Getting ready...

Well, Bev is back from MA and is busy cleaning and painting Walkure's interior. I'll be busy for a while longer on "Love is All," Tim and Julie's old Morgan. The liquor locker is almost done and Tim and I are now working on the galley. I'll post some pictures in a day or so.
On September 11, Tim and Julie are leaving vacation and Bev and I will finish getting Walkure ready for the return trip to Marathon. When they get back, we'll check the weather and if there are no hurricanes lurking about, we'll head out for the Keys. Watch for our SPOT updates.
Our trip up here was made in record (for us) time and we're hoping to make similar time going back. Queequeg is waiting for us and we're really getting excited about having so much room and such a fast boat.
On another note (so to speak) Bev is now the proud owner of a new bass guitar and a Mel Bay instruction book. She's started doing the finger exercises to get some strength in her hands for playing. Once she can run a few scales I'll start teaching her some of the songs I do at the "open mike" nights and we'll be able to jam.

Ted Irwin update

Here's the latest news on Ted Irwin:

"Dear Friends of Ted,

I was updated about Ted Wednesday at the hospital. He was alert, joking with the company of his daughter and close friend Peggy, and he talked about the accident as best he could remember. Ted was on his yacht in Key West with his son Trey, and son-in-law on the hook, they had been diving for lobsters. One of his guests was arriving on the docks around midnight and Ted got in his dingy with a flash light and headed for shore. He noted a power boat heading at him and tried to warn them with his flashlight, but due to the angle of the bow of the powerboat, they did not see him and smashed into him throwing him across the dingy, but fortunately not overboard. He was knocked out and laying in the dingy. The crew of the powerboat did attend to him and towed him to the docks where emergency crews were waiting.
He was eventually flown to St. Petersburg Bay Front Medical Center where he was attended to. He suffered a fractured pelvis which required four hours of surgery, broken ribs and some internal bleeding. The surgery was successful and Ted was told he would have a few weeks ahead for therapy and rehab. A bit black and blue and some tubes in and out. He is good spirit and for all of us who know Ted, I will tell you he still has that great boyish grin and smile, and it was a welcome site today. Meanwhile, those who would like to send a card and best wish’s:

Michael Theodore Irwin
Room 532
Bayfront Medical Center
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

Please no phone calls at this time, maybe in a week.

Thanks to all who kept Ted in their thoughts and prayers

Regards from Gene "

Ted Irwin in hospital

Here's an email I received this morning from Gene Gammon, Ted Irwin's old partner.
Ted Irwin is the man who designed "Queequeg."

I was just informed that Ted Irwin is in ICU at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

I can find no details in any Florida news but a friend, Tom Casey of Blue Water Sailing mag., was informed by Charlie Morgan this morning and was confirmed.

Apparently he was run over by a powerboat in Kew West at night while going ashore in his dinghy. He was airlifted to Bayfront from the Keys.

Please pray for Ted and hope for the a good and speedy recovery.

Will update all as I learn more.

Regards,

Gene Gammon
www.irwinyachts.com

Please be careful on the water!

Progress on Love is All

Work is progressing on "Love is All," the boat I am helping to restore. We've added a beadboard "ceiling" to the V-berth, two new clothes lockers for the master suite with settees for changing, lounging, etc.
The lockers were a pain to fit, but now they're in and they look great. (If I do say so myself.)

Take a look at Tim's latest post to see the most recent pictures.

S/V Love is All

I never thought we'd get this far, but it all seems to be coming together.

Exciting news!

We now have our own online store!
For the last few years you have been watching us sail around the country and read how we have upgraded the boat, etc. Now you have the chance to buy the products that we use directly from our own store, by way of Amazon. We get to pick and choose what products we add to the store, so you can be assured that everything that shows up in our store is a product we have used either on Walkure or on Queequeg. Before you shop for anything anywhere, check out our store. You will know that we have tried the product and that it performs as advertised.
The first products we have added are the Xantrex LinkLite Battery monitor. We love this product so much on Walkure that we bought one to install on Queequeg. If you live or cruise on a boat you know how important it is to keep track of your batteries. LinkLite is the way to do it.
Also added is the full line of Morninstar Solar Controllers. We've used other controllers on Walkure, and none perform like the Morningstar.

Both our blogs will have a link to our new store. I've included it in this post as well.

Our Amazon Store

So why should you buy from us? Well first of all, Amazon has great prices. You will have search high and wide to find better pricing. And the best part is - you help us keep cruising and bringing you the stories of our adventures!

We will be adding more products in the weeks and months to come, so stop back often!

So...

I'm sitting here in New Port Richey, waiting for a guy to show up to buy our old dinghy and contemplating life on our new boat. It occurs to me that writing about the new boat on a blog named after the current boat isn't really appropriate. So, I've decided to start a new blog about the new boat.
This blog will continue to serve as our main channel of information for as long as we are on Walküre, but any information regarding Queequeg, her repairs and upgrades, and our travels on that boat will be posted to the new blog at:

The Queequeg Blog

It just seems to be in keeping with the old sailor's superstition about not having anything named after one boat on a different boat.

Gotta keep the sea gods happy, after all.

It's official!

Yep! It's now official - finally! The Irwin "Queequeg" is now officially ours. It has taken since May 7 to get this all sorted out.
When I first took possession of Queequeg, I noticed that the hull number on the Canadian paperwork wasn't a valid hull number. It didn't have enough digits. So I took a pencil tracing of the hull and oops! That number didn't have enough digits and even had one digit that was different from the Canadian paperwork. Ugh. So I checked the old US Coastguard documentation and found yet a different number with the right number of digits, but still one digit didn't match the actual number on the hull.
So...when I went to the Tax Collector to register the boat, they wouldn't let me because of the hull number mixup. I had to get an officer from the Fish and Wildlife Commission to come out to the boat and do an inspection. Even he couldn't sort the numbers out. He said he would take copies of everything and send a report to the state capital in Tallahassee to see if they could sort it out.
Finally, last week, I got the letter from Tallahassee with a hull number on it, but it said that I would have to jump through all sorts of bureaucratic hoops to show proof of ownership. Well, it's now all sorted out. I went to the Tax Collector today and was waited on by a young lady named Sandra who was very patient. She listened to my tale of woe, looked at all the paperwork I brought and took everything to her supervisor. When she came back she was smiling. She typed a few things into the computer, wheels started turning and Voila! A registration sticker and document came rolling out of the printer. The title should be here in 10 days or so.
As the Grateful Dead said years ago "What a long strange trip it's been!"

The New bowsprit

Here's a picture of Tim & Julie's new anchor roller/bowsprit that I built for their boat.
Not bad, if I do say so myself.

So, what have I been up to?

To get an idea of how I spend my time these days, see Tim and Julie's blog at:

Blog of the S/V "Love is All"

There are some pics of me working on the new bowsprit for their boat.

A weekend Luau

This past weekend, Bev and I took Tim and Julie out to Three Rooker Bar for a Luau sponsored by the Gulf Winds Sailing Club of which they are members. We had to take Walkure as their boat isn't ready for cruising yet.
We left Saturday morning and sailed on very light winds the 12 miles to the little sand bar. We set the anchor, hooked up the dinghy and went ashore. There were some games and a lot of great food. I played guitar for a little bit. Around sunset it looked like a thunderstorm was headed our way so we went back out to the boat to get things secured, but the storm dissipated before it reached us.
The next morning we went ashore again so the girls could do some shell hunting. After a late brunch we set sail to come back to New Port Richie. Of course the wind was right on the nose so we tacked back and forth for a couple of hours (great sailing, but little progress toward home) and ended up motoring into the headwind to get back before dark.
All in all, it was a nice relaxing weekend.

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:28.2355
Longitude:-82.74205
GPS location Date/Time:06/06/2010 18:05:30 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:27.73639
Longitude:-82.70413
GPS location Date/Time:06/05/2010 13:21:30 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:27.46289
Longitude:-82.69218
GPS location Date/Time:06/04/2010 15:10:57 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Not to worry...

I know we haven't sent a SPOT message in a couple of days. We have stopped at Venice to visit Bev's friends Pat and Peter. We'll resume our trip tomorrow.

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:27.10836
Longitude:-82.46113
GPS location Date/Time:06/01/2010 12:05:28 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.92313
Longitude:-82.355
GPS location Date/Time:05/31/2010 14:21:27 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.68772
Longitude:-82.24076
GPS location Date/Time:05/30/2010 14:12:49 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.48582
Longitude:-82.08879
GPS location Date/Time:05/29/2010 16:11:15 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.10179
Longitude:-81.798
GPS location Date/Time:05/28/2010 13:55:05 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:25.91852
Longitude:-81.65385
GPS location Date/Time:05/27/2010 18:55:57 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!