Welcome!

Hey! This is Bhodi..

Check out what I am upto this Summer by scrolling below.

Don't forget to drop me a line.

Cheers!

To see what We did this Winter & what Erin is upto this Summer, Click here: www.lifeonland.blogspot.com

To check our other Adventures, go to our Main Blog: www.tallshipadventures.blogspot.com

Shift in the Winds

So... As dynamic as this line of work is, it should come as no surprize to hear that "Alot has transpired since my last post.

As soon as I returned from my trip to Florida, I immediately jumped on all the details that needed attention before we could begin the Tall Ships Challenge tour, like Uprigging the newly re-built Topmasts.

We had a pretty uneventfull trip to Cleveland, and a busy (yet relatively uneventfull) time at the Cleveland Harborfest. Here's one of the few shots I got of the Fest. in Cleveland.



We began our transit from Cleveland with a 1 Day Race... And being that we had just Uprigged our Topmasts, and had not had a the time to bend on our Top-Sails, I proceeded to bend them on underway.. under sail.. with no rat-boards.

If your wondering how that works, here's a few shots that may shed some light on the subject.



















































































































And then we finally got to sail.







So.. Then, after sailing pretty hard in the Race, steaming through a 55knot squall, anchoring out for 4 hours, and stopping off in Port Huron (because we ran out of water since the Captain felt that it was too more important to get out of Cleveland in a hurry than stop off at another dock for water), I got about 7 hours of sleep in 3 days of transit.

So.. as I'm sure you can immagine, when the Captain started rheaming me (as usual) for things not being done, when it was his lack of organization and coordination (not to mention cutting over half of my crew and over half of my time while constantly adding more and more things to do) that finally drove me over the edge.

I joined Appledore, knowing that the Boat (and parent organization BaySail) had a bad reputation for treating good sailors like crap and driving their best crew away.

I came to Appledore IV hopeing to help bring a new level of pride to the boat during this Summer's Tallships Challenge Series. Many of you already know about the boat's reputation since it was during the last Tallships Challenge that the ENTIRE crew walked. And I'm not even the first from this season. One deckhand has already jumped ship and been talked into comeing back, and another part timer has asked to be taken off the schedule. We'll see how many more will leave before the end of the season.

Enough of that rant, though. Now... I am back home in Santa Cruz. With my beloved Fiance' and loving cat here waiting for me, and my new License in hand.. I'm on to bigger and MUCH better things.

Done FINALLY!!!

Just a quick post, friends.




I Finally PASSED!!


After about a year of applications, red tape, unsucessfull testing, and evenually a class with Sea School... I am now.........

Captain T.C. Sheridan

Now... Since I got back from my class in Florida.. We have been on High Gear at the Appledore. Painting the deck, some electrical work, some plumbing work, and uprigging our newly re-built Topmasts (photos to come).

And tomorrow... We depart Bay City to meet up with all the other Tallships participating in the TallShip Challenge Series this summer in Cleveland OH.

Well... Gotta run for now. Another post to follow shortly.

Fair Winds.

Bhodi

Busy... Busy... BUSY!

Hello all.
Well, We made it!

After about 69 hours of work on my part, and nearly that much on the part of Capt. Topher, over the past week.. Plumbing Problems, Electrical Problems, Rig Inspections, A NASTY 3 day Flu, Lots of climbing around in the Bilge, Spars to repair and re-varnish, Topmasts to down-rig for repairs, Sails to Up-rig, TONS of paperwork, a late night S.I.P. "Cram Session" last night, and a last minute scramble this morning..... WE PASSED OUR C.O.I. INSPECTION!!!

My first one as Mate. :-)

Here's a couple shots taken by our 2nd Mate Mathew of me bringing down our Main Topmast.

Of course I didn't do all of the work on my own, but our Captain did allow me, under his watchfull eye, to Supervise all for the rigging & the "Calling of the Shots" for the downrig of the two TopMasts. This was a great opportunity that I have been looking forward to for some time now. And... Aside for some stubborness on the part of the Topmast, (wanting to stay up), everything went without a hitch... Aside for the sweet "Prussik-Hitch" I tied for the Upper Tag-Line. :-)

More news? Well... I have my date with the R.E.C. On may 17th, I will be going to Toledo to "Ace" the 100ton Master exams and become "Captain T.C." Scary, huh?

On that note... I have got to get back to the books.

Cao for now! Check back soon.

-- Bhodi

A new job & another Carreer Step.

Hello all... from Bay City, Michigan!

Many of you may have already heard: After leaving the Pride of Baltimore II, Erin & I spent the winter in Florida and then drove out to move into our new Cottage in Santa Cruz, CA.

Well... You may also have heard that I flew out just a few days later to join Capt. Christopher Sutton & the Baysail family aboard the Appledore IV for the 2006 Sailing season. I will be searving the App. IV as Chief Mate, and am excited about having this opportunity to sail as mate on a sweet schooner in the 2006 Tall-Ships Challenge series.



Soo.. While Erin is enjoying our new love nest in "The Cruz", our new cutie-pie cat "Foxy", her new job for Patagonia, and her renewed college carreer in GeoPhysics at UCSC: I am getting a Schooner ready for a USCG C.O.I. Inspection and a busy sailing season, including such fun activities as trying to fix a grey-water punp and repairing the Main Gaff with epoxy fillets and a nice sized "Dutchman".

Also, as you may have figured out from the photo above, I have finally been approved by the Coast Guard for my Captain's License & expect to go test sometime in the first half of next month.

Well... That's all for now. Keep checking back, as I will have more and more photos and postings up as the weather gets better and we get sailing this season.

Cheers!

--Bhodi

To return to our main Blog: www.tallshipadventures.blogspot.com Click here.