Back from Paradise
 

Just returned from a 12 day cruise in the Carribean on the Wind Spirit....... www.windstarcruises.com.....

5th cruise in 5 years on the same ships.....love 'em.

While dallying in Virgin Gorda at the Bitter End on Friday( apres Scuba), I ran into champion Offshore and Formula 1 tunnel racer, Felix Serralles....good to see an old friend.

I was taken by the quality and number of the megayachts in so many ports....St Martin/Marten....St. Barts (to die for!).....St Thomas...St Johns..... St. Lucia....Iles Des Saintes...etc.....

I was also disappointed in the seeming lack of true performance boats among the rich and fabulous........

Perhaps the tenders shouold be beefed up a bit.

Toasted Doug at Sea...on New Years Eve......

T2x........Happy New Year

Re: Back from Paradise
 

Sound fun!!

My aunt goes on alot of Holland cruises as many times as she can!

We were supposed to go on a cruise last spring break but ended up not going and staying home!

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The thing is the ship holds only 148 passengers max.....and that is the most I will tolerate.....This is the antidote to those floating cities that block out the sun, it seems. We can get into the smaller..... yacht only...... ports. Of course we forgo 24 hour Macdonalds ..and hip hop clubs on board......

Somehow we survived.

T2x :D

Re: Back from Paradise
 

You went to Les Saintes in Guadeloupe? I love those islands, did you go to Terre de Haut?

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I learned to sail on the "Black Pearl"............

T2x :p

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Yup.........

Talk about a unique and remote place........ We had our best dives there.....

It's a shame my wallet ran for cover in St Bart's...came this close to buying a hand made model of an Italian hydroplane ....complete with an Alfa Romeo engine. :cool: :cool:

T2x

Re: Back from Paradise
 

Must of been a nice change from when you where young and water was not invented yet.

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When I read the title to this thread, I was sure you went to the Skater factory, and from there went to an undisclosed private offshore venue for hours of running time with nary a West Coast cat in sight! :eek: :D :D

Those evil ill handling POS's anyway... :rolleyes: :D :D

Re: Back from Paradise
 

That looks really neat and all... but it look like a blow boat :D

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Glad you made it home safely. The Sir Fredrick Drake Channel is fun to sail. Haven't talked to you in a long time but I see Charlie Cole of all people all of the time in FL. Funny, huh?

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T2X welcome home.

Mike, The Old Blue twin canopy DON Q is the JD Byrider boat. The singl canopy boat was owned by Lake Cumberland, cut into a pleasure boat.

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u don,t see many speed boats around the yachts because they are considered water lice ,they often have a great lack of driving,docking and navigating skill and many have a lack of respect for other vessels on the water. i was reinstalling an radar arch for a lady that owned a 100+foot yacht this summer when a poker run came into port with all there usual fanfare and ear splitting noise. she had the crew get all the tenders out of the water quickly and was upset that the hull would have to be scrubbed again ....i asked her why she did not like the speed boats and got an earful.....they are mostly over ego ed men with the SDS(shortdicksyndrome) who need a fiberglass phallic symbol that does not run very well to get everyone to look at them! she was pointing to all the carbon and slime now floating in the marina and leaving a black ring around her boat. these engines are often so rich they won,t idle with out huge amounts of smoke and carbon witch is amplified buy the owner constantly whacking the throttle trying to clean them out ....and people wonder why they get the cold shoulder from other boaters!

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Actually it has a diesel electric powerplant with variable pitch propeller that can be linked to the computer controlled sails to achieve a precise speed....

It ain't fast...but it is trick..

T2x

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Oh.........

T2x

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T2x on a V-BOTTOM? :eek:

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It's actually quite flat......... but the dive boat is a vee bottom RIB.

Next year.... we'll try a 100' liveaboard sailing cat for diving exclusively around the islands.

I've never said that I was strictly a performance boater........

On the other hand if I want to go ...FAST..... I'll skip the "the tweeners"... :p

T2x.........mellow

Re: Back from Paradise
 

I have had sailboats in the past and I have a prindle 16 racing catamaran right now that is really tricked out. so sailing ain't that bad..... and diesel electric makes that thing awesome... got any pics of that setup?

Ernie

Re: Back from Paradise
 

3 januarys ago we did the BVI's. Rented a 55 footer on St Thomas and went the length to "The Bitter End". Quite an experience. If you guys ever want a vacation that is the thing to do. Next time we will get one of the little 27 fountain center consoles and stay in hotels on Tortolla, The Bitter End etc.

Talk about bar hopping, it is oneof the most unique places youwill ever go. Have your drinking shoes on! :drink:

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No but we did spend a day on a Sailing Cat....... I was working non stop......... as this picture evidences.

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That's as much of a crotch shot I want to see.... Thank You.

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Still trying to impress... you cat guys and those feelings of inadequacy!

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An old acquaintance was there..........

He was looking for the "Next Great Motor Sport"

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Nah......... no show offs here.......!

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Did you roll that thing again?

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No, I was looking for the famous "stepped bottom Vee reef"

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I'm sorry but I was laughing that is a good 1 I never heard before :D

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When George Linder invented the first boat he turned to me and said......

"What good is this thing if it has nothing to float on........?"

I replied ..... "Are you thirsty?"

The rest is history.

T2x.......... :D

Re: Back from Paradise
 

LOL yahh kill me man.

Re: Back from Paradise
 

Of course I do............

T2x