I HATE SHOES

 She doesn't like sailing. And that's fine. It's boring, hot, and slow, says she. I can't argue. My friend Eddie has a 14' Cape Dory in the municipal marina that he lets me use at my leisure. Can't complain about a free boat to use, so I took him up on it. My friends Moose and Danielle, along with Charlotte motored out past the breakwater, set the sails and headed out to the Reggae Fest on the other side of the pier. When we got there, and dodged the sunken boat, we thought we might drop anchor and stay for a bit. I told my friend Moose to take the helm while I figured the anchor situation out up on the foredeck. I found the chain and started to pull it out of the hawsepipe and was surprised to see that the 1/4" chain had been reduced to 1/16" at best by rust. "Nope, were not anchoring today!" I said as I hobbled back to the cockpit, the boat bouncing in the motorboat created chop. We set the sails again and headed back to the dock. This was ...

After a blissful Christmas at brother's house with his family in Stuart, and my new little nephew, I drove back to Sarasota to start working on getting the engine out from under the cockpit. I got to my sweet Soveraine on Sunday morning and, after getting the lock open, couldn't slide the companionway hatch forward. This had never happened before. No amount of pushing could get it over the drop slides, it was as if they had swelled for some reason. I took out my sawzall and cut a tiny bit away from the top drop slide and it slid open. I was dumbfounded. The entire cabin was submerged in four inches of standing water. Nearest I can tell, during the fall the oak tree, that the jackass trailer park owner let the jackass of a hauler park my boat under, had shed all its tiny goddamn leaves which clogged my cockpit drains causing water to spill into the cabin. Luckily my dad was there to keep my spirits high and attitude in check, because I was in a throw in the towel, no good, d...

Yes, I know this is only my second post in 2015, which is almost over. Not much to report on however, just living in New Jersey and teaching math at a local public high school. Soveraine has been on the hard in that trailer park in Sarasota since last November, and I've been down a few times to work on her. As of right now, she is completely gutted with the exception of the engine, which will be coming out next week. Elizabeth and I purchased a new Beta 25 3-cylinder diesel from the boat show in Annapolis in October. I decided a few months ago to go the repower route as opposed to trying to keep up with an aging foreign model for which spare parts are harder and harder to come by. The Beta was our choice for a few reasons, not the least of which is the support they offer along with many options that make a repower from an older diesel a breeze. In addition to the new engine, I will be replacing her standing rigging with new stays and a set of swageless fittings, probably the Hi...

TRENTON - In a dramatic move that has stunned not only Republicans in Washington but has sent waves from coast to coast, Chris Christie has announced that he will not be running for the nation's highest office in 2016. From his home in Trenton Tuesday afternoon, he stated he will instead "pursue a quietly held lifelong dream of living and cruising on a small sailboat."  When asked why this sudden change of course occurred, Christie looked away from the cameras and other press members, and gazed somberly into the distance for a moment before saying, "I just can't do it anymore. It's gotten to the point where even I don't believe half the crap that comes out of my mouth. I'm not apologizing for anything as Governor, but I have to admit I haven't been at my best the past few years." Sources close to the Governor said in recent months he has been furiously reading the blog and  newly publis...

It was a bittersweet decision. On the one hand, I wasn't using Soveraine  all that much and over $300 per month to keep her in wet storage was getting expensive. Sure, I visit Florida pretty often, about every second or third month, but by the time I got to her slip and started in on some projects I'd want to complete I would realize how far behind I was on basic maintenance. This was getting annoying. Two steps back for every one step forward, and it seemed like every time I would visit she would be in worse shape than before. The piles of bird poop, the dead batteries, surface rust on the bow pulpit, oiling some teak, cleaning a musty, moldy cabin...you get the idea. It left little time for any actual improvements to her let alone any time to actually enjoy a sail in a short 3-4 day period. On the other hand, I need to replace the standing rigging, build and install a windvane, finish repainting the interior, shore up some play in the rudder, get some new ground tackle, com...

Well, self-published but nonetheless, I am on Amazon and you can get your copy today! Here is a link to Amazon's site where you can get either a Kindle or paperback version. If you would like a signed copy mailed to you, simply pay me via PayPal (smkeddy@gmail.com) and don't forget to include your address! From the back cover: " Growing up a sun-drenched kid in Florida, it was a rude awakening when I became a desk driving engineer in frigid Boston. So began a five year odyssey to return home via sailboat, filled with adventure, tragedy, love and heartbreak. From humble starts in questionable boats to high seas sailing from Hawaii to Alaska, and ultimately restoring a 50 year old world cruising boat, no, the journey wasn’t always easy, but it was unquestionably worth it in the end. You only get one spin around this merry-go-round, you better make it count." My goal is to sell a few hundred copies to justify my time and expenses, so your purchase of this book today...

I've been in New York (well, technically New Jersey) since February. I moved here to be with my new fiancee Elizabeth, and things were very quiet on the sailing front until recently. I've been working for a charter/sailing lesson company up on 79th Street and its been going very well so far. The Hudson River is known for its currents, fickle and shifty winds, massive amounts of boat traffic, very surgey unprotected marinas and things in the river that, well, shouldn't be. It does have some nice views of the city and Statue of Liberty though. All in all, not a great place to sail, but I'm on the water, and that's something.  I also managed to get my NJ teaching certification and hope to be using it in a classroom this fall. My sweet Soveraine  is docked in Florida, where I visit her every few months. I still plan to cruise on her extensively, but it will be more piecemeal for the next couple of years. I need to do some work on her anyway, including installing a win...