The Cruising Kitty’s 1st Year Blogoversary!

Happy Blogoversary to us! 

The Cruising Kitty turns one! It was exactly one year ago today that The Cruising Kitty blog published Captain Cat’s very first post.

And we’re looking ahead to another grrrrreat year! 

Many thanks to all our fantastically supportive readers who have stayed with us, offered warm words, feedback and the occassional sardine and joined us on this exciting journey.

The Cruising Kitty is always looking for new topics to research and report on as the Can Opener (my First Mate) and I work towards our goal of cruising off into the sunset in the boat of our dreams.

 

Got an opinion, request or a comment?

Send an email to The Cruising Kitty . 
 

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Sea Miles

So how many sea miles will the Spain to Greece delivery add to our nautical log?…

…About 1300 nautical miles!

Prerequisites to complete the RYA levels are:

• Day Skipper – 100nm
• Coastal Skipper – 300nm
• Yachtmaster Coastal – 800nm
• Yachtmaster Offshore – 2500nm

So we’ll have covered enough distance to qualify for all of the levels by the time we finish. 

We’ll keep working on getting even more sea miles in our log though. We need to keep gaining experience, building new skills – one of the beauties of the cruising life is the non-stop ride of continuous education. 

You can never have too much experience under your belt.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Learn to Cruise

Previously:  Sailing Strength Training

Cruising Kitty Awarded Elite Honours

Yesterday evening in a small private ceremony held in the ceremonial gardens of Buckingham Palace, our own Cruising Kitty was awarded the St Bastet Medal of Honour for contributions to the art and sport of sailing, presented by the spectacular Dee Cafari in a lime green ensemble with feather hat.

After Ms. Cafari placed the medal around his neck, the Cruising Kitty bowed regally and nodded as the assembled crowd cheered wildly. 

The Princess Catherine and that other guy just helicoptered in from Wales were in attendance; the Princess wearing a svelte little number in turquoise with matching feather hat and brooch.

After the ceremony, the Cruising Kitty was heard to say humbly… from beneath his own trembling feather hat: ‘ ‘Twas but nothing. Just happy to help the sport in any way I can.’

Then he launched himself off of the marquee entrance awning to dive magestically into Dee’s shopping bag as she left the palace premises heading towards the stables or wherever it is that royal guests leave to/from.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed in utter disbelief by the Can Opener)

* The medal is made of gold. On the obverse is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words “For Meritorious Service” at the bottom; on the reverse is a dancing salmon, with the words “Smoked salmon – as tasty as fresh”. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim.

ps. April Fool!

Cruising Progress Report

Cruising Progress Report: How are we doing?

Here are the key areas in my master plan to get the Can Opener ready for blue water cruising…

…and a quick check on how he’s progressed through that plan since August 2011:  

1. The Plan to Get Fit – done!
   
2. The Plan to Get Social – done!
3. The Plan to Get Trained – ongoing!
4. The Plan to Find a Boat that Fits – in progress!
5. The Plan to Get a Boat 
6. The Plan to Refit the Boat 
7. The Plan to Blast Off

 

Will we achieve our goal to get long term blue water cruising by September 2014?

Even the best plans are revised continuously en route. But having a plan in the first place is the best way forward. 

This is our plan. And we’re making progress.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Passage Treats

Celebrating Passage Milestones

We are looking forward to the upcoming Spain-Greece yacht delivery. Time to plan for success!

Three weeks is great, it’ll be a chance to really get a feel for long passages. It’s also a looooong time for a small group of people to be in constant contact with each other in a constricted space.

So the Cruising Kitty is planning ahead with crew building treats and activities.

I’ve been researching online, on sailing forums and putting my thinking cap on (the one with the feathers). 

Here are the highlights of my favourite ideas so far…

Treats 

• ‘weekly snack bag’* – filled with junk food, candy, savory treats, catnip, etc for the week… for indulging as needed
• drinks or a meal from the cuisine of an upcoming destination 
• balloons, (reusable) streamers and silly hats for celebration meals (see below)
• chocolate always
• cookie mixes*
• cake mixes
• jerk beef, chorizo and sausage sticks
• cheese and crackers

Activities

• cocktail hour – team drinks (which may or may not be alcoholic). One hour each day when the whole crew is together. Even a two-person crew may not see much of each other when running watches. A cruising tradition
• tea hour – a non-alcoholic version of the above
  

• water guns*
• magnetic travel games*
• peg board games*
• temporary tattoos*
• nautical crosswords – still looking for adult level examples of this
• movie night with popcorn
• theme music day* – 50’s, Beachboys/Beach Music, Mariachi, Polka, James Bond theme songs — with coordinating accessories: eg Beachboys with Hawaiian leis, Mariachi with maracas, Polka with polka dots (the Captain’s personal favourite)…
• silly hat day
• holiday celebration meals – any events happening during your passage? Birthdays? Half-Birthdays? Boat anniversary? Valentine’s Day? April Fools Day?
• milestone meals

Timing

• daily for ‘cocktail hour’ 
• weekly for special treats and activities – probably best brought out on the same day each week at cocktail hour
• milestones – holidays, mid-trip and end-of-trip for special meals

‘Course not every crew is going to go wild for the same treats and activities, every group being different and all. But I hope to build up a time tested bank of ‘passage treat’ ideas to draw on. I’ll be testing and having the Can Opener taking my notes as we go.

What passage treats have you tried? Or what great ones have you heard of? How’d it go?

We’re looking for suggestions – the wackier and more creative, the better!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

* Special thanks for these great suggestions to ‘The Cruising Couple’, ‘Ex-Calif’ and ‘drew23’ on Cruisers Forum

Team Building

Next: Delivery Crew Team Building

Coastal Skipper Training

Captains’ Log

Stardate: 2012224

Gloomy days. Just as we approach the much anticipated acceleration point of our Get Cruising Now Plan… I learn of proof beyond doubt that the First Mate has lost all marbles. 

Turns out this cruising crew the Can Opener has been invited to join – they specifically want to practice Crew Over Board training and anchoring… over and over and over again.. for days! 

The Can Opener is practically skipping with joy – when he should be filleting my Sunday night’s prime haddock!

Granted this will be the perfect chance to prep him for the RYA Coastal Skipper exam that I have decreed he will get this year. 

And also granted that being invited to test on the boat with a familiar crew is a boon. Not only will he be familiar with the boat and crew before the test – but it will be quite cost effective. But honestly – COB drills??  

(That’s not Crew Over Board – that’s Cat Over Board drills, Furrball. We can skip this part if you reeeeeeally want us to…) 

Hmm… But……with all this training going on… how will the Can Opener find time to stand over me waving palm fronds as I snooze? (‘Twas never likely, my friend…) 

How will he eke out sufficient time to dust my orb, polish my feather cap and rinse my frillies? (I’ll do it before we go out.)

Ah. Hmm… okay. If you erect a properly sized yoga platform across the foredeck – it’s a done deal. 

(Right-ho, Captain. I’m on it.)

–Captain Cat 

(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

The Cruising Kitty’s 6th Month Blogoversary!

Whew! We’ve made it through half a year, so… 

Happy 6th Month Blogoversary 

to  

The Cruising Kitty!

This is our 119th post and 6400+ viewers have dropped by to visit so far! More than 2000 in the last month alone.

This cat is on a roll!  

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

New Year’s Resolutions 2012

New Year’s Resolutions for the Can Opener

1. work out 4x/wk 
2. build some serious sea miles
3. pass RYA Coastal Skipper Practical 
4. finish researching yacht designs on the short list
5. start actively viewing/self-surveying potential yachts on the final contenders list and keep notes
6. study French 15 min/d, 5d/wk
7. study Spanish 15 min/d, 5d/wk 
8. proactively maintain smoked salmon stockpile at all times
9. … and publish the Cruising Kitty blog 5x/wk  

New Year’s Resolutions for Captain Cat?

Hard to come up with too many as I am a nearly perfect cat. But no harm in trying… 

Here we go:

1. be nicer to the Can Opener – regularly recognise his efforts with judicious application of the oyster tin (with contents). We know positive encouragement beats all other routes to success hands down every time
2. share my mouse more often (Why? See #1 above.)
3. …and I suppose I could join the Can Opener for a few weekly turns on the treadmill. To keep up his spirits of course… there is no truth to the rumour that my belly currently provides more durable buoyancy than my own life jacket.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

So Have We Accomplished Anything Yet?

2011 in Review

What Have We Accomplished So far?

This year in August, the Can Opener and I officially (officially to us at any rate) launched our Get Cruising Now Plan. We honed, we polished, we set goals, a timeline (2014 or bust) and a plan to get there. 

It’s been 5 months now, so what progress have we made? 

Well, a lot of ‘we’ve made a start’ type of ‘to-do’s’ have been ticked. The kind of ‘to-do’s’ that are meant to set us up for the real work we will need to do in 2012. 

So, the 2011 highlights (since August) are:

1. joined yacht club
2. started team racing 
3. read 9 cruising reference texts, attended 4 cruising lectures
4. made contact with 3 boats that we hope to crew on for next year
5. researched foul weather gear upgrades (still have to buy them though…)
6. began yacht designs research 
7. the Can Opener worked out 4x/wk… usually
8. the Can Opener began studying Spanish and picked up his old French studies and…
9. … in order to share what we learned, and keep ourselves organised and focused – we launched this blog!

Are we happy? 
Well, you can always wish you had done a lot more. But writing it down feels good. And maybe it’s not too bad… It’s a start. Something to build on in 2012.  

… Off to carve out some New Year’s Resolutions for 2012!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)