For updates on Crazy Daisy's route around the world with the Oyster world Rally, please go to
www.daisyatsea.com

So Long!

It's been quite a while since I've written anything on this site, and for those of you that still follow me on here, I apologize. These days I am working very hard on promoting and selling my book "No Fixed Address; Tales of a Reluctant Sailor", This takes up most of my time. I'm also posting on my website www.daisyatsea.com I was amazed when I checked in today, to see that so many people still regularly read my blog, thank you all for your loyalty. My husband and son who are on their way around the world with the Oyster World Rally are currently on route to Australia from Vanautu, expected to arrive in the next couple of days, for updates on their journey please check my website. Thank you all so much for reading my blog, and thank you for your comments. Cheers Heather

Tin Pan Alley!

Hello For those of you wondering what's happening in my crazy, crazy world, I'm posting all the Crazy Daisy news on my web site now -- www.daisyatsea.com. However, for my faithful blog followers I decided to post this: I'm currently chasing around once again like a headless chicken trying desperately to find another house, because once again I find myself having to move (sigh!, three times in three years, this is becoming a nightmare, I feel like a nomad. However, as I manage to usually find humor in all things, this came to mind yesterday as I drove out into unchartered (for me) territory to look at a possible house. bear in mind I did not know the area I was looking at, at all, had I known I probably wouldn't have had anything to write about today. I did make myself laugh as I was driving out to see yet another house, I mentally went through the directions I would give to anyone visiting me for the first (and probably last) time. “Once you leave the beautiful area of Avondale, head north east for about 10 minutes towards ‘Smellville’, drive over the train tracks and make a left at the adult entertainment store onto ‘Climax Lane’, take the third right past the jail ‘No Hope Street’, drive over the train tracks and follow this road until you see the shoes hanging over the power lines and make an immediate left turn ‘Dark Alley Road’, drive over the train tracks and past the three burnt down houses until you reach the sewerage plant where you will cross the train tracks and then turn immediately right onto 'Tin Pan Alley', my house is on the left between Joe’s Junk Yard and the boarded up house with all the bullet holes in the walls. Be careful pulling into my driveway as there's a small crater in the drive from a recent grenade!

Daisy Underway

Gatun Lake

Saturday 17th February We were all awake by 5am, one of our fun loving neighboring yachties used their loud haler to announce “Five am campers everyone up”. Our pilot for the day ‘Edwin’ was dropped off by the pilot boat before daylight, and by 6am our fleet was once again underway. The islands of rainforest surrounding the lake appeared like a vision through the early morning mist as the sun crept slowly over the horizon like a giant crimson orb. The lake was stunningly beautiful, and there was a lovely cooling wind blowing as all ten Oysters headed out together. Everyone was busy taking photographs, and Paul got a great one of ‘Mr. Frilly Knickers’ (explanation to follow) almost colliding head on with a tanker coming in the opposite direction. Fortunately all was well as his maneuvering skills aided in their missing the tanker and surviving to sail another day. I christened one of our fellow yachties “Mr. Frilly Knickers” after his fabulous costume worn at the pirate’s party, I don’t think I need to elaborate on that any further, but needless to say I won’t let him forget it… However, for privacy reasons I will keep the name of his boat secret. :o) The sail up the Gatun lake towards our next lock will be about three and a half hours. For my part, that’s not long enough, it could be ten hours, its so peaceful, calm water, and light cooling breezes. Although as I’m now writing this it’s almost 9:30 and the sun is already blisteringly hot. We have three more locks today, and then we will arrive in Panama. I’ve taken lots of photographs. PHOTOGRAPHS ON WEB SITE: www.daisyatsea.com

The Panama Canal

Saturday 16th February. The day has finally arrived where I will be transiting the canal, something I have wanted to do for a long time. The morning was quite frantic; a lot of chasing around, poor Edi was dealing with a hangover from the deepest darkest depths of Hell… However, he didn’t flinch from his assigned tasks, Bob and I were not giving any sympathy, and both he and Paul knew it, and set to work with a determined vigor. We were to be in the first group of Oyster’s scheduled to go through the canal. We would go through with 10 other boats; 9 of us would be rafted together in groups of 3, our group consisted of ‘Crazy Daisy’ port side, ‘Dreams Come True’, center, and ‘La Frigante’ on the starboard side. We all headed out of the marina one behind the other, it was quite a lovely sight 9 beautiful yachts all leaving together, then we all waited in ‘the flats’, an area off to the side of the entrance to the canal, where we waited for the pilot boat to bring us our official who would travel with us and instruct us on the procedure through the canal. Our official was a lovely, friendly young man called Edgar. Once aboard we headed towards the entrance to the canal. We all stopped short of the entrance where we could raft our boats together, it was not a terribly complicated procedure, but then we had to proceed as one boat, with all three captains driving and steering their boats as one, calling instructions to one another, while all the crew ran around grabbing lines, dropping fenders or photographing and filming the whole procedure, some of us just made cups of tea. We had one or two close calls, where the lines became too slack or too tight and our group of boats swung too hard one way or the other and we almost hit the huge concrete walls of the canal. Once through the first 3 locks we all untied our lines holding us together, separated and headed out into the beautiful Gatun lake, where we all anchored for the night. I made a smoked chicken & pineapple dish with sweet and sour sauce, and brown rice with black beans and baby pimentos for dinner. Shortly after dinner we all crashed, exhausted from our exciting day… PHOTOGRAPHS ON WEB SITE: www.daisyatsea.com

Quite a Lot of Nonsense.

Friday 15th February, It’s a fabulous party atmosphere here in Shelter Bay, the Oyster people are really helpful, and the other owners and crew are really friendly. We’re like a big happy (very busy) family. Fortunately for Ed there are lots of young people among the other boats, so thankfully he isn’t trapped with a group of ‘oldies’, he’s able to hang out with his peers, or should I say “rum swilling buddies”. Yesterday was very busy with all the last minute preparations for transiting the canal on Saturday. We had to get as much done as possible as we knew we wouldn’t have any opportunity to do any work today because we have the “Fort Lorenzo Pirate Party” this afternoon. This is where all the Oyster owners and crew get to dress up like pirates, in some very silly costumes, then board our assigned busses for the 20 minutes drive out to Fort Lorenzo, where Chef Chris and staff were waiting with a delicious three course meal and unlimited wine and beer. The fort was in a breathtakingly beautiful location, and both Oyster and Chef Chris and his staff did us proud with the marquee and refreshments. We all ate well and drank far too much, explored the fort and took some stunning photographs, it was a wonderful afternoon filled with much merriment and nonsense. For some… the merriment continued into the night and early morning hours back at the marina. Meanwhile Bob and I returned to Daisy and spent the night working, we still had so much to do to get her ready for the canal transit on Saturday… PHOTOGRAPHS ON WEB SITE: www.daisyatsea.com