I love a good quote! The right words put together in a simple sentence can inspire a lifetime of work, start a revolution, or change the way we perceive things. Quotes are ideas that we can easily share with one and other. They are short and easy to understand, well at least they should be.
Here is one for the Alex Dorsey quote hall of fame:
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
Words for me to live by!
I saw a bit of the news the other day as I was setting up free wifi at my friend Hanz’s restaurant. I ordered and installed a 3G router from eBay for him and the free wifi seems to be a hit. More cruisers are buying $1.00 beers from him and he’s happy : ) CNN really gets me down, it’s a bit surreal, and is akin to having a really bad dream. A bad economy I can live with, but how long can we go on with this ridiculous war, seriously?
We need the hippies back!
I’ve been reading about Einstein since I read “Einstein’s dreams” a month or so back and got on this whole time kick. What an insightful man!
Here are two Einstein quotes to go with your coffee this morning. I’m posting these quotes as inspired by run in with CNN:
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
– Albert Einstein
I took the tape off the clock in my galley yesterday morning. Not because I have any pressing engagements, but because I figure it’s better to be a master of mechanical time then to ignore it. The funny thing is I’m totally oblivious to it. My eyes don’t stray to the clock when I’m hungry, tired, or merely from habit. If they do the tape will go back on. Perhaps putting a strip of tape over the TV for those dreaming of cruising & freedom would be a good idea?
My time to sail will come soon!
I’m almost 75% done with Splendids decks & paint. You can see from the picture that the starboard side & aft cabin house is now all white, as is most of the toe rail. YEEEHAAA!
As the dry season is approaching quickly, I’m able to work at the speed I like which seems to be about 4 hours a day on my outside work. A few more hours go into reading & writing, and a few to my guitar. My time is also consumed by taking pictures & video and dealing with the mundane aspects of life like dishes and cleaning Splendid’s bottom. I also spend a few hours a day in my hammock contemplating my navel (just thinking) and starring at the stars. I tell you it really beats CNN! My hammock is where many of my travel dreams are born. I will hatch them on the salty, clean, white, decks of Splendid in the not too distant future. Most of my dreams are of sailing Africa and Asia.
I’ve realized something important. I don’t have time for a job, bills, insurance, credit or material crap. I don’t even have time for mechanical time, It would interfere with my dreams & ambitions. Sounds a bit backwards doesn’t it? That being said I do need to go make a little money in the San Blas, but like time, I wish to master money and not be controlled by it. I hope to find the balance of time & money that suits my lifestyle and provides me the optimum balance of peace & harmony. Minimalism is my path, revolution, and legacy. I hope more people will ask for less and become so absolutely free that your very existence will become an act of rebellion. It feels really good!
When I look at Splendid, squint, and see her all painted & proud she looks ready to go. I will not have to squint soon and will raise sail to sail far and live slowly .
I cut and filled 104 screw shafts out of the decks yesterday, I would guesstimate I have about 400 left on the port side and I’m done with that horrible job. A few weeks of sun will get me finished with the decks, chain plates, and screw shafts. I have to reinstall hand rails, blocks, winches, which will take another week or so. I’m also going to paint the hull which will take a weekish or so. Just because I’m lean on financial means does not mean Splendid should show it. I’m going to remove the rub rails, fill and fair a few gouges in the hull, prime, and spray or possibly roll. I will most likely do this in the San Blas as I’m chartering or running backpackers to Zapzurro Colombia, but who knows. Perhaps some money will come from another avenue. I need to get a new computer so I can start editing video. I’m thinking to raise some money on kickstarter.com. I’m also going to have to think of hauling at some point as it has been about 4 years since I bought and splashed Splendid.
I’ve started building a charter page which is under the members bar. I will shoot a video (SD) to go in the player, its blank now. If your interested on the technical aspects & cost of getting to San Blas for a visit you may want to check it out even though it is still under construction. Splendid and I can be had in the San Blas for about $300 a day plus a little for diesel, food, and drinks. It’s less than half what smaller boats are asking and think it is a very good value.
“There is a time for departure even when there is no certain place to go.” – Tennessee Williams
Also appropriate, however I don’t know the author is:
“All good navigators don’t know where they are going until they arrive.” 
I will store my trusty steed (Yamaha DT 175) at a friend’s house while I’m gone to make it more comfortable on Splendid for charters and life in the islands.
Next Monday I have a date with Margo. Margo and her husband have been cruising around the world for over 30 years. Margo is going to help me overcome one of my greatest fears, canning. I have been interested in canning for many years. I’ve made and canned some jam & chutney as a test and it came out really good. However my real interest is in canning meat & seafood on a large scale. I’ve read a number of books on home canning and they give very precise times, temperatures, pressures, and jar sizes for canning meats. I find it all a bit overwhelming and have stayed away from it in fear of killing myself with botulism. When I told her that at thanksgiving dinner she laughed at me and invited me over for a crash course in home canning. Margo and her husband live on home canned meats and still don’t have refrigeration on their boat, my kind of people. I had some home canned chicken & pate a while back. The chicken was so lovely I still can’t believe how horrible store bought canned chicken tastes. It’s dry and tasted like canned tuna, YUCK! My ultimate goal is to hunt, kill, and can my own red meat, fowl, and seafood. I don’t know if you guys remember but I was killing a lot of chickens in Polynesia with my wrist rocket, yummy!
A few technical notes.
I’m contemplating moving from propane to kerosene as a cooking fuel so if anyone has any comments, please post them. Splendid’s stove is really on her last legs. I’ve heard of a ships kerosene stove for sale that I’m going to look at in a few weeks. The pluses of kerosene seem to far outweigh the negatives. Kerosene is more readily available in the world. I can get it at the supermarket here as I’m shopping and don’t need to make a special trip. I don’t need to stress over who has the right adapters, lug around the big tanks, and kerosene burns much hotter and is more enjoyable to cook with. The system is much simpler and I don’t need expensive gas solenoids, fume detectors, and I don’t have to store my fuel on deck. However my favorite plus is it can’t turn splendid into a big bomb. I heard a boat blow up and watched it burn in the Bahamas, there was nothing left. Since I don’t carry insurance kerosene may be a good way for me to go. I would still keep a propane grill but the fuel and grill will be outside. Burning propane is about 30% cheaper but I figure the increase in cooking cost will be outweighed by insurance & simplicity in my home. The kerosene stove also doubles as a good cabin heater which I will invariably need in the future.
I’m also really excited about getting weatherfax on the iphone via the SSB radio. Some people seem to be thinking outside of the box and merging new tech with old:
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/ipad/iPad_HF_FAX_Weather_Fax_App.html
If a small computer draws 5 amps an hour, then getting weaterfax on the iphone will save me about 12 to 25 amps a day depending if I receive the fax’s once or twice in a 12 hour period. The iphone can also be stored in a waterproof case and mounted next to the SSB which will protect it from the damp salty environment of the boat. I just put my satphone up for sale as I just can’t afford the minutes. With weatherfax and my EPIRB I’ll be set. I wont be able to post blogs from sea but that’s how it is.
One more quote to chew on:
If war is ever lawful, then peace is sometimes sinful” – C.S. Lewis
Peace, Love, and Coconuts
Sail far and live slowly.
alex dorsey
a master of time and money (at least in my own mind)!