Christmas vacation was at my folks house in Florida. Great to see the family, save money for the cruising kitty and have a convenient location for some more boat skills education. The boat’s ability to fill dive tanks for Scuba is a feature I am looking forward to. I plan to be an avid underwater photographer . Have you signed up for Fish bingo yet? The game is simple. You email us your name and then you have to do NOTHING. You will get a card with fish names not numbers. And then the Two Fish team will check off the squares for you as the wildlife is photographed. You could be a winner and it takes no effort. Just came back to the site to check your progress and trash talk with other players.
Now back to the Scuba class. We completed the class portion online so the in person program was only 2 days. Half in the pool and half in the ocean. Total of 4 dives. I am now a PADI diver! Next dive is later this summer in a Pennsylvania rock quarry (now filled with water).
We got a really heart-warming gift from my mom. I know its tough on my Mom seeing us go away on the boat, but with a brave heart she is supporting the mission. I can’t stop talking about it and they must be thinking ” could he stay in NY a bit longer? Buy a sports car, not a boat.” But she puts her feelings aside and has embraced the mission. The gift was a special one and will be carried aboard the boat.
It was almost a year after making the big decision on boat selection and almost 3 months after signing the contract and we still hadn’t actually sailed on an Antares. All we could rely on was Jason’s knowledge of boat characteristics and performance and some praise from current owners. When Rob called asking whether we wanted to attend Antares U in Grenada, we immediately signed on. We had met a few of the other owners at the boat shows but this was a chance to expand our network, learn more about the boat, talk about boats 24/7 and, of course, get out on the water.
We have already mentioned that Antares is a small friendly community, always willing to help out. This goes one step farther with Antares U. Every year one of the current owners volunteers their boat for a few days, during which they invite prospective owners to visit, learn and sail. Laurie and Craig of Alberta Crewed were the generous hosts of 2011 Antares U.
Grenadan School Girls
Grenada Fed
We landed a day early and explored the main town, St. George’s. We walked the couple of miles from our hotel while speedy vans buzzed by, honking as they passed. We later learned first hand that the bus system on Grenada is a series of privately owned vans following prescribed routes. There is the driver and an assistant. They honk to try to accumulate more passengers and even when the bus is filled to the gills, the assistant produces a cushion, which must mean there is another seat and everyone squeezes just a bit tighter. We ate some great Roti at a restaurant overlooking the harbor and took in the relaxed atmosphere.
We enjoyed watching the girls dawdle on their way home from school and listened to the tune of everyone’s voices.
However, we were so excited to be on the boat the next day that we were a bit distracted.
Antares Electrical Panel
The next morning we listened intently to Jeff (Antares) show us the various systems inside the boat. As Jason has noted, everything looks well organized and very accessible, if a bit daunting. When we were at the boat show in February, I had been intimidated by the notion of running our own city and needing to fix things on the water. Now, fresh out of one day of Diesel Engine intro, I was supposed to be more confident, almost boastful with my new knowledge of fuel injectors and cooling systems. After about 5 minutes of lecture and one question from Craig,
All pipes well labeled
I realized that I still knew nothing.
That afternoon, we tried to set sail but a fouled line in the propeller complicated issues so we hung out, took a gazillion photos, chatted and headed early to the bar. Seemed a lot like University the first time around.
The next day was a tour of the outside of Alberta Crewed, including the generator, anchor, and rigging items. One day I will be climbing that 61 foot mast – I think we forgot to mention another feature of the Antares. The fixed bridges of the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) are a minimum 62 feet above the water. So as long as we watch the tide tables and storm surge, we can enjoy the inner waters on the East Coast as well.
That afternoon, we headed out for a sail and for the first time I took the helm of the Antares. It was so easy to sail that I hardly realized that it was blowing 17 knots. In the Vanguard 15 I would have been hiking. Other than steering, my favorite spot on the boat is the back bench near the dinghy davit. I am looking forward to many lazy hours there.
Gail steers, Jason observes
Gail and Jason on stern
It’s official our boat has name
That night we met even more prospective owners as Antares hosted a dinner for our group and the group that were going to visit for the next two days. I wonder if our boat name will still be on the wall next time we visit. It is exciting to think that next time will be on our own boat.
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