?  It's like living in Hawaii! ( ha-vy-ee).
It is a quiet little town connected to the ocean.  Old gun turrents in place to protect New Zealand from the Japanese invasion that Australia new was coming. Darwin knows!  The implaced gun bunker is like Point Loma in San Diego and is a landmark to introduce a sailing vessel to the entrance of the river  that ls the way to Whangarei.  I call it the gun tower approach.  Better than leads!
      We stayed five days and enjoyed a quite little inland town that really isn't and doesn't relate to sailors.
It's to far up the river to be comfortable and if one had a choice, Auckland and " The Bay of Islands ", have much more to offer.  Still, one must see it all to form an opinion!  I hold back on those because tomarrow is another day.  Change isn't spare but it is of the essence!  I don't burn bridges that I may have to cross again.
It's not a good idea to hold on to things to tightly, it stunts growth!  Ha!   AARGGugHHHH, matey!

Birth of a human into salt water ocean and character!

         In  1961 I shifted from skim boarding to riding ocean waves.  It was my dads fault.!   He taught
me how to hunt and fish.  Things are what parents did to their children in that day, stage and time!  We surf
fished.  Sand spiked and with a very heavy lead sinker with big hooks that we were able to throw into a surf beach break!  Far out!!  Caught our dinner!
          I loved doing that with my dad and yearly, " the Grunion Run", !  Our family were inland people.  Valley Animals.  I was so young, I didn't know that if we lived inland we were considered outsiders.  I was to young to know what outsiders were?  However, I wasn't such a noviscote to be unaware that if there was a group of outsiders than there must be a group of insiders!
        So, what or who determines the inside and is it possible that anyone allowed a choice would choose to be on the outside, looking in?  Hard to believe, isn't it?
        What fun I had living in Kansas?  Go figure.  Bottom line.  There is no surf in Kansas.  California doesn't have very good waves either, on the best of days.  What I learned is, if you want something, go out and get it.  If I named all the breaks that I have surfed and all the people I have met in many countries surfing said breaks with, you would have no choice but to call me a liar! 
         I thought for a minute I had dedicated my life to surfing!  I was right but I realized later that surfing also involves sailing.  That is where and when I finally met a woman I loved and love. She is my wife. She can sail and that is more important to me than surfing. I met here in Cairns . Australia. She is from New Zealand. When it started to get crowded I thought I might try something else.  Well, it evolved into a life-style.  Sailing.  I sailed so far and so many miles that I finally met my wife.  She is a fine sailor and my friend.  We have been together now for quite a few years and in several countries. 
         I wonder what is around the corner?   I think I have one more trip left in me?  Not sure.  I am weary
because I am growing tired of bullshit on every level.  It is a sad thing but it is on every level and that would be liars!   Do you understand?

Surfers, sailors and friends?

I have been so fortunate to have friends that I call." Friends ", friends.  Once or twice I made an
error in judgement and sailed on a boat that might not have been with a balanced crew!  Some survived,
as people, some may not have survived as friends.  Does it matter?  If it does? Than, some might be called,,
" acquaintances"!  Others might be called," Pirates"!  Few remain friends.
      Pirates are interesting in that they want to take something that isn't their's.  In reality, what defines a pirate is that a country or idea they fought for have been about politics and then been disalighned.  What was a patriot then? Why is he not a pirate now?  Is it because of governmental influence or political alliance.  So who is my friend today?  Whom will be my friend  tomarrow?  Am I a pirate that looks at forty?  Yes, I am a pirate.
       I am a thief of hearts. I love truth, no lies.  I love people and spelling, and talking, sharing and telling
the honesty of everything I have read, for one reason.  What is the value of my life?  Without truth in it,
I am dead.   I have travelled so far to bring joy and happiness into life itself!  How much fun have I been allowed to share in a form of honesty to the best of my abillity?  I will not stop for to do so is death. 
       Many stories I may rely upon.  At times I wish they were gone!  But now I know they can't go- until
I share them all with you, you know!
       Many tales I can embrace with one- for a moments space!  Just when you thought you had seen it alll?
Another tale slides in so small, about a short person with no reach,
        a surfer guy on another beach that looked all the same!  
        How much fun did I have with him, who never got to surf again?
 He died you see friendlesslee, no friend he saw in his night! As he ran so far from sight!
He! Desperately looking for a light, shining so bright, guarding him from his plight, of the rocks
waiting for him to ground and die on that distant shore!  The lonelyness in his heart finely to apply! What had waiting all along There  had been?
Him still waiting for a friend! 
         Sad this tale may truly be, but kind sir another round for you and me?  A pirates tale.with a glass of grog.  helps to clear San Francisco's fog.
       
     

The ship that looked to Davy

Date: Friday, December 31, 2010, 8:23 PM


Part artwork, part boat... literally!







This guy has WAY to much time on his hands!







I bet the Coastguard loves this guy.





The Love Love was built to look as if it is sinking

French artist Julien Berthier has designed a fully functional boat to look as if it is sinking. The 6.5m (21ft) yacht was cut in half with a new keel and motor added so it remains in the sinking position while being fully functional. He describes it as "the permanent and mobile image of a wrecked ship that has become a functional and safe leisure object."

















Berthier has taken the boat (or should I say half-a-boat) across the English Channel to London and has toured it around Europe , getting plenty of offers of assistance from unwitting good Samaritans, who would presumably be either very annoyed or rather bemused by the contraption.

The designer and artist designed and built the floating installation in 2007. He named his creation Love Love .



























Originality and the finances to support it are out there! I would love to sail this boat even if it was in a swimming pool I don't possess! Ha! Happy New Year, Y'all. See you next year! Aloha RB




























Well, this reminds me of animals that use their dying death throes as a defense against an undefeatable predator! Try this in Somalia. Set up: all pirates Quack. On the other hand! What a draw to maritime law-distressed vessels! SOS. Nearest vessel come to rescue. Then the pirates ( who set the trap ) rob their rescuers! I liked the dying quail that leads one away from her nest, pretending injury, when there was none. Play dead can be a victory for the bad guys or the good guys! If you can't out run them- die. You're dead anyway! You might survive a bear attack by playing dead, no matter how hard it is to do!. But a crocodile or alligator love dead meat so I don't recommend this pretense in this situation. I do know of two survivors of a "gator" attack. Here is what they recommend. Try and roll with them as they roll. As your arm or leg are broken and the pain is excruciating rolling around and around in a predators mouth, try and hold on to your air and in the rolling try and grab more air. They have a lair where they love to let their future meal age a bit. It stinks from his previous catches. As a commercial fisherman, I am used to very seasoned smells. Look around in their home for very large objects, preferably teeth locking thick branches and large but usable rocks. You will have to find these without light! Some of these sticks or branches will be bones from previous meals. Remember you may be in there for quite some time but since you can remember you are still alive, you've already beat the odds! So. why complain. You should be happy and excited that just maybe, you'll be able to deliver a last blow to a pecking order.  Honorable, as there are so many.

Hope you can access the picture and I hope you never end up in a " gator's stomach!  If you
you do that would mean you were in the wrong place at the right time and you didn't read what I wrote!
     I always figured if I left them alone they would leave me alone!   Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!
" The meek shall inheiret the Earth"!   I haven't figured that one out yet but I'm getting close.  Ha! 

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