I just got back (to Minnesota, brrrrr) from a two week bareboat charter in the Keys on a 41′ Morgan. I love the minimialist life style living on a boat. I sailed from Treasure Harbor on Islemarado to Marathon to Bahia Honda back to Duck Key to Plantation Marina and then back to Treasure Harbor.

I now have the wife convinced to spend six months a year on a boat in the keys to get away from the cold. I am looking at a 42′ Irwin Ketch. I need something roomie for me and the wife. I have read the Irwins are not blue water boats but I need a liveaboard that I can a least roam the Keys with.

Do you or any of your readers have any insight on the Irwin 42′ Ketch? My priorities are center cockpit, aft cabin, ketch rig, shallow draft, under 50k, so what else is there?

Glad to hear you are back on track!

Bill Collins

I AGREE WITH YOUR PASSION ABOUT SE ASIA . I HAVE BEEN ALL AROUND THE PHILIPPINES , IT ALONE HAS OVER 7000 ISLANDS . IT HAS PLACES ( THE WEST SIDE OF MINDANAO OZAMIZ AND SOUTH ) THAT IS PRETTY MUCH TYPHOON FREE . I AM MARRIED TO A WOMAN FROM THERE AND NO MATTER WHAT THE RUMOR IS IT IS A BEAUTIFUL FREE SPIRITED AREA . LIKE ANY 3RD WORLD COUNTRY THEFT CAN BE A PROBLEM BUT AS SOON AS YOU GET TO KNOW THE FOLKS THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM . THE ONLY WESTERNS THAT HAVE A PROBLEM THERE ARE THE SELF CENTERED PLASTIC TYPES –( THE SAME KIND WE DON’T LIKE ) LIKE GOVERNMENT TYPES CONTROLLING EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE — THEY CALL THEM BIG POOPS .
THE LIVING IS GREAT GOOD WEATHER BEAUTIFUL DIVING AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE . IF YOU EVER DECIDE TO GO THAT WAY FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AND I’LL SET YOU UP WITH SOME GREAT NATIVES THERE .

WE PLAN TO HEAD OVER NEXT YEAR ( FROM FLORIDA NOW ) AND SPEND AT LEAST A FEW YEARS IN THAT AREA

LOVE WHAT YOUR DOING
WALLY M

I would consider Hawaii, however I’ve heard Hawaii isn’t “cruiser friendly” putting time limits on where and when you can come and go. If you could get me some real info that would be cool. It would be awsome if we could do some fishing :)

I talked to Marcos today and will hook up with him for a beer when I go to PC next week. Give Mavis a kiss for me when she gets back from Cartagena.

Cheers

I know, they are fantastic. When I can pull it togeter and buy something for myself I’m going to get a Canon T2i, the 7D is a bit more expensive. Funny you mentioned it. I was just looking at underwater housings for the T2i. I want to do someting really special for my next film.

Cheers

Christmas came on January 13th for me this year. A friend has
a girl friend coming in a few weeks and is trying to make extra room on his boat. He asked if I was interested in a dive tank compressor. He paid $4,500.00 for it 7 years ago. It’s a Bauer Utilus 10 scuba tank compressor. He said he hadn’t touched it, or tried to start it for years. I told him I’d love it but it was a bad time financially. He said “how about $250.00 and you don’t have to pay me till July, I need it off my boat”? I bought it.

I spent the day cleaning it up but it didn’t even want to try to start. I took the crab off and cleaned it out a few times. By the end of the day I had a beautiful working dive compressor. It runs like a top! I have to have one small part machined (About $40.00) but after that I’m in Business. It came with a complete rebuild kit ($400.00), extra filters for everything, and special compressor oil.

Need an air Fill, $10.00 on Splendid :) It’s the largest portable that Bauer makes and will fill an Aluminum 80 to 3500 psi in 12 minutes. It opens up a world of pneumatic tools, another income stream, not to mention I can dive as much as I want for free. I started diving when I was 15 and was an avid, avid, avid diver to my mid 30’s. I’m really excited.

Today was a good day :) !

The video puts my Canon HD1A HD camera to shame and its so small.

Just thought I’d let you know.

Ben Brown

Thanks for the bit of wisdom. Your right it doesn’t matter which way I go. I do a lot of planing and study charts and cruising guides but at the end of the day I always end up making a quick decision and going with my gut. It’s just my process.

I’m going to check out the hostels in Panama City next week and start talking to the managers about backpacker trips. They want $25 a head referral fee but it’s worth it. That will leave me $450 each and I’ll take 5 back packers ($2,250). Minus expenses I’ll probably walk with $1,750 wich will buy me a lot of labor upon my return. I’ll be back in a few weeks.

For the first time since the girls left I really feel emotionally sound. My objectives and perspective are back and I feel the entire storm behind me. I don’t think I want to do the rainy season in Panama again and may go through the canal this summer. Another option is for me to go North in the Pacific as I’ve always wanted to cruise the sea of Cortez, or South and check out Ecuador. The cool thing about Ecuador is it is in the southern hemisphere and I will be leaving at the end of the dry season, entering the dry season again :)

If I were to go North to Mexico I would be sailing into the Pacific hurricane season. Many cruisers have told me its not so bad, as the hurricanes start in Mexico and the are only minor and there are plenty of places to hide. I’ll have to research it a bit.

If I go through the canal I’d like to cross the Pacific again (February/March) but do it a bit higher this time. Marquesas, Kirbaiti, Tuvalu, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, then into Asia. I get excited just writing about it :) A lot less wind there and I will have to use my Drifter a lot and figure out how to become proficient single handing my Spinnaker.

First things first, Clean up Splendid!

Happy Thursday :)