Latest News

Lightning Strike #4

2010-08-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

June 3 and its Rumbling Loud at 3 In the Morning. Thunder and Lightning.

June 5 we are headed out Sailing to Galveston for the first stop on our Cruise to Rockport.

" Seatalk Failure" is Blinking on the Autopilot. Maybe we can get it fixed when we get to Galveston.

Chart displays the Map but there is no GPS. Main VHF is intermittent. We use the Hand held.

Turns out we were Hit by Lightning for the fourth time.

Luke Sterling loaned us his hand held Garmin chart plotter. We were On our way to the Shrimp Fest and would not be deterred. The Depth sounder was the only working Item of Electronics.

This time the Inverter was hit and the strike welded the Ground cables to the battery posts.

Today we are waiting for the parts to come back from Raymarine.

The ten day cruise was great. Fine sailing in the ICW and across Matagorda, Aransas and San Antonio bays. See Cruise story elsewhere.

New Job

2009-03-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

Just call me "Count609". I have a Part time job with the Census. Went to training yesterday.

We US Census workers are sworn to Secrecy about what we discover about people.. so just whisper in my ear... I won't tell a soul.

Once upon a time I was a student for the Priesthood... they are bound to keep things learned in confession secret.

Others with pledged secrecy: lawyers, doctors, newsmen, Defense and Intelligence workers.

So Here I am just Blabbing away...

Ike did a Number on Us

2008-09-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Marion and I were in France doing the Midi Canal Cruise when Hurricane Ike came ashore in Texas.

We had been following Ike for the previous two days when It was forecast to hit way down the Coast at Port Mansfield. That would have been fine. One of our travelling companions had a Blackberry. He got skimpy little web pages but they showed the danger.

On Saturday morning we turned in the canal boat and went to a Hotel in Castelnaudry. They had a CNN Europe Channel which gave some coverage and they also had a Free Internet terminal. I camped out to use it in the Lobby. It was still early Saturday morning ( about 7 hours time difference) in Texas. Ike was coming ashore over Bolivar roads.

By late afternoon in France Ike was up to about I10. There were some Daylight photos on CNN.
On Sunday we took the train to Toulouse and made our way to a Hotel near the Airport. we had a Monday morning flight to Amsterdam and Transfer to Houston. The Houston KLM flight was cancelled and we were put on Air France out of Paris.. We were Very impressed with the Service from Air France in picking up the cancellation and sending us on our way.

The Plane was not Full so we had the comfort of a spare seat between us. I highly recommend Air France!

We arrived in Houston and Picked up the Mountaineer and with less than 1/4 tank we searched for Gasoline. We found a Line and got in it for about a half Hour until the Station ran out of Gas.

Decided to risk it and drove on to Randy and Paula's Place. They Informed us that Out Complex was intact and we were greatly relieved. We headed on home. No Electricity at our place but across the street the Valero Station suddenly came on line and started selling Gas. I headed over and got in Line but when 7PM came along they shut down all sales due to the Curfew.

Monday night the weather was cool and we slept well in our own bed.

Tuesday we got Gas and picked up the Miata. The rest of the day was working on our complex Cleanup. The cleanup crew did a great job over the next three days. Large Dumpsters and a front loader were used to cart off the wreckage.

Five of the ten Boats in our marina were Sunk(4) or Ashore(1).

Bill Berg and Mark Stuart prepared Remedy for the storm and moved it across the marina to a double wide slip. This move saved Remedy from certain destruction. In her usual slip she would have been impaled on a piling and/or taken out both Sea Cruise and Le Damn Bateaux. As it was Remedy suffered only a blown out head sail and surface scratches on the aft starboard quarter.

Before we got home looters visited Seagate and took everything of value.. My Outboard Motor was taken from the storage locker below our unit.

Tuesday night Mely's Restaurant next door opened for dinner. We did not get electricity until Wednesday around 2 PM.

As of today Sunday, Sept 21, 8 days after the storm, most of Seabrook is still without power.
We count our blessings and have been trying to help our neighbors and friends in need. Yesterday we joined a dozen other TMCA members to remove rubbish from Jerry Giallanza's place on Dickenson Bay. We filled a 1,280 Cu Ft Dumpster. We also had an MRE feast.

Di Valerio's From Norway Visit Houston

2008-07-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Phil, Ingrid, Elsa and Maja Arrived July 1

July 4 was our big Party

Herndon's Visit Austin's in Folsom

2008-06-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

The real Highlight of my trip to see Lisa and Duncan and their kids: Ethan and Allison was..

Philosophical conversations with Duncan.

Followed close By were two Daredevil trips down the Chute Slide at Folsom Aquatic Park. Their answer to Schlitterbahn.

Marion Elected Commodore

2008-01-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

Things have been very busy around here.

Marion was Elected Commodore of Texas Mariners Cruising Association and took Office on Jan 1.

The term is One year.

Here she is at the Petroleum Club New Years Party.

She looks Ready to Reign... benevolently of course.

Thrice Lightning

2007-10-22T03:47:00.000-07:00

Who Would have ever predicted a Third Lightning strike?

We were Hit Again! This Most recent strike was less damaging than the previous two.

The Repairs were accomplished in shorter time, and we are up on all systems.

Again we were serviced promptly by the same insurance adjuster. He quipped, "You are my best customer."

This latest strike occurred in the same boat slip a year after #2. We await the insurance check shortly.

Lightning Strikes a Second time

2006-11-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Odds are slim that your boat will get struck by Lightning.

Even Slimmer that you will suffer two strikes...

Our former Sailboat, Great Ketch, was struck back in 1998. Last August Remedy was hit in the same slip.

The repairs are almost complete... we have good insurance.. A separate Deductible is applied to Navigational Electronics on our policy with St Paul.

We are installing the current versions of the original Raytheon Electronics. New chartplotter, wind, depth, speed, radar, GPS, autopilot. None of these components were repairable at less than new replacement cost.

Also knocked out were : TV antenna, several Navigation Lights, TV, Microwave Oven, Engine Hour meter, and Oil pressure guage.

The past two weekends we have had the boat out and all the new stuff is working well..

We were fortunate that there was no damage to the hull, Engine, Generator, Inverter.

By coincidence the same adjuster was assigned to settle the two claims.

Join Pine Gully Restoration Project

2006-03-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

Joint Venture Involving TMCA, Ecopaddle, Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department, and Many interested citizens.

Hello Jim Fleming

2006-02-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Jim,

It's Time you get your own Blog to Show off your Motorcoach

California Dreaming

2005-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Lunch at Johnny Rockets.. Fries and Ketchup

On the train

Train Station in Folsom... Buying Tickets to Ride

Lunch at Johnny Rockets

Here we are in Folsom CA.. Made famous by John Cash in the 1968 album Inside Folsom Prison

Bottomfeeders Meet

2005-11-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Devils Bay at The Baths BVI

We had a great photo sharing session at Gary and Julie's house.

All the active Bottomfeeders were there.

Nancy goes Sailing

2005-11-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Nancy Phipps is visiting us on her return trip from Mexico to South Dakota.

" Why don't we go Sailing? " I said over breakfast.

"Wonderful Idea," she replied.

We did the Bay in 10 to 18 knot winds... Lots of variety.. Full Main and 50% jib..
The sail took us out to the new Mid-Bay Marsh, and then we Just Lolly gagged back
to Kemah

It was Halloween and there were some kids in costume on the Boardwalk. We circled the Boat to get a better look. Nancy got some Goblins to pose for her.

Here she is at the Helm.

The Wurstfest

2005-10-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

Birgit and Jay put on a WurstFest at Bayland Park Marina this past weekend. It really was the BestFest a Wurstfest could Be. Everyone had a great time. And I got my Starboard rubrail cleaned....

The Graph at left shows the weather at Eagle Point from Late Friday to Monday Morning... Click to get an expanded view.. Blustry Saturday Morning... Steady Sunday Morning. Front arrival Sunday afternoon

Sailing was Perfect both days. Remedy, with Marion at the helm going North west in the Bay, took a half hour to overtake Ron Eddleman on Stellar of Course. We finally had to shake out the reef in the main to give us the needed edge. This was a beat leg... winds 15 and Marion had it going 6.7 ... When the winds dropped below 10 she said, "OK ,Ed You can sail her now." We were near the Sterling Mansion and needed to tack for Morgans Point.

The Party was Saturday at 6 PM. We stayed Long enough to visit, eat and watch a glorious sunset. Then the Baytown no-see-ums came out and drove us onto our boats. We watched the Astros loose a heartbreaker to the White Sox in Game 1.

Sunday the winds were not so strong. There was a nip of Fall in the air, I sailed most of the way down to Redfish Island (Marion was content to work her crossword Puzzle and make ocassional remarks about how slow we were going). We were doing our favorite Sunday Past time: Sailing and listening to Prarie Home Companion on NPR Radio. At Redfish we put out Anchor and were joined by Ed and Hope Reh on their New Power boat M/V Promise..... Its a Cruisers 35.7.... Perfect for a couple. Great Layout Below. We enjoyed wine and a light snack aboard and made plans for our New Years Eve Raftup in Hanky Panky Hole.

Winds started rising as we headed home. It was a glorious Weekend of sailing.

Missed Harvest Moon

2005-10-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ten days before Harvest Moon I got word from my doctor that I had failed my Stress Test and would need to have a Heart Cath to see what was wrong.

We were ready to go... I had prepared Remedy and we had a trained crew of 6.

Special T Shirts were on order... I had to call my crew and cancel out.

<<<< Ed in His T-Shirt

All were very understanding and said my health came first..

Three were able to get Crew Jobs on other Boats.

I am Back from the Hospital... Day Surgery then Home in time to Watch Boston Legal.

Not enough Blockage to require Angioplasty or stints... Just Medication and Low Fat Diet... Ugh!!!

Well I am happy to be able to resume a normal life ... Going Sailing this weekend with the TMCA to Bayland... Birgit is putting on a Wurstfest...

Cruising Buffalo Bayou 1

2005-10-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Click the Photo for a larger size

Here is the fleet Heading up Buffalo Bayou into Houston. We have just passes under the Fred Hartmann Bridge...

This is the fleet when we reach the Lynchburg Ferry. This is where Homeland Security gets into the act... No further passage into the Port is allowed Unless you have Permission. We were greeted by one of their gunboats. They Confiscated the Picture!

This is the Port of Houston Tour Boat Sam Houston. They passed us twice.

Here we are at the turning Basin.

Cruising Buffalo Bayou 2

2005-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

We are passed by a ship.

Houston Downtown slowly Emerges

Our destination is Allens Landing where we will tie up for two nights.

Cruising Buffalo Bayou 3

2005-10-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Hour Starts early.
In the background across the way is the Harris County Jail

Relaxing and waiting for the Band
Member of Houston's Finest Kept watch on our Fleet.

Kemah Bums entertained us

Shake your Boody

Dancing the Night Away

Cruising up to River Oaks

2005-10-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Dinghy Fleet assembles for an unforgettable journey up the bayou.
Through the Heart of Downtown

Our Start is under the Main Street Bridge.
Old M&M building has been converted to Houston Community College Downtown.

Lookin Back at the city with Allen Pkwy on right bank, Memorial left bank.

After Waugh Drive the city disappears It is just Quiet Bayou.

Near Shepard Drive Bridge

One of the homes in River Oaks

We made it as Far as the Bayou Bend home of Ima Hogg.
there we turned back

Hurricane Rita

2005-10-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

We fled Hurricane Rita ... went to Austin.. The whole story is on my web page

What were your experiences?

Everything was cool at Seagate.

Labor Day at Moody Gardens

2005-09-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the annual Labor day at Moody gardens... The sail down was super with 12 kts wind onthe beam. Marion got the boat up to 8 kts several times.. The best I did was 7.4.

Weather was threatening the first day so we spent that night at the dock, then we moved out to the anchorage .

As usual it was non stop partying... Highlights were dinner at DeBellas, Dinner at Boudreaux's on the Bayou. The usual cocktail party in the Pool... There was a collection of TOPPS boats that also were there... They were escorted in by the Galveston County sheriff who was handing out tickets for all sorts of violations... Their group seemed subdued... They did bring a great collection of well endowed barely clad....

Sail back was delightful, again we had north east winds around 10 kts. It was Labor day so we missed our usual sunday Morning Radio shows on NPR. Especially Prarie Home Companion.

Balloon Fest Cruise

2005-08-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

Just Finished posting a full report on my Home page....

Lots of pretty pictures of Balloons

Can't Wait..

2005-08-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the shipyard... The Rudder repair is going fine and the Remedy will be ready to sail back on Friday.

We have the Balloon Festival Saturday Morning and we are hosting a Breakfast Buffet at 7:00.

Here is a shot of a balloon preparing to Skim the Lake.

We all get in dinghies and chase the balloons.

This is a shot of the Balloon Eagle... In exchange for a ride on Great Ketch, Gene Johnsey gave me a ride on His Balloon back in 1999.

You can read about that adventure at

http://www.remedyandcrew.com/rxcruises/before99/eagle.htm

Remedy is for Sale

2005-08-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just click on the Link "Boat for Sale" to get the full details.