See the time melting off the clocks ...

[La Vie Dansante]

Good morning CruisersForum folks!

I'm TD, Captain of La Vie Dansante - a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 sailing catamaran on which my wife Barbara and I are launching the next chapter of our lives. My wife is a beautiful dancer, and our life together has taken on many of the dreams and attitudes represented in the song by Jimmy Buffett, so her name was an instant fit.
I learned how to sail decades ago as a midshipman at the US Naval Academy, but forgot more than I remembered. Barbara and I did some ASA certs with Captain Dick Dawson on Keremeos back in 2016, then adventured off the Caribbean coast of Panama with Eduardo and Adrianna on Tikai in 2017. Everything we've learned since then is from asking a lot of questions and experiencing sheer terror since we purchased La Vie Dansante a couple of months ago.
Although I retired from the Navy as a Captain, but I was a shore-based flyer on P-3 Orions, so I'm accepting any and all advice and counsel as I stimulate those salty brain cells back to life from my early training!

We have a blog that's just emerging at sailinglaviedansante.wordpress.com , and I'll endeavor to keep it up to date.

Fair winds and following seas,
TD

[Tayana42]

Welcome aboard TD and thank you for serving our country. I learned to sail by trial and mostly error on a Sunfish type boat right in front of the Naval Academy. Talk about an intimidating audience.

[La Vie Dansante]

Yeah, but they were all learning too! Thanks for the welcome Tayana.

[JPA Cate]

Welcome aboard Cf, La Vie Dansante. Your evocative title made me think of Salvador Dali paintings, and something my husband Jim says, "How fast we get old; how slow we get smart."

We're a mixed bag of folks here, hope you enjoy your stay.

Ann

[SVRocinante]

Welcome aboard!

[Jim Cate]

G'Day TD, and welcome aboard CF. I reckon that if you can fly an Orion you likely can sail a FP, so start clocking up those hours... your personal clock is always running, but it goes slower at sea.

Enjoy your boat and CF, too.

Jim

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, TD.

[boatman61]

Welcome to CF..
Like you I also learnt the basics in the Royal Navy back in the 60's and did not do much more after joining ships and none in civvy street till the mid 80's when a m'bike accident made me unemployable for a couple of years.
I bought an old abandoned timber boat for 500 quid and slowly brought her back as the full grp leg cast permitted. Have not looked back since..
Take it slow and stay in your comfort zone.. nothing to prove to anyone.
Its all monkey see monkey do in the main and soon becomes second nature..
Joining CF was a good idea as its just about the best all round sailing resource going.
Enjoy..

[Stovebolt]

Beat Army, TD!! Fellow former Mid here, too (Off shore sailing team, Bermuda Race -- '86 nav on "Semper Fidelis", etc) New member.... this is my first post here


Good to know there are others like me ...

[La Vie Dansante]

Oh, yeah, man. '84 here.
BEAT ARMY, indeed! ... there's always next year ...
Welcome aboard, from one FNG to the next.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Stovebolt.

[pstadt]

Welcome Barbara and TD!

Hey, how do you know if there's a Naval Aviator in the room?

He'll tell ya!

One of my best friends (a retired Navy O6, S3 pilot) told me that one, so just passing it along....

Congrats on the Helia and starting the new life...you are in for a blast. So many great people and experiences on the water await you and as all have said above, this is a great forum and a super resource for any question you might have.

Michelle and I have been enjoying life on JADE, our Orana that is just two production numbers behind KEKEMEOS for a couple of years now, sailing the east coast and Bahamas.

Hope to see you out there someday soon!

Pat
USCGA '79

[Diesel Bill]

Welcome to the forum. Best of luck with the new boat.