Crazy Daisy Update:

Friday night email from Bob……………. Hi Heather. We are in the little bar on Lemon Cays. Edward and Paul are about to try the internet. There are only 2 outlets. No wireless. Don't know whether the outlets will be fast enough to support skype. Look and see if Edd or Paul shows up on line. Paul has still not adjusted to how primative things are. He went into the shop today and thought it was empty. And now he's seen the only beach bar. Big enough for 2 people to stand at. So the internet is another shock, his computer does not even have a plug to fit this old generation outlet. How has your day been? We have been pretty relaxed. We are checked in. So now plan just to hang out for a few weeks o the San BlasLuv Bob

New Web Site

So my web site is up and running, its still under some construction, but the bones are there. Check it out, www.daisyatsea.com

Not Far Now...

Following a few days rest and relaxation, Daisy and her crazy crew left Isle Rosario yesterday morning on their way to the San Blas islands. My crazy crew will relax again in the San Blas for a couple of weeks before finishing the first leg of the circumnavigation and meeting me in Panama. The sail to the San Blas will be a "sail all day and sail all night" leg. This is never an easy sail the wind and current off the Columbian coast is never predictable and can be horribly choppy and rough, it was a passage I truly hated. Last time we were dodging masses of floating debris, whole trees that had washed off the

coast from the previous storms. Sailing at night there is really treacherous because you cant see the debris in the water. I will only be able to relax once I hear they have arrived safely. This is not a passage for the faint of heart.

The Truth will Out!

So, I'm realizing from reading my son's blogs, that Bob is very careful about how much accurate information he gives me regarding the little (and large) pho-pah's that occur onboard Daisy. I get a brief, sugar coated account from Bob, then the no holds barred, actual account of real events from Edi. At least I now know who to go to for real information.

Another Day, by Bob Morgan...

Hi Heather We are safely anchored in the Rosario Islands attached and below are todays ponderings. Another Day It’s another day, no not a refresher of the last day, but another day. Totally new, no recycled version of yesterday, a fresh beginning every 24 hours. The sea is flat, seemingly driven that way by the oppressive weight portending the heat that the day will bring, it is already smothering the shimmering vista of low cowering vegetation that have learned how to survive on the small ringlet of islands that enclose us. To us who bring our own survival with us and so oblivious of the challenges of life, we see beauty and tranquility in the early morning, still and graceful, over lush green islands basking on the line that separates a cloudless pale blue infinity of the upper world from the flawless blue piazza where we dropped anchor. But yesterday, that different day, we felt the breath of ………. Not death, but the knowledge that life is transcendary and we were walking a line of risk as we plunged and recoiled from the short sharp seas that boiled over the shoals and reefs around these islands when the winds swing to the north and whoop and gush between 30 and 40 knots. Out in the open sea such a day is exhilarating, knowing that our mobile fortress luxuriates in being able to demonstrate what she was created to do. Yesterday however we were not infinite distance from the hard stuff, we were walking a tightrope between rock and reef and long wending shoals that funnel you in to the jaws of the of the channel that gives access to the leeward side of the islands where we were seeking the refuge of an anchorage we had used on another day. To day, this new day, above the reef that coils and stretches in every direction around us we see and hear the rippling rain drops of shoals of small fry breaking cover as they leap to avoid the jaws of faster fatter cousins. Yesterday as we approached our refuge and this reef, The islands were our friends and gave us shelter from the wind but it was still too rough to pick out the reef from the helm position and we had already learned that the positioning of the hard stuff on the electronic chart plotter could not be trusted, when as we weaved our way though the shoals, we tried to line up beacons and hazard warning towers on shoaling reefs, only to discover that either they or we were misplaced by several hundred feet. More that a passing concern when the path to be followed is less than one of those hundred feet wide. So today we plan to swim and play on that reef ………but yesterday my mind was fresh with memories of our last visit here. When we watched another sail boat wrestle and then get caught and twisted on these reefs for nearly 2 hours, as it tried to enter into the sanctuary of our anchorage. On that day, a different day, the wind was the little 8-knot nephew from the East of the stranger from the North that challenged us to day. So armed with memories of how we went out and helped free that sailboat from the reef and totally discarding the positioning of the reef on our electronic panaceas of survival, Edward climbed onto the boom and called port – starboard while Paul manned the depth gauge calling 6ft – 5ft – 4ft – 6ft as I attempted to react to their instructions, holding a path at 1-2 knots while the stranger from the North tried to pull and trick me to one side or the other. To day the stranger from the North has left, and appears to have taken his nephew with him, so we are left in the temporary hole caused by their absence, bobbing aimlessly at anchor in a bay of apparent tranquility. So today we have slowly maypole danced 3 full revolutions around mummers anchor as I have sat here reflecting on time and place, bracing myself for the play that such day deserves. Luv Bob

Bob's thoughts...

Another rather poetic email from Bob in Cartegena, I think the atmosphere was having an effect on him… read on …………. > Good Morning Heather I am sat on deck, clear blue skies, looking over the > morning scenes of Catagena waking up. The unreal juxter positions of The > gleaming Miami Vice skyline one side of the bay and the Majestic Domes of > Spanish Colonial military might languishing over the old walled city at the > other end of the Bay. The subtlety of the vista is enhanced by the background > blend of its audio rhythms! Starting with the near silence of the early > morning haze that imperceptibly morphs into the murmuring heartbeat of a > sleeping giant, the hum of what can only be the pressurized gurgleling of 1.6 > million coffee makers turning into the ratatatats of distant diesels and the > fluid swooping cawing sea birds being replaced by the demented buzz of a > frantic water taxi appearing from nowhere skimming the surface and then > vanishing into the fabric of the audio seascape. All the while the audio > backdrop continues to blur yet partner the visual lunacy of this meeting of > eras in one city at the halfway house between The North and South America's or > 300 years ago between North and Southern European expansionism. The > occaisonal other era formality of The long practiced rythyms of a marching > band drift in and out of earshot behind the indecipherable hum of the rising > breaths of the Giant as the populace of Cartagena starts to power up its veins > of Narrow overcrowded streets and alleys. The soup of city sound is made all > the more homogeneous by the clarity and overpowering volume of dropped food in > the enclosure that pens in the towering megalosaurus and diplodocus eating > containers from ships that strayed too close. ................... > All very chilled and laid back here on Daisy this morning, we got up early to > dingy Graeme to shore to get his flight and then went to bed for more shut-eye > before relaxing under the bimini to soak up the start of the day. At 9:30am > Paul went down below because it was too hot for him on deck. Eddie is still in > Bed. Last night we went to the old city and had dinner in one of the outside > plazas.

Next Stop Cartagena

So here is a snipit from Bob's last email. I was questioning him why they were heading to the San Blas when Graeme had plane tickets from Panama (on Friday 18th). F.Y.I Both Porvenir and Rio Diablo have little airports, well actually "airport" is stretching it a bit, both islands have a garden shed that doubles as a check in office and customs next to a small airstrip, but its enough to get a small jet to Panama.///

>This photo taken of Edi in the San Blas Christmas 2011 …………………………………………... BOB'S EMAIL…….. Hi Heather, The reason for heading to the San Blas is that they are on the way to anywhere in Panama. Our idea was to see if we could get Graeme to Porvenir Or Rio Diablo to get a flight to Panama City, so we could stop and chill on the San Blas for a while before going to Shelterbay. However the weather on the Columbian Coast has not matched the Weather forecasts. The day has been clear and sunny but the winds and waves have not died down all day. The wind has been between 30 and 40kts all day and we saw a few 50s. The Waves have been behind us most of the time but have meant constant attention to avoid us either surfing too fast or being turn broadside to our sail settings. (The good news is that with our double headsail set up, we don't have to worry about gybing) Because the wind is not dropping, my current plan is not to go direct to the San Blas, but instead to go into Cartagena tonight and then Graeme will buy new plane tickets from there. We will then continue on to the San Blas at our own pace, either staying a few days at Cartahena and the Islands off Columbia or going straight to the San Blas based solely on the best conditions to do it. Of Course this plan may change on the Whim of the Weather! I will keep you informed. - Cartagena is currently in sight. I will email you when we get there. Luv Bob………... (I received an email following this one an hour later to say that they are safely anchored in the bay.)

Paul and Edi at sea… Doesn't it look tough! Daisy is currently sailing the Columbian coast. The difficult decision is whether to go directly to Colon in Panama, or to go to the San Blas? Um, let me think… My choice would be the San Blas, well that is as long as they have a fully stocked pantry and the beer fridge is full :o) I have to say I'm wondering where the beer is in this photo! More news to follow soon...

Waterlogged but still afloat!

Crazy Daisy arrived in the calm waters of Curacao yesterday, where they had decided to stop and have a good nights rest, that was after changing the rig. This apparently took a while, I can't elaborate as I wasn't (thankfully) there, however, it was, according to Captain Bob "quite an exhausting exercise", I can only imagine the fun had by everyone during the ordeal. Eventually,after much ado, the jobs were completed and off they all went for a quiet night… Up at the crack of dawn this morning ready for an early start it was discovered during the usual pre-sail inspections that the engine room and bilge's were flooded… "crap, crap, crap"… The delightful water-maker had burst yet another hose, I believe this is the third time this has happened since we have had Daisy. So the crew set about bailing out, drying out and repairing burst hose. They are now on their way again, heading for Columbia. Wishing you friendly water, good wind and safe sailing. God speed Next update from Columbia :o)

Update:

Crazy Daisy is almost at Aruba. She is the second boat in the fleet, others are taking their time enjoying sailing done the West Indies island chain, while Crazy Daisy is busting a gut to get to Panama to meet one of the crew's deadlines!!! I have to ask myself WHY we are ALWAYS chasing around like headless chickens to meet other people's deadlines… Oh well such is life… More news as I get it ;o)

Oscar… While we wait for news from Daisy...

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog about Oscar, a newborn raccoon that I rescued and raised, I wanted to post photographs of him when I wrote the blog, sadly the pictures were missing. Then today while going through all my old memory sticks I found them. So, its a bit late, but better late than never, and I have to write something while I wait for my boys at sea to get into contact again. They are already about one third of the way to Panama, looks good so far, although I'm only going by what I can see on the yellowbrick tracking system. Anyway, meanwhile here are the very long overdue photographs of my little Oscar...

Oscar loved Edi, and even though it looks like he is biting Ed's ear, he was actually very gentle and did nothing more than tickle Edi.

While Oscar was very tame, he was an exception, I found him abandoned in my garden and raised him from a newborn. Wild Raccoons can be very dangerous, and also carry rabies, so do not approach them or attempt to feed them when you come across them in the wild. They are wild animals, not pets. I rehabilitated Oscar back into the wild when he was fully grown.

Finally on route...

Today at 2:30 Daisy left St.Maarten, and is heading for Panama. It's a non-stop trip that should take about six days, this is of course depending upon the weather. The winds are currently blowing around 28 - 38 knots but gusting stronger. If you want to follow them use the yellowbrick tracking and you can see where they are. I'm not sure when I will hear from them next, probably not until they reach Panama.

Foul Winds and High Seas!

So, it turns out that having made the sixteen hour (horribly rough, huge seas and 50+ knot winds) sail from Antigua to St.Maarten, to get coffee, Opsss, I mean a new battery, it happened that there was nothing wrong with the original battery after all??? One has to question this, the Oyster team doing the safety inspection found one of the batteries (there are 6 in total) to be faulty, and as no replacement batteries were to be found available in Antigua the crew had to make the long very unpleasant trip (with Graeme throwing up the whole way, and the rest of the crew turning green) back to St. Maarten. Where the (so called bad) battery was removed; not an easy task, these batteries weigh about seventy pounds each. The battery then had to be transported across the choppy bay (winds still blowing close to hurricane force) to the shop where said battery had to be lifted out of Whoops-a-daisy, (our dinghy) by crane, and inspected, only to report there was nothing wrong with it… ARGHHHHH cuss, swear, throw many toys around… Before transporting the damn thing back to Daisy and placing back with the other batteries. However, something good comes out of everything, and at least Bob got his coffee fix… Daisy is now well stocked with the wonderful (Dutch) brew (according to my brother Paul), enough to transport her and the crew across to Panama. I just hope and pray that the winds die down for their trip, 40 - 50 knot winds are no fun and can cause terrible damage to a boat(and its crew). So far the winds in Simpson bay have broken two of Daisy's snubbers while she was anchored in the bay. In five years Bob and I have only ever had one snubber break and that was in 50 - 60 knot winds in Soapers Hole, Tortola, about four years ago. For my non-sailor readers: a snubber is a thick line/rope that takes the strain off the anchor chain, it's tied around a cleat on the boat and attached with a heavy metal clip to the anchor chain. It takes a truly massive force to break this, bearing in mind its designed to hold a 32 ton vessel. So, you can just imagine how strong the winds are in the bay there! My heart is in my mouth as I think of my boys (husband, son and brother) heading out for a 6 - 7 day leg to Panama in rough conditions. While I am so happy that I'm not on board, I still panic at the thought of what their trip will entail. Please say a prayer for the Crazy Daisy crew as they head out tomorrow morning. I will report as I hear from them… God Bless

St.Maarten

Crazy Daisy arrived safely in Simpson Bay St.Maarten at 4:30 this morning. As yet I am waiting for news, they are probably all trying to catch up on some much needed sleep. Well at least I'm sure Edi, Paul and Graeme are, Captain Bob rarely sleeps, so he has probably been up since 6am working on something, life for him rarely slows down. I'm proud to say he doesn't have a lazy bone in his body, but sometimes I wish he would slow down just a tad... I will report any news (good or bad) as I receive it. Keep watching :o)

Heading the wrong way...

So while all the Oysters are heading West towards Panama on the start of the world rally, Crazy Daisy is living true to her name and heading North to St.Maarten! For those of you using the yellowbrick tracking system and following the fleet's progress, you may be scratching your heads and wondering "whether Captain Bob is inebriated? As he's going in the oposite direction to all the other boats. Anyone who knows us will simply shrug and say "well it is the Morgan boat, we would have been surprised had she headed in the right direction with the rest of the fleet". And how right they are, we never do the expected. In this case it's simply that one of the bank of Daisy's batteries went down and as there are no replacement batteries in Antigua, the crew have to sail back to St.Maarten to have a new one fitted. I believe they are also picking up other parts and spares for Daisy while they are there. St.Maarten is always the best island in the Eastern Caribbean for boat parts and service, and their prices usually can't be beaten. This small diversion also gives my brother Paul a chance to see St.Maarten, as I don't believe he has ever been there. Fortunately this small hic-up in the route is not a problem as there are basically 6 weeks allowed for the fleet to reach Panama, commonly a 5 - 6 day leg, depending upon weather. So once the new battery is aboard, Daisy's crew will turn around and set sail for Panama to join the rest of the fleet. I hope this will be the last of the unplanned diversions, but I'm not holding my breath. Follow the fleet on: ....

http://www.oysteryachts.com/worldrally/tracker.aspx

My Boys, on their way :o)

Crazy Daisy yellow shirts, Crazy Fox shorts, and Red Oyster caps... What a splash of color in the ocean... Already being labeled "The Crazy Gang" by the other boats... Trust my boys to show their sense of humor. God Bless, Sail Safe, I love you all xxx

Start of Oyster World Rally

Here's the link for those of you interested in following the progress of the Oyster sailboats on their passage around the globe. The Oyster web site is documenting the whole voyage. http://www.oystermarine.com/worldrally/ Tomorrow, January 6th 2013 is the day my husband, son and brother set off on the journey of a lifetime. Do I wish I was going? Yes and No... I join Daisy in Panama on February 13th, where I will help the crew transit the canal, then make the sail across to the Galapagos. I will be writing a daily account of my adventures as they happen, providing the Internet is available. And don't forget to check Edi's blog account of the journey, www.failingsailing.blogspot.com Tomorrow is the day my husband has been working toward and planning for, for the last 3 years.