2010 Christmas Cruise

[melida]

Hi all.
Let me dedicate this thread to the members who suffer from the extreme winter. Many of you dealing with the snow and ice and lucky members as I'm still could get on their boat.
We had the Christmas dinner at our home friday night with both my and admiral's family, three kids and twelve adults. Ate and drunk so full saturday passed with sleeping and relaxing at home.
Sunday weather was 15C degrees, SE 2-4 Bft wind and little rain. Me, wife and daughter cruised to the farthest island to our winter marina which is 8,5Nmiles away. The half mile is no wake/heating and cool down period and 8Nm took 25 minutes on plane at 18,5-19 knots when going and returning at 20 knots took 23 minutes.
We did a hansom tour around the island for one hour and watched our city from the island. In the island there is no motorized vehicles except police, fire and ambulance and very few people live in winter and no factories, so no exhaust gases and pollution in the air. Both of us started to yawn because of the fresh air and oxygen.
After that we had our late lunch and turned back to marina.
While on plane
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101382.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101380.jpg
This island is where I live in summer.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101377.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101381.jpg
Admiral and daughter were lounging at the port side and I’m the skipper.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101378.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101374.jpg
After plane daughter comes on my legs and argues with me to “dady standby the autopilot and I’m gonna turn the steering wheel” of course didn’t.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101379.jpg
Tied the boat to the island
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101385.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101383.jpg
Touring with the hansom.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101388.jpg
On the way back home daughter and admiral took their nap
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101403.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101402.jpg
I was alone again with my best friends Mr. Autopilot and radar.
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101400.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af108/melida315/2010%20Noel%20cruise/261220101399.jpg
The photos are not totally describing the day we had on the sea and at the island but it was a perfect day for us.

Here is a short video of our trip.

<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid998.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faf108%2Fmelida315%2F2010%2520Noel%2520cruise%2F26122010044.mp4">

Hope you enjoy.
Best regards.
Melida

 

[JimG]

Very nice... thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

 

[Away Point]

Ah, I needed that. Thanks! :thumbsup:

Are those flying carpets on the dock??? (just kidding! LOL)

 

[melida]

Ah, I needed that. Thanks! :thumbsup:

Are those flying carpets on the dock??? (just kidding! LOL)

Yeah,
Thats the 1001 nights stories carpet:grin:
Best regards.
Melida

 

[Away Point]

Yeah,
Thats the 1001 nights stories carpet:grin:
Best regards.
Melida

Happy New Year!

 

[melida]

Thanks, me too.
Best regards.
Melida

 

[Searaybio270]

Melida,

Thanks for the pics. Very nice and very good. Happy New Year to you and your family.

Joe :smt038

 

[melida]

Melida,

Thanks for the pics. Very nice and very good. Happy New Year to you and your family.

Joe :smt038

Thanks Joe
Best regards.
Melida

 

[Lord Farringdon]

"I was alone again with my best friends Mr. Autopilot and radar".


LOL:lol:

Great photos Melida and good skills navigating safely back in the dark. You have a lovely wife and daughter and I wish you and your family a Happy New Year.


Terry

 

[melida]

"I was alone again with my best friends Mr. Autopilot and radar".


LOL:lol:

Great photos Melida and good skills navigating safely back in the dark. You have a lovely wife and daughter and I wish you and your family a Happy New Year.


Terry

Terry,
Glad you enjoyed them.
I like cruising in night and playing with my electronics.:grin:
Thanks for the compliments and good wishes.
I also wish to you and your family a Happy New Year.
Sea report shows good for sunday, if I could have time gonna do the same trip and will shoot better photos.
Best regards.
Melida

 

[Gofirstclass]

Here are a few pics from our trip bringing the boat home from Portland in August.

Starting out from Portland at 0800 the weather was pretty typical for a Portland morning.

By mid morning we had gotten east of the Cascade mountains. The overcast skies had cleared and the sun was out nice and bright. We're getting into the Columbia Gorge now and the scenery is fantastic.

As we got further east in the Columbia Gorge the winds and waves picked up a bit and the wind surfers were out in force.

Continuing east and getting closer to The Dalles, OR.

My Galley Wench handling the lines inside one of the four locks we passed through on the way home. When she's on the walkway I can't see her from the helm. The headset she's wearing allows us talk with each other and affords an extra margin of safety because I know what she's doing all the time. It's voice activated so there's no buttons to push to talk.

Running on plane. We had a long stretch of river to run before we got to the marina where we were spending the first night. Due to delays in getting through the locks we were about 3 hours behind schedule. I'd never been at the marina before, didn't want to be going in there after dark so we stepped up the pace. We got to the marina about 30 minutes before sunset.

We spent the first night at the marina at Arlington, OR.

Our third day out. This was taken at 0600 with no wind and a light overcast. We had just pulled out of the marina and I'm warming up the Cats at idle speed.

By 0900 the haze had burned off and we were enjoying the calm waters and sunshine.

This is the last bridge we pass under before we pull into our marina. You can barely see it on the left side beyond the bridge.

Here we are at the end of a great journey. Backing it into the slip for the first time was "interesting". I'd hate to have had a reading of my blood pressure and pulse as I was lining up to back it in.

The 2 1/2 day trip took us 225 miles up the Columbia. We passed through 4 locks on the way and had a wonderful (uneventful!!) trip.

 

[expressboy]

great pics!!
but do we really want everybody to know how great the Columbia River is??
you had great weather... last July I ran down wind in 40kts. and HUGE waves on the last reach to get to Arlington... and had to make the broadside turn to get behind the breakwater... It was a tight fit and rather dicey but it was a welcome harbor!
Happy New Year
EXPRESSBOY

 

[Lord Farringdon]

Great pics Gofirstclass, that's some journey, some boat and some 'don't mess with me' galley wench! I'm not sure the headset would be a good idea on my boat (apart from the obvious small size of the boat) because the admiral would be chatting at me all day long on it! I think I'd have to convienently drop the batteries over the side


Terry

 

[Pietro]

Melida, that is great!!! :thumbsup:

I'm seriously thinking of leaving my boat in the water next winter!

 

[melida]

GFC
Excellent photos, excellent boat.:smt038

Melida, that is great!!! :thumbsup:

I'm seriously thinking of leaving my boat in the water next winter!

Pietro,
I thought you are leaving your boat year round since it's inboards.:smt101
But I guess the weather of Italy is not suitable for boating this year. The extreme cold not reached yet to Turkey and I'm still boating, even reaches mine is 12 months in the sea.:grin:
Best regards.
Melida

 

[tpetpe]

Very Nice.