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This log runs through February 25, 2002 January 12, 2002 in southern California The Expedition may soon change entirely! After more than two years travel on three continents and a bunch of islands, chances are high that future exploration will be via sea. Yes, we're seriously closing in on a sailboat purchase. Details soon! January 15, 2002 We're spending almost all our time studying up on boat systems, preparing to check out the boat in Florida early next week. Still, we're taking time to enjoy southern California's beautiful beach scene. January 27, 200 The boat's current name is Windflower. We'll change it, but haven't decided on a name. Nominations, anyone? We sure hope when we start seriously sailing this vessel we don't end up serving as a warning to others!
CLICK HERE for photos of California, including one of Becky on the Tonight Show. We'll leave California February 12 and head for the Miami Boat Show to buy boat things. By the end of the month we'll be living aboard, heading to North Carolina to upgrade the boat's rigging and sails. January 28, 2002 We chose a Cabo Rico because it is one of the best constructed, most capable sailboats ever built -- and the company still exists to provide support and information. In fact, when the owner and CEO of Cabo Rico, Frasier Smith, learned that we were shopping in California for a Cabo Rico, he phoned us personally to answer any questions we might have. We were blown away! In Florida last week, when we stopped at his office he came out to meet us and discuss boats. At the moment, the seller of the boat we were interested in hadn't agreed to our offer. After meeting Frasier in person, we were even more convinced Cabo Rico was the boat for us. Only two hours later, as we were boarding our flight back to California, we learned that our offer had been accepted! If there is a downside to visiting CR headquarters, it's that you'll see boats to die for. We love the boat we purchased, but if we had an additional spare half-million dollars, it wouldn't have been possible to pry us off a new Cabo Rico 42. February 3, 2002 in southern California We'll leave here for good on February 12, arriving in Florida the 15th to move aboard our new floating home -- which will have a new name. After considering our own family heritages in the "old west" and our lifestyle of exploration around the world since 1999, we have decided to name our sailboat PIONEER. Belle Fourche, SD. Pioneer will be the only federally documented oceangoing sailboat using Belle Fourche as its hailing port. We stay in touch with friends old and new via e-mail, and thought readers of this site might like to see a note we sent around yesterday. It helps explain the changes we're making to the Expedition. "After 784 days and 124,000 miles since we left Washington DC, we wanted to report a change in the Gypsy Wagon Expedition's travel mode. Within two weeks we'll move aboard the oceangoing sailboat we just bought in Florida. It is a formerly owned Cabo Rico 38, and it's beautiful. Because of the war, we didn't feel comfortable traveling to and living in many of the countries we had planned to visit in the next couple of years (we were on a remote island in Indonesia on 9/11 and couldn't get out of the world's largest Muslim country fast enough). Because we always intended to continue the Expedition via sea some day, we decided to accelerate our search for the perfect sailboat -- and found it.
During the spring months we'll work our way up the U.S. east coast, hoping to see many old friends along the way. We'll spend much of the summer in the Chesapeake. If you'd like to go sailing, no matter where we are, be in touch. February 9, 2002 Leaving California
At the conclusion of lunch, Mr. Crealock signed our boat's guest registration book as its first entry, one we will always treasure. February 10, 2002
Finally, as we leave our little apartment in Oceanside, California, a final trip to the beach -- where the famous pier at sunset produces fabulous photos. So as the sun sets this February 10, goodnight and goodbye, California. Three days hence we will be on another beach, this one in Florida to take possession of our new floating home. Every day we marvel at our great good fortune. February 14, 2002 Boca Raton, Florida (Happy Valentine's Day) As we transition the Expedition from land-based to sea-based travel, we've been invited by our gracious and generous friend Linda Brillhart to stay in her beautiful home in Deerfield Beach. She joins a long list of wonderful friends who have put us up, and who have put us up during the nearly 800 days of this trip so far. Over the weekend we'll go with friends from our Chesapeake sailing days, Rich and Jane, to the Miami boat show, where we'll further deplete the Expedition’s budget. We may be increasingly poor, but few people get more adventure out of their meager resources than the two members of this Expedition. We'll miss our little apartment in Oceanside, California, but look forward to some awesome adventures afloat in the coming months and years. Will we eventually set off on a circumnavigation of the world? It's hard to say, but we haven't ruled it out. February 18, 2002 in Deerfield Beach, Florida -- Expedition day 800! Within a few days we'll be moved totally aboard, the Gypsy Wagon (GMC Denali) will be stored in Stuart, Florida, and we'll be making our way north. Then our daily mileage average of 160 since late 1999 will begin to drop! When we reach Oriental, North Carolina, we'll have all the standing rigging replaced, the short wave radio installed, the new name painted on the transom, and scores of related chores completed. After that, we'll be off sailing the east coast for the summer. Since we left 800 days ago today, have we ever missed our days of personal power in Washington, DC? Not even once! February 20, 2002 in Stuart, Florida We have made endless 150-mile r/t trips from the home of a wonderful friend, Linda Brillhart in Deerfield Beach, to our boat in Stuart, to move aboard PIONEER. Tomorrow, the Expedition will be transitioned into a new mode of travel. February 25, 2002 afloat in Stuart, Florida PREVIOUS LOG or |
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Oh, we almost forgot. The night before we flew to Florida, January 18, we were on the TONIGHT SHOW. While Don had to sit quietly, the good news is that Becky had a chance to talk with Jay Leno about the time when we were in central Borneo visiting a headhunter tribe and Becky accidentally dropped one of the chief's favorite heads. The bad news is that the Tonight Show segment was called "idiot for a day." Ain't life a kick?
Considering our family heritage, and our lifestyle since leaving DC, we will name our vessel PIONEER.
We have had another brush with greatness. The name Bill Crealock is known throughout boating circles worldwide. He designed the Cabo Rico 38 we have just purchased, and many other well-respected designed. Through great good fortune, we had lunch with him the other day. Not only is he a boat designer of highest standing, we found that he more than lived up to his nickname "Gentleman Bill."
Last night, the first evening of Olympic competition, Mark, Rene and Gabe attended the hockey match. During the game, without warning, the camera focused on Gabe. When he saw himself on the huge jumbotron, he burst forth with his gold medal smile for all to see. Immediately, the crowd burst into cheers and applause, which tickled him even more. What a way to start the Olympics!