Friday, June 1, 2012

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:

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!)

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.

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 5th: 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.

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 7th: Dave will be guest posting right here.
Boat: Lagoon 440 Catamaran Leu Cat
Crew: Dave and Mary Margaret are in their 5th 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 8th: 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 9th: 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.

5 comments:

  1. What a great idea. And, what a great way for us to check out some other blogs!!

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    1. So glad you are enjoying the articles. Let me know if you'd like to join in someway. Even if it's just a topic you'd like to read about.

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  2. What an excellent idea! We are looking forward to reading all the raft-up posts and checking out the authors blogs too......when we find our spare time :) we'll consider that our hobby for the week!
    S/V No Más

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  3. Fabulous idea and am delighted to have found you and some other new blogs through Totem's blog. My husband and I are madly preparing for departure from Seattle in September, so I like to read cruising blogs during lunch. If you are looking for the pre-departure or newbie aspect after we leave, I'd be happy to contribute. :) Stacey aka S/V Bella Vita (hoopes9@gmail.com for now...)

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