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  • I'm now a salty dog

    24 hr distance record (water)
    31st July 2007 - By adventuresofgreg

    This is me now, one experienced salty dog.

    Helen, my son Cody, and I spent 5 days living and learning aboard our chartered 39 foot Bavaria yacht cruising the islands south and east of Vancouver Island. Our captain was a lovely girl from Brisbane, Australia who teaches here in Canada during her winter, and runs a charter business at home with her husband during her summer.


    The weather sucked – rain set records and this photo shows fog that never happens in July. We didn’t mind though – the scenery was spectacular.

    The purpose of the sailing adventure was two-fold. First, Helen and I have often wondered if sailing the seven seas was something that we might like to get into some day. Second, I need some real ocean experience and education and this was the perfect starting point.


    This is Helen at the Helm, our instructor Kelly from down-unda on the Starboard side and my son Cody texting his girl friend.

    After our exams, all three of us walked away with our “Canadian Yachting Association Basic Cruising Standard” certifications. We can now charter a 34 foot sailing yacht by ourselves. yikes.

    Cody at the helm

    Our fearless instructor Kelly from Melbourne, Australia

    The next step is to advance to an intermediate course that would take me out into the open ocean. This course should better prepare me for what I might expect on an ocean crossing.

    Kelly was a great captain and the course was very informative. My brain is still sore from all the thinking and learning. Sailing terminology seems like a whole new language. Port, Stern, Headsail, Mainsail, Halyard, lines, sheets, a close hauled tack. But the week was fantastic – we all loved it and feel like we learned so much.

    Kelly learning us some ‘portant sail’n stuff

    Cody MSN’ing his girlfriend. Sometimes we docked in a marina that offered wireless.
    A morning photo from the deck of our yacht “New Beginnings”
    ———————————–

    Last summer was pretty crazy with adventure and travel packed into our very short 3 to 4 month window of summer weather a-way up North here in Calgary. This summer is no different. Here is a quick list of some of events that we have checked off our summer to-do list, as well as what is still to come:

    June 2-3: The human powered pedal boat 24 hour distance record. Actually, that really started in May with trips to the Glenmore Reservoir with WiTHin (my human powered pedal boat) where I ended up logging over 60 hours pedaling WiTHiN around the lake.

    July 11 – 15:
    Helen and I spent a week in Montreal for Cody’s Senior National Diving Championships. Cody did very well and Helen and I were able to take advantage of the change in environment to fit in some great training for Ironman Canada.

    July 18-24:
    As soon as we returned from Montreal, the three of us were off to Victoria for the sailing course. Krista is in Ecuador on a Teenage Adventure trip with Adventures Cross Country

    August 16-27:
    We are at our Cabin in Whitefish, Montana to fit in some last minute training.

    August 23-27:
    We will head straight to Penticton, BC to compete in the 25th anniversary of Ironman Canada on August 26th!

    August 28 – Sept 2:
    From Penticton, we head directly to Vancouver Island for a kayaking/camping trip through the Broken Islands off the east coast of Vancouver island.

    Sept 10-18:
    Ben Eadie, John Mackay, Helen, Cody, Krista and myself fly off to Los Angeles to participate at Wired Magazines NEXTfest.2007 technology exhibition where we will disp
    lay Critical Power and our new streamliner simulator.

    Sept 20-30:
    Helen and I are off on a bike trip around Italy to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

    Sometime in October:
    A trip back out to Vancouver Island for some ocean testing in the full top-deck version of WiTHiN!

    ——————————–

    Have you seen this map? It’s pretty frightening:

    http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/fit.nation/obesity.map/

  • No Responses to “I'm now a salty dog”

    • Anonymous on July 31, 2007

      Greg, Finally something i know better than bike and boat engeneering! Sailing is one of the things i like the most. Just a tip, sailing a 39 foot boat has nothing to do with sailing a 12 foot boat. Try sailing a Laser or a dingue before you go for your trip. The machanic involved in sailing a big boat and a small boat is very diferent.

      Sailing is one of the best things to do in life (for me, off course)!

    • Anonymous on August 1, 2007

      …and a sail bicycle to travel over the prairie is a pretty darn good hoot too.

      John Snyder

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