Sailors have a unique language all their own: On a boat, the front isn’t called the front. It’s the “bow”. The back of the boat’s the “stern”. The “port” side is on the left and the “starboard” side is on the right, but only if you’re facing the bow – if you’re facing the stern, it’s the opposite. Below decks, the “head” is the toilet because it used...

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Okay. It’s time to bite the bullet and write about what happened and why we’re (still) on the hardstand. It’s not an easy thing to do. The last place in the world we want to be is sitting in a boatyard – we just spent four weeks on the hard in October, after all. But it is what it is, so we might as well tell you all...

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When I started this blog, I was young and foolish. Okay. Maybe not so young, but definitely foolish. And I made a lot of mistakes. I’m not alone in this. My blogging-buddy from The Cynical Sailor and His Salty Sidekick has written a post on the subject that reflects similar experiences. And now that I’m starting our second official blog, which is called “From the Towpath”, I wanted...

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Cambria at anchor in Carr Inlet, South Sound. I envy bloggers who are able to sit down and write about something, anything, off the top of their heads. That’s not me. Not normally, anyway. I spend my time fussing over the details: Is the grammar correct? Is that what I really meant to say? What purpose does it serve? The truth is, I’m more interested in editing than...

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