Aquarius Sail Owners

John,
No need to apologize for 'anything' Hemingway as he left a legacy well beyond that of his prose. During my own heyday of professional travel, I saluted the great boxer, novelist and bullfighter with his signature Papa Dobles (http://postprohibition.com/recipes/hemingway-daiquiri/) in more than one adult wateringhole "Oinbones" himself had once patronized .. Cairo, Tanzania, and of course, Havana (http://violaphoto.com/travel01.htm). Papa was full of 'misunderstanding'!

Havliii,
Am sorry to hear of your dealing with parental Alzheimers, 2nd trip down this road. That wicked illness, along with dementia and multiple strokes took my Dad in 1999. Born in 19 and sixteen, he worked at Houston Fire Dept for 56 years, 6 months and 2 weeks, and was a WWII Houston Volunteer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Volunteers).

One finds out who they are the first time one changes his Father's diaper.

Luckily, we lost Mom last year "only" to cancer. It had riddled her body so badly Her bones were starting to break when I would lift her out of bed. Yet Mom's was a 'good death'. We had a wonderful time Her last three (3) weeks this same February of 2014. She would sit on the couch, drink her scotch (Cutty Sark of course .. http://www.violaphoto.com/pod-13jun27-cutty-sark.htm), and give me 'directives' "Franklin, you have got to stop 'camping out' like a bachelor at the Bay House"

Mom too was very accomplished having graduated high school, unlike Dad who had to go to work following grade 8 due to that economical hick-up called the Great Depression. Her family was the original founders of the Lonesome Dove Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_Dove), though I am not sure that makes us related to Tommy Lee Jones or Bob Duval

I miss them both http://www.violaphoto.com/pod-14mar13-bye-mom.htm

Here are my favorite videos that 'speak' to why I love sailing Beach Cats. They are not all Supercat inspired, perhaps only because these sailors simply have not yet experienced the thrill of trapping from an ARC

Supercat sailing on Mission Bay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16QbW-kkI0Y

Hobie Beach Sick Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh93JMcHPmM

Redfish Reach Weekend Sailing Video - 2014 (by a mate who I often sail with at Texas City Dike)
http://youtu.be/ph-8K8AsHsQ

BTW, my ARC 2101 is at the glass shop having her trunks repaired and getting a New paint job!
"to be continued"

Franklin J. Viola
ARC 2101

Oh, and yes, quality time with a chainsaw can be very therapeutic
http://violaphoto.com/pod-08sep17-puckerware.htm
(Three weeks digging out at our Bay House after Hurricane Ike)
Franklin Viola
ARC 2101

Franklin, thanks for joining in! Great post, I will visit all of the links as time permits. Being a alzheimer's caregiver builds character, or drives one insane. Thank the almighty (insert the God of your preference here) for chain saws and catamarans. CHAIN SAWS AND CATAMARANS, that's the name of my new support group, maybe I need a web site, Chain saws and Catamarans. If you got both what more could a man possibly need in life? Okay, OKAY......... we'll have to add whiskey to that list.

Currently I'm felling oak, lots of it...... but for your enjoyment here's is a pic of a spalted maple tree stump, I dropped this one last fall. Spalted maple is crazy stuff that wood turners go nuts over. BTW that's a 30 inch bar on that Stihl! and yes I have taken a chain saw to a catamaran, I much prefer wood.

.................. to be continued .........................

Havliii,
I am not too proud to admit your last post has given me "Bar envy" as my Stihl only measures 20 inches to your 30 INCH
However, Winter of 2014 I burned the last of my Hurricane Ike wood in my home's wood stove. This year we installed natural gas central heat into 60 year old abode

I must add some form of 'golf' to your new "Support Group . This is mine:

70 lbs. compound "Instinctive shooting" at 20-40 yards, ie. fingers release (nothing mechanical) with both eyes open (no physical sights on the bow). Kind of like beach cat sailing (the zen of carbon 'sticks' whispering through the air), but without the set-up or grit of sand

.. to be continued ..

Franklin Viola
ARC 2101

............. so what makes one a sailor? when is the title earned or deserved or bestowed upon a person? clearly (if you have been reading this thread) we do not all march, in step, to the same drummer. I am not being naive or clever or facetious, I am sincerely interested in your opinions and replies. When is it? What is the defining moment? If you sail one time on a Hobie 16, does that qualify as being a sailor? Do you need to circumnavigate the globe on a sloop rigged boat? We call the men that man our Navy ships sailors, but would they know a jib from a spinnaker?

I thought I knew the answer but now after many years of sailing I am certain that I don't. It may be that defining a sailor is the same as, or comparable to, the classic description of pornography, 'I can't define it but I know it when I see it!'

All I know for sure, is that, me personally, I have barely scratched the surface of what a sailor can learn about sailing. There is always more to learn, a lifetime or threes worth. that is a beautiful thing.................

(Franklin got a chance to visit some of the links you posted! wonderful stuff!)

For the last 4 years I have begun my sailing season in March, as early as March 10. (I live in the mid Atlantic region) This year ol' man winter actually descended upon us, came to stay and brought frigid temps for 3 weeks. The arctic air blast created some of the coldest weather Virginia has seen in 30-40 years.

This pic is Currioman Bay, most years we would be sailing here in less than 5 days time. This season it is frozen solid! (factor in that this is salt water.)

Frozen solid ... I can surely attest to that.
The last time I was home I grabbed my board and went to the beach, which has become a first day home ritual. The fact that it was the day after Valentine's made all the more appropriate.
Surprisingly the beach was basically empty. It was a little chilly but that's why they make wet suits.
After sitting there a while, just to relax and take it all in, I waxed her up and wondered down to the water. Yeah, that didn't last long.
Oooh that water was cold. What usually is somewhat bearable made my bare feet numb rather quickly.
In dismay I went back home, drank a beer and decided to wait for March.
After another beer I ordered boat parts, and then wrote a poem on how I love my boat.

Juggling two hobbies is eventually satisfying

The Hobie Way of Life was the reason I got into sailing in the first place back in 1979..... I don't know what happened or when but we went from hull flying contests and evening BBQs on the beach to racing and going home.... I have been out of the scene for a few years, sold my boat, but now coming back to sail for fun, except for Miami Key Largo, Mug Race, and maybe one more..... West Coast FL

Eric Arbogast
Former owner ARC2101

April 13, 2015 First sail of the season. This is over a month later than my usual 'first sail.' It was a perfect day for sailing, we did a beat to weather to arrive at Urbanna, Virginia. This was 9 miles as the crow flies and 18-20 miles of tacking. It was hull flying conditions the entire trip and wind out of the S-SE, warm! Water temp was 51. The ride back was exhilarating, we gybed our way back to the start point in 4 broad runs hitting 18-20 mph of boat speed on each reach. These reaches were 2.5-3 miles long.

Nice way to launch the season. I'll get a short snippet of the vid linked asap.

Way too cold....

Been a long, cold and BLUSTERY April. Lots of wind, mostly too much, many days approaching 30 kts on the bay. Been using the time to prep my boat for some multi-day trips this year and getting the kit ready. Lots of stuff to think about, find room for and pack. I am fitting things into every cranny, including the ends of the beams. First trip is a shakedown, a century run (100 miles), the route is plotted, shuttle of the trailer is organized. Each day's itinerary has a secondary bailout point should I need to abort. Looking for a weather window in the first weeks of May, ideally three consecutive days of S-SW winds. This is not unrealistic for May in this region.

I'll post some pics of the loaded boat! Suggestions are welcomed.

15 to 20 down here in FL must be blowin up there...