This afternoon I was aboard Vixen stowing her newly galvanized anchor chain. She has weathered a dark and windy winter on a mooring at the very head of Deer Harbor on Orcas Island. One 30-year resident I talked to the other day said this had been the windiest winter she can remember. Fortunately, Vixen has not moved from her assigned spot.
She has also not been sailing which has contributed to my own dark and windy winter. Tiffany and I have been battling a storm-surge of bureaucracy associated with transitioning to life on shore. If it wasn't for the fact that Solianna and Seffa Jane love life on Orcas Island and for Tiffany's re-kindled dance career I would be writing this while half-way to the Marquesas with a fishing lure off the stern and the big jib pulling from Vixen's fore-stay.
But, escape fantasies aside, here are some highlights:
* My sister's short video of our trip took second place at the Winnipeg film festival in February beating out many well-funded, well staffed competitors. https://vimeo.com/139102400
* A friend of Vixen from Brazil subtitled the film in Portuguese and it now has over 90,000 views on facebook.
(Tell me if anyone is willing to translate it into any other language and I will try to send a transcript.) (https://www.facebook.com/vagabundosdomar/videos/1121329334574170/
*The English version on Vimeo has nearly 40,000 views: in other words, a lot of people have watched the video.
* I'm told that a reprint of the article I wrote on cruising Senegal is appearing in the April issue of Sailing magazine.
* I have a 2,500 word diatribe on the advantages of ocean voyaging with a gaff rig appearing in Classic Boat Magazine in the near future. (Someone has to speak for the underdog.)
*Our whole family is going to Carmel California on April 28th to give a 20 minute presentation of our voyage at the EG Conference.
http://www.egconf.com/presenters
* And for those interested in the minutia of Vixen's extensive history, Jo Brooks (Vixen's second owner) sent me a compass adjuster's declaration from the boat's first trip around the world. I see that the adjustment was made on the Brisbane River in Australia where we lived for six months during Vixen's second circumnavigation. (pictured above)
With any luck my next blog entry will show some stunning summer sailing from the beautiful San Juan Islands.
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