Helmut goes to the âSupermarketâ: Reduce, reuse, recycle!
…Helmut emerged, a bit confused as to why I was there. âYes?â He asked. âUm. Hi. Yeah, I was just wondering if you needed some help coming into the marina? You know about the cyclone right?â âYes.â He replied. âIâve been listening to the weather on the radio every hour. I donât want to go […]
Helmut the Hermit
Helmut is the grouchiest man on earth besides Kirby at Transpac Marine in Santa Barbara. He lives alone on his 30-foot, sun beaten sloop, âEinhornâ moored just outside the boatyard. The old man comes out of his boat âcaveâ at dawn and dusk. His little tin rowboat is already ashore when I wake up. Then […]
Parting Gift from the Boatyard!?!
My scalp was unusually itchy. Even on the mountain top I had tried to ignore it, but finally there was no denying that something was wrong. The constant itching was driving me mad!? I stood scratching my head one afternoon, chatting with one of my Tahitian friends. âPoux?â He asked, pointing to my head. âPoo?â […]
30 YearsâŚYoung?
From a deep sleep, through and through I woke on my boat surrounded by blue! Ripe papaya, a paddle at my favorite wave The ocean kindly gave and gave Then a pack on my back, friend beside found a trail to the top where sacred flowers reside Not screwdrivers, sandpaper, paint or fiberglass, Just wild […]
Oh Lord, Wonât You Buy Me a Mercedes-Benz
On the evening of the 27th, I was FINALLY ready to leave the dock. The last two weeks in the boatyard marina had driven me to the brink of boat hatred. It seemed no matter how hard I worked to wrap up the last projects, I found new things broken or needing attention. The prop […]
Ode to the Boatyard
Swell was finally set afloat, leak-free!!, by my crew of boatyard friends, ending an era I won’t soon forget. 11 months in total spent there since August of 2008!? In the wake of my sea freedom, I got inspired to write a poem about the place that brought me so many character-building experiences and life-long […]
And While I’m at it….
A zillion other projects at once that all finally came together in the end…
What’s been cooking in the galley…
I took advantage of the yard time while waiting for the new tube to arrive, to make some improvements to Swell’s galley. Have a look…
Shayla and Uncle Lenny
âOh yeah, I forgot to introduce you to Shayla.â Caesar said casually as he walked me through his house. He would be gone for ten days and needed someone to feed his five cats. I needed a place to stay while Fred did the fiberglassing inside the boat, so it worked out perfectly for both […]
