Easy Ziploc Omelettes - Cooking While Cruising

While perusing Renegade Cruisers this morning, we were reminded of this simple, fast, yet tasty, method of cooking omelettes which is perfect when passage making, that we'd like to share with you.

ZIPLOC OMELETTES (or Baggy Omelets... your choice!)

Into a quart-sized Ziploc freezer bag, crack open two large eggs and discard the shells elsewhere. Shake the bag to break up & scramble the eggs.

Add whatever ingredients you'd like to the Ziploc bag:

• cheese
• onion
• chives
  
• bell pepper
• olives
• ham
• bacon
• chicken
  
• tabasco
• salsa
• salt & pepper
• other seasonings
  

Use your imagination!

Add your extra ingredients to the eggs and shake to mix.

Try to get as much air out of the bag as possible, and zip it up. You don't want air in the bag to expand while cooking because it may cause the bag to burst.

To cook, place the bags into boiling water for 12-15 minutes. Depending on the size of your pot, you can cook several (6-8) omelettes at a time.

To serve, just open the Ziploc and it will slide out onto your plate (or eat out of the bag). No mess, no fuss, and EASY CLEANUP!

Enjoy!

Weather Blog interesting this morning

I found Jeff Master's weather blog interesting this morning. It was about "typical" July tropical storms. This is a cool graph that was in his Wunderground blog.

Here's the link to his blog.

One encouraging thing he mentions is that for three years in a row, 1999 through 2001, that there were no tropical storms in July... of course, last year there were five... shhhh...

Don't worry, be happy!

Here's to a safe summer!

Dragging Anchor in St. Maarten Lagoon

In the past month or so, we have had many, many boats drag by us. Fortunately, they drag past without incident but we did have one close call in June...

I heard a buzzing noise that sort of sounded like a bug outside... Like a large moth buzzing about a light? I didn't want to see a bug, but I looked outside and there was a boat about a foot away from us! We were in the same spot but this boat was dragging its anchor. (The noise was from a bit of plastic electricians tape that was around one of his stays as a telltale). Fortunately it didn't hit us and it didn't pull up our anchor with his as he passed in front of us. We jumped in the dinghy to get its name to make an announcement on the VHF. We had just zipped around the back of it when the owner came back. We told him his boat was dragging and he asked if it was OK now (like we had reanchored for him). I said no, look it's heading off that way! We went back onto our boat and Bob noticed that when the guy pulled up his anchor that he didn't have much chain out. Some people don't understand and think that if the water is 10 feet deep that you only need to put out 10 feet of chain. Well, some people do get away with it!

This week, we were awakened at 2am when a 40-foot catamaran decided to re-anchor next to us after their episode of dragging. It's amazing at how much distance you can cover in a little amount of time... especially when the rocky shore or pristine yacht is rapidly get nearer... I wonder if there is a mathematical equation for this? I bet the guy on Numb3rs could concoct one :)

Yesterday though, we had a different situation... I heard a dog barking and then a bit later I heard it woofing again. I thought it was someone taking their dog ashore for walkies and back but a couple of hours later when we were going to dinghy over for a Chinese lunch, we noticed a big old French ferrocement sailboat in front of us. That is where the dog was barking from. His anchor was up but he was obviously aground. We watched him for a bit but he wasn't able to move. We stopped by and asked if there was anything we could do to help but he said no, he'd wait for the tide. Hopefully the water would rise by a foot sometime and that should be enough for him. His boat draws 9 feet. How can you live in the Caribbean and have a boat that draws 9 feet? It would really limit you. We are about 4.5 feet and that seems like a lot to us because the Mooses were 12" and 16" with their boards up. Anyway, at about 4:30pm he was able to leave. Hope he made it over to wherever he wanted to get to on the French side. Guess he just learns to be patient.

Lots of sailboats get stuck when they are heading over to the Island Water World gas dock or FKG. They usually seem to try to push through, when it seems to me that they should try to back off the way they came... but that's just me :)

Anyway, be warned: the holding is not great in the Simpson Bay Lagoon (we know personally, but we're not going there!) and you'll probably find a big ball of vegetation on your anchor when you pull it up. Watch your depth sounder, too!

All the best & safe sailing!

Audio Books on Sale at Amazon

As we have to order another part for our toilet and wait for the mail, we might as well take advantage of Amazon.com's Audiobook Sale which has some selections for 42% off retail price.

Audio books are wonderful for when you are on watch, which is a good time to listen to a book on learning a foreign language. They have several of these on sale, including French, Spanish and Chinese... Chinese is great if you are a Firefly / Serenity fan!

Other books are on sale as well, such as mysteries, comedies, and Shakespeare. War and Peace might be good for those really long passages!

Here's a link, so check it out! Sale: Audio books

And, here's a link to access all of their books available on CD: MORE Audio Books

Happy cruising!

Neil Young Heart of Gold - New DVD music video

We just received our Amazon order in our twice-weekly St. Maarten mail drop. We really enjoyed watching the new Neil Young music video DVD, Heart of Gold.

CLICK LINK: Neil Young Heart of Gold

This film, directed by Jonathan Demme, is of two concert performances by Neil Young and friends at the famed Ryman Auditorium (home of the Grand Ole Opry) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Some of the performing artists on stage with Neil Young are: Emmylou Harris, Wayne Jackson, Jimmy Sharp, Diana DeWitt, Gary W. Pigg, Tom McGinley, Anthony Crawford, Karl T. Himmel, Clinton Gregory, Larry Cragg, Grant Boatwright, Rick Rosas, Ben Keith, Spooner Oldham, Chad Cromwell, and, of course, Pegi Young.

So far, we have only watched the main concert footage, but we are looking forward to exploring the special features on this 2-disc DVD which received a 5-star rating on Amazon.com

I've been waiting for the release of WELD to come out on DVD for a long, long time. Our video of this Neil Young concert was lost along with our beloved Loose Moose 2.

Hello, to the visitors from Neil Young News, http://www.thrasherswheat.org/wheatfield.html
We're doing our best to keep on rockin' in the free world ...

Rude Awakening

This morning while having first cup of coffee and reading our electronic version of the July Cruising World on my laptop, I heard a big-boat-moving type noise. We looked out the hatch and saw a large barge with crane and other bits of machinery coming up behind us. That was OK, but wait! they're slowing down... not a good sign. Looked out again and saw that they have stopped right in front of So It Goes. What's going on?


So we wait a bit to see what's happening and then get in the dinghy to check it out.

Turns out that they will only be in this spot for a couple of hours as they are drilling samples for the proposed bridge across the Simpson Bay Lagoon.


We have heard this bridge mentioned in the past but it has always been dismissed as a joke or something that is brought up on April 1st. If they are actually doing surveys, it must be a serious project in the making. I haven't seen anything about it but if it cuts the lagoon in half I can see that being a problem for businesses such as Bobby's boat yard. It would be a drag to go out the Dutch Bridge go all the way around to the French Bridge and then double back in the lagoon to Bobby's. But, as I said, I don't have a clue as to what's going on... just my personal speculation...

and so it goes...

Bullwinkle, ship's cat - cruising with pets

Here's a photo of Bullwinkle (Mr. B) our ship's cat that I recently took. He is happily sleeping on my rather messy bookshelf.



Why do cats enjoy sleeping on what appears to be uncomfortable objects? He has a very nice cat quilt that his Aunt Laura from Zillah, Washington sent him, but no, he prefers laying on uneven, lumpy things... Although, I must say, that nothing beats a box from Amazon.com... He loves them!

All the best from St. Maarten!
So It Goes
Cal 34

Happy Fourth !

Hi everyone! Hope you had a Safe & Sane or Dumb & Dangerous, depending on your personality type, Fourth of July weekend!

The beautiful, charter yacht Hanalei Bay stopped by Marigot, St. Martin (French side) and invited us over for a Fourth of July BBQ. And, even though Germany did not win their match in the World Cup yesterday afternoon, Franz was still in good spirits. Dinner was excellent, as always, and we had a wonderful time until the wee hours.

Hanalei Bay departed for St. Barths (St. Barts, St. Barthelemy) this morning and they are working they way down to St. Vincent where we have a charter for them later this month.

Here is a photo of Franz working his magic. These aren't just four slabs of New York Strip from the store. Franz buys a whole loin and prepares the steaks himself. He was trained as a professional butcher and really knows his stuff. I can't rave enough about my steak!

Diane garnished our drinks with fun little American flags which Bullwinkle, our ship's cat aboard So It Goes, is facinated with... hours of entertainment (with supervision... I'm the Safe & Sane type).

Coleman Stirling Cooler - 12V refrigeration

We've had it for two months now, and I'm very happy with our 12V Coleman Stirling Cooler. We bought it on the internet from Costco because they have it for quite a reasonable price. We had it shipped to a Miami hotel where Bob would be staying at the night before his return to St. Maarten after a month-long film job in South America.

NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Coleman Stirling Power Electric Cooler : Thermoelectric 26-Quart Portable Cooler W/ DC Power Cable & Household Power Supply: about $449 from Amazon (click link above)

We did have a few problems communicating with Costco. Then we had a few problems with the courrier company messing up, but they did manage to get it to the hotel before Bob's flight thus saving us big, big bucks in shipping charges.

Of course, I'd love to have a home-sized refrigerator/freezer like quite a few of our charter boat friends have but, so it goes...

It seems to consume 0.9ah, so figure 25 amps or so per day...

I haven't filled it up completely with soda cans, but you could easily put 30 cans in there (3 x 5 and 2 high) with a couple of inches left on top for other stuff...

It says it freezes and I believe it. We started with it at setting COOL 3 and it was too cold so it is now at COOL 2 and quite happy! If we had room, we'd consider a second unit as a freezer.

Check it out!

Google Earth - St Maarten Lagoon SXM St Martin

I've been playing about with Google Earth again this morning. I was looking at Le Port Marly, France where we lived on the Barge "Black Moon" for a couple of years. The resolution of the photo is excellent. You really have a sharp image of the cars along the chemin de halage. Wow! It has been 20 years since we lived there!!! No wonder why it has changed and is more built up. The rowing club has really grown. Black Moon was 2 barges down river (to the north) but the boat is obviously not there anymore. The other barge, closer to the rowing club, doesn't look like Guy and Ruth's boat. So it goes...


Here's a Google Earth screen shot of our current neck of the woods. Simpson Bay Lagoon, St Maarten, Netherland Antilles in the Caribbean. We can be in France (St. Martin) in less than a minute! Wheeeeeee... I love our new 15HP outboard.

Free WiFi in Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten

We subscribe to a local ISP for our wifi service, but there are times when the system is down and we need to find other means to be connected to the big world out there.

We just discovered that our wonderful French bakery, Le Sucriere (see previous post) next to the FedEx building in Simpson Bay Lagoon, offers free wifi. Sit out on the covered terrace with an excellent cafe and croissant and catch up on your email.

Some other places that offer free wifi in the Lagoon in St. Maarten are:

• Rick's Cafe
• McDonald's
• Coconut Joe's
• Place across the street from Coconut Joe's
• Jimbo's at Simpson Bay Marina
• Some people get free wifi outside of the Soggy Dollar Bar at the Palapa Marina

For an inexpensive, no frills, internet cafe try Moc's computers. Just across the street from Plaza de Lago (Simpson Bay Marina) next to where the Asian Food Store used to be and the Duty Free liquor store. Moc is a nice guy and cheaper than the place in the marina complex.

Don't have much information about the French side of St. Martin. I heard that you can get wifi close to the Port St. Louis marina out in Marigot Bay. Someone told me that you can get wifi as far in the Simpson Bay Lagoon on the French side of St. Martin as Time Out Boatyard (Time Out has a marine flea market the first Saturday of the month during season). There's a service called Orange? Hopefully, you can find more information about it. Let me know!

Yvonne's Laundry in Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten

Many of us would love to have a laundromat where we could wash our own clothes, but unfortunately there really isn't one that I know of anywhere close to the Simpson Bay Lagoon in St. Maarten (the Dutch side of St. Martin).

I now take our clothes to Yvonne's Laundry at Bobby's Boat Yard in Simpson Bay Lagoon, just past the runway extension. They have a long dinghy dock. She charges (July 2006) $8/load to wash, dry and fold. Two years ago, the laundry at Simpson Bay Marina was $12, as was the laundry at Palapa. I don't know recent rates.

I did take our clothes to a place at Portofino Marina that last year charged $9/load ($10 because I'd give the girl a buck). The problem was that three times in a row many of our t-shirts came back with what appeared to be burn holes in them. I know, why did I allow this happen three times...??? What was really bad was that most of the holes were on a fold right at the nipple line, thus making the shirts unwearable in public. We also had a couple of pairs of brand new shorts ruined in this fashion. I was a pleasant customer and always tipped... so I don't think it was revenge. Perhaps cigarettes or cleaning chemical burns? Definitely carelessness was involved...

There use to be a laundromat over at Lagoonies but that has been gone for over a year. It was $3 to wash and the tokens for drying was $3 each. Those machines were really beat anyways. There is supposed to be a new self-serve laundry on the opposite side of where the old one was. An unofficial beta-tester reported that they had some problems to be worked out. It is near the big red building with the sailmaker (nice guy) upstairs. When you get to their stairs, walk across the driveway to the other building and it's around there somewhere... The manager said the laundry is supposed to open when the marina is finished (no date given). So, in reality, a minimum of $6/load and all the waiting around for a machine to open up, and then the wait during the actual wash, dry and fold, it is worth another $2 to have someone do it for you. Your time is worth more than the $2 you are "losing".

Anyway, try Yvonne's at Bobby's Boatyard as she takes very good care of us. Quick turnaround. She does lots of laundry for the American University students up the road. Clothes are put in large, heavy, clear plastic bags which are great for taking the clothes back to the boat in the dinghy.

Just my humble opinion...

Lunch at The Boathouse in Simpson Bay Lagoon SXM

We had another excellent lunch today at The Boathouse in Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten. I love their Club Wrap because it has lots of bacon. It comes with a salad and is really a good deal for $6.95. Bob got one of his favorites there, fish and chips.

They do add 15% for service, but that's OK because their service is GOOD! They are attentive, if you ask for a refill they ask everyone if they want a refill (I know... common sense, but rarely seen unfortunately) and the food is good, decent sized portions and "reasonably" priced.

I sometimes get something different but I really like the Club Wrap and it just so happens to be one of the least expensive things on the menu... I really make out... such a deal!

Bob usually gets the fish & chips because he likes them but occasionally will get their lunch special of the day, which is also good.

We must admit that we weren't too thrilled with their hamburgers, but that's OK as they have other choices which we love.

We had a good Blue Cheese & Bacon Hamburger at the Simpson Bay Yacht Club the other day but I think they were $10 with fries...

Peg Leg's burgers are usually good but the service is haphazard. I feel sorry for the waitress. They only have the one waitress at lunch and they are quite busy. Sometimes we get a refill but it also takes a long time to pay and get out of there.

Gunboat Looking for Elvis in St. Martin

When we went to the Island Water World gas dock in the Simpson Bay Lagoon in Sint Maarten this morning, we noticed this 62-foot Gunboat catamaran with the wonderful name of "Looking for Elvis". Earlier this year, there was another interesting boat name... "Elvis the Gecko". I love it!
We were told that Looking For Elvis is a private yacht and not a charter boat.

If you are interested in chartering a Gunboat though, you may wish to look at SAFARI, a 62-foot Gunboat available for charter in the Western Mediterranean this summer 2006. They will be chartering in the Caribbean this coming winter.

Click here to view Safari's electronic brochure.

Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters (click here) for more information.

Google Earth

I had so much fun with Google Earth last night. They now have a MAC version which you can use if you have MAC OS 10.3.9 or higher. Hurray!!!

I checked out where my brother lives in Washington State, then I had a fly down to St. Maarten to look at Simpson Bay Lagoon, I then zipped over to Paris to see where I used to work, then cruised on over to check out the marina at Joinville-Le-Pont on the Marne river where we lived for several years... They also had a great view of Le Porte Marly on the river Seine where we lived on a barge before we built Loose Moose.

Some locations have excellent high resolution photographs. You can make out catamarans at anchor in Arrecife, for example. So cool! Thanks Google!!!

You can download Google Earth at: http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

St. John, USVI Dinghy Dock Fees at Customs

I recently learned from our friend Kerry, Captain of the sail/ dive charter yacht PROMENADE, that she was charged to use the dinghy dock while checking in to St. John, USVI. I assume this applies to everyone and not just charter boats.

This is what she said "We had to laugh at this one. We thought it was absolutely brilliant. We went to check into the USVI at Cruz Bay, tied our dinghy to the dock as we normally do, cleared in and then returned to the dinghy. A couple guys stopped us outside and said we now had to pay to tie our dinghy up at customs. 60 cents a foot and 60 cents per passenger. Does not matter if you are only there for two minutes. AND there is no way to get there without tying up your dinghy somewhere, so they have you. The same fee is also in effect at the dinghy docks behind the ferries at Mongoose junction. Only $8.40, but brilliant I thought! Apparently a lot of the marine ports authority fees are going up in the USVI including shipping your vehicle back and forth on the ferries. Everywhere we turn fees rise and our charter rates are about the same as they were in 1998."

Thanks for the info Kerry and the beautiful photo of this colorful fish!

For more information about chartering the trimaran PROMENADE, which is an excellent choice for family charters, groups of friends, and diving enthusiasts, CLICK HERE to view their electronic brochure.

First Named Tropical Storm of Season 2006

It's official! This morning's 11:00am forecast has upgraded Tropical Depression Number One to Tropical Storm Alberto.

For more information, visit the web site for the National Hurricane Center / Tropical Prediction Center : CLICK HERE

So it goes...

2006 - TROPICAL DEPRESSION NUMBER ONE

Well, it's officially that time of year but I hope Dr.Gray and his hurricane forecast will be proven wrong and it will be a better (calmer) H-Season than predicted.

Tropical Depression Number One was issued this morning, Saturday June 10, 2006 at 08:00am. What a way to start the day.

Well, at least it should provide some motivation to get our buns in gear and get out of Dodge :-)

I realize that our part of the Northeastern Caribbean (Virgin Islands and St. Maarten / St. Martin) has been relatively calm for the last couple of years, while the previously safe areas farther south have been hit, but this summer we are planning to go south. Just feels right. We want to visit Martinique, where we made our transatlantic landfall ten years ago, and explore the Grenadines.


Click HERE to view 2005's Storm Tracks from wonderground.com weather website.

New BBQ for So It Goes

Yesterday while at Budget Marine in St. Maarten, Bob noticed a price sticker of $130 on a BBQ box. We couldn't believe it! I hate to say that $130 seems reasonable, but a BBQ we had been considering, although too pricey, was $330. We asked to look at it and decided that we should buy it. We'd prefer to wait a day or two before making the purchase but we have had many experiences that you must buy it when you see it because IF they get another unit in, it'll probably take months (unless special ordered).

So, we are now the proud & happy owners of a bright, new, shiny Force 10 propane BBQ.

We didn't have time to go to the store, and this evening we are probably going to a movie... Perhaps tomorrow we'll go and get something to grill. MMMMmmmmmmm... Bullwinkle is looking forward to it, too!

Now I have another project on "the list"... a cover for the new BBQ.

Have a good one!

New French Bakery on St. Maarten Lagoon (sxm)

LA SUCRIERE is a French bakery with terrace seating. They are located on the Simpson Bay Lagoon (Dutch side) and they are right next to the FedEx building across the way from Budget Marine. They do have cleats to tie up your dinghy but it is a bit shallow and there are objects in the water so we tie up next door at the FedEx dock and just walk around to the road and enter in their front door.

It is a very nice atmosphere to have coffee and a croissant, plus a pain au chocolat, out on the terrace. Besides having the normal French breakfast pastries and quiches, they also have bread (slicer too!), cakes, and tartes.

I haven't tried their eclairs yet... perhaps tomorrow!

A BIENTOT !!!

FCC VHF License Required for Cruising Outside of USA

We read that all American boats cruising outside of the USA need to have a VHF license that is issued from the FCC. Besides a license for the boat, there has to be a licensed operator as well. So, we've taken care of this bit of paperwork electronically and would like to pass on what we have learned.

First, sign up for an FCC user account so you can apply for licenses (and renew) online. Bookmark this address as you will want to use it in the future to login to your account: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

To get an FRN (FCC Registration Number), click on the option "Need An FRN?"

After completing your registration they will send you a confirmation email which will have your FRN and password. Keep this where you can find it later as I find it useful to cut and paste the 10-digit FRN and the computer-generated password.

OK, so now login to the FCC License Manager System.

On the left side of the screen, click on the top option: Apply For A New License

On this next screen, there is a drop-down menu with over 80 options. Select "SA - Ship" and proceed from there.

On one of the pages it will ask you for a Search & Rescue Emergency Contact Name. This is optional, you can leave it blank and hit "Next" although it will give you a message box. Read the instructions in the box on how to proceed. If I remember right, it will then ask you about liferafts or safety equipment. You don't have to answer these questions either...

So, complete the form and it will give you a summary. You can then go ahead and pay by credit card. It was so easy once I knew that "SA" was the correct option to apply for the VHF license. This license costs $155 (May 2006) and is valid for 10 years.

Next, you need to have a license to legally operate the VHF radio. So, login to your FCC account or get back to the entry page and click on "Apply For A New License".

This time, from the drop-down menu, select the option "RR - Restricted Operator". This license is good for life and costs $55 (May 2006) so we both got one.

I called their support line because I wasn't quite sure if I was filling in the correct form for the VHF license, plus the figures and form numbers were different to what I'd read in the Seven Seas Cruising Association newsletter. The support person was very nice, helpful, and had answers! Hurray!!!

Here is a FAQ on the FCC website for Ship Radio Stations:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/fctsht14.html

Under the section "Do I Need a Ship Radio Station License?" You will see:
" Ships are considered as operating domestically when they do not travel to foreign ports or do not transmit radio communications to foreign stations. Sailing in international waters is permitted, so long as the previous conditions are met. If you travel to a foreign port (e.g., Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands) a license is required. Additionally, if you travel to a foreign port, you are required to have an operator permit as described in Section III."

Hope this helps out our fellow cruisers.
Sheila
So It Goes...

Easy solution to our lighting needs

We need to install some cabin lights but hate running wire...

Today when I visited Amazon.com they had some Sylvania LED "tap lights" that were VERY interesting. The customer reviews were good and they are reported to last 100 hours at maximum brightness using 3 AAA batteries. They are only $9.49 each so we are buying half a dozen. You can repeatedly stick them and see where they work best which is nice.

You can order them from Amazon... CLICK HERE

Enjoy!

Skype phone for MACs !!! Finally!

Finally, MAC users now have a functional Skype USB phone.

We just ordered this phone from Amazon (click on this link to order) and we will let you know the results. We have been using a Plantronics headphone but I'm just not comfortable having this thing on my head so we've rarely been online with Skype. Now, we can plug the phone into my iBook and just let it be until we have to perform an action... No longer will we receive a call and have to scurry to get the headset the phone will be close at hand. Yes, it has a cord. I'm happy it has a cord because then I know it is somewhere within a few feet of the computer rather than in the cockpit or perhaps up in the forepeak... You know how it goes...

Once you get the phone, just download the MAC driver from the manufacturer's web site. No problem according to the reviews we have read...

Bullwinkle, ship's cat photo

Here's a photo of Bullwinkle (Mr. B) that I took on Friday. He is waiting for us to come out in the cockpit as sundown approaches.

Il est beau!

The Simpson Bay Lagoon has been pretty crowded for the last few days because of the 26th annual Heineken Regatta. The weather has been pretty good but there was no wind today so they cancelled the final day of racing. This was OK with most folks as it just meant that the beach parties would start a bit earlier!

Hand Cranked Blender - People Powered!

This is an item we've been meaning to order for quite some time. Now that we are planning on leaving St.Maarten soonish for points further south, we thought we'd better get our "sterns" in gear and order stuff while it is still relatively easy to get our mail.

We've seen modified weed wackers and other interesting non-AC blenders for use at tailgate parties and Jimmy Buffet concerts, but this unit looks robust and eco-friendly.

We'll let you know how how it goes...