Sisters Oregon ex cruiser sez Hi

[svskyus]

Hello from the snowy Cascade town of Sisters, Oregon. We cruised the Caribbean for 9 years on our 42' Super Shockwave cat, designed by Loch Crowther. Some of you may have crossed wakes with us when we were on Skyus. We sold her two years ago in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala, and miss her every day. See her at: http://svskyus.googlepages.com/

I am now helping a good friend of mine outfit and refit his new (to him) 43' cat, currently in St Kitts. I will help deliver it down island to Gernada April/May.

I am happy to talk about cats, the Carib, cruising as a life style, and of course, bottom paint.

Cheers, Bruce

[Charlie]

Welcome Bruce:

I am on the west coast and a mono sailor but welcome anyway LOL. There are plenty of East coasters here and some in the Carribean proper. Welcome.

[C--man]

Welcome,

I love a good sea story....

[Hud3]

Hello, Bruce. Welcome to the Forum!

Where on St. Kitts are you doing the re-fitting? I'm just across The Narrows from you. Sail on over for a cold Carib!

All the best,

Hud

[svskyus]

Hi Hud,
The owner left the boat in the small marina right in town. I will be returning to the boat in the middle of April, do a few upgrades, head your way over to Nevis, then on to Guadeloupe and points south. My friend, the owner, will join us in Guad. I haven't been to Nevis since 2000, I suppose there have been changes? I heard somewhere that there are mooring balls now. Required, or can you still anchor?

The name of the boat I will be on is Vento. Do local cruisers monitor a special VHF channel? Is there a internet cafe handy?

I'll give you a shout when we are in the area.
Bruce

[Hud3]

Bruce,

The government installed 100 mooring balls a year and a half ago. They require boats to use them, but it's not always enforced. They're cheap--US$15 for two days, or US$20 for seven days for boats 36'-60'. I recommend picking up a mooring in front of the Double Deuce restaurant/beach bar. It's north of Charlestown, where Pinneys Beach begins, and just north of the pink hotel with riprap in front. That's where the mooring buoys begin, as well.

Most cruisers hang out at the DD, and it has free WiFi and cold beer. The food there is great, too. Not much VHF chatter amongst cruisers here, and my handheld is broken. If you don't have a laptop, there's an Internet cafe in Charlestown not all that far from the moorings.

Give me a call from the Double Deuce. Owners Mark and Lindita won't mind you using the phone. I'm at 469-7136.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Bruce,
Welcome to the forum. I just passed through Sisters about a year and a half ago. At the time there was a forest fire with smoke just west of Sisters. I'm an old Salem resident who moved away in '63 but still have many relatives that way.
Really liked the Desert Museum near Bend.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[svskyus]

Skiprjohn, yeah it can get smokey here. Fuel reduction fires in the spring for 3 weeks, and the occasional forest fire. I have a sprinkler mounted on my roof. Global warming seems to be causing tree disease, which results in fires. Oh well, love it here except for that.
I see you are in Hawaii. I taught grade school in Hana Maui in the '60s, and loved it. Only saw one sailboat the whole time I was there, rough waters, but great surfing...
Bruce

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by svskyus

...I taught grade school in Hana Maui in the '60s, and loved it...
Bruce

I hope you lived in Hana and didn't have to commute! I drove that road to Hana and back once. Scary!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Bruce,
I'd love to sail into Hana. Like you said its a pretty rough entry on the windward side. That must have been a pretty good job in paradise.
When I was living in Oregon Sisters was just a couple of small stores and a gas station with very few residents mostly geared up for skiing. Lots has changed for that area with so much more population and activity. Even concerts and such. Wow.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[svskyus]

Hana, Maui. The road to Hana was reputed to have 900 sharp curves and 50 some bridges. They have straightened the road a bit, bringing it down to some 600 hairpins. It is the only road in the world that I have gotten carsick while driving. I have an interesting story about the time I caught a breadfruit under the front wheel of my motorcycle, causing me to slide off the road like I was on a block of ice.

Sisters, Oregon has grown a lot, but still has a nice small town feel, only with art, music and one of Oregon's best restaurants, Jen's Garden. It actually has some of the same feel of Hana, one reason I like it. Weekends are tourist, but otherwise peacefull.

Off to St Kitts in 2 weeks! I will be on Viento, a 43' cat.
Bruce

[Columbia22]

Hi Bruce Im new to the forum as well and almost yer Neighbor Im in Ontario Or lived in Culver,Bend in the late 80s Love Sisters area . I finally made the plunge and bought a boat to at least Learn to sail on a lil columbia 22 Got to start some were. and I may be land locked for a couple more years here on the Farm would love to drag my Boat up to Lake billy chinook for a weekend sometime I lived 1/2 mile from it when i was in Culver. I was stationed on the Big Island in Hawaii When i was in the Navy been dreaming of sailing back there ever since.
Jay Baker

[svskyus]

Hi Jay,
I was just in Culver last week, on the way to Cove Pallisades for a hike. A Columbia 22 is a great training boat, and its easy to go to windward with a boat trailer! You farming onions in Ontario? That's about all I see there when I drive thru on our way to the Middle Fork of the Salmon for rafting.
Welcome to the forum.
Bruce

[Columbia22]

No were farming wheat or barley this year and back in Hay next But I have hauled a lotta onions for the local Onion farmers. Id love to sell the farm and buy a Cat like u just sold though and do some Blue Water sailing some day looks like you have lived My dream already Im Jealous. Speaking of the Middle Fork My Dad used to be an Outfitter for one of the Lodges in Frank church Wilderness area He took out Elk hunters and flew Hunters in and out of Big Creek lodge in the 80s Then he got out of Airplanes and Bought a Ranger 26 and completly refurbished it and just recently lost it in a divorce its down in Sea of Cortez right now wish Id bought it instead this Columbia it was turn key mine needs some TLC but i didnt find out about it till after I bought Mine OH WELL
Jay