Mike Jastrzebski's Blog, page 38

Keeping it in balance…

C.E. Grundler

So I’m off today. Completely off, which is a rare event for me. No writing, (with the exception of this post,) no marina work, no boat work. Yesterday was my birthday, which involved various meals out with a surprising number of friends, and somewhere along the way I guess I ate something I shouldn’t have. Now,  I’m too drained to do much other than sit in my most comfy chair with my laptop living up to its name while a steady drizzle falls outside. I’d planned to spend the day messing about with fiberglass, but I don’t even have the energy to drive to the boat, no less hike up and down the ladder and toil away in a Tyvek suit. The word for today is ‘Sluggish.’ Technically, it’s Gastroenteritis  which Wikipedia was kind enough to clear up for me.

And upon my visit to the land of Wiki, a resource of endless information, that I was met with a small banner imploring me to support their not-for-profit organization. Maybe I’d seen it in the past, but usually I’m rushing from one thing to ten others, and thought, “next time.” But as a supporter of, among other things, NPR, several local animal rescue groups, cancer research funds and local environmental groups, I felt it fair to give back to a resource that has always been there for me.

I’ve noticed that seems to be the rule with my fellow Write on the Water authors as well, who are regularly involved in one good cause or another. Perhaps it holds true with writers in general. Part of being a writer involves drawing on every resource we can, be it the internet, some dog-eared books in the marina ‘book exchange’, and even eaves-dropping on conversations in the local grocery, which is one of my favorite sources of regional dialect. Want your dialog to carry that punch of realism? Linger by the checkout line at 5:30 on a weeknight. Trust me on this.

For most writers, we live as sponges, absorbing every word, every image, every nuance we can, knowing that somewhere along the line some may find their way into the lines on a page, painting a picture or setting a scene. And I guess, at least for me, donating is a way to repay all those bits of life I’m collecting – a way of keeping my Karma checkbook in balance.  And that reminds me. Once I’m feeling better again, it’s time to donate some more blood. It’s amazing how few people donate blood, only 5% of the population. It costs nothing but a bit of my time, and every time I do, it seems as though I feel a whole lot better. Or maybe it’s just the chocolate covered donuts they give me afterwards.

 

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The Unlikely Mix of Golf & Sailing

by John M. Urban

It’s well known that few boaters find the time to both play golf and boat. Even fewer sailboat owners spend time swinging a club. Cost is a definite factor, but time is the true killer – there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

If you do know a boater who manages to golf, he or she is probably a power boater, mostly due to the simple fact that they can get from A to B and back quicker while sail boaters are moving at a slower pace, dependent upon the breeze.

There are some well known exceptions, of course. Tiger Woods spends time on his boat. Greg Norman, too. In fact The Shark has had a flotilla of yachts named Aussie Rules. But let’s be realistic. These gentlemen have the benefit of crew who chip in to help the owner with the chores of deck scrubbing, hull waxing, and bottom painting. (Although word on the waterfront has I that Woods offered his 155-foot Christensen yacht Privacy to his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, during the divorce-settlement talks, but she turned it down due to resentment that Woods was off philandering while she was back at the marina rolling on blue bottom paint in prep for the spring season.)

(Tiger Woods’ yacht, Privacy)

But even if sail boaters had the time, money, and inclination to golf it would likely turn bad. Consider this:

Golf is about hitting the ball straight down the fairway into a small cup. Sailors rarely go in a straight line. Power boaters? Yes, at least usually. Sail boaters? No way.

(Sailboaters don’t travel in straight lines, even more so if they golf)

As a sailboater who has occasionally tried to master golf, I’d put it this way: My first swing, a drive down the fairway, always features a good solid slice. Shot # 2, it’s time to tack. A few more of these and I am left-to-right-to left across the fairway at 45-degree angles. And so it goes down the fairway, back-and-forth, back-and forth. Seven shots in and I am fifty yards from the hole. I next hit that damn little ball right over the green. That’s okay, prepare to gybe! All that zig-zagging that means so much on the water wears you down on the golf course. And for that reason, you don’t see too many golfers wearing Dock Siders and a VHF radio strapped to their belt.

This won’t stop me from putting my protagonist, Steve Decatur, on the golf course. No big yachts for him, though. And maybe a few golf lessons isn’t so bad, either. Until then, tacking!

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Out of the way book signing – it can work

Book signing.

Book signing



Michael, left, Shirrel & Reef

My friend Reef Perkins wrote his memoir. Reef is a Key West character, legend to some, friend to many, an ex-smuggler, and when he owned the Sea Tow franchise, he came to my aid many times. I mention this because awhile back Reef and his publisher, another Key Wester, Shirrel Rhoades, asked me if I’d do a joint book signing with Reef. We were in the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon, participating in its Friday North of Havana Cigar Social Club gathering. Reef drinks wine, Shirrel likes beer and I prefer Jameson’s.

I tried to explain that in the past I’ve discovered books and bars don’t mix. We talked a little more and I said, “If Charlie Bauer, the owner of the saloon, would let us do the signing on a Saturday, 4 – 6 pm, I’d be interested.” Charlie said yes and last Saturday we held the event. Reef’s wife Roberta and her friend Carol Tedesco did an outstanding job at local PR and I got Reef and myself on two of the popular local radio shows – Bill Becker’s Morning Magazine at 104.1 FM and on Clear Channel’s The Hoebee Experiment on 99.5 FM.

Books and bars don’t mix, but bars can be a great location for book signings. Okay, to explain, from happy hour on, people in bars are not interested in books or authors (unless we are buying drinks!). However, a late afternoon gathering on the weekend makes a great excuse for people to stop by, meet the authors and maybe buy a book. Especially in Key West, people love an excuse to go to a local watering hole early, before dinner, to gather before bar hopping on a weekend night, and such things you need to find an excuse to do.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the most important two things: my friend Alfred Gonzales, from the local Bud distributor, donated a keg of Bud and Charlie put out wings, conch fritters, fish dip and shrimp ceviche. Everyone that bought a book got a ticket that allowed him or her into the food and beer room! But really, honestly, they all came to meet Reef and me and to buy our books!

Reef sold 90 copies of his memoir, “Sex, Salvage and Secrets,” I sold all 80 copies of “To Beat the Devil,” all I had with me, and numerous copies of my other books in the Mick Murphy Key West Mystery series.

So, when considering a book signing, use some imagination in your own neighborhood, and don’t be afraid to ask a business if they’d be interested. One of the things Charlie said to me is that he’d never seen some of the people before, so the signing brought attention to his business to people who had no reason to go in before. And everyone loved the food, though Reef and I didn’t get a taste, we were too busying signing, but our wives said it was great!

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Nothing to say.

By Mike Jastrzebski

As I sat down to write this post I realized that I had nothing to say. I’ve been posting at least once a week since March of 2010 when I started this blog, and now I find myself at a loss for words.

Maybe it’s because I’m at a crossroads in my life. I’m 64, and after living on our boat for ten years we’re preparing to sell the boat and move ashore. We don’t know when, and we don’t know exactly where, but we do know the move is coming.

Or maybe it’s because I’m struggling with the rewrite of the next Wes Darling book, Stranded Naked Blues, and I feel a need to concentrate on the book. 

Whatever the reason, I’ve decided to take a two month hiatus from blogging. I hope to return on or about the first of October.

I am not closing the blog. Christine Kling, Michael Haskins, John Urban, and C.E. Grundler will still be posting on their regular days so I hope you’ll keep reading their posts.

See you in the fall, and if anyone wants to get hold of me, here’s my email address: mike at mikejastrzebski.com.

 

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Noodling at Sea, or Staying Fit with Water Aerobics

by Christine Kling

People might be surprised at this, but cruising on a sailboat is not a lifestyle that provides enough exercise. Especially not when you are a writer and you spend most days sitting on the settee in front of your computer. Climbing in and out of the dinghy and walking everywhere and schlepping groceries all provide some small bit of exercise. And yes, steering is lots of exercise – but folks don’t generally plan on doing as much of that as I’ve done recently. But cruisers really should make an effort to get more exercise in order to stay healthy and fit enough to handle their boats and sails.

I was first introduced to aqua aerobics in 2011 when I completed the Caribbean 1500 and I was invited to spend several days with my friends Mark and Willie Haskins on board Liahona, their lovely Nautical 60. Willie handed me a styrofoam noodle that first morning at Norman’s Island and into the water we went. For the next several days, Willie, a former professor of physical therapy, took me through the many exercises every morning. At the end of my stay I told her she should write a book detailing all the specific exercises and put it on the Kindle. There are lots of cruisers who could benefit.

In October of 2012, I again found myself in the same location as Willie when I visited my friend Bruce on Wild Matilda in Chaguaramas, Trinidad. This time we were doing our exercises in a swimming pool, and I was there for three solid weeks and I did the workout long enough to really feel how much better and more limber it made me feel. Again, I told Willie she should put together a book and I am thrilled to say she has! You now can buy Noodling At Sea or Staying Fit with Water Aerobics by Willie Haskins.

When I returned to my boat after my research trip to Thailand and the Philippines, I bought myself some noodles and decided I would do the exercises myself now that I had this great book that explained exactly what to do that I’d downloaded onto my iPad. That was when the excuses started. I was docked on the New River in dirty water and at a marina that had no pool. Then I moved to the Riviera that had a pool, but it was midwinter and too cold. When I got to the Bahamas in March, it was still too cold, or too windy, or . . .

When I first arrived here in Harbortown Marina on Merritt Island, I had to go up and take  look at the pool. See, I’d been carting around a couple of noodles in my quarter berth all through the Bahamas, and every place I’d been there was some good reason not to get to do exercise. Now there were no more excuses. And I must say, I feel better already and the neck and shoulder pain that was preventing me from sleeping has almost disappeared.

So, whether you are anchored in lovely calm water or close to a pool this summer you owe it to yourself to try aqua aerobics. Don’t procrastinate like I did. And if you need just a little more push to click on that link to buy this book, think about this. According to Willie, “100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to “Hands Across the Sea”, a non-profit organization that works to increase literacy levels for children throughout the Caribbean. In 2012, “Hands Across the Sea” sent 18,362 books and 94 boxes of resources to 68 schools, libraries, reading programs, and youth centers benefiting approximately 13,038 students.”

So help yourself and help a great cause at the same time. Noodling at Sea, or Staying Fit with Water Aerobics is only $2.99.

 

Fair winds!

Christine

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The Tiny Houses got me…

C.E. Grundler

Yep. I’ll admit it. I completely forgot what day of the week it was, and somewhere within some random bit of research I was doing, (for the life of me I can’t even recall where this particular detour began,) I stumbled across a Tiny House.

For anyone not familiar with a Tiny House, it is precisely what it sounds like. A house that is very tiny. In some cases, EXTREMELY tiny. Yet, in the land of super-sizing, barge-sized SUVs and McMansions aplenty, these itty bitty houses are part of a small but growing movement towards a more modest, affordable and sustainable approach to living. Viewed through the eyes of your average suburban dweller, these micro-houses might seem like some sort of joke. No one could ever happily, willingly, live in such a small space. But viewed through the eyes of anyone who has called a boat under 40 feet home, they’re downright spacious, not to mention charming and well thought out. Some of these homes are built on trailer bases, which essentially makes them mobile homes, allowing their owners to relocate easily or travel while steering clear of zoning issues. One site points out that “** Many municipalities allow you to put a structure of 120 square feet or smaller on your property without permitting or inspections. See your local building codes and zoning restrictions for any use or setback restrictions.”

Land-dwelling need not involve an excess of space, with all its care and feeding, not to mention financing, and for someone such as my daughter, starting out, it might be an option to explore. And for those looking to settle back on shore after years of liveaboard life, such as Mike and Mary, these lovely little homes may be quite appealing. And for anyone looking to break free from the higher costs of modern living, it’s something to consider.

Here’s some links to the pages that have sucked me in. Be forewarned: don’t look unless you have some time to spare — they’d delightfully addictive!

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

http://www.fourlightshouses.com/pages/tiny-houses

http://tinyhouseblog.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LittleHouseontheTrailer

https://www.facebook.com/TinyHomeBuilders

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/collections/customer-slideshows/products/ellas-fencl#ad-image-0

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Friends

By Mike Jastrzebski

I try to write this blog on Sunday evenings whenever I can but yesterday we got a call from our friends Dirk and Nancy on Renegade asking us to come over for cocktails so I’m sitting here Monday morning cranking out the words.

We met the two of them the first day we pulled into Harbortown Marina last year and although our boat and their boat traveled to different destinations this past year we’ve kept in touch.

When we arrived at their boat we met two other couples and two singles, all sailors. As often happens when boaters get together we talked about boats and past lives and even got onto the subject of writing. As is often the case many cruisers want to be writers as was the case with one of the women in the group, Nancy (not of Dirk and Nancy). We talked about the book she’s writing, my books and writing in general. It even turned out that she reads and enjoys this blog.

It didn’t take long for me to feel as if I’d known these people for years, and I’m sure that if we run into each other again in some distant port we’ll likely start up our conversations where we left off with them last night, and that we’ll all be eager to share the adventures we’ve had since our last meeting.

This experience, and others like it, make me wonder how we’ll make friends after we sell our boat and move ashore. What will we have in common with earth dwellers? Will our tales of life on a boat bore them?

It’s one of the biggest conundrums that face us as we contemplate selling Rough Draft and moving ashore.

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Making a big mental shift

Photo of TALESPINNER taken by friends on MIKAYA as they sailed past me en route from Powell Cay to Great Sale Cay

by Christine Kling

After two and a half days of motoring up the ICW, I arrived here at Harbortown Marina in Merritt Island, my new home for the hurricane season. Folks who live up north think of the usual four seasons, but those of us who live in tropical climes see the year as divided between two seasons — hurricane season and not-hurricane season.

During the not-h season we get to travel and sail and sometimes, in the middle there, we actually get to don a sweater or two. When you live out on the hook, the cockpit and all the deck becomes part of your living space and a 33-foot boat doesn’t seem too terribly small.

But during the hurricane season, we find ourselves a hidey-hole usually at a dock somewhere where we can plug in and start to run air conditioning. During this season we hide down below inside our boats away from the heat and the mosquitos and the no-see-ums. Occasionally we come out blinking at the light like half-blind burrowing creatures peeking out of our holes. When I live closed up inside my roughly 10×20 foot space, it starts to feel very small indeed. As I work, I often get up from the computer to stretch and I have about 10 feet of floor space to do it in.

Another thing I do when I make this shift from not-h to h season, is I shift all the electronics inside my boat from working off their 12V cigarette lighter plugs to the 110 outlets. Normally my TV (used to watch DVDs on the hook) runs on 12V as does my router, my wifi booster antenna, my navigation computer and my writing computer. The problem is that I only have 2 inside plugs so in order to run one thing, I have to unplug something else, even though I do use splitters. At the dock, I can run everything at once on 110V if I want. Now that’s a luxury. I don’t have to shut off the Internet to watch a DVD.

At the dock, the shore power cord and the hose come out of the seat locker and the deck-stored jerry jugs for diesel can go in. As the boat is repurposed from a traveling boat to a dockside home, different gear shifts places and comes into use. I’ve only been here a few days and I’m trying to focus on my writing so the long list of things to do to make this shift remains half-completed. I’ll need to clean and flush the outboard, scrub and dry out the dinghy so I can roll it up and bag it, take down my headsail and bag it, etc

And then there is the long to-do list that resulted from stuff that broke while I was sailing over in the Bahamas for almost 4 months. Fortunately, that list isn’t too long, but it includes a leaking raw water pump on the engine and a failed autopilot just for starters.

But, as I look around my boat and I think about my future plans, I realize that I am interested in sailing farther than the Bahamas next time. Much as I love those islands, I would like to go further south in the Caribbean and it is my dream to sail the Mediterranean. This little boat would require so much more expensive equipment to go for those long distances and it’s hull speed is only 5.5 to 6 knots. An extra knot or two makes a big difference on passages of several days. I’m tired of watching my big boat friends sail past me as though my boat is dragging a sea anchor.

In my sailing career, I have sailed long distances only on bigger boats. I did a 1000 mile delivery up the Baja Coast on a 50-foot Baltic Trader, I sailed the South Pacific on an Islander 44, and I sailed from California to the Caribbean and Venezuela to Florida on the 55-footer that my ex-husband and I built years ago. I’ve sailed with friends and done deliveries on a Ron Holland 43, a Lagoon 40 and a Cherubini 44. Sure, there are plenty of folks who sail the world on boats the size of mine, but I now have the familiar sailor’s disease: big boat envy.

So, in my seasonal shift I am also making a bigger mental shift. I am going to prepare Talespinner to go on the market. Yup, you got that right. I’m moving on up. I’ve decided I’d like to get a boat in the 38-40 foot range. Of course, it’s not going to happen over night. But I hope to have the boat ready to put her up for sale by the fall and the end of hurricane season.

Know anybody who wants to buy a 1989 Caliber 33?

 

Fair winds!

Christine

Want more sea stories? My nautical novels are available here and Cross Current, the second in the Seychelle Sullivan series is only 99¢ through Monday, 7/22/13.

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Summering on the hard…

C.E. Grundler

In past years, spending July and August in a land-bound state was a lonely arrangement.  Most other happy boaters had long since launched and were enjoying their days afloat. In our treks between the shed and the head, we’d see them out there, cars parked by the water’s edge, the docks bustling with life and boats skimming up and down the river. We’d sigh and think, ‘someday.’  Someday we won’t be sitting in isolation, watching from the distance.

Well, we’re not floating yet, but we’re no longer isolated either. No, these days, there’s as much going on around the dusty corners of the lot as there is on the water, courtesy of Sandy’s visit last fall. Yes, many boats were damaged beyond repair, and they sit off to one corner, battered and shattered reminders of that storm. Other boats were professionally repaired, thanks to their insurance companies, and they’re back on the water and occupying the repaired docks, along with the fortunate vessels that came through unscathed. But there’s another group as well – the ‘not-quite-dead-yet’ boats. The insurance companies declared them total losses. They were still salvageable, but would cost more to be professionally repaired than they were worth. Their owners were sent settlement checks, and the boats went up for sale at bargain basement prices. In many cases the original owners immediately bought back their beloved boats; in other cases a new owner got the chance to acquire a boat that otherwise would have been out of reach, all for a small price and a large amount of DIY work. I saw a fairly new 40’ Mainship trawler with only cosmetic damage sold for $1,500. The owner of a 36’ Grand Banks received a check for the full value of the boat, then bought it back for a small fraction of the settlement. Everywhere you turn, there’s another story, though they all have a common thread. Thanks to Sandy, countless boaters, new and old, are getting a crash course in DIY fiberglass, engine, and so-on, repair.

These days, when you pull into the yard, the sound of music and power tools fills the air, and tyvek-clad shapes bustle about. One fellow, who lost his home, a spacious barge/houseboat, is putting finishing touches on a smaller and long-neglected houseboat, which is now cheerfully decked out with patio lights, deck chairs and an umbrella. Behind a scarred up sloop there’s a picnic table and barbeque grill. There’s a certain camaraderie that has grown among these land-bound boaters. Everyone is sharing war stories, tips and tricks, and that all important extra set of hands, over cold drinks and a weary smile. We all reminisce about days past, dream of days to come, and give a collective shudder at the projections for the coming hurricane season. But through it all, throughout the yard, there is an undercurrent of hope, of optimism, and new friendships forged as these boats get a second chance. And in the end, despite the heat and the work, it’s made being on the hard for the summer a little less unbearable.

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JK Rowling@Write On The Water

by John M. Urban

Rowling Does It Again. One secret is out and another is about to pop.

News that J.K. Rowling is the author of The Cuckoo’s Calling, a book she wrote under the pen name Robert Galbraith, shot Cuckoo into best-selling orbit. I just checked Rowling’s – aka Galbraith’s – sales figures. The Cuckoo’s Calling is holding firm at #1 on Amazon, a spot it will likely maintain for a very long time. Reports have it that Little Brown is printing 300,000 additional hard cover copies and index fingers all over the world are pressing the enter key on e-book sales.

There has already been grousing from some corners of the publishing world. One complaint focuses on the fact that Rowling took liberties with Galbraith’s bio (the dust jacket lists Galbriath as a former plainclothes Royal Military Police investigator who left the force to work in the civilian security industry). There is a long history of famous authors writing under pen-names, but adding fiction to the bio apparently offends some members of the guild.

Well, aren’t they going to be surprised when the next news cycle reveals that Rowling manufactured a second bio and penned not one, but two, mystery series. Yes, it’s true. And this news hits very close to home.

Mike Jastrzebski, who many of you know as the originator of Write On The Water, took interest in certain similarities between the character Harry Potter and my own protagonist, Steve Decatur. Seeing that both characters were male and English speaking, Mike hired an expert in linguistic analysis who confirmed similarities. It seems giving “Harry” and Steve” names with the same number of letters was just a bit too clever. With this information in hand, Mike contacted me leading to final confirmation that Rowling wrote A Single Deadly Truth under the name de plume John Urban. Subsequent calls also revealed that Urban Shorts is likewise J.K. Rowling’s work.

I know this is bewildering for my readers, family, and friends. Imagine just how confusing it is for me. But gauging the meteoric rise in The Cuckoo’s Calling, I will be spending the weeks ahead sitting at the computer watching for a tsunami of e-book sales.

And for the loyal readers of this blog, you’ve heard about the fabulous Harry Potter book parties? Think bigger. I promise you all free airplane tickets to one hell of a re-release book party after this news breaks!

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