Very Pink Sailor

Jessica Watson Made it all the way around the globe, approximately 23,000 miles, unassisted in a sailboat, in less then a year on a 34’ super pink sailboat. The sailing records authorities have chosen to not acknowledge her accomplishment because she was 16 when she started the trip and they don’t want to encourage any other children to make the trip. They want to further discourage parents from allowing their kids to even think they can make such a trip – bastards…

Someone took the time to compile a bunch of pictures of Jessica

If my kid had the opportunity, the drive, the skills, and the mindset to make a similar trip I would do everything in my power to help make it happen. Personally I would be to jealous to let them do it on their own. I think I would need to come with, but if the solo was the desire I could get behind it. Maybe I would follow along in my own boat = ] or reserve myself to meet up at ports of call. 

Next up for the title we have 13 year old Dutch girl Laura Dekker, who wants to take on Jessica. Before Laura can go she had to fight a few Dutch judges. It took her a year get past the legal crap. In the end she is going to head out this year and start her trip. She expects to be done in 2012. She is going to take a bit longer to make her trip. She plans to moor her boat during hurricane seasons and head home to work on some school work. She is not out to set a speed record and get it done in a year like Jessica.

My favorite young female Circumnavigator is Tania Aebi. Who made it around the globe by herself starting when she was 18 years old. Her dad said “ I will send you to college, I don’t think you are ready, or I will buy you a boat and you have to sail it around the world by yourself” Tania chose the boat and wrote a brilliant book about her adventure that I had the please of reading this year, called Maiden Voyage. Tania did her trip in the in the late 80’s starting out with very little sailing experience. The voyage and the book have shaped her life since then. She makes her living teaching sailing and talking about what she accomplished and helping others realize some of their dreams. Today she has boys old enough to make the trip on their own. Her boys wanted to make a similar trip, but take the parents with them.  Tania and her X husband split the trip up. She got half, and he got the other half. Some where in the middle they share the boat; wonder how that went?

When Trenton turns 18, in 2014, I am pushing / planting the seeds for him to come along with us on a year long Motorcycle trip around Centro and South America. Big trips like this can have a major impact on your life. They help you work out who you are, and better define who you are going to be. I really hope Trenton comes along with us, and that the trip turns out to be a life shaping event for him. I’ve always tried to instill a sense of adventure and wanderlust in the boy. Seeing some 20+ countries on a motorcycle over the course of a year will either ignite even more wanderlust, or put out the flame. My hope is that it ignites it and helps him live a spectacular life.

After we settle down for a bit in South America I hope our next big trip is a sailing trip. Maybe 6 months in Caribbean, then off to the Mediterranean for another 6 months. It would be Brilliant if Trenton could come along with on that trip too. he can sleep in the dingy = ]

We’re on a Boat

I was trying to sell one of my bikes this month and I received an offer to trade it for a boat. Took me a day or two to talk myself into it, but in the end, the boat sounded like fun to me. Took a week to work out all of the details, and get the boat. Michelle and I now have a nice tiny little 15’ Bayliner Jazz 2Stroke Jet boat. Ran ok on the test run, started awesome in the drive way, first time out after bring it home I could not get it to run on the lake.

I rebuilt the carburetors last night and Michelle and I took it out on lake Washington for a little spin. I think we are going to have some fun adventures on this thing over the summer. Below is a shot of the boat in the drive way. It’s kind of cute..

Below is a shot of of the two of us out on the lake last night. It was a bit cloudy, but fun

Adam and Shelly Weekend

Adam and Shelly saw a twitter post from Virgin a few months ago for super cheap flights to the first 500. they instantly booked to come up here for a weekend. So far it’s been a great time. We’ve had some awesome food, great games (man Olympics), some good Wii time, lounged in the sun, and all around had a bloody brilliant time. Below are a few of the group shots from the weekend.

The six men playing golf

Five of us playing a fierce game of Horse

about to eat steak dinner Sunday night

Marty and Sleazy taking a horse break

More pictures and stories to follow once all of the dust settles and we clean everything up.

Rattlesnake Ridge in the Rain

I got an Email from the AZ crew last week wanting to go on a hike over the weekend. Knowing a few of the crew are in less then Ideal shape for a killer hike I suggested we do Rattle Snake Ridge. We were set to meet in an Albertsons parking lot at 9am. By 9:20 everyone who was going show up had shown up and we drove out the Mountain. Myself, Michelle, Marty, John and Josh were the hikers.

It was nice and sunny at home when we left. The mountain was not sunny at all when we got there. By the time we reached the trail head it was flat out raining on us. Michelle might need some better wet weather stuff, and we both need some good ponchos. The tree covering offered a little protection, but not much. We all ended up pretty wet by the time we were done with the hike. Marty looks like he wet himself in of the pictures. We made it to the top in great time ( I bit under an hour I think). We stood out in the open on the rock face for less then minute before turning around, back down the mountain. We were being hit by sideways large rain drops to hail out in the open – thats why we turned around so fast.

Side by side, Michelle at the top on this hike, vs. Michelle on top in the sun last year

When we got done Michelle and I changed. We had dry cloths stashed in the car. Everyone else got in the car and we drove to get some Pho food in Issaquah to warm up. Keeping cloths to change into after a nice hike is such a brilliant thing. I am glad we’ve gotten into the habit of doing that. Getting out of the wet and sweaty cloths for the drive home is divine.

For the rest of the pictures checkout the following two links

• Last years pictures – When it was sunny
• This yeas Pictures – When it was dumping rain

Mason Lake – Not where I have a cabin

Saturday being a brilliant summer day lacking in rain and full of Sun, Michelle and I went for a hike. We’ve been wanting to hike up to Mason lake below Bandara and camp for a weekend for a while now, so that was our choice of destinations. My back was hurting me so over nighting it was out of the Question, but a day hike was doable. For some stupid reason Michelle and I did not plan on snow at all. Call it a big brain fart, but we did not figure there would be snow 4,000 feet in the air?

We made it about 3 miles up the mountain before the snow was knee deep and the mountain was at about a 60 degree angle. We decided to turn around and come down before we slipped with nothing to self assist with. When we hike a steep mountain Michelle is normally out of breath on the way up. Being out of breath She can hardly talk. This makes for a nice quite assent. (Love you baby) On the way down it’s a whole different story. Michelle gets to talking and we start making plans about our future.

Behind our head in the first picture you can just make out a pointy peak. I took a much better shot of it earlier in the hike. I want to work out the name of that peak and climb it some time this summer. Looks like a good challenge.

Click the link for the rest of the pictures