I've used this forum so many times for information that I thought I ought to join.
I am the proud owner of a British built 24' 1967 Penryn
sloop named "Waltzing Matilda". I am new to sailing, (I didn't know how to sail when I started this voyage) and thought that doing the great loop would be a good way to learn about boats larger than canoes and kayaks. I launched from Ft. Smith AR 2009-11-22, traveled down the Arkansas River to the
Mississippi, 300 miles to the Atchafaylaya River then the ICWW at
Morgan City, through
New Orleans and Ponchatrain into the Rigolese, across the
Mississippi Sound and ICWW to Apalachacola, across the Gulf to Tarpon Springs, I am currently at
anchor in St Petersburg FL, I've used a total of 30 gallons of
fuel and ripped my
Genoa twice but I figured out how to sail (it aint rocket science).
My vessel is very simple, no fancy things like auto pilot,
refrigeration, standing room, just the bare minimum to survive, I do have a handheld
GPS and run
OpenCPN but only to check my position or look for shoals. I've noticed that most cruisers are much older than me, I'm 34 and really enjoy the cruising lifestyle.
I stop and
work at
marinas when I run out of
money, I make friends at local watering holes to get showers, my little dog is very good at attracting nice folks.
While I am here in St Pete I am going to try to find the former owner(s) of my vessel, I know that she was in this area as recently as 1995, I know that somebody had named her "Truna" although she was un-named when I aquired her. If any locasl know of someone who used to have a great little Robert Tucker designed sailboat with a
single cylinder Sabb inboard get them to read this post.
great blog, happy adventures to ya.
Mrs. Rain Dog~Ocean Girl
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