Gandalf

How very fun. What a great way to spend time. I have a critter about the same age in my life and it is so fun.

Ok well if not a cliffhanger it must at least be... Sexual harrasment.

Hey maybe this review will stir the missing Man back to write some more. Adulation clearly hasn't worked eh. I must say that I am still slogging on thru DD but may need to go, like Dom, on hiatus.

If I remember correctly DD was either my first adventure here or one of them. I was hooked. I hung around read more of Dom and found early Lugh(one of my all time favorite writers.. so write more please} and many others. I was pleased to see DD featured. I just reread Behind those Eyes and really enjoyed it. I have reread DD since the first time. Or at least started it. I think I found some of the issues mentioned in the review got in the way. Sat8997makes an important and interesting point regarding publishing books serially. I wonder how much Dickens or Twain had their stories edited between serialization and book form? As a gay man and a transoceanic sailor I have followed and enjoyed Circumnavigation and will miss its weekly(or nearly so installments} but would suspect that it like many of the great stories both here and on the web in general make great serials thanks to the cliffhangers eh.. but could probably improve with some editing. Not sure that is really likely to happen or that it matters. What to me is so important is that today on the internet all the things that I thought made me feel differnt growing up are addressed. I find that I am not alone in being gay, entranced by men's haircuts, bondage, or even(this is for you Riley Jerico} being nearly the only guy I knew with a foreskin. I like many miss Dom's additions and hope firstly that he is ok and secondly that he will someday return. One of the tragedies of the internet is that so often stories stop in mid stream either because the writer has painted themselfves in a corner or lost interest or totally found another life. Sooo I am going to give DD another read or try at least. But I am sure that I will remember what a great adventure it was to read it the first time. Pax

Happy belated Birthday Riley. My old roommate and I have had a card that orginally said, "Nerver trust anyone over 30." It has been crossed out by many decades since yet He still writes books and I still sail into reefs. Have a long and prolific life(profligate only if u chose).

Two weeks!!! Tick toc tic toc(from croc of a different world). My Merry Christmas to All is slightly compromised. Argh. Pax to All.

Wow I am again sucked into the web. I was so disappointed not to see and alligator during all the time on my boat in FL. Then I did and would not like to see a herd of them close up and personal.. What a story in it's self. I had missed the clues to the luggage and so was surprized at that. I am having a hard time facing the ending of this tale. I can imagine that CJ may be ready for a break or change of venue but it has been a fun ride for me. I would have loved some more sailing but can't imagine Trev is going to have much attraction to return to FL at this point. Lots to wrap up and more could be added but clearly CJ can take us to the farm quickly too. That would be the ultimate cliffhanger.. Pax

Haven't commented in some time but have been continually impressed by the work you have put into making your places and details accurately described. I think your explanation of his navigation solution is one of the clearest I have read.. maybe you should write a ceslestial navigation guide.. you might even improve on Bill Buckleys(good) explanation. I still wish I could find an anchor elf similar to your characters.. Pax Steve S/V Gandalf

Well I am at my partner's house for the last week. We live in a long distance relationship. His family are cat peeps and I was just telling him that four or five days is about all I can do with the cats. They are the only pets I have ever had that have to come in to poop. My last dog was a "little brown dog from the pound" aka pitbull. Sadie was the best trained and most affectionate dog I have ever had. when I went on my boat trip in 03 I took her to my ex wife in North Carolina where she disappeared. She was worst loss of my four years of living on my boat. I love going up to the tough looking kids with pitbulls and saying does your puppy sleep with you? Most often I get a shy smile back. 15 years ago when my sister died I inherited her son, daughter, and dobermann. That dog had been abused(kids too for that matter) and all of them were a piece of work but the dog was the only one I have truly been uncomfortable with. I finally asserted my alpha stuff and the dog lasted till disease took him but nearly not. I would like another dog but not sure I have it in me to train another plus I hope to be travelling more in my dotage.. Pax

Hum, I have tended to be upfront but really havent posted much here recently. I was on here alot several years ago but not so much now that I am not living alone on my boat. I probably ought to figure out where best to let you all know more about me. eh. I do enjoy getting back into the stories here and also what I read on here from time to time. Since I am not a writer or at least a very constipated one I tend to tread lightly on my suggestions or thoughts about other's writing but I do enjoy reading online to the point that I am wicked behind in my book reading and the pile grows and grows.. Hope to let u all know more about me in the future. Pax Ste

Actually small boats tend to ride waves better than ships unless they are breaking which a roque wave offshore should not be doing. The rogue wave that hit the cruise ship in the Western Med probably was a true rogue wave but as you point out the weather was already bad in a part of the world where the winds zip either out of the Alps toward Africa or from Africa up toward Europe. These changes can be rapid and somewhat unexpected unless you are connected to very good weather updates. Also crossing from Spain to the Balearics the seas can get very choppy and rough. It was bad enough to have my auto pilot killed by this chop but I shipped back to the US from Palma Majorca on a large ship and was surprized that these same waves were shaking the whole large ship enough that they slowed down to about five knots for awhile. Think of Ulysses and his adventures and the storms in Ben Hur etc. By the way my daughter's mother in law met me in Palma while on a cruise and after the ship left Palma Majorca it hit a rogue wave on the way to Barcelona. This was like three years ago. Pax Steve

CJ Thanks for sending me BEN. It was really sweet.. Pax Steve, SV Gandalf

Hi CJ and all. I just returned to GA after a long hiatus and found this story. As some of you may have remembered I sailed my 32' cutter from Maine to the Keys and then back up the Stream to NC thence transatlantic to the Azores, Portugal and Spain. I then returned to Florida and Maine but did talk alot with other world cruisers and considered accompanying a Brit thru the Med thence down the Suez and down the Indian Ocean and to Austrailia. By following the right weather predictions this is a feasible route although the more traditional route from Florida would be down the Carribean chain and through Panama Canal to the Galapagos thence to Tahiti , NZ and then OZ. This is far the most common route and relatively easy by waiting for the right season as you move along. This is true of all ocean passages. There are seasonal current and weather patterns which will move you around the world fairly easily and safely(especially a substantial boat such as Atlantis). Unfortunatly climate change has been playing with the patterns so they are not as predictable and reliable as they were since the Royal Navy first charted and tracked them several centuries ago. I am enjoying the story a great deal. I had read part of one of your stories before I stopped reading GA and enjoyed it. I have read the first 10 chapters in the last two days. Recognise many of your locations in FL. Thanks CJ and hope to chat some more on your forum. Pax Steve S/V Gandalf currently in Maine.

Happy Birthday and hope you did enjoy. Pax Steve SV Gandalf Enjoy your story. Are my fears correct that it will not be continued till the LL World Series comes around again.. LOL. Pax

Happy Un birthday then. I hope your life and that of those you love is going well. I have not had a chance to read much on here for awhile. I am hoping maybe to sail by your neck of the woods in a month or so. Pax Steve SV Gandalf in spain but not for long..

Congrats on the day and wishes for a great year... Hope you have some time for fun and, selfishly, some time to write some more.. Pax, Steve

I had originally posted in response to the stories which at the time I joined were stunning(may still be just alot less time to read these days). As time went on I had periods where I got into the old chat board and felt like I got to know many of the posters there a bit. However as my last few years have been periods of lots of time to browse the web and periods where I am not on much at all I have and will be for a while a sporadic poster. When I find a thread that titilates me I usually put in a thought. I hope at some point I will be able to have the time to get back into the community. Pax. Steve SV Gandalf in Spain and Fairview Villas Maine

I really enjoyed the times I was able to join in the chats. I miss all of you as my life moved on and the chat rooms ended. Would probably drop back in from time to time and try and reconnect with old and make new friends. Once I get my boat back to Maine.. sometime this summer. Pax, Steve

Thanks to all. I am surprized as I have posted so little recently. I am for the present back in Maine in the US with my daughter about to have a baby and the nephew I raised moving in with me with his girlfriend and 3 month old. I just spent a week in Vermont with my semi partner of almost twenty years. We drove to Provincetown for a few days to celebrate our mutual birthdays. It has been a total change from living alone on my boat in Spain. I always miss the life I am not in while going thru my adventures. I fear my reading has sliped due to all this so in a way it is good for me that Dom and Vlista are on hiatus. I do meander thru much of the other writings as I can. Pax to all. Steve

Thanks for including this. Even though I am a recovering Anglican my roots are strong. My grandfather was the Episcopal Bishop of Vermont. My Dad Struggled with my being gay. Yet he was a supporter of the Liberal Bishops such as Sprong and their thinking helped him move toward acceptance. I also was counseled by and became friends with another Retired Anglican Bishop who was gay. He was one of the most valued people I have had the pleasure to know. He participated in several of the early Episcopal Gay ordinations. It has been sad to see the Church of England take the downward path. I grew up with stories of Lambeth and how august that body was. It for now could join the Babtist Southern Conference. How very sad. Clearly Rowan will end up with a schism of the Episcopal (American) Church at this rate. I am not sure how that is better except for the numbers. All of the traditional churches in the US are under the pressure of the Fundies and unfortunately are not holding up well. I must say that part of the blame lies with people such as I who have forsaken the church and left it to others. My Partner has been active in the Methodist inclusive programs for years and is seeing the same slide backwards. Again thanks for including. Having sailed across the Atlantic and lived on my boat for the last few years I have gained a strong sense of spirituality. Part of me would be interested in taking that back to my traditional roots. However these roots continue to be unwelcoming at some levels and I dont need that anymore. Pax Steve Temporarily back home in Maine.

Thanks Connor, My dream next sailing trip is to spend a summer sailing up the St. Laurence and thru the great lakes then ship my boat to Vancouver so I can go up to Alaska then down the west coast to Panama then the Carribean and home to Maine. By then I will be ready to live in New Mexico or back in Sevilla and never see the ocean again. But who knows. By the way My Mom came from Northern New Jersey and when I show peeps pics of her family farm people think it is from Vermont where I also lived and went to school many years ago. Pax Steve

Hi all, I am from Maine in the US. But have been living on my sailboat for last three years. I sailed to Canada then down to Key West thru NYC, Norfolk, Charleston, Miami etc. The to the Azores which I loved. I have been in Spain for the last two years. Don't speak spanish and that is hard. But you get by. Have met great friends from Australia and Wales and Scotland as well as English. Not to mention Belgians, Swedes and Germans. Most of the Northern Euorpeans speak English so If you want to travel that way it shoudl be no problem and I have always found people willing to help me out. I am heading home for the winter then plan on one last summer sailing the Balaerics, Sardinia maybe to Italy then back to Barcelona and the Balaerics for next fall. I have been doing this alone but am hoping to find someone to enjoy it with me since my partner insists on staying at home... Pax all Steve SV Gandalf

Congratulations. It is great to hear people speak positively of their country.. I used to be able to do so of mine. Pax Steve SV Gandalf in the Med. (the spanish boat next to me last night did thank me for giving the world GPS with my tax dollars I guess we do some good.. )

I am so glad to here the cat is doing better and that you are too. If you are anything like the people in my life the wait for the surgery will be a piece of work.. Hopefully you will have cats and partners and life to distract you as much as possible. I came so close to e mailing you to see how you were but didn't want to be intrusive. Just that your stories are so clost to my past life work and also being fellow Mainiacs.. Again best wishes to you and your er family.. Steve SV Gandalf Gibraltar