Raft-UP: Hobbies

I’m so excited that our very first Raft-UP Blog Hop starts today. When I came up with the idea of doing this less than a month ago I wasn’t sure how well it would go over or if anyone else would even be interested in participating. I was almost giddy when I started to get responses (just ask Mark).

I sent out an interest form to see what people wanted to write about and hobbies on board topped the list. I’ve always wondered about this myself. With limited space and often a lack of ability to get supplies what do different boaters do for fun? What do they carry on board? Are these the hobbies they had at home? Is sailing a hobby for them? I can honestly say that I probably have too many hobbies on board and don’t do any of them enough to justify the space they take up but I’ll be telling you all about them at the end of the Hop when you can return here and I’ll be opening up a linky where you can add your own blog articles about what you do onboard.

It’s been great reading through the responses I’ve gotten and the blogs for our writers. This is a great group of individuals who have sailed countless miles, crossed oceans, and spent many hours at sea. My short introductions here do none of them justice. You'll just have to hop on over to their blogs and see how awesome each of them is for yourself. I have the honor of introducing the seven writer (+me) that will be participating this month:

June 2^nd: Tammy @ ploddingINparadise.blogspot.com

Boat: Cara Mia, 38’ Island Packet 380

Crew: Tammy has been a journalist for 17 years and has written for a few small papers, The Washington Post and New York Times, have your heard of them? Just kidding of course you have. She has a new regular column in Classic Yacht magazine . I was so happy to have such an accomplished writer want to join in the fun of my little blog hop party and am sure that she will have lots of great things to add. Tammy sails with her husband Chip who is a blues harmonica player and played professionally for 5 years. He was also in the wine business for 30 years so he knows a little something about a good vino (I wouldn’t mind stopping by that boat for a drink!)

June 3^rd: Ean @ morejoyeverywhere.blogspot.com

Boat: More Joy Everywhere, 1993 42’ Fountaine Pajot Venezia catamaran

Crew: Ean and Jane set sail in October 2011 from Annapolis, MD with their three cats. They are in the Florida Keys getting ready to set sail for South and Central America. While they haven’t gotten very far Jane is no newby to the sea. She did a near circumnavigation as a child on her family’s trawler and then joined the Navy. I’ll bet she has a few stories and secrets up her sleeve. But you’ll have to wait to hear from her until next month because her awesome XO will be enlightening us this month.

June 4^th: Lynn @ sailcelebration.blogspot.com

Boat: 1977 Hallberg-Rassy 41’

Crew: After 24 years of moving around to accommodate the Air Force, Lynn and husband Steve retired to their 41' sailboat but continue to more. But now they get to do it at their own pace and to the locations of their own choosing.

June 5^th: Stephanie @ sailblogs.com/member/nornabiron

Boat: 49’ custom steel cutter rigged sloop

Crew: Steph, an ex-military nurse, and her husband Andy, an ex-plasterer and trawlerman, sail with their two stray cats (Apparently I missed the memo that I’m supposed to have a cat on board. Is my son an okay substitute?) they picked up in Greece where they have been since 2008. They plan to circumnavigate eventually but for the time being they are enjoying exploring the area. I say good idea, spend as much time as you can because once they get to the Pacific it’s getting harder and harder to get into the Med.

June 6^th: Jaye @ lifeafloatarchives.blogspot.com

Boat: 33’ Sailboat

Crew: Jaye and her husband Dan mostly cruise the US East Coast and Bahamas but plan to head south in the Fall of 2013. In the meantime they are enjoying the Chesapeake, which is bar far one of the nicest areas in the US to cruise. She is another accomplished writer that we are lucky to have on-board. She writes a sailing blog for non-sailors for an online newspaper in Annapolis, MD.

June 7^th: Dave will be guest posting right here.

Boat: Lagoon 440 Catamaran Leu Cat

Crew: Dave and Mary Margaret are in their 5^th year of sailing and have made it across the Pacific. They are currently sailing the Whitsunday Islands in Australia where they have spotty internet so they will be posting here but you should check out their blog where Dave or Mary Margaret puts up a tip every day.

June 8^th: Behan @ sv-totem.com

Boat: Stevens 47

Crew: Behan has a busy boat with husband Jamie and three children, Niall (13), Mairen (10), & Siobhan (8) on board. They left Puget Sound in 2008 and have sailed through Mexico and across the Pacific to call a marina in Brisbane, Australia home for the moment. I can’t wait to here all the things they do on this fun-filled busy boat.

June 9^th: Dana @ svnorthfork.blogspot.com

Boat: 53’Amel Super Maramu 2000

Crew: My husband and I have been sailing for 3 years, almost to the day, and added our son to the crew four months ago. So far so good. Mark writes computer software and is lucky to be able to do it on the go. I gave up my career in accounting just after finishing graduate school but who knows I may one day go back. In the meantime I'm enjoying the new joys of motherhood.

I hope you enjoy what all the writers have to say this month. They each choose what they wanted to write about and even I don't know what's coming. My only question to them is how they feel about sailing as a hobby. I can't wait to find out how all these boats have some fun on board.

Check back here on the 9th when you'll have the opportunity to tell us about your hobbies.