Notes From the Helm

This little guy made my day!

This little guy inspired me to do another blog update. Today I did a half day charter and then a sunset cruise. The winds were great today and each sail was special. However, this little guy pictured to the right made a special impression on me during my sunset sail.

This family was from Atlanta and this was their last day before returning. As soon as this little guy got on-board with his parents and 2 friends, he immediately began exploring the boat and asking me if he could buy it from me or "just have it". Ha! I think he opened every drawer or hatch on the boat. But unlike other children he was pretty polite about it and so damn cute in his ways, I didn't mind what he did. Lets not forget to mention the other 11 year old and 15 year old were also very good kids.

What made this kid so special today? First off, his conch blowing ability was shocking. He blew that horn better than most adults, even though the shell was nearly bigger than him. Then, while coming into the dock in the dark, he began singing his version of  Pirates of the Caribbean's  pirate song "Yo Ho Yo Ho, a Pirates life for me"  in the most amazing melodic way while I gently snuck into my very dark boat slip. Then while his mother was below paying for the cruise, he snuck below to offer me his 2 dimes he had as a tip for the cruise. He wouldn't leave until I took them. Then, he came back down again and demanded I take his two shells he found on the beach today and keep them on the boat. Again, I wasn't allowed to refuse. Then while departing the dock after shaking everybody's hands, he ran up to me and hugged me then wished me a Merry Christmas. Amazing! I'm gonna take him up on his offer to work for me. All he asked for in return was potato chips as payment.

Love you buddy,

Capt Dan

www.sailmagicwind.com

This is great!

Yet another update from the helm of Star of Orion sailing the Gulf of Mexico via Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Its hard to actually put into words what I'm feeling about being a sailboat charter captain. All I can say is that as of right now I feel this is the best decision I've ever made and I feel at home in my new position. Every time I go sailing with new people I'm revitalized and come home with excitement racing through me. After 13 years behind the wheel of a semi tractor trailer, I forgot how nice it is to interact with people and share conversation. I guess us humans really are social creatures and we need the interaction. I'm finding it hard to find anything I miss about my previous life as a truck driver. It just blows me away that I'm out there doing what I love, meeting new people who are actually happy to see me and be on my boat, and making a couple bucks at the same time. Amazing! Another perk is that I'm now waking up with the sun and going to bed when I'm tired, no matter what the time. This is quite the change from my previous life of forcing myself to bed by 9:30-10 pm and waking up at 4 am for work. My body is feeling so much better and I'm feeling like I'm adding years to my life instead of just watching them tick away.

Granted, there is work and responsibility involved. The boat requires constant maintenance as does the business. Cleaning, waxing, oil changes, and other maintenance keep me busy. Birds are constantly crapping on my boat and let me tell you...these birds are bigger down here in Florida. We're talking pelican crap! Its like somebody spilled a bucket of white semi gloss paint on your gear. Yuck! Anything made of fabric is always breaking down from the UV rays and require replacement or repair. I have to hire a diver once a month to dive on Star of Orion and scrape the "fuzz" and barnacles off her so I can slip thru the water better and also not damage the hull. The growth on the hull is amazing down here. Happens very quickly. One day your hull is smooth below the waterline, the next day its got shag carpet all over it! Crazy! The good news is that most of this maintenance is the work I would be doing on my personal boat anyways, so its not really that bad. Plus, I'm at a great marina with great weather and with great scenery all around.

So there you go. Another update from the helm of Star of Orion and Magic Wind Adventure Sailing. Sailing Fort Myers is alive and running and I'm feeling great. Pack your bags, book a cruise, and Lets Go Sailing!!!

Fair Winds,

Captain Dan Mendat

www.sailmagicwind.com

 

Update.....Weather happens!

Hey Everybody,

Well I finally got time to sit down here and type a blog entry for any of my followers. Geez, I sound like a preacher. More like....for anyone who would like to follow my adventures as a sailboat captain here in Fort Myers Beach. I arrived safely, with my parents following me in a rented minivan,  on Friday, November 27th around 11:30 pm. I had all day Saturday to get organized just enough in order to jump right in Sunday with Captain Paul, the previous owner, on learning all about Star of Orion and any quirks/issues she might have. Before I get into that, lets first acknowledge my parents for helping me out tremendously. All during my transition training my first 3 days, they diligently stayed inside Dianne and I's condo painting rooms for us. Not to mention stocking my refrigerator before they left. They did a great job and I can't thank them enough.

Turns out, Star of Orion is quite a boat. The largest I've ever owned, she was a bit intimidating at first. I've never owned a boat that had running hot/cold water, Air Conditioning, Heat, refrigeration, a macerator pump, shower, or a navigation station. Captain Paul and Captain Ron quickly put me at ease after showing me all the systems and how simple they all operate. I guess in all the excitement of moving and buying this business I kinda psyched myself out a little! During the first few days, we tackled the task of changing out the oil and filters on the Yanmar Diesel and checking a few of the strainers on the intake thru-hulls. Also, we did plenty of docking touch-and-gos in order to get me acquainted with how Star of Orion reacts to different tides/currents/winds. We did 2 sunset sails together in light winds to practice reefing procedures. On day 3... I was supposed to have 4 people out for a half day sail, but a big front to the north and one off the Atlantic kicked the winds up that day to over 20mph and I had to cancel/reschedule them. I would have liked to have had the charters aboard, but with those winds the ride was bumpy. I know it was bumpy because Paul and I still went out to do some maneuvering and drills in some heavier conditions. With a single reef in and full jib, she sailed beautifully! The rail was almost in the water and she crashed thru the waves great. We were even kicking up some spray on in the cockpit. Oh by the way northerners, did I mention the weather is warm here? I don't miss it.

The next day, I had to myself since Paul needed to get ready for his trip to the Bahamas to check out what was supposed to be his next adventure. However, I just got word that he is on his way back and the boat didn't turn out to be what he needed. I'm sorry it didn't work out for him. I was excited to see his new boat show up at the dock later in December after a long trip from the Bahamas.  Hopefully a new girl will show up on the radar soon.

I was really excited to have a 6 person charter scheduled for Friday the 4th but just my luck, a weather system is pumping showers and thunderstorms all over Fort Myers. Had to cancel. I've been able to get a lot of projects done because of the cancellations, but I'm here to sail and make money at the same time. Can't do that if the weather won't cooperate. I'm scheduled to do 2 separate charters tomorrow, but once again the weather is calling for showers and scattered thunderstorms. Granted, I'd still love to go sailing but we'll get wet if it rains no matter how big the bimini top is. I needs me some good weather!

So here I am. Its Friday night. Dianne is still up north till I fly up Wednesday to bring her and her parents down permanently via Budget Rental Truck. Yee Hawww! Can't wait to see her. This is the longest we've been apart since we first met back in the summer of 1994. She's a great wife. I'm doing my best to make the condo look better organized for her. I think she'll be happy with what I've accomplished. 

 If there is one good thing about Captain Paul and Ron getting home early, its the fact that if anyone would like to sail on the Gulf of Mexico next week while I'm gone there will be a captain here to do it. Be sure to book your Fort Myers Sailing for the coming season so you don't lose out on a great adventure.  

Did I mention that its warm here and that sunset sails are amazing? I look forward to sharing my adventures. Lets Go Sailing!!!!

Fair Winds,

Capt. Dan Mendat

www.sailmagicwind.com