Additions to the Sea Library

 

 
Some more great books just popped through the mail slot today! Lookin’ forward to some great snoozing ahead…

• How to Sail Around the World: Advice and Ideas for Voyaging Under Sail, by Hal Roth

• The Self-Sufficient Sailor, by Lin and Larry Pardey

• Capable Cruiser, by Lin and Larry Pardey
  

Book reviews coming soon!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Book reviews

How to Sail Around the World
Self-Sufficient Sailor  
Capable Cruiser 

In the USA

In the UK

The Solar Boat

 

links below at bottom of post

Book the Captain is currently snoozing on: The Solar Boat

Overview so far 


I was pretty excited when I got my paws on this book.

Sunshine – not just for basking in! Power the boat in an eco-friendly way. Save money for more key purchases instead. Increase your boat’s electric capacity. It has much promise. But…

We don’t actually know so much about electrical systems yet. Have to admit we are a bit overwhelmed at the straight launch into amp, ohm and watt calculations in the first chapter. Hmm.

So we’ll have a quick snooze on Don Casey’s chapters on marine electrical systems to get some electrical theory background and then go back to the The Solar Boat…

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Coming soon: Book review of The Solar Boat

In the USA

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=2B88BB&t=httpthecruisi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=0898150868

In the UK

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=1367AB&t=thecrukit01-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=0898150892

14 Ways We’ll Know We’ve Made It

 

Right. Eyes focused, ready to dive in. Here we go…

We’ll know we’ve made it when…

1. we make the long list of yacht designs to check out
2. the Can Opener completes all his supporting courses: first aid, diesel maintenance, survival, etc.
3. the Can Opener achieves all the fitness goals I’ve set for him each year
4. we are able to read Spanish news and understand a Spanish newscast
5. we make the short list of yacht designs to check out
6. the Can Opener passes his Yachtmaster level
7. we complete the boat purchase
8. we take the first sail in the new boat (new to us)
9. the Can Opener finishes programming provisioning spreadsheets – for food, gear etc
10. we finish refitting
11. we finish provisioning for the first big offshore on our own boat
12. we organise and hold our launch party
13. we cast off lines and leave for our first big offshore on our own boat
14. we reach 50,000 offshore sailing nautical miles (100,000nm etc)

What are your milestones? When will you know you’ve arrived?

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Previously: How Will We Know When We’ve Made It?

How Will We Know When We’ve Made it?

 

Can Opener: How’ll you know when you’ve really made it? I mean really know. In life. Ya know?

Our get cruising plan is slated for 3 years till blast off. Sounds way too far away… but on the other hand that’s 1000+ short days till we cast off the ropes and really head out. That’ll be good, then I’ll know we’ve made it. Then I’ll know we’re there.

Or…hmm. Not nearly enough time. I should make another list. Just to be double sure…

Captain Cat: I’ll know I’ve made it when I finally get you to take me for that walk you’ve been promising all day.

Can Opener: Hey, last week you were on about how life would have meaning once you’d lured Pussy Galore into your lair–we are not going out while you’ve got that tea towel clipped around your neck!

Captain Cat: No. Last week I said I’d know I’d made it when I had a Facebook page created for me with 500 supporters devoted to my buttocks. Pussy Galore was the week before.

You need to broaden your criteria. If you have only one measure of success, you are bound for disappointment.

Get yourself a list of 10 or so ways you’ll know you have made it. 20 is better. 


Success is an endless curve with blips along it. Celebrate small goals achieved and successes on the way. It’s just good goal-setting. Keeps everyone as happy as I am when I sit down to my kippered herring and caviar breakfast.

And this, by the way… is a cape.

Can Opener: Perhaps monsieur would like a walking stick to go with?

Captain Cat: We prefer the term ‘sceptre’.

Can Opener: Right. After you, yer royal–

Captain Cat: Yes. Exactly.

Passing Backpacker in street with ‘California Inmate ’72 ’ on t-shirt: 

Dude! Why’s your cat wearing a tea towel?

How will you know when you get there?

 

–transcribed by the Can Opener

Next up: 
Captain Cat’s Big List of How We’ll Know When We’ve Made It

The Plan to Get Fit

Part 1 of Captain Cat’s Invincible Plan to Get Cruising:

How many newtons of force on the wheel in 35 knots of breeze? And how many newtons can my First Mate, the Can Opener, exert to crank on the main sheet in 45 knots? in 60??  Not enough, I tell you. Not yet. Not by a long shot.

So I’ve drawn up a fitness plan for my First Mate and am marking his progress monthly. I set a good example: Captain Cat is already in outstanding shape, as mentioned previously in  Captain Cat’s Invincible Plan to Get Cruising. I’m in peak condition to lounge behind our dodger while supervising Can Opener as we cruise our yacht from England to infinity and beyond.

Positive reinforcement is my mantra. We are a fair and just captain. Improvement merits rewards – for defined periods of time after the Can Opener does well, I will share my catnip rat with him. For any performance slidebacks, however,… well, the point is moot. Those. are. NOT. permitted.

Current Training Plan 2012

• Strength Training: 4x/week, 30 minutes per session
• Cardio: 4x/week at the gym, 45 minutes per session. Treadmill, bikes, x-trainer.*
• Crunches: 150-200/day
• Flexibility: stretching before and after, 5 minutes x2

Last Year’s Training Plan
It’s good to know where you’ve been. I was surprised to see how far the First Mate has come one short year. While we will always press on, we are pleased with the Can Opener’s progress thus far. Here’s the point that he started from in 2011…

• Strength Training: 3x/week, 30 minutes per session
• Cardio: 4x/week at the gym, 30 minutes per session. Treadmill, bikes, x-trainer. *
• Crunches: 100/day
• Flexibility: stretching before and after, 5 minutes x2

* Unfortunately, el cheapo gym that I picked for him does not have a pool. I am working on alternatives.

Could I push the Can Opener harder? Of course, I could! But I know this guy. Slow and steady wins the race.

Could he cruise without this fitness training? Of course, he could. Many – even most – cruisers probably do. Seems like a good idea to get him in shape though. I may need some tuna crates hefted out of the bilge-bottom depths of a boat locker someday. He needs to be prepared.

Cost so far

• £50 ($82) – Training shoes, on sale
• I have moved the Can Opener to a gym that only costs £216/year ($344/year) or just £18/month ($29/month)! It doesn’t have a pool though… 
• (Last year’s gym was a little dearer: £360/year ($593/year) – £30/month for gym membership on special offer. This was a pretty average cost in our town.)

What sports/exercise best translate to a live-aboard life?

What else should I add to the Can Opener’s fitness programme? Yoga? T’ai Chi? Any suggestions gratefully received.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

N.B.  Part 2 of Captain Cat’s Invincible Plan to Get Cruising is: The Plan to Get Social.