We look forward to our last hurrah here in San Diego with an open house on Oct. 8th. If you weren't invited, don't feel bad. We had to ration the visitors due to the fact that only so many people can visit at a time and we are using passes to control what could be a major elbow room problem.

Because of difficulties getting into our normal email, we are recommending you all use the satellite address. Again it is adsi21@orbcomm.net Each message is limited to 256 characters but you can send numerous messages.

11-24 Update A week ago we left Seabrook, Tx and headed south to Galvestan, where we entered the Intracoastal Waterway. Surprisingly shallow and narrow in places, we have been on our toes making sure we don't go aground (which Jan did) and or hit a barge.

The barge traffic on the waterway was amazing. Most of the barges are related to the oil fields in one way or another, carrying equipment and even oil platforms. We passed some barges the length of two and three football fields. We toured an oil platform in Galvestan and I am glad we did as we more readily recognized the sites along the waterway as well as the equipment being transferred. The barge captains were generally friendly, though they did not like speaking to a woman and the Cajun accents were often very difficult to decipher.

The weather turned from hot and humid to cold, cold, cold. No happy medium. We got caught in a storm, wind 25 knots and no obvious place to anchor for the night. We ended up in an oil turnaround basin for large tankers. It was pretty scarey with oil rigs all around, as well as refineries, the wind howling and rain slashing the windows. Took 3 times trying to anchor, as the bottom is oily and muddy. The next day, Jan took a wrong turn and we ended up going aground. We were a bit worried as there is no Boat US or tow to help you out. Fortunately, we lucked out and a friendly Cajun hunter came to our rescue and pulled us off. We are very careful now.

We buddied up with two other sailboats also on their way to the Bahamas for two days as we neared New Orleans. It was fun meeting fellow travelers and swaping sea stories. We are now in Orleans, one of our favorite cities.

UPDATE 12-10-00

As we continued east outside the ICW, we visited several cities such as GUlfport and Biloxi. The pictures tell the stories of Biloxi adequately I think. We had a good time there. Later, we went entirely past Alabama as Mobile has no close ports to the Gulf. We arrive in Pensacola where we toured the Naval Aviation Museum which is absolutely fabulous and surpasses the Smithsonian for the numer and types of aircraft.

Continuing east, we visited Destin (ran aground and needed a tow) , Panama City and finally Apalachacola where we intended to stay in preparation for the long trip across the Gulf to St Petersburg. Unfortunately, we left Panama City at the beginning of a Norther and had a rough trip. When we entered the cut at St George's Island, the wind and currents had shifted sand into the channel and just before nightfall we ran aground hard and could not get off. Once again, we needed a tow but this time it took almost three hours and $1300, plus we bent the anchor platform and lost our two anchors which the Coast Guard told us to deploy to prevent drifting to shore. Combined with the 25-30 knot winds while the boat was banging up and down on the hard sand, we were prettty concerned for the boat. In general, it appears that sailboats our not ideally suited for this kind of travel. We have had to make many detours either because of our draft or the height of the mast.

We did finally get to Clearwater after an all nighter. And the next day we went to St Petersburg. We hope to get the anchor roller repaired here and then continue on to the Ft Myers area for Christmas visits with Greg's dad and Jan's friends, Dianne and Clyde.

UPDATE 12-20-00

We arrived in Ft Myers on 12-15. This is the marina connected to the very nice resort community where our friends Dianne and Clyde Lee have a condo overlooking the golf course. It is a real marina with floating docks, dock power, pool and the like. Most of the marinas we have been at have been distinctly down scale. The weather has been cool and windy but we mostly are doing shopping and sightseeing, etc with a rental car and so don't really mind what the weather is. Our transit from Clearwater has been along the coast because again the ICW was not useable because of our mast height and draft. But the Gulf has been pretty benign for the most part. Today Jan's second cousin Amber and her family is coming to visit.

UPDATE 1-3-00

As you can tell from the photos, we enjoyed Xmas with my Dad and friends. THe weather is still cool and windy but not what has been a really rough season up north. More photos to come re our airboat tour through the Everglades. Right now we are waiting for a sufficiently high tide so we can exit the marina which has minimal clearance for our 6'6" draft. Again by west coast standards, there is a paucity of deep water. We hope to get out tonight at 10:00 pm and then anchor out in the Caloosahatchee river before exiting the waterway which is best done in daylight. Then on to Marco Island for an overnight, fuel and water, to continue on to Key West. We plan to be in the Keys for a few days and then cross the Gulf Stream to Bimini and the Abacos. There will be limited access to the Net so you won't get an update for a while, but check in two weeks or so.

Well, unfortunately we were unable to get away, so I thought I (Jan) would updeate you all. It was a great Christmas being here with my good friend Diane and her family, but I must admit I did get seriously homesick for a few days. Maybe it was coupled with the after Xmas blues, but not even shopping would help. Besides, shopping is no longer the fun it once was, because I can't buy anything do to room constraints, but we window shop a great deal. New Year's Eve we took a trip to Orlando hoping to see in the New Year at Epcott Center. Unfortunately all of Disney was full by 10 AM that morning, so we ended up at Universal Studios instead. It was great fun, though by the time we had finished the rides and attractions we were exhausted and still had two hours to go, so with a bit of bubbly in hand, we went to our motel and watched the ball drop in Times Square. A bit anti climatic but our tired feet were happy after standing in two hour lines all day. The highlight of my day was having lunch at Emeril Lagasse's resturant which was truly a gourmet treat.

We have also seen a ton of alligators, literally. They can be seen even from the roadway in the swamp sunning themselves. I was surprised to learn that due to a shortage of fresh water they have not been growing to very long lengths, the largest one we saw was about 4.5' in length. Exciting none the less to see them in the wild. We also visited Captiva and Sanibel Islands which are beautiful with pink plantation houses, Spanish moss and vines everywhere. Another interesting tour was of the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter homes. Both men were friends and had there winter homes side by side. Visiting Edison's lab, kept as he left it was really something to see. We went back in the evening with Diane, the family and Greg's Dad to see it lit up at night for the Christmas holiday. It was truly stunning, with more than a million lights.

It is still breezy and cold today, though the temperature varies as much as 30 degrees in a single day. We will try and leave again tomorrow night, if we can't make it our next window is Sunday, so pray for a deep tide.

UPDATE 1-22-00

As you can tell from the photos, we had a blast in Key West. A Northeasterner kept us boat bound for a few days, but we had three really fun days while there. It's a fantastic vacation spot and I highly reccommend it to everyone.

Our problems continue. We had dingy engine problems which Greg was able to fix, but only after being towed twice. Then we inadvertently cut a stern anchor and lost our oars. Finally the generater and inverter are on the fritz, so we have been stranded in Marathon on Boot Key for repairs. Beautiful sunsets every night and we have met some great folks from South Carolina who have taken us out for a little sightseeing while we await repairs. Water even more scarce here than in San Diego, major water rationing everywhere, including the marina. From here we are on to the Bahamas.

UPDATE 2-19-00

We went to Bimini for three days and enjoyed the sights, such as they are. It is really a teeny community but a good stepping stone to the Bahamas. Getting in and out is so tricky however that it is a concern for our deep draft. We came close to just deciding to go back to FL. Next we went to Freeport and had to do doughnuts from 1 am to 7 am because the entry is difficult to see. Finally we got in and have enjoyed the Lucayan marina immensely. The people here are incredibly friendly and the cruisers are in no rush to leave. We did try to go to the Abacos but the wind and waves were too fierce. Now we are going to remain until Peg Merceica arrives and then leave after her visit. Jan is looking forward to a visit from a "home boy" Then we will visit Jan's relatves in Jacksonville. We need to find a marina in S FL however. The Freeport/Lucaya area is a great resort area for the US and while somewhat expensive, the facilties and weather are great (if you're not in boat however).

Our next update will be in about two weeks when we get back to the US and get stabilized again.

UPDATE 3-22-01

While in Freeport, we went native and did little but touring. Then Greg had the idea to go to Nassau for Valentines (by air) and we had a blast. The teaser picture from last time was the Atlantis Casino on Paradise Island. It blows Vegas away. The rest of Nassau is fun, but not as glitzy as Paradise.

After three weeks in the Bahamas, we wnt back to Florida and anchored in Lake Worth and then found a marina for a few days in Palm Beach (expensive) but entertained my dad and several of his friends. We met with our broker and decided to list the boat but move it to Ft Lauderdale for a monthly lease that is more in our budget. You will see pictures of Ft Lauderdale and the incredible homes on the canals next time.

Many of you now know that Greg is having eye surgery for a detached retina here in Ft Lauderdale tomorrow. This will put us behind schedule for going north, but what else is new. I'm not a happy camper to be sure but the MD (retinal specialist) says I'm luck to have discovered it early and my success rate should be 95% but it will make me more nearsighted in that eye. And Jan needs a tooth repair and crown with root canal also which was discoverd this week while visiting her uncles and aunts in Jacksonville where we had long ago scheduled a cleaning. This needs to be done soon but whether here or north is awaiting my surgery outcome. Middle age is wonderful, isn't it?

UPDATE 4-2-00

We have had visits from a number of friends and Jan and my folks while here in Ft Laderdale, ncluding Mark and Vera Strickland, Diane Willis and Jan Batterberg, Jo Hazard. This is wonderful because we are battling the beauracracies of our medical plans. Jan needs a cap and can't get a dentist who will accept her plan and the plan says she needs to be in California. Big frustrations and we need to move north as it is getting pretty warm here.

My surgery went well, and although I have double vision, the retina seems to be fine. I expect some degree of vision problems for a while longer.

While waiting for my next visit with the MD on the 20th for I hope a full release, we decided to take advantage of our location in the cruise capital of the world and booked a last minute super discount cruise on Voyager of the Seas, newest and biggest cruise ship afloat. We and 3100 of our shipmate friends will go to Cozumel, Grand Caymans, Jamaica and Haitii. We will get to climb the rock wall, golf on a 9 hole course, do rollerblading, ice skate, all ON THE SHIP. The dining room is on three tiers and looks like something only out of science fiction. It's that big. Of course, if the rest of the 3100 guests are kids, we may regret the trip.

UPDATE 4-25-01

I simply do not have enough time to update our doings since last notes because of very limited internet time. Suffice it to say that Jan's dental problem resulted in a nice shiny gold crown way in back and she didn't have much tooth trauma. My vision is substantially better and hope to be up to normal within a month. We are leaving tomorrow for points north (it's getting really hot) and so will again have little access to the net. Our rough itinerary is St Augustine for a few days and Jackson ville for a few days and then on to Georgia and the Carolinas.

UPDATE 5-58-01

We are in Annapolis checking out marinas for a long term home for Gregarious and this may include dry storage because we won't be on the boat again until late fall. We are discontinuing our cruise because it has been more stress and hassle than fun. The boat is for sale and Annapolis is the sail mecca. We are asking $395,000 which may seem like a lot but it is far less than we have into it.

Our voyage north included a fair amount of ICW travel (with attendant groundings in the often uncharted shoals in what is supposed to be 12 feet of water but very frequently less and hard to find even when it is that deep). Many people we talked to felt that it is possible to use the ICW in a sailboat but your head is glued to the depthsounder the entire time. We got off most of the time but twice needed TowBoat/US. When we went outside, it took as many as two hours to clear the shoals in the inlet to get to 50' depths and then we were sailing five miles off shore just for that amount of water. The wind waves and swells are much higher than the Pacific for the same amount of wind and I assume that is due to the shallow water magnifying the ordinarily three feet to five feet. For you west coast sailors, that means fifteen knots of wind gives four to five foot wind waves when I would expect two to three. Anyway, we didn't go outside often.

There were many interesting expriences again, some of them difficult as those of you on our email satellite list know, and many neat places to visit on the water BUT NOT ON A SAILBOAT.

I had hoped to include some pictures of our travels today but forgot to bring my camera serial cable so you are seeing some older pcitures. I will upload some new ones shortly, perhaps in a week or so?

As to our new plans, stay tuned. I can tell you travel is still very much in the future but perhaps of a more usual nature.

Let me be very clear at this point that although we have abandoned this type of cruising, we don't regret the decision to make the voyage. We have learned a great deal, experienced much more and grown emotionally even more again.

You will see us again at sea, near the sea, seasoned (ha!ha!) and perhaps even below the sea!

UPDATE 6-14-01

We are in Indianapolis visiting Diane Willis. Next are the Daniels in Louisville. We loaded the car in Annapolis with a small portion of our clothes and other necessities from the boat. Jan says we look like the Clampetts what with all the boxes in the Oldsmobile. This begins a four month cross-country odyssey, culminating in a two week Canal cruise from San Diego to Miami with stops in numerous Carribean and Central American ports. Mark and Vera Strickland initiated this cruise for their 15th anniversary and asked us to join them.

After Louisville, it's up to Illinois and Wisconsin for visits with my sisters. Then we are pretty much open until late AUgusst when we will become "trailer trash", living at the Chula Vista Marina in Jan's parents' motor home. We will be doing the northern route with stops at Crazy Horse and Colorado and other mountainous regions. We are looking forward to time away from the sea which can be a bit monotonous. For those of you who didn't get the email messages from our satellite system, please email us at gregvach@earthlink.net or call on the cell phone at 619-300-3213. We only have X minutes of cell time however, so please keep the calls short.

UPDATE 7-5-01

As you can tell from the pcitures, we are still gypsies on the move. However, we had to camp out at my sister Vicki's for two weeks while the car was being repaired. But we borrowed her van and did lots of touring, which pictures will arrive on the web site in due course. Tomorrow on to sister Valerie's house for the weekend and some Chicago touring.

UPDATE 7-14-01

Some of the highlights in Milwaukee were the tours of the engine factories at Briggs and Stratton (lawn mowers to you) and Harley Davidson. We saw the exhibiition of Georgia Okeefe in the Milwaukee Museum of Art. Fabulous is the only word to describe it. That night we caroused with the natives at the SummerFest and then the fireworks along the lakefront. There was skiing and family reunions and much more.

We had a great three days at Valerie's who raises her own produce on her farm. This led to a superb Sunday brunch including salmon she caught in Lake Michigan. Also got to see some old haunts including my old high school and the Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park.

Then it was back to Vicki's to collect our car and head west to another former vacation area of mine in my teens: Wiscnsin Dells. Watch for pictures of the ducks. And, oh, for you Californians, "It's the Cheese" except they have more classic cheeses in Wisconsin.

While in Chicago, we received news of my cousin's sudden heart attack and death. This was Jeff Vach, my uncle John's son. He was 43 at the time and working on his PhD in music. He was a respected bassoonist in the Denver area. We then went to LaCrosse, Wisconsin for the funeral.

UPDATE 7-23-01

Wehave had great touring through the midwest and rockies. The weather has cooperated with pretty warm but not excessive heat. The sights and experiences have been great and have made up for some of the dismal times on the boat. I hope you have been enjoying the pictures as much as we do in taking them.

When I get the pics of Yellowstone into the web site, they wont show all the wildlife we have seen or the degree to which the park burned in 1988. It is recovering quickly and there are all the neat things which makes Yellowstone so special. We are continuing on west and will hit Northern California in early August for some "home town" sightsseeing. I think we'll skip sailing on San Francisco Bay though. I wish to express our appreciation to all the friends and family who we have visited in the last six weeks, especially to Vicki and Al for hosting us for two weeks while the car was being un-deered.

UPDATE 10-26-01

Going back to Annapolis in a day or so. We plan to stop at the Georgia Okeefe museum in Santa Fe and then to Dallas, GRaceland and maybe Nashville. We will determine whether it is feasible to liveaboard during the winter . If not, will probably haul the boat out and find an apartment somewhere.

Since finishing our tour west, we have been living mostly in Jan's folks motorhome on the bay until we took our cruise. We have been helping them with household improvements and repairs. We had all our parts checked by various MD's and DDS and seem to be just fine. I knew I was in California when the eye specialist who I saw just to check the status charged me $220 for 10 minutes.

I would appreciate some feedback on whether you still enjoy our web site since many of the pictures are more or less travelogues instead of the previous adventures (or misadventures) in the sea.