Coby and Ave and I plunge further south in the Intracoastal Waterway in the dead of winter. Some things go right, and some go not-so-right. But there are always happy endings and homemade cookies and plentiful beer. Life could be worse.

Music from this episode:

Juntitos by Andre Jetson
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Andre_Jetson/~/Andre_Jetson_-_Juntitos

Guitare 1 by Monplaisir
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monplaisir/Sous_Tensions_Original_Soundtrack/Monplaisir_-_Sous_Tensions_Soundtrack_-_11_Guitare_1

Moonlight Sing by Dave Keifer
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Dave_Keifer/Indirect_Pomegranate_1584/03_Moonlight_Sing

Story, by Meydän
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Meydan/

Please Tell Me by Jon Worthy and the Bends

Cruisers’ culture shock, the merits of buddy boating, noisy water-makers and the best way to retrieve lost items from a murky bilge. I discuss these and many other subjects with fellow Boat Radio presenter, Carolyn Shearlock.

Four years ago, I found a beautiful but neglected old sailboat called Ave del Mar in Reedville, Virginia. Unable to resist her charms, I quit my job, rented my apartment, moved aboard and sailed off into the sunset. Postcards From Sea is the story of the people I meet, the food I eat, the places I visit and the various seafaring scrapes I manage to get into as I sail the world with no particular destination in mind.

Carolyn Shearlock’s website, The Boat Galley, is the number one reference for cruisers. It features hundreds of great articles about all aspects of boat life. Carolyn has lived aboard sailboats for many years and has a wealth of experience, which she is happy to share.

http://www.theboatgalley.com

http://www.avedelmar.com

Whether you need an outboard, a kayak, information, recommendations, even a veterinarian, the George Town Cruisers’ Net is a must-listen at 0800 every morning.

Four years ago, I fell in love with an old sailboat called Ave del Mar. Enchanted and unable to resist her charms, I bought her, restored her and embarked on an adventure with no end. I have a vague notion that I might eventually circumnavigate the globe. Postcards From Sea is my story.

I also maintain a blog at avedelmar.com

Epic jam sessions, seasickness and how best to resolve conflicts with your shipmates. In this latest edition of Postcards From Sea, I discuss these and other pressing issues with my good friend and fellow traveller Albi the German Lad. We also try to figure out at what stage it’s reasonable to start calling oneself a ‘sailor’.

I’ve been attending the Annapolis Sailboat Show for years, but my experience there changes as my needs change. I visited this year’s show with Larry Webber, who helped me sail from Jamaica to the Florida keys last June, and Chris & Elizabeth, my friends from West Palm Beach, Florida, who live on a beautiful 1978 Hunter Cherubini and who rode out Hurricane Matthew with me in 2016.

I retrace my steps along the Intra-Coastal Waterway and recall the problems I had during my first journey along the mighty Ditch.

This is a wonderful episode. It’s an unedited, off-the-cuff edition of the show, recorded entirely on the move. Those of you lucky enough to have sailed or motored along the ICW, listen out for familiar landmarks. Those who haven’t, just sit back and enjoy as I take in the sights and sounds and tell some lovely anecdotes along the way.

I interviewed my father late last year for this edition of Postcards From Sea. Learn about canvas fire buckets, yellow cards, and the difference between William Robinson’s “10,000 Leagues Over The Sea” and Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea” (hint: one has a killer squid, one has South Pacific islands).

Tiller trouble forces me to return to Nassau in search of a welder. Plus, an oily predicament leaves me feeling rather dejected. To add insult to injury, a night of pitching and rolling tears loose a pulley on the bowsprit and, while retrieving the pieces, I accidentally drop a bronze hook overboard. Should I dive for it? Or will the barracudas bite? Join me for a shot of Haitian rum, a dash of lime, a swig of sky juice, a bit of snorkelling in Thunderball Grotto and the latest from on board my 1967 Rawson cutter, Ave del Mar.