Red Tabby Cruising Committee Meets

The first Meeting of the Red Tabby Cruising Committee has adjourned… and it was fantastic! There were free drinks for everyone, three course meals, cupcakes to frolic in… 

Well, possibly not free for everyone – but for beloved guests of honour… absolutely. (The First Mate‘s strangled choking noises behind me are a tad reminiscent of when he was trying to bift me off the cupcake pile last night. But frankly if I heeded all of the Can Opener’s gasping and in articulate overreacting I would never get anything done. And certainly the cupcake count of my life would be dramatically lower.)

The First Mate spent the better part of this morning with Cruising Committee work: drafting emails to Cruising Section Members to publicise upcoming club cruising events this Spring. Tomorrow he’ll be compiling the updated Section contact list. Moaning and aching all day, he was. As if he were the only one frenetically employed…

At times, I do find the Can Opener has little regard for real effort – I have been busy all morning filing the leftover patisserie I looted. Filed according to colour, culinary heritage and tastiness… (Oi! WHERE did these come from, Fuzzbucket?? I thought I completely emptied your dreadful sac à main last night! My dear First Mate, that delightful Red Tabby chef absolutely pressed them upon me when I told him I could get him Dee Cafari‘s autograph. She still remembers me…)

Quality control is my forté. 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising Committee

The Cruising Committee meeting cake… of the The Cruising Kitty’s dreams

News flash:
The Can Opener has been invited to join the Cruising Committee at the Red Tabby Yacht Club!

What does it mean? Well… actually we don’t know.

They said we just had to show up for 6 dinner meetings in 2013 and maybe do some other committee type stuff. Like research and organising for upcoming events and event planning. 

Sounds pretty ominous to me.

I immediately volunteered to take care of the dinner–eating end of things and the Can Opener can do the research and organising end of the stick. We like to help the First Mate out wherever possible. Especially in the specialist area of desserts.

And we’ll get to meet a lot of other cruising cats which should be great! I wonder if Pussy Galore has signed up…

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Mediterranean Delivery

The Can Opener and I will be joining a crew to deliver a 40 foot catamaran from Spain to Greece. 

The owner wants to reposition his yacht to Greece, so that he and his family can explore the waters around Greece and Turkey for the next little while.

The video above gives a view of a Nautitech 47 catamaran – it looks similar to the one we’ll be on.

We can hardly wait!

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising in Oceania

Waterfalls at Vanuatu

The last Spring lecture at Limehouse last night… Sigh. 

Henry and Kiki Capleton presented some highlights from their travels through Oceania: notes on the Palmerston Atoll, the Hobart ‘Round Tasmania’ Rally and some islands around Vanuatu.

A inspiring presentation with spectacular photography. We left knowing even more powerfully why sailing to distant locations is so unique. 

It’s not just about loving sailing and being on the water. It’s that there are some places you just can’t get to without your own boat.

And that makes the experiences once you are there that much more incredible. Few people get to see such untouched beauty. Their experiences and photos really drove that home.

How they got sailing

• had only done 1300nm on passages
• had passed RYA Coastal and Day Skipper courses
• bought a Contest 44, their first boat
• did a few shakedowns cruises from New England to Bermuda with experienced friends on their boat
• and off they went…

How they got to the Pacific

• via the Panama Canal
• used one of the cheaper agents, cost $900 ($600 to the agent and $300 to the authorities)
• had to wait 9 days to get a place to get through
• each boat needs 4 ‘line handlers’
• usual custom is to practice by helping someone else go through
• then you return to your boat when your ‘place’ comes up and take on two newbies who in turn are practicing to take their own boat through later…

Palmerston Atoll 

• only true atoll in the Cook’s group
• population: about 90 – all descended from an English ship’s carpenter who settled there in Victorian times with his 3 Polynesian wives
• they collect rainwater, and fish and grow copra both of which they trade
• when you arrive:
• you send ahead a VHF message
• then you are met by one of the family in a boat who will show you your mooring spot
• they invite you for dinner and maybe some entertainment (singing, dancing) the next night

• in return, visitors exchange whatever skills they have (carpentry, engineering, medical etc) or give supplies

Tasmania

• they joined the Hobart Rally
• spectacular highlights:
• MacQuarie Harbour
• Strahan
• Port Davey
• Bathurst Harbour
• D’Entrecasteaux Channel
• Wineglass Bay!

Islands around Vanuatu

• waterfall bays
• exchanged t-shirts for fresh fruit and vegetables
• t-shirts are also appreciated as thank you gifts
• met many chiefs
• were invited to attend church
• attended much dancing which involved a ‘thumping’ style in grass skirts with rattles tied around the ankles
• saw water music where women stood waist high in water and slapped it to make different tones and so create the music – wow!

I would use the word ‘moving’ to describe this presentation. We certainly left totally psyched to notch it up and throw ourselves back into the cruising studies, prep and downsizing with renewed vigor. 

Today I attack the biggest pile (huge) of the Can Opener’s papers to organise and file. Haiiiiiiiii-yaah!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Destination Dreamin’ 
Next: Menorca – Destination Dreamin’
Previously: Mallorca – Destination Dreamin’


Cruising Lectures
Next: Ocean Passage Making
Previously: Piracy – The Chandlers’ Somalia Excursion

Tubing It To… Sail Away!

 
Can Opener: Put on yer feathery hat and cape, we’re going’ to the Cruising Association. Nicola Rodriguez, author of Sail Away, is talking about exploring the Caribbean, Bahamas, US Eastern Seaboard and the Med. So, Captain C– 

Captain Cat: Sensei!  

Can Opener: Yer Highnessy Cap’n, Sensei, whatever– What’s up anyway with the karate obsession? 

Captain Cat: What’s up with slogging it down on the tube to this Cruising Association every Wednesday? 

Can Opener: It’s not every week and the cruising lectures are great! Informative and interesting every time. We always learn something we didn’t know – or even think about – before. 

Hey buddy, the commute shouldn’t bother a welter weight like you, seeing as you climb up and ride on my shoulder the whole way there… 

Captain Cat: It makes it easier to steer you by your ears. 

Can Opener: So I’m never going to learn where this karate insanity came from? 

Captain Cat:  Think of all the time you save not polishing my sceptre, dusting my orb, ironing my cape…  My ‘rising sun’ headband will still need pressing however. 

Can Opener:  Ah.

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Wine For Sail!

This past Monday found us at the Red Tabby Yacht Club once again for a great wine-tasting and socialising event.  

We met up with, enjoyed some swell Rhône reds and whites* with, and had dinner with the owner of the 52 foot catamaran we’ve been asked to help deliver from Spain to Greece this Spring. 

It looks like it actually going to happen! The dates are set. 

Great Bastet are we stoked!

We just have to figure out the best port to return from before we haul off and buy tickets there and back to/from the start and finish points. 

Stay tuned!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

* Well, the First Mate enjoyed some fine Syrah and whites. I, on the other hand, teetotal as alcohol wrecks havoc with the finely evolved and tuned machine that is cat.

There is only one downside to being feline and that’s it. There are no others.

I told everyone I was designated driver, hence responsible for the welfare of the good First Mate. 

Then after the event, we zipped home on the tube.  

The Red Tabby Yacht Club
Next: Cruising Crew!

Previously: Après-Boat Show Cocktail Party