Notes from our Homeward Bound Adventure
January 7, 2014
Homeward Bound Status Report
We landed in St. Thomas and we all gathered together. Jorge had the boat all cleaned and ready to go. We had to “adjust” the items I had sent out and remove items left from the trips in the Virgins.
We tore the boat apart. All cushions out of the salon, the bow and California Deck and rearranged the contents. We needed to get the snorkel gear in a place that the back cushion don’t have to come off the seats and put non essential gear in its place. We removed several trash cans of unwanted items including the wash down hoses. We now have only the “Late night TV” hoses. We also threw out several large boxes of “almost gone” cleaning items in rusting cans and plastic containers.
We now had room for all the daily snorkel gear forward and a locker to put three and a half cases of water. The t-shirts are now not accessible from the saloon. And the galley is ready for the major crossing with three to five men on board.
We are still dealing with “too many” pillows and towels but some did not make it past St Thomas. The wine is also a burden and I am asking the guys to drink up prior to the big crossing.
Tomorrow should be the only difficult sea day with 7 to 8 at seven seconds straight in our face. We are going to take a peek in the morning and decide if we are going to go. The wind is about twenty. We will be leaving before sun up and get our face in it. The stretch is 80 miles from Virgin Gorda to St Martin and we want to get in the port before dark.
We went swimming and hiking the last few days. We have research the path forward, consulted the weather and we think we know what is ahead tomorrow. We have 1400 gallons of fuel on board so if it lays down we will push up the speed.
The only problem we have had is cell and email coverage… And too much wind.
So far so good!
I will contact you tomorrow.
Fair Winds
May 8, 2013
I am “Homeward Bound”! Our first leg is 1,000 miles where we will be visiting nine islands.
The first leg of Homeward Bound has taken me from Florida to The Bahamas Islands where guests have visited The Abacos, Acklins & Crooked Island, Andros, The Berry Islands, Cat Island, The Eleuthera and Harbour Island, The Exumas, Grand Bahama Island, Inagua, Long Island, Mayaguana, Nassau and Paradise Island, Ragged island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. The second part of the trip includes visiting the US Virgin Islands where guests enjoyed St. Thomas, St. John. St. Croix, and Water Island. Our next stop; the British Virgin Islands which includes Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke.
After touring for several months through these islands, EASY will make its way through the Panama Canal, Gold Coast of Mexico, Sea of Cortez, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, then back up to California.
A Message From Tom Manchester
2nd trip on the “Easy”
Nov. 4, 2012
Left Camarillo at 10:48 on the Amtrak Surfliner going to San Diego with Steve. Arrived in San Diego at 12:48. We were met by Geraldo, a driver from the Corral hotel in Ensenada. We drove to the border and went though customs to receive our immigration visa. We arrived in Ensenada around 2:00 and checked in with the harbormaster to find the Easy slip. Easy was in slip B-32,. We unloaded luggage, met Jorge, his cousin Jial and 3 rd mate Luis . We went into Ensenada for a short sightseeing tour then to Hussang’s Cantina for a beer. Oh,I almost forgot, I got my shoes shined in Hussang’s by a guy you has been shining shoes there for 41 years. (that was a personal note). Left Hussang’s, went to Papa’s and Beer for dinner. After wings and tacos, we left Jorge and the boys to enjoy Ensenada and Steve and I went back to the boat for a cigar and a cocktail. We had to engage into a conversation about which way was north, south, etc. a normal conversation on the Easy! Tomorrow we leave around 9 am to go to San Diego after clearing customs here in Ensenada. Another great evening aboard the Easy. More tomorrow.
Nov. 5, 2012
Woke up around 5:30 and had coffee. Moved the boat to the gas dock so we could be first in line and head north to the U.S. border. Gas dock opens at 8:00. Next stop, Harbor master in Ensenada to clear Mexican waters and customs. We took the paperwork to clear customs at 9 this morning. It is now 1:15 . Jorge just went to pick up the clearance papers. We should be on the way to San Diego within the next 20 minutes. What a lovely experience we have had sitting in the harbor at Ensenada. Steve wants to do it again!!! One good thing, we fueled up this morning early. They are now out of fuel, thank goodness we were first in line. Seas are currently calm, so we should make good time heading north. Looks like Tuesday will be windy, need to get home before the weather changes. We left Ensenada on our way to San Diego. John, captain of the Scrambler left after us. He said he was going high tail it to San Diego. He passed us about midway, but we pulled up to customs in San Diego just as he was finishing. The Customs agents boarded the Easy, asked a few questions and were gone in about 15 minutes. The customs officers explained to Steve and Jorge about a “D” visa. This would allow Jorge to come and go into the U.S. because he is the captain of the vessel and is employed by Steve.
It is now 7:30pm and we cleared customs in San Diego despite Skipper Sharpe’s FAKE Cuban cigars. It took us as much time to clear Ensenada as it did to leave Ensenada and go to San Diego on the water . Of course we were running at 15 knots, burning 60 gallons of fuel every hour. But, it is fine because we were delivering a boat, not just cruising. We passed a few whales and a couple of pods of dolphins on the way. Currently we are in a slip for a few hours before we head back to Marina del Rey. Skipper is pretty sure we can get a few hours of sleep and leave before we get caught and have to pay for the slip. More to come in the last adventure of the Easy as we know it.
Nov. 6, 2012
Left San Diego about 4:30 this morning heading to Marina del Rey. Heavy fog going out of the marina. Visibility approximately 50 feet at best. While the Skipper was jacking around with the plotter, Captain Jorge and I were yelling at him to avoid the first port light buoy as we were leaving. Don’t blame the Skipper, as I said, we could not see squat. We eased our way out of the marina and set course to Marina del Rey. Still foggy, but visibility is better. Passed a fishing vessel and a war ship, but very quiet otherwise. Thank goodness the Skipper wanted to make breakfast. Right around 8:00, only 3 hours out of port, skip went outside the cabin to toss an avocado seed,and noticed the fenders were still hanging from the boat. Jorge and I were very embarrassed because we know the fishing vessel and the war ship both noticed our underwear hanging over our port side! Skipper has now decided Captain Jorge needs to own Long Beach, so we are going to Shoreline Village marina to have lunch. Jorge will be guiding us into the marina, because he needs to own it!
About 30 minutes outside Long Beach we ran into dense fog again. Skip decided Jorge did not need to own Long Beach today. We turned and headed towards Marina del Rey. We had a small concern however. Skipper was explaining “shipping lanes” to Jorge. The shipping lanes are like runways for the cargo ships. Smaller boats are to stay clear of the shipping lanes so the larger ships will not have a lot of traffic to worry about. We are now in dense fog, visibility about 20 yards, and moving directly through the shipping lanes. After about 30 minutes of navigational prowess we emerged from the fog without incident. We could hear the foghorns from the freighters and see their positions on the radar, but you still wonder where he is coming from. I learned that you never,ever want to see a bow of a ship coming out of the fog in your direction.
Motoring on from San Pedro to Marina del Rey was a nice “Easy” cruise. In fact, it was so calm and nice, Skipper and Captain Jorge gave me the helm. I scared a few dolphins and scattered a few birds, but did not run into anything. I may not become an admiral, but I can now get us ashore if need be. We motored into Marina del Rey around 5pm and put the “Easy” into it’s last slip while Skippered by Steve Sharpe and Captained by Jorge Agundez. The Easy as we know it, has been set for other charters. I am sure the captain and the skipper will miss her.
Steve and Jorge are now going to Florida to buy and outfit a new boat. The new boat is a 74 foot Chop Suey or Cheoy Lee, I keep messing that up!! We are all anxious to see the new boat after the skipper rigs it with all the electronics and toys on his list.
Until the next voyage, via con dios, and thank you all for the great experiences. Hope to see you in Panama!
-Tom Manchester
This was Tom's last trip on EASY. Shortly after he penned this letter, he found he was ill. He died about a year later. His family and friends gathered aboard the new EASY and his ashes were spread at sea, not far from where he took command of EASY for her final hours into port.
Tom was alive aboard EASY. Watching the sky, weather, water, reading, fishing, swimming, kayaking, and enjoying a glass of wine with his cigar. His trip up the Sea of Cortez was legendary and so was Tom. Tom's ashes were spread in the sea. The entry ceremony is prominently marked on our EASY chart plotter. Tom left his mark on his community, everybody's heart and on EASY's charts.
- Steve Sharpe
Notes from our Homeward Bound Adventure
January 7, 2014
Homeward Bound Status Report
We landed in St. Thomas and we all gathered together. Jorge had the boat all cleaned and ready to go. We had to “adjust” the items I had sent out and remove items left from the trips in the Virgins.
We tore the boat apart. All cushions out of the salon, the bow and California Deck and rearranged the contents. We needed to get the snorkel gear in a place that the back cushion don’t have to come off the seats and put non essential gear in its place. We removed several trash cans of unwanted items including the wash down hoses. We now have only the “Late night TV” hoses. We also threw out several large boxes of “almost gone” cleaning items in rusting cans and plastic containers.
We now had room for all the daily snorkel gear forward and a locker to put three and a half cases of water. The t-shirts are now not accessible from the saloon. And the galley is ready for the major crossing with three to five men on board.
We are still dealing with “too many” pillows and towels but some did not make it past St Thomas. The wine is also a burden and I am asking the guys to drink up prior to the big crossing.
Tomorrow should be the only difficult sea day with 7 to 8 at seven seconds straight in our face. We are going to take a peek in the morning and decide if we are going to go. The wind is about twenty. We will be leaving before sun up and get our face in it. The stretch is 80 miles from Virgin Gorda to St Martin and we want to get in the port before dark.
We went swimming and hiking the last few days. We have research the path forward, consulted the weather and we think we know what is ahead tomorrow. We have 1400 gallons of fuel on board so if it lays down we will push up the speed.
The only problem we have had is cell and email coverage… And too much wind.
So far so good!
I will contact you tomorrow.
Fair Winds
May 8, 2013
I am “Homeward Bound”! Our first leg is 1,000 miles where we will be visiting nine islands.
The first leg of Homeward Bound has taken me from Florida to The Bahamas Islands where guests have visited The Abacos, Acklins & Crooked Island, Andros, The Berry Islands, Cat Island, The Eleuthera and Harbour Island, The Exumas, Grand Bahama Island, Inagua, Long Island, Mayaguana, Nassau and Paradise Island, Ragged island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. The second part of the trip includes visiting the US Virgin Islands where guests enjoyed St. Thomas, St. John. St. Croix, and Water Island. Our next stop; the British Virgin Islands which includes Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke.
After touring for several months through these islands, EASY will make its way through the Panama Canal, Gold Coast of Mexico, Sea of Cortez, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, then back up to California.
A Message From Tom Manchester
2nd trip on the “Easy”
Nov. 4, 2012
Left Camarillo at 10:48 on the Amtrak Surfliner going to San Diego with Steve. Arrived in San Diego at 12:48. We were met by Geraldo, a driver from the Corral hotel in Ensenada. We drove to the border and went though customs to receive our immigration visa. We arrived in Ensenada around 2:00 and checked in with the harbormaster to find the Easy slip. Easy was in slip B-32,. We unloaded luggage, met Jorge, his cousin Jial and 3 rd mate Luis . We went into Ensenada for a short sightseeing tour then to Hussang’s Cantina for a beer. Oh,I almost forgot, I got my shoes shined in Hussang’s by a guy you has been shining shoes there for 41 years. (that was a personal note). Left Hussang’s, went to Papa’s and Beer for dinner. After wings and tacos, we left Jorge and the boys to enjoy Ensenada and Steve and I went back to the boat for a cigar and a cocktail. We had to engage into a conversation about which way was north, south, etc. a normal conversation on the Easy! Tomorrow we leave around 9 am to go to San Diego after clearing customs here in Ensenada. Another great evening aboard the Easy. More tomorrow.
Nov. 5, 2012
Woke up around 5:30 and had coffee. Moved the boat to the gas dock so we could be first in line and head north to the U.S. border. Gas dock opens at 8:00. Next stop, Harbor master in Ensenada to clear Mexican waters and customs. We took the paperwork to clear customs at 9 this morning. It is now 1:15 . Jorge just went to pick up the clearance papers. We should be on the way to San Diego within the next 20 minutes. What a lovely experience we have had sitting in the harbor at Ensenada. Steve wants to do it again!!! One good thing, we fueled up this morning early. They are now out of fuel, thank goodness we were first in line. Seas are currently calm, so we should make good time heading north. Looks like Tuesday will be windy, need to get home before the weather changes. We left Ensenada on our way to San Diego. John, captain of the Scrambler left after us. He said he was going high tail it to San Diego. He passed us about midway, but we pulled up to customs in San Diego just as he was finishing. The Customs agents boarded the Easy, asked a few questions and were gone in about 15 minutes. The customs officers explained to Steve and Jorge about a “D” visa. This would allow Jorge to come and go into the U.S. because he is the captain of the vessel and is employed by Steve.
It is now 7:30pm and we cleared customs in San Diego despite Skipper Sharpe’s FAKE Cuban cigars. It took us as much time to clear Ensenada as it did to leave Ensenada and go to San Diego on the water . Of course we were running at 15 knots, burning 60 gallons of fuel every hour. But, it is fine because we were delivering a boat, not just cruising. We passed a few whales and a couple of pods of dolphins on the way. Currently we are in a slip for a few hours before we head back to Marina del Rey. Skipper is pretty sure we can get a few hours of sleep and leave before we get caught and have to pay for the slip. More to come in the last adventure of the Easy as we know it.
Nov. 6, 2012
Left San Diego about 4:30 this morning heading to Marina del Rey. Heavy fog going out of the marina. Visibility approximately 50 feet at best. While the Skipper was jacking around with the plotter, Captain Jorge and I were yelling at him to avoid the first port light buoy as we were leaving. Don’t blame the Skipper, as I said, we could not see squat. We eased our way out of the marina and set course to Marina del Rey. Still foggy, but visibility is better. Passed a fishing vessel and a war ship, but very quiet otherwise. Thank goodness the Skipper wanted to make breakfast. Right around 8:00, only 3 hours out of port, skip went outside the cabin to toss an avocado seed,and noticed the fenders were still hanging from the boat. Jorge and I were very embarrassed because we know the fishing vessel and the war ship both noticed our underwear hanging over our port side! Skipper has now decided Captain Jorge needs to own Long Beach, so we are going to Shoreline Village marina to have lunch. Jorge will be guiding us into the marina, because he needs to own it!
About 30 minutes outside Long Beach we ran into dense fog again. Skip decided Jorge did not need to own Long Beach today. We turned and headed towards Marina del Rey. We had a small concern however. Skipper was explaining “shipping lanes” to Jorge. The shipping lanes are like runways for the cargo ships. Smaller boats are to stay clear of the shipping lanes so the larger ships will not have a lot of traffic to worry about. We are now in dense fog, visibility about 20 yards, and moving directly through the shipping lanes. After about 30 minutes of navigational prowess we emerged from the fog without incident. We could hear the foghorns from the freighters and see their positions on the radar, but you still wonder where he is coming from. I learned that you never,ever want to see a bow of a ship coming out of the fog in your direction.
Motoring on from San Pedro to Marina del Rey was a nice “Easy” cruise. In fact, it was so calm and nice, Skipper and Captain Jorge gave me the helm. I scared a few dolphins and scattered a few birds, but did not run into anything. I may not become an admiral, but I can now get us ashore if need be. We motored into Marina del Rey around 5pm and put the “Easy” into it’s last slip while Skippered by Steve Sharpe and Captained by Jorge Agundez. The Easy as we know it, has been set for other charters. I am sure the captain and the skipper will miss her.
Steve and Jorge are now going to Florida to buy and outfit a new boat. The new boat is a 74 foot Chop Suey or Cheoy Lee, I keep messing that up!! We are all anxious to see the new boat after the skipper rigs it with all the electronics and toys on his list.
Until the next voyage, via con dios, and thank you all for the great experiences. Hope to see you in Panama!
-Tom Manchester
This was Tom's last trip on EASY. Shortly after he penned this letter, he found he was ill. He died about a year later. His family and friends gathered aboard the new EASY and his ashes were spread at sea, not far from where he took command of EASY for her final hours into port.
Tom was alive aboard EASY. Watching the sky, weather, water, reading, fishing, swimming, kayaking, and enjoying a glass of wine with his cigar. His trip up the Sea of Cortez was legendary and so was Tom. Tom's ashes were spread in the sea. The entry ceremony is prominently marked on our EASY chart plotter. Tom left his mark on his community, everybody's heart and on EASY's charts.
- Steve Sharpe
The way I sea it
It’s time to release yourself from the grip of technology and live in the moment, says Mark Sager.
When I want to take some time away from the stress of everyday life, my first choice is to be on board my yacht; although, a great alternative is to fly to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. I did just that recently. It was January in Maui — or some version of heaven.
One night I was sitting at a roof-top restaurant in Lahaina surrounded by the gentle breeze, the soft roar of the Pacific Ocean melting with a bluesy band that belted out their version of a popular Fleetwood Mac song in the background, when something caught my eye.
A family of 15 sat at the table next to me, scanned the menu and then whipped out some form of handheld entertainment. One woman dug into her purse and began passing out iPhones and headphones to her children like Santa Claus. Amid the great food, wine, conversation, ocean and music, they were completely elsewhere. They all plugged into some other place, in some other world, in some other time, tethering themselves to a reality not their own. Gone were the opportunities for nuanced conversation, inside jokes and transplantable memories. You know, the ones that you revert back to as you sit in your office chair on a Monday morning. At the table, they forfeited familial bonds for pixels and partitions, and it struck me like a tidal wave, monsooned from our modern day.
Like most of us living in the 21st century, leveraging technology to stay connected with family, friends and business associates is required. It must be said, my work and my life have equally benefited from this age of interconnectivity, and I was not about to ditch dinner, walk to the beach and toss my phone into the ocean. It helps — technology, that is.
However, something happened in that restaurant. It’s something we’ve all seen, or are guilty of, whether we admit to it or not. It may actually happen so often that some are oblivious to it. Regardless, I witnessed it.
A moment, good and lasting, stood in between their eyeballs and phones, begging for recognition and appreciation. Instead, they tapped and swiped their way to distraction.
I’ve done it. Maybe you have, too.
And maybe that’s the beauty of boats. I know from my own experience that being on the water severs the ties to land in more ways
A moment, good and lasting, stood in between their eyeballs and phones, begging for recognition and appreciation. Instead, they tapped and swiped their way to distraction.
than one. As my yacht peels off the dock and her fenders are lifted, my daily worries drift somewhere between the wake and the shoreline. That rush of wind, and that sinusoidal rolling as she carves through the ocean, it all bundles into something that shakes me awake.
And I know it’s not just me. As I walk from the bridge to the main salon, no one is on their phones. They’re up — laughing, smiling, talking and genuinely enjoying themselves. We’re not hunchbacked in a chair, with bloodshot eyes focused on the backlit screen. We’re here — completely here.
The name of my yacht, Oriana, traces back to medieval times, with reference to the sunrise and its golden hue. There must be a parallel there. Whether we’re in Desolation Sound or the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Oriana seals us from tweets, timelines and taps. On board, we’re sheltered from distraction and separation. We’re all in the same time and space.
To me, life is a mosaic of many moments, with the intended purpose to inhabit, absorb and, ultimately, live in the grandeur of each singular moment.
The charm of life is not found in another place, nor another happening, but in the reality you face right now. I worry that if we miss even one second, there is a risk that our respective mosaics will falter, incomplete and unfinished.
With that, I want to encourage you to board a boat and set sail for presence, relationships and reality. Like the sunrise, life can be so fleeting. If we’re anywhere else but here, life’s mosaic is in jeopardy, and we may miss the chance to live in the moment
-Mark Sager