s/v WANDERER

This afternoon, I took a walk down the dock,  I went all the way to the end, where I had not been before.  I turned the corner, and what did I see?  The WANDERER,  a sailboat used in the "CAPTAIN RON" movie.  It was berthed in the Kemah Boardwalk Marina, a couple slips down from a friend's boat.  It changed hands once again, and is currently being renovated in my marina.

WANDERER is a 1978 Formosa 51 Cutter Rigged Ketch.  She needs a lot of work, and it is expected to be a 4 year project.  When she is finished, she will be chartered through Windsong Charters.  s/v Windsong is also a Formosa 51.

A little history.  She was built by the Formosa Boat Building Company in Taiwan, and was renamed by the movie production company.  As I understand, there were three boats used in the movie, and the cabin scenes were filmed in the studio.  I don't know anything about the other two boats.

The movie, "Captain Ron" is one of those movies I could see a hundred times... and maybe did.   If you haven't seen it, I recommend you do.  There are funny lines in it that many captains use today.

WANDERER has a cult following, and a lot of misinformation about her.  This is the 10th owner, and I hope the refit is completed and I get to see her under sail in the Galveston Bay.

COMPACT COOKING

Anyone that knows me very well, knows that I rarely cook.  The galley on THE FLATULENCE is not very big and doesn't have the conveniences that larger boats have.  But I have learned how to cook a meal with fewer appliances.  One skillet meals are the way to go, and my "one skillet" of choice is my small rice cooker.

I can heat water for hot chocolate, cook eggs, make cream sauces, fry spam and…. make rice.  The clean-up is fast and easy, which is important.

Before I moved onto the boat, I went through my kitchen and tried to figure out what I would be able to use in my galley.  The microwave didn’t make the cut, but I had a Black & Decker toaster oven that I thought maybe I could use.  On the boat, it had only been used to make toast and melt cheese.  The other day, I was hungry for a pumpkin pie.  Could I possibly bake a pie in the toaster oven?  Why not? 

I bought a pie shell.  Not thinking, I bought a 9” because that’s what the recipe called for.  

Well, it was a little larger than the oven, so I just turned up two of the sides, and it fit.  Apparently, the oven is not exactly level, so I propped up the left side so I could get a little more filling in there without it running over the top.

It was a success!  Tasted yummy!  

Now I am looking through my recipes.  I'll let you know about my next adventure in cooking.

FEAST & TARDIS

I’m sitting here eating some of the best leftovers I’ve ever had, and I just had to  share this with everyone.

At least once a week, my friend Bobby cooks dinner for me, and I get to bring home leftovers!  Cool, huh?  Bobby loves to fish, knows the best spots to catch redfish (my favorite) and usually comes home with a couple.  Last night, he fixed fish tacos, complete with a wonderful cream sauce, guacamole and a side of refried beans.  He fixes everything from scratch, and it is always tasty.

Lunch today was a nice break from working on TARDIS.  I have installed the lead pig ballast and today I am screwing down the storage fronts, inspection ports, hinges on the sole and latches.   I hope to get the windows in next weekend.  The end is in sight and exciting.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

There has been much talk about changing the name of THE FLATULENCE.  It seems that most people don't like it, and think she should have a more respectful name.

As I walk through the marina, I see some common, and not so common names painted on these boats.

Few are respectful...

some are funny...

some are clever...

 and some even bawdy.

When I named TARDIS, I gave her the name because she is a small boat, but has great capabilities of traveling to far places.  I am toying with the idea of keeping the same theme going when I rename THE FLATULENCE.  I've been advised to take into consideration how her name will sound on the radio.  Good point.

Several years ago, a turtle was brought home and placed in our backyard.  This turtle needed a name.  I couldn't come up with a good one, so I put the word out... I wanted suggestions for the naming of the turtle.  My brother had the best name: Speedbump.  So, from then on, she was known as Speedbump.

A few suggestions have already been given as to what THE FLATULENCE should be re-christened.  Here is my thought... my readers should write in with their thoughts on names.  If you think you have the perfect name for a 1972 Grampian 26, either leave it in a comment at the bottom of this page, or send it to me directly at lezliehenson@gmail.com.  I will gather them and this will help me come up with a good name for her.

Get your thinking caps on and let me hear from you.

Inside The Flatulence

There was a little cabinet in the galley that I really liked.  It needed a face lift, so I sanded it and put a couple coats of varnish on it and it looks great.

Next, I took the book holder and moved it to another wall, so I can us it.  I also pulled the paper towel holder and added varnish.  It is drying at this time, so it didn't make it into this picture.

There is a curtain that separates the salon from the forward berth.  I pulled it back the other day and discovered this little hook.  Not sure where I will put it, but it must be moved so it can be used.

The Grampian boats have a very well arranged cabin.  Very comfortable and very roomy for a 26 foot boat.  I have plans for building drawers for clothes storage and small cabinets with sliding doors on either side of the cabin.  I have many plans, it will take time to get them all done, but slow and steady wins the race.

BELIZE 2012 - PART 2

CAYE CAULKER, BELIZE

On the "chicken bus"... but we didn't see any chickens.  However,
we did see a homemade backpack made out of a dog food bag.

If you are just tuning in, my brother, Kelly and I took a vacation to Belize.  We spent the first few days at Parrot Nest near San Ignacio.  Our next destination was to be Caye Caulker.  Since we took a taxi from Belize City to San Ignacio, I thought Kelly needed the “chicken bus” experience.  So, that’s what we did.  We caught a bus back to Belize City for a tenth of the taxi expense. 

The water taxi ride from Belize City to Caye Caulker lasted 45 minutes.  We stayed in the upper cabana at De Real Macaw.  It came complete with hammock on porch and a napping cat to greet us.

Our view of the courtyard and beyond.

After scouting out the sites, we booked a five-hour snorkeling trip for the next day with Tsunami Tours.  

The tour took us to four different sites along the Belize Barrier Reef, lunch, pineapple snack and then rum punch for our ride back to the island.  The coral, the fish, turtle, eel, stingray… it was so much fun.  Kelly had a great time. I enjoyed watching him have fun!  And this might be just a stepping-stone to scuba diving for him.

Our last day there was spent eating, drinking and lounging.  We had a drink at the famous Lazy Lizard at the “split”.   The split is where the island was divided in two by a hurricane many years ago.  A few braved the swift current and swam across the split, while others just sunned on the bulkhead, or played in the shallow water.  It is a great place to spend hours with an adult beverage.

The Lazy Lizard as we are cutting through the split.

This trip was our first brother/sister trip, but hopefully, not our last.  It was a great experience for us both, and we have memories that will last us forever. 

BELIZE 2012 - PART 1

SAN IGNACIO, BELIZE

A couple years ago, Dale and I went to Belize for a week.  We had a blast, and I knew I wanted to go again.   This last Christmas, I told my brother, Kelly, that he and I should go this fall.  He was excited, but didn’t have a passport.   I told him to get one.  Within a few months, he had his passport and was ready for our adventure.

Kelly drove down from his home in Lubbock, TX.  He spent the night on my boat (a first for him) and we got up BEFORE the crack of dawn, and headed to the airport on October 18^th.   This was a brother/sister trip, and we had a blast.

We arrived in Belize City, and were already very tired because we didn’t get much sleep the night before.  Our plan was to ride the bus to San Ignacio, but decided to take a taxi instead. 

This was our cabin at Parrot Nest.

Parrot Nest would be our home for the next few days.  The owner, Theo, is a wonderful host and her breakfasts are delicious.  There is a comfortable common area where quests can gather for meals and great conversation.  It has a down home feel, complete with two friendly dogs and three cats… one that will want in your lap if you crawl in the hammock.

The path to our cabin.

Nina and Puppy will escort you anywhere on the property.  This is the Mopan River right behind the cabins.

On the road to Parrot Nest.

Our first day there was spent walking through town and then hiking to Cahal Pech. 

 

Our second day was spent with Henry Link, our guide, kayaking down the Mopan River.  A driver dropped us off at the Guatamala border, we put in and took off down stream.  About noon, we reached San Jose Succotz Village, pulled out and walked a few blocks to Benny’s Kitchen and had lunch.  My rice and beans with chicken was tasty.  After lunch, we continued down the river.  About nine miles and ten rapids later, we reached the end of our jouney at the little town of Clarissa Falls.  Kelly and I had a fantastic day.  The weather was

great and our guide was very interesting.  You can contact Henry Link through PACZ Tours.

Next on our agenda, was a trip to ATM Cave.  I had told the other guests at Parrot Nest how much fun the ATM Cave was, that they decided to go with us.  PACZ Tours picked us up at 8 am, and we headed for the cave.  After about an hours drive, we reached the entrance to the park.  There we gathered our helmet, lunch and water provided. And then we start the 45 minute hike to the cave, crossing the river three times.  Oh, did I mention that this cave has a river running through it?  YEAH, how awesome is that?! 

Our guide, Louis, put lights on our helmets, and we gather at the cave entrance.  We are given a list of rules.  #1 Rule: listen to your guide and do what he tells you.  That’s really the only rule.

For the next 4 hours, we swim, wade, climb and see lots of cool cave formations and Mayan ritual artifacts.  Yeah, they did human sacrifices here too, so we saw human remains.  I definitely recommend this tour for anyone visiting this area of Belize.  You will come away with sore muscles, but even more life-lasting memories.  (There were no cameras allowed in the cave, so I have no pics to post.)

My next post, in a day or so, will cover our journey to Caye Caulker.  So stay tuned ….