Quigley's Cruising

One more cup of coffeee for the road

2009-05-16T09:23:00.002-04:00

By judging the growth on Pat and Yanir’s chin, it is official, the mighty S/Y Keewaydin is underway once again, Baltic Bound!! It is always hard to get underway but especially so when the port we are leaving is Newport and its the Newport Shipyard. But it makes the homecoming that much greater so one day out is one day closer to home. In addition to our regular cast of characters, we have Kirk Cusic, who arrived with his own coffee mug (I knew I liked this guy) and an arsenal of anecdotes of “Chief Pat”, his pre-captain alias, when he shaved his head and lived in the woods working with troubled teens. The absence of our previous transatlantic crew is painfully evident because the m&m jar is always full. I doubt we will break our record of 13 pounds of m&m consumption but the rate in which the Klondike bars are disapearing, we may have a new personal best. The first couple of days out were what I call Courtney Love conditions, sloppy sloppy sloppy. We had two men down, one to sea sick flu, the other with what my dad would call “the Coors Light flu.” These conditions inspired Pat and Kirk to patent their idea of hockey pants as essential , everyday, delivery wear. I was cooking in 15 minute increments with ginger ale and saltine chasers but now everything has settled and we are in the groove my friends. For all the hard core sailors and racer chasers, here is the meat and potatoes. The wind has been 20’s to 30’s from the Southwest, starboard tack, seas 4-6 building to 6-8ft and for the most part coming at us in a comfortable direction. Day 8 we finally had turn the CAT on bc the wind was dying and the swell was shifting Northwest, making it difficult to keep the sails full. Our average speed is 9.2 and it has been sweet sailing. And for all of my friends, OMG,I cant believe Jenny told Nate about Blair and Chuck on season one of Gossip Girl. I am happy to report that Burger Friday has officially been reinstated. Vanna White herself, flew in for the ribbon cutting ceremony and to lead us in the sacred oath of “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” This trip's entertainment also includes “last dinner and a movie” night. There is a shameless website that lists Texas death row inmates last meal requests…so I just added a movie request to that and ran with it. Everyone gets their movie and a meal, plastic utensils of course. And the choices are: Matt: Celebrity - bacon wrapped bacon wrapped beef or pork, twice baked potato with bacon, caprese salad, bread with olive tapenade and hard cheese Leah: Frost/ Nixon - spaghetti putttanesca, garlic bread Yanir: Master and Commander - bbq pork ribs and sweet corn Kirk : Step Brothers - yummy pizza white w mozzerella, feta black olives roasted garlic, ricotta cheese, cesear salad Patrick: Im Not There - Herb roasted chicken stuffing and green salad with Newmans dressing Reagan: Elizabethtown - Black beans and yellow rice We are also happy to report that we have quite ambitious reading material. Pat is tackling Dickens and Wilbur Smith, myself Proust and The Middle East for Dummies, Matt likes to show us that he is reading, and it is a chapter book, Leah is learning Hebrew and Yanir is devouring Digital Photography 301. I have hidden Kirk’s book “The Boat That Wouldn’t Float” but he replaced it with a story about a man adrift at sea for 91 days , which he reads while whistling. Other activites include modified workouts and renaming the cargo ships that pop up on AIS, for example the Strong Patriot is now the "Thong Patrol" and CCR Hamburg is now the "Hamburglar". Alright, enough of this. We miss and love you all. Next stop, Peter Café Sport, I mean Horta, Faial Azores.

2009-05-16T06:35:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Winnie Lynch-DeCoster for braving to handle my camera and shoot this of the whole crew departing Newport. It's tough to saw goodbye to that town and all the people there, but yachting is a small community, so I'm sure we'll be surprised by friends in the next port too!

Newport - Azores

2009-05-05T07:44:00.002-04:00

We're off again. This time with a few different players; Reagan, Leah, Yanir, Matthew, Kirk cusic and myself. Departing today (May 5) from Rhode Island, the Azores will be the first stop - although this weather pattern looks so nice we could just pass it up and go straight for England! Reagan would kill me. Anyhow, talk to you in 12 days or so. I'll take some pictures!

Miami University Reunion Tour

2009-04-13T07:08:00.000-04:00

I was lucky enough to get some of the old boys together for our migration up the East Coast this season. Enter: Nate Wiggers and Bret (Bert) Swasey, whom I haven't been sailing with since we rocked the Tarten Ten fleet at the Sandusky Yacht Club back in 1999? This time Nate showed up in Naples to greet the boss and his guests, While Bert flew into Charleston for the second leg to Newport. Our sail was as fast as colud be hoped for - and the winds cooperated - allow for an average 11-knots from Key West to Charleston and a more natural 9.3-knots onward to Newport. As for Nate and Bert, It was a treat to have them onboard, although some of the memories that were unearthed could have been better left buried...

2009-03-21T16:40:00.000-04:00

I couldn't be more proud of this dog.

Park City Skiing

2009-02-22T09:42:00.002-05:00

Thanks eric & Hailey for a great week of skiing in Park City. And thanks for some great food too!

Farewell Newport!

2008-11-18T17:12:00.003-05:00

We're sorry to leave, but it's long overdue. Tomorrow's weather isn't ideal, but it never will be this late in the fall. So with all the gear that's normally stashed under our bunk, we'll push off with some blustery following breezes. If all goes as planned, it will be 48 hours to Hatteras, and after that some welcomed warm weather! Next stop; Naples, Florida and turkey!

T8R9, Maine.

2008-09-12T07:22:00.003-04:00

T8R9, Maine. Look for it on a map just another million acres of timber north of Baxter State Park. Ed Johnson and slipped away with Fishing Guide Fred Parker for a few days without cell phone chargers or laptops. Instead some time to concentrate on the important things like; my cast, woolly bugger or gray ghost, and what chord was that? Maine, the way it ought to be.

Advanced Yachting

2008-08-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

Lookat that form! Outside the lifelines, winch control at the heel, total concentration. Here on Keewaydin we take out daysails seriously, and not just the wine. Today we leave the Bay of Fundy for Mount Desert Island, and no more of these 19'foot tides that make 25'feet of water feel skinny. Yes, let's get back to an ignorable 9-footer where I can complain about something achievable - like eliminating all lobster pots from the ocean. PS. Gonna cruise downeast? Don't bother bringing your camera, and having the Olympics as a source of inside entertainment is a redeeming asset.

Charleston

2008-05-13T22:56:00.000-04:00

After a quick bout with some roudy weather we ducked into Charleston for a few days of relief and were lucky enough to have some time with James, Cathy and elliot Lipp! Jamie and Cathy we last saw in Utah, but Elliot is a new crewmember and he held his own, taking a spin at the wheel and putting his "touch" on a few of my instruments. If we're lucky we can get him away from his parents a little later on to do some polishing.

Getting antsy for Spring!

2008-03-21T13:10:00.003-04:00

Times have gotten about as routine as they ever do for us, with not too much on the schedule and having called this one port home for more than 6 weeks I feel like I'm grounded. Be careful what you wish for, though, because busy times are on the way! Stand by for posts from Boca Grande, Cayo Costa, Key West, Everglades City and then comes spring...

Antigua Nice.

2008-01-31T16:05:00.000-05:00

An exciting week at the Catamaran Club in Antigua! Here are a few pictures passed on to me by a friend who was on the scene in what turned out to be a losing battle with an engine room fire. The captain suffered some burns, but kept the rest of the crew safe... sadly the boat was lost. Our Caribbean tour is the shortest of my career - just one week with the guests and a tap of varnish, then we'll be back on the road for Naples, FL. I'm really looking forward to this delivery - it's finally the downwind cruise through the islands in heaps of sunshine that was on the brochure. Reagan's cooking up some nibbles for a few of our friends who are here in Antigua - some who go back as far as 1994! It's nice to be among friends.

The Chicken Princess Flies

2008-01-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

She never thought she'd do it, but here is proof that the Chicken Princess isn't afraid to soar through the canopy. This took place one day in Guadeloupe as Reagan and I struggled to find the balance between my idea of a day off and hers. Next: base jumping!

2008-01-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

Hello to all our family and friends. We hope this reaches you all with a full belly of love, laughter, good health, cookies, turkey, rum cake, champagne, Bordeaux……

First and foremost, I am very happy to say that as of October 21, I am and we are , officially,and happily, Mr. and Mrs.Quigley for one whole year. We have had an adventure of a first year of marriage, a new job, my first transatlantic crossing and three weeks later, my second transatlantic crossing, a second honeymoon in Dubrovnik, third honeymoon in Paris, family visits in Newport , going backstage on Broadway with cousin Eryn’s top running show “Spring Awakening”, learning to drive Pat’s new CJ – 7 jeep, the closest to being with family at Christmas, and fishing in my princess dress for our crew’s "Christmas in Margaritaville" party. For years, friends and family have kept the full court press on by insisting they live vicariously through us so I hope we are keeping it interesting for you.

I do want to take a moment to celebrate a great, kind, and loving man, who never shied away from good old fashioned potty -humor , or a good red wine, Mr. Michael Ferrier, who left this world too soon but leaving behind a template of what love and family and fun is all about. So, from atop of the Arc de Triomphe, cheers and thank you Mr. Ferrier.

The week after Thanksgiving, Pat and I took a vacation to Paris. We have to thank the Cole’s for their walking directions of the streets of Paris and to the Johnson's for their culinary tour. Ed, that is the best “la glace noir” and I think we have tapped the secret of treating post-menopausal symptoms. A big thank you to Ann for coming from London and introducing us to Marias, the Latin Quarter and Pat’s favorite, the white linen staff of Mariage Freres salon de The.

Yeah, Paris is okay… and Hillary expected she’d be placing third in the Iowa caucussesssesss. I think Pat said it best when he noted that the French just have an eye for beauty. We both wish we had read up on our “History of Paris for Dummies” bc you can’t help but feel like you are missing out on the significance of the palatial architecture and statues that await you around every corner. And it truly is a city for everyone. I couldn’t be happier walking thru the restaurant supply store in Les Halles while Pat could spend hours de-constructing the mystery wand of the “surprise!” toilet + bidet combo in our bathroom. Funny how one little thing can inspire a sense of awe for one person and absolute gag reflux for the other.

We didn’t have to much of a plan bc you simply can’t see it all in one week but we don our scarves and hit some of the biggies, the gargoyles of Notre Dame, the Japanese tourists snapping photos of the Mona Lisa in The Louvre, opted out of the extremely long line and 1665 stair climb of the Tower Eiffel, trekked up the 342 steps of the Arc de Triomphe at night, sat and had double espressos on the Champs Elysees, drank champagne with the can- can dancers of the Moulin Rougue, and shaped our palettes with the likes of pate and moules marinieres. From the magnificent displays in the shop windows on Rue d Rivoli (or ravioli as I liked to call it) to the little crocks of mustard, a staple on all tables, we loved every thing we experienced about Paris.

Not only are the building’s spectacular but the people in Paris are unbelievably put together. You could give a woman a Hefty cinch sack and she’d pull it off as cashmere. And then there is the food. You really can’t get a bad meal any where, except if your husband humors you so you can go to “Hippopatomus” (somebody’s favorite animal) which turns out to be a chain restaurant equivalent to our Bob’s Big Boy.

Seeing that the writers strike is still going on, I’ll give you our own top ten list of Paris favorites.

10. “Wow, that is stunning, honey,(1 second pause) now let’s get moving bc we have a lot to do.” Quote of a random woman looking at Venus de Milo.

9. The stained glass windows of Saint Chapelle.

8. Our favorite but complete accidental discovery of the restaurant "Citrus" (run by a chef who trained under Thomas Keller at the French Laundry.)

7. Both of our facial expressions upon the dicovery of the bill from our dinner at Citrus.

6. Winged Victory of Samothrace My friend once explained he had a "religous expereince" walking past the Louvre at night and now I know what he meant.

5.Pat in is bright orange scarf.

4. “I #hit on your book!!!” a direct quote from the owner of the Rue de Balzac restaurant which was not mentioned in our tour book...but should have been.

3. Conquering the metro and the RER and getting to the airport without asking more than three questions.

2. The absolute, extraordinarily loud eruption of applause from the Japanese businessmen when the Moulin Rouge dancers went topless.

1. Leaving Paris thinking to yourself, “People don’t say ‘when I was IN Paris…..” they say 'when I come back to Paris…...”

And now we are off for our spring adventure on the S/Y Keewaydin. Ten days from Key West we will be "stern to" in Guadeloupe awaiting our trip down the chain to Grenada. We may be bouncing around from town to town but we love hearing from you so keep 'em coming. cheers and all our best to you and yours for the new year. love, reagan and pat

Vacationing in Paris

2007-12-01T13:45:00.000-05:00

Louvre. Cool.

Eryn Murman in Spring Awakening

2007-11-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why I've become the spokesperson for this family, as I distinctly remember assigning the duty onto much more accomplished hands, but here I write again. Spring awakening was the light at the end of the tunnel for Reagan and me. Eryn's performance left us both in an astonished state of disbelief. To watch this mature young woman - whom I'd last seen while pulling around Grandma's family room in a modified dry-cleaning box - rock the stage with a personality and energy that left the crowd emulating her confidence, this was my awakening! I couldn't be more astonished nor more proud of Eryn's accomplishment! This girl is cool.

Hunker down on Long Island

2007-10-25T13:25:00.000-04:00

Well, We've missed a few weeks of chaptering, but today Reagan and I are enjoying the luxury of babysitting the boat alone. All the crew have hauled off to visit family & friends, so we've battened the hatches and are braving the cold with some long neglected books and the occasional glass of wine. It makes this time of year seem romantic. Tomorrow Dave will spell us from standing watch and we're taking the train into NYC to see my cousin Eryn and her Broadway debut in the musical Spring Awakening http://www.springawakening.com/ We'll see how well I can handle the population density! Oh yeah, I bought a Jeep. Pat

Dobra dan!

2007-07-21T12:32:00.000-04:00

Hello family and friends. We hope this season is bringing you a load of sunshine, swollen, juicy, peaches and a leisurely way that is the promise of summer. It is only mid July and we cant complain how ours is turning out.

For any of those in the wings of planning your next big adventure, I am the new poster girl for Croatia. It helps when your spoiling husband starts off your adventure in 5 star style, where the only decisions we had to make were either swimming in the pool or jumping off the cliffs into the Adriatic sea. It was, as I call it, a “ having champagne every morning just because I could” luxury.

Pat and I and the crew all took advantage of our opportunity and cheap public transportation to explore the old city of Dubrovnik. We hiked around the top of wall, popped in and out of cathedrals, monastaries, the oldest pharmacy in europe and sat and watched as people from all over strolled along the marble streets that have been smoothed down since 700AD. It is hard to imagine that just 10 years ago this place was experiencing a bloody civil war.

So, after having spent the last month here, we made a couple of notes about Croatia. First, to see it properly, it has to be done by boat. I am not saying this to brag about having the best waterfront property every where we go…well that too, BUT, when we did venture off in a car we managed to get pulled over and ticketed each time and each time by someone whom we didn’t speak their language. I don’t know about you but I get a little foot tappy when someone is holding my passport and writing down numbers on a fast food cup with a big euro sign as a punctuation mark. But luckily, the international language is Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. So, after throwing out a few words like Pippin, Shaq and even a Kareem Abdul Jabbar (since that is probably the most recent game Pat has seen regarding basketball) he was able to talk them down each time into a lesser offence and fine.

There are so many beautiful islands and private anchorages that we agree is the real treasure of Croatia. Each one is unique of the other, for instance the one where the guests, after a startling discovery with the binoculars, decided to for-go their beach picnic bc it seemed the locals had opted for birthday rather than bathing suits. All the islands are stunning and there always seemed to be a character around the corner to throw some fun and chaos, or, in our case, a kick dance on the aft deck, into the mix…but that’s another story...that goes by the name of Goro.

My favorite part of Croatia was the market place. You want to bite into a tomato as if it was an apple and the peaches just dripped down your chin. Shopping has never been such an event. It didn’t take long to learn that the market price, I believe, fluctuates on a person to person basis, especially if you are wearing a crew tshirt with a picture of a mega yacht sprawled across the back. Pat came with me just to see if my stories were true. It is probably the closest feeling I can imagine to being on the red carpet receiving an Oscar, except it’s not Gwenyth Paltrow presenting a chocolate figure wrapped in gold foil but instead, a woman with a beard handing over a zucchini.

As for the people, I wouldn't say they are giving their smiles away for free but they were willing to talk about how proud they are of their country and the recent state of events. They also aren't too big on deodorant and as Leah found out on a crowded, hot, bus ride into town, a local woman gave the universal sign of "you stink" as she held her nose, stuck out her tongue with a thumbs down sign at the man standing above her. Sometimes it was enough to make you want to get off a stop or two early just to stretch the legs.

So much to tell, so little internet connectivity. Now its your turn to keep us posted on your happenings. TRAVEL ALERT: Any one heading out Seattle way, take warning, something must be in the water bc there is a recent influx of cute babies and proud parents around the Duwamish River area. Here's to Finn and Ashley whom luckily, aren't not old enough to have to read this. Our love to you all, Pat and Reagan

Appreciating the Feedback!

2007-06-18T15:12:00.000-04:00

Thanks to those of you who wrote in and left comments with us yesterday, especially you Grandpa Q! It's a treat to have you watching! Today the crew was busting their humps getting the last projects completed and our next few days will revolve around making the boat absolutely spotless prior to the guests' arrival on Friday. I plowed through the charts and guides today, reviewing our routes through the Dalmatian Island chain, and I think if you hang in with us you're going to see some gorgeous pictures next week! There are a lot of similarities to Maine in the geography, so i included an old favorite picture from Martha's Vineyard when Reagan and I took a biplane ride over the Pemberton's house. It's my new artistic streak that lets me speak with such continuity... But just be a little patient, and Reagan will get the mic.

Introductions

2007-06-17T03:59:00.000-04:00

If any of you made it here, I'm excited! Last night I stayed up way too late trying to get some content up that might make the Father's smile for today. That might be why I forgot to send the address! We'll try not to be redundant with Clay's running commentary of the Trans-Atlantic crossings, but you'll see that the picture galleries are nearly identical right now. We have one more week before the owner's of Keewaydin arrive for their vacation cruise, so there is work to do!

Getting the blog underway...

2007-06-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

Reagan and I are taking cues from our good friend Clay Bartel, who has introduced us to the possibilities of exposing our lives in this mechanism. While we hate to mimic his example set on the excellent site www.claysadventure.blogspot.com we must admit he's getting us started. Look for the pictures!