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I attended the first Trawlerfest in 1994 in Port Orchard. Finally we had a boat event just for Trawlers, my kind of boat. At the first TF I met the Sinks who had just finished circumnavigating in their Nordhavn 46. It was totally inspiring to talk…

This was the front page of the Seattle Times a few decades ago and unlike everything else in Seattle, it is unchanged. Opening Day is what makes Seattle special. It touches every walk of life, every generation, every region, every kid who every co…

After 43 hours and five flights I landed in Seattle on a brilliant sunny day. Seattleites go wild when the sun finally comes out, even though it was a 30 degree temperature drop for me. I reunited with some good friends and attended a meeting of my…

So I am sitting by myself by a beautiful swimming pool at happy hour. I am kinda feeling sorry for myself, waaaaa, something I rarely do and for very short periods of time—like I have anything to feel sorry for— i needed to take a different view of things–when a chap comes by with a Canadian shirt on. “What part of Canada?” I query, to which he answers and returns the question. From there I learned he is a pilot and has flown into Paine field and even Friday Harbor. We exchange bits about airplanes and I learn Capt. Gaspar’ is a training captain for Eurocopter, a French high end helicopter and is here training medivac pilots.  Not one to be shy I pose the question if I might get a ride, sure! You will be a guest of the Malaysian government.

I eagerly await the call the next day and hear Capt. Gaspar’s cheery voice. We make arrangements and I take a cab to the nearby airport. Once there I watch the preflight briefing of the student and check list read off. I know enough about flying to know this guy knows allot more than me!

I get in the back seat, buckle up and put on the Dave Clark headset, been a long time since I had one on and listened to a control tour, sounds great. We lift off and head east towards the mountains. The pilot does some navigation and maneuvers and we head to a nearby dirt airfield where the real test will take place.

Enroute we fly over Tigar Island, the place we anchored and did those great mud baths. Putting things into perspective, it took us all day to get from Tigar to KK on Furthur—about ten minutes by air.

Safety regulations did not allow me to be on the plane during their emergency engine out drills so they dropped me off on the ground, where I was given a nice chair and an umbrella for the sun.  While sitting in this rather silly pose, a water buffalo passed by just outside the fence. Tis a strange life I lead for sure.

I watched as they simulated engine out at take off and a few other drills then board the plane. Capt. Gasper took the controls and we did some passes of the three islands we had anchored and dove near. I could actually see divers in the water below! On the way back we flew over the Sutera Harbor Marina where Furthur is moored.

Back on the ground I watched as now Capt. Albano was congratulated and began his career as an AS 355NP type rated pilot.  Thank you Capt. Gaspar’ for a remarkable day and a different view.

Once again Furthur is featured on the findacrew.net site.  Take a look!
https://www.findacrew.net/secure-server/eng/testimonial.asp?TstID=FAC110

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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As I sit rooftop cruising in the beautiful Malay waters.. I have David Gray’s album playing in the background and the peaceful ambiance of the splashing waves. Life is fabulous – and I think of how fortunate I am to be here!

I joined Furthur 2 months ago after spending the last year traveling around parts of Asia. When in the Philippines a fellow traveler told me about the website, Findacrew.net and mentioned that you can join sailors from all around the world.  When checking it out, I thought, ‘Wow, this sounds like an incredible experience that I would love to endure!’  Brian & I got in contact in November and spoke about joining the crew, however I had travel plans to meet up with my sister in India until mid February so couldn’t commit to anything until after that.

Being on the boat has been a very relaxing time since leaving bamboozling India. Mostly, I love having my own bedroom, my clothes out of my backpack and in drawers, and a galley to cook in. Marina & I spend our days deciding what delicious meal to create next – from fresh seafood, to exotic salads, to home baked goods. And boy is it nice to have the opportunity to eat western food again.

The cruising lifestyle has opened my eyes to something I would love to continue to partake in the future.  From waking up early to do yoga at sunrise while a school of dolphins dance at the bow, jumping off the top deck into the deep blue waters, kayaking into bat filled caves, daily scuba diving adventures and meeting fabulous people from all walks of life having the same common interest – boating!

I have learnt a lot in the past months.. about cruising, waterways, cultures, people and myself. I want to thank Brian for allowing me this opportunity and opening my eyes to a lovely lifestyle, and Marina for being the perfect crew mate and great new friend!

So as the burning hot sun shines on my back, a cold drink in hand, the most peaceful surroundings, and a big smile on my face… I am thankful for each and every moment available – this is your life, blink and you’ll miss it!

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I’m re-visiting this post that I wrote almost a month ago… and just finished our ‘Last Supper’ on the boat before Marina and I jump ship and sail to Japan. We made it to Borneo safely and have spent the last 2 weeks surrounded by beautiful crystal waters diving, swimming and relaxing aboard.  Things have sure changed since I joined the boat … Marina and I are currently drinking RED wine out of Selene wine GLASSES! Shocking moment on Furthur – since both red wine and glasses are no-no’s,

 1. Red wine stains, 2. Glass shatters!

So, let’s just say this is the ultimate sign that we’ve gained the trust of Brian. Cheers!

Until next time ..Peace & Love,

Amy

The loss of a True Hero.

Today I received an email from my old friend and anti whaling activist, Will Anderson. It simply stated I needed to call him as the message had to be made in person. I knew what it was as tears began to fall and I skyped his number. Alberta “Binki” Thompson had passed away.  Will had been a loyal aid to Binki for the last decade and knew I had a strong love of this courageous hero.

Back in the late 90’s the Makay Tribe decided to end their hundred year moratorium on killing whales. This was a diabolical plot including the Clinton Administration, VP Al Gore in the lead, National Marine Fisheries, The National Marine Sanctuary, Japanese and Norwegian whaling interests.  The news frenzy was amazing as anti whalers butted heads with heavily federally funded tribal leaders. The tribe members either joined the force or kept quiet due to extreme pressure. All but one; then 76 year old Makah elder, Alberta Thomson, took a stand.

The anti Whalers rallied around Binki. I hosted a series of seminars to show the public why we were against the killing of whales as the press was only showing one side. As speakers I had Capt. Paul Watson, a selection of other anti whaling activists, Congressman Jack Metcalf and my new friend Binki. When she told of her close encounters with grey whales and the bond she felt with them, there was not a dry eye in the audience.  I had to actually rearrange the speakers as I had the Congressman last at the first event but felt bad introducing him with teary eyes to a sobbing audience, from then on Binki was the anchor.

The tribal leaders took a no tolerance stand against anyone who opposed them. Binki suffered horrendously at the hands of the tribal leaders. She lost her job, her daughter lost her land rights and they even killed her little dog! It took courage like most us will never know to stand her ground. She would not yield. She used every opportunity to speak against the killing of these fine animals and she did it with poise and charm always speaking calmly and with love.  

Binki spent the last years of her life quietly in a rest home near her native home at Neah Bay.  She was not forgotten by the whale activists that visited her often and kept in touch.

There are a few things that I just know about the world beyond and one is that Binki is sitting next to God, for I know God smiles on those who help his precious whales.

It has been a while since I talked about how I named my boat and why. I now have a clearer understanding of the significance of the name, it came with a destiny.  Often I am asked about the name, if the inquirer is American and of an age to remember the 60’s or young enough to study the 60’s I give detail.  For other queries I just say it is a name of a famous bus.

Furthur was the name of the bus that hippy icon Ken Kesey bought in 1964. The bus was driven by the muse to all the great artists of the era, Neal Cassidy. Hence I call my auto pilot Neal.  The Merry Pranksters along with Ken took the bus across the country in a psychedelic jaunt that set the stage for many adventures for many years, mine is one of them.

Here is more information, one correction is that the name was first painted as Furthur then changed, hence the recognition of the miss spelling. Zane Kesey once said it was the most talked about wrong spelling of our time.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Further_%28bus%29

With a lifelong affection for all things beatnik and hippy I read “Electric Kool Aid Acid Test” by Tom Wolf as a youngster, along with “On the Road” and “The Dharma Bums” by Jack Kerouac. I longed for adventure and traveling with a close knit group of people not bound by the accepted norms.  My first vehicle was a panel truck which we painted up a bit and traveled the local area in as a group of “long hairs”.

The freedom and dreams of my youth soon passed into the adult world of business. I did keep my need for independence and uniqueness, always a bit quirky as my Mom would say.  I was usually self employed and I lived aboard boats most of my life.

The dream of world cruising was planted early and I cultivated friends in the cruising world as fast as I could. I knew someday I would cast off the lines for good. I also knew I would have “the boat” to do it in and I knew what that boat should be named, Furthur. I kept that name in my head for many years.

So when my Selene 48 was delivered and I knew she could go further than any boat I had owned, the name was a natural.

This name required special graphics, no normal font would do. So I went into the graphics company next door, Prism Graphics, threw open the door and said, “are there any old hippies working here?” a young lad popped up and said, “I am a young hippy” to which I put the question, “what does the name Furthur mean to you?” a fast response of “Ken Kesey’s bus” and I knew I had my man.

The bus and Kesey had strong ties to The Grateful Dead, a band I have been a loyal fan of for decades. So the graphics had to include Deadhead hints. The Bears are a symbol originated by sound engineer and chemist extraordinaire, Owsley. The hand print with the finger missing is the right hand of Jerry Garcia.  The steal your face emblem in the O of Harbor is another dead label originally used to ID equipment at festivals.

Furthur is living up her name, we have gone further than most boats ever will, and we are going further yet. When things get rough and things break we always keep going further.

The real legacy is in the crew. Having an evolving group of fantastic young people join me was not originally part of the plan, at least not a part I was aware of. You see I know there is a plan and a planner and that I am on a need to know basis and that is OK with me.  So it is clearly part of this adventure to share it with many and to have them share with me. The spirit that led the original Furthur and its intrepid travelers lives on.

So now I am about to say farewell to two of the best crew I have had, a sad farewell it will be indeed. Marina joined first about two months ago.  My third German crew and a tribute to her kind, Marina is precise, inquisitive and committed to excellence.  Marina quickly learned all the working aspects of the boat, dinghy launching, anchoring, watches and all the rest. She demanded to thoroughly understand each procedure not just accepting but understanding.

Well educated and very intelligent she has strong convictions and an inquiring mind. We had many an intricate discussion on complicated issues, always keeping respect and love even when we strongly disagreed. 

It did not take long for Marina to thoroughly reorganize the galley and keep good records. All this with the real bonus, she is an excellent cook. We all love food; each culture has its identifying foods and a passion for them. No one loves food like the Germans! I watched the utter joy as my German friends talk about Schnitzel and sausage and sauerkraut. Marina is no different. I was the beneficiary of her love of food for two months.

 If there is one thing Marina loves more than food it is diving. She soon became a great dive partner, always eager to “get wet”.  

Then came Amy. Amy had all options it takes to become a real spoiled brat, a true prima donna, a Canadian Paris Hilton. She chose not to be. Born of privilege, a loving, supporting and huge family and stunning beauty it would have been so easy for her to take the easy path. She chose not to. 

Amy is bold in a way rarely seen, bold with charm and poise, bold with grace. After graduating from uni she saved money earned as a waitress and is seeing the world. Like so many backpackers she lives from her small pack and a smaller purse. Hostels and camping out over Hiltons and caravans is the way they live. Like all backpackers her wardrobe is in her pack, unlike most she has an uncanny way of looking fantastic and ever changing, all from things carried in a small pack. I will so miss her constant changes and eloquent attire made from near rags as she bounced about the boat like it was a Cosmo shoot.

Her dedication to fitness was unparalleled in Furthur history. I would arise early only to find her standing on her head in a yoga position on the pilot house top or doing those goofy squats. I enjoyed many a long run with her, Ok I started with her but never could not keep up but she always waited doing those goofy squats again, the grace part in action.

Amy took to life on Furthur instantly; she too learned the ropes fast and enjoyed doing so. There was nothing she did not want to learn; OK we are still working on the bowline knot, hahaha.  In no time I knew I had a good reliable crew and could relax. This was about the time we set out on a 1500 mile trip to Borneo. It is easy to love the cruising life in Thailand, all party, short hops and easy going. Crossing four countries is another story. Both Amy and Marina loved it, loved the night watches the long days and the unknown.

So, yes, a sad farewell is coming in a few days, I will miss both of them terribly. Both know they are welcome back anytime and I hope they will return. Both are headed to great adventures and wonderful times. It will be a sad day when I lower the Canadian and German flags from the crew halyard. But not to worry, the “planner” has it covered and I hear Iranian, Aussie and Spanish flags are in the wind.

Impressions from a midnight watch 9pm to Midnight / Singapore – Miri (Borneo) 24. to 28.03.2012

While writing this, I am sitting underneath a breathtaking night sky somewhere between Singapore and the northwestern tip of Borneo. We’ve been on open water for more than 24 hours – maybe that accounts for all the philosophical thoughts you start to have and feel need to share on a blog. I apologize in advance….

The stars above shine so bright. They seem so close and are so many that I sit here just stunned. Venus is shining… right next to the moon and most nights she is visible as the first planet before it even gets dark. It looks like a blanket drawn over us and looking up I sense eternity; feeling small and unimportant and protected at the same time.

Being out on the water I realize how little practical knowledge I have for being on a boat. Star signs? Constellation of planets? Navigation by stars at night, without compass or radar? Not possible. But how well my western civilized knowledge still sticks after one year of being away. I can still name and draw Germany’s most important Autobahn routes and tell you how to navigate around traffic jams on the way from Frankfurt to Munich. Doesn’t help me much out here!

I am in full responsibility for the boat and its crew, Brian and Amy. Thank goodness there aren’t a lot of these little, ill-lit fishing boats. Once in a while a BIG tanker or container ship shows up on the radar, and I watch it closely and try to estimate which direction it’ll take. These guys are so big that they would never get the idea to change their course for us, a ‘small’ 50-foot boat. Oh well, I’ll change ours then – you shouldn’t discuss to long with someone being five times your size.

“Wake me before they come to close” Brian’s words are in my head. Nervously, I fiddle with the autopilot and sometimes change course miles ahead just to realize afterwards that we would have never met. Going around Singapore was a nightmare when looking at a radar screen. ‘Sleeping Giants’, as we call them, were all over the place. It was like playing one of the computer games from the 80’s with low pixel graphics and having to navigate around undefined obstacles.

Have you ever seen a sunrise on open water? I wonder if fishermen have as many words for water then people from Seattle for rain or Canadians do for snow. What number was it again? Something around forty? The ocean will come in any color from charcoal-grey early morning, just before dawn to greenish-blue and dark blue late afternoon, when the sun is up. Not even starting on the turquoise colors it’ll take around the tropical reefs. And then, just when you think nothing can top this sunrise, a school of dolphins begin to dance at the bow. The three of us stand there, amazed, shouting of joy, all excited and emotional. Suddenly, the dolphins decide to skip away, and just like that they are gone. Left behind, we are all still excited and deeply touched… as happy as you can only be on a boat. And for moments like these, we know exactly why we are travelling.

Happy travels to all of you, Marina

We left Brunei and came to the Malaysian port of Labuan which is well known for being a duty free island. A quick one night stop, check in to Malaysia, in and out of Labuan, the girls buy a bit of wine and away we go. Next stop is Tiga Island, about 35 miles up the coast. Tiga Island was “put on the map” as the site of the first Survivor episodes. All that remains of the glory are two small resorts and a large unused park.

Diving is the driver to come here, we finally see clear clean water and read the rave reviews of the dive sites. The anchorage is great, all alone and quiet at last. Amy and I do a fast dive under the boat but find only mud. The next day after a wonderful morning and breakfast we head around the reef to find some underwater treasures. Real live, colorful and full of life coral at last.

After the dive a big squall comes in with a torrential down poor, so we have a matinee. A friend gave me a bunch of movies in Phuket, some of my favorite musicals. I had not had the chance to see them so here it was. I clicked on one of my all time favorites, Oliver. The girls endured my exuberant love of musicals and got a chuckle watching me watch the flick. I do love my musicals.  Oliver has some catchy tunes and we all spent the next day singing, “Consider yourself a friend” and “I’d do anything for you” ahhhh they just do not make them like they used to.

We arose and prepared for the day in the warm sun and calm water. There is a reef a mile away and it is marked by a navigation buoy. We head to the reef and find the local dive boat already tied to the buoy—ya in Malaysia you can tie your boat to a aids to navigation—they friendly skipper gives us some information and we drop in the water. This is a spectacular diving with stunning coral and abundant fish. We all pop up with big smiles.

After the dive the girls prepare a picnic lunch and we head to the white sandy beach in front of the boat.  We have a scrumptious lunch of Pad Thai, pasta salad and cookies and chocolate for desert. We are all alone on a tropical beach with clear emerald water lapping at its shore and along comes a monkey out of the jungle to check us out. He is very shy and makes a brief visit.

Next we head to the center of the island, still singing Oliver songs, to find the famous volcanic mud baths. A 1.4 click walk and we arrive at the scene. Two holes filled with grey thick oozing mud that burps up bubbles from deep below. We crawl in the mud and find that we all float like bobbers. We float laying back, sitting up and even kneeling, it is amazing. The mud is warmed by the deep volcanic action and is so soothing it is just wonderful. We crawl out of the mud like primeval beings walking on two legs for the first time. There are no facilities to clean off so we take the long walk back as the mud dries on our skin. We run to the sea and begin scrapping off the mud laughing so hard it is difficult to stand.

What we learn is the daily routine another squall passes by but not with as much liquid and the day before. A quiet night and up to hit the dive site again. The sun is shining as we make our way back to the same reef. This time we explore the perimeter. We love this place so much, it is why we did the mad rush so we could have extra time here so we decide to stay another day.  Another day in paradise is always nice.