Tag Archives | trawler

July 8 – Day Two: The Ship

By on July 9, 2019 in The Pearl

“The sea fires our imagination and rekindles our spirit.” —Wyland 

Today was our first full day on the ship. We enjoyed a nice breakfast sitting outside in the Sunset Lounge, which is located on the stern of the ship. We arrived before the crowd and it was very enjoyable. For lunch we decide to eat in the main dining room where it was quiet and relaxing. The food has been very good and we can order as many dishes as we want. Most servings are small, so it is easy to try many things.
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Back, Only Better

By on July 9, 2019 in aCappella

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora arrived back at Georgetown Yacht Basin last week in preparation for Red Head’s second haul out. Sort of deja vu all over again. Only this time it’s better.

GYB built a set of stairs just for the crew.
No more scaling a series of platforms and ramps. Or being shuttled around in a forklift. Although the forklift was kinda cool…

The crew loves it. 

And uses them without hesitation. In addition, the yard hooked up special hoses and pumps so now there is real air conditioning onboard. Not too shabby.

Return to Lappeenranta

By on July 8, 2019 in M/V Dirona

From Lake Pihlajavesi we ran 71 miles back to Lappeenranta, overnighting partway along. We’d gone through almost all the gasoline we bought in Nynashamn back in April, so stopped off at Puumala to fill our gas tanks for the tender and top up our diesel. At Lappeenranta we found a surprisingly secluded anchorage just north…

July 7 – Day One: The Adventure Begins

By on July 8, 2019 in The Pearl

“Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.” ―Hunter S. Thompson

Our ship, Celebrity Summit, is sailing out of Cape Liberty. The cruise port is located in Bayonne, NJ and is part of the New York Harbor with views of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and all of lower Manhattan. We’ve cruised in and out of New York Harbor on The Pearl seven times, but this time Stan can actually relax and take in the view. No matter how many times we come through this harbor it’s still exciting and feels surreal. There are so many things to see and so much to take in.
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Bermuda Adventure

By on July 7, 2019 in The Pearl
“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.” —Robert Henri

We’re going on a cruise, but not on The Pearl. This time we’re cruising out of NYC to Bermuda on Celebrity’s Summit, with 2,156 of our closest friends. 😂 Well…you know that’s not exactly true, but maybe a few will be friends by the end of the cruise. We’re going to be one of the masses on this trip.

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Lake Pihlajavesi

By on July 6, 2019 in M/V Dirona

The Saimaa Ringed Seal are among the most endangered in the world, with a current population below 400 animals. They have been isolated from other Ring Seal species for nearly 10,000 years when the the land rose in the last ice age, and are one of the few living freshwater seals. Sightings are rare, but…

Wrangell

By on July 6, 2019 in Idyll Time

Saying goodby to the small hamlet of Myers Chuck, we have another beautiful day as we enter Ernest Sound. It is only May and the temperatures are in the 70’s with bright sun. We stop for several hours in search of a Halibut. We catch several nice size Rockfish. The largest is a Yelloweye weighing […]

Imatra

By on July 5, 2019 in M/V Dirona

Imatrankoski, the rapids on the Vuoksi River, have been a tourist attraction since the late 1700s and are one of 27 “National Landscapes of Finland” selected for their great symbolic value and cultural or historical significance. Since 1929 the rapids have been blocked by the Imatra Hydroelectric Plant, but the dam is regularly opened in…

Punkaharju Ridge

By on July 4, 2019 in M/V Dirona

The Punkaharju Ridge near Savonlinna is a centuries-old travel route formed about 10,000 years ago when the continental glacier receded in eastern Finland. The natural beauty of the area has attracted tourists for two centuries and today the region is protected as a nature reserve and has been designated one of 27 “National Landscapes of…

Savonlinna

By on July 4, 2019 in M/V Dirona

The Swedish began building Olavinlinna castle in 1475 to strengthen their eastern border with Russia, and the town of Savonlinna grew up around the fortification. Today the city of 33,000 hosts the Savonlinna Opera Festival at Olavinlinna, annually drawing about 60,0000 visitors. Savonlinna also is the home port of Finland’s largest fleet of historic steamships,…