Hello everybody!
It's Wim speaking, the new crew member on board!
I joined Infinity in Phuket the 19th, just on time to leave with the team to Singapore. Discovering the sea world was an old dream of mine and I am so glad it's finally happening! The passage through the Malaka strait was a nice first glimpse of navigation and life on board. So much to learn! Can't wait to fly the new sails...
We are now the guests of the ONE°15 Marina Club in Singapore who warmly welcomed us in their 'luxury playground by the sea'! We share the same environmental orientation and we are really thanksful for their help. To know more about their interesting eco-initiative programs check
We've got 10 days to get to boat ready for the sailing, meet a lot of potential sponsors and communicate about our project (we might invite on board some NGO's or schools to collect our first testimonies about Global Warming issues, while contributing to the children awareness about the subject). So, no time to get bored, for sure!
We will have a few parties going on on Infinity during our stay in Singapore, everyone is welcome!
With my best wishes,
Wim
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Leaving Thailand behind and arriving in Singapore
Dear all, after leaving Thailand behind and celebrating our departure in style at Lek's place in Phuket town, we sailed towards Langkawi ilsand and arrived yesterday evening at sunset in Singapore. We are at a berthing in One 15 degrees Marina and were warmly welcomed by Guillaume Chaillot, the Senior Marina Manager. The marina is very beautiful and everyone enjoyed the swimming pool and the steam room last night...! Sophie and Wim cooked a delicious Gratin Dauphinois and we all went to bed pretty exhausted after the first leg of the trip and the night watches.
We will be actively searching for sponsors in Singapore for the next 10 days and hopefully we can make a lot of contacts here.
A bientot, Stéphanie
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Infinity is rock and rolling
This is it…… Infinity is now ship shaped, Mickael and Thomas are underwater pretending to be diving and cleaning the propeller to remove all the barnicles... We are sailing tonight towards
Stephanie
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Off We Go!! -- [visual story]
***********
It's been lots of hard work in the past few days. The taste of the morning coffee at a road side joint after a sleepless night on the dock**. Bitter-sweet metaphor of the long wait that comes to an end, and the journey that lies ahead of us.
From the dock, the mast was craned and bolted onto the boat, masts without sails until Singapore, but masts nevertheless.
[** def: 'a structure extending alongshore or out from the shore into a body of water'. The dock definition itself already gave us encouraging hints of our imminent departure and helped us wipe the sweat out with a smile].
So here we are, loading Infinity with fuel and water as i write, she has agreed to take us on our journey, now that we all proved we cared for her.
Off to Singapore, where our stay will be generously sponsored by the wonderful eco-friendly and luxurious ONE°15 Marina Club. The Infinity Sea Tribe is living the dream thanks to people and organizations like the ONE°15 Marina, we need your support, help us make this dream come true!
Since we are still on the look out for a satellite communication package for the Infinity Sea Tribe project, we will not be able to update the blog until our arrival in Singapore (around the 27th of May), but keep an eye on the blog and our site, and spread the word on this project! We welcome any questions, inquiries, suggestions (...) from the readers of this blog, so get in touch with us and we'll be happy to interact with you :)
looking forward to meet the new crew members that will join us soon, and a warm welcome to Wim from Belgium/France, who joined the crew yesterday, right on time for our good-bye party.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
here some pics...
Hi there, it has been a long time, I think I will share with you what it has been like for me to be aboard the Infinity. Here it goes…...
How did I get here?
Hmm, this is a beautiful story that I have the great pleasure to share with you.
I was already in India for 1 year and needed a new visa, and had to go somewhere out of India.
When I heard that Thailand is a beautiful place to sail, I checked the Internet and found Clemens in two places, the Find a Crew and Couchsurfing, when I saw his project and the photos, I immediately fell in love.
After several contacts by e-mail with Clemens, who is always very friendly and attentive,
I arrived in Bangkok. The same day I was on board of Infinity: my wish came true. Being on a boat again after 1 year without sailing was my goal. So I within just 1 day of my arrival in Bangkok I’m back on board a sail boat!
I thought I would only stay for a few days, but 3 months have passed and the adventure continues and I hope more ... 3 years… Wow…without planning…and by going along with the flow…life always leads me to the right place. Being aboard the Infinity and part of this project could not be more of a gift to me in this moment...
When I arrived we were only 6 aboard, now the tribe has grown and each member brings his/her peculiarity that makes me feel at home and happy.
Tara and Ruben are of course an important point in this sense. They are intelligent, creative, adventurous, and are travelers by nature. I remember when I was their age, and I see myself with that dream, to live on a sailing boat and travel around the world.
Tara has a natural talent for drawing, playing instruments and her love for horses is just amazing. I’m glad I got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her with her cat Mia.
It is fun to listen to Tara take a piano lesson as she picks up a song so quickly…My Darling Clementine is the latest song she is learning.
Ruben’s power is to jump from one point to another. He is always helping the boys work and sometimes this is not very easy for a boy in his age. Just look at this photo of Ruben…he is in the tank room which is located at the back of the boat. That room is hot as hell and stuffy but he did not complain at all.
He can drive the dingy by himself…and one night he went off on his own chasing a fire fly. He loves to wakeboard and he is very good in that. Both Tara and Ruben are for sure a fascinating presence and they make my days full of joy.
We had a few weeks ago - when we were still only 6 on board - a Theater Workshop which was 4 days of rest and creativity. We (me, Tara, Ruben and our theatre teacher Magic) made some clown noses, which was a moment of complete pleasure.
It was for me an opportunity to perform again in a relaxed atmosphere, without pretention, using improvisation – like on the Saturday when we invited friends to share our co-fraternisation dinner.
About the big boys: they are beautiful and I have lots of great and fun moments with them, enjoying conversations and sharing our adventures. Of course, I also feel like pulling their ears at times when they don’t keep things in order, but they are always ready to make an effort and put everything in order and clean.
I want to say a few words about Clemens who isn’t only a good Captain but works hard and still takes time to be a doctor and is an amazing fathers, as well as a very good friend, like a brother. Thank you very much Clemens for been so wonderful with me.
The girls, Stephanie and me were very happy with the arrival of Sophia (with her Indian-English, an accent that sounds wonderful to my ears). I am sharing my Cabine with her and she decorated it with some indian details that make me feel more at home and happy.
The intensive work continues and I have to thank Sophie for putting some pictures of me working - in one of our conversations we joked on the fact that people might think that I don`t do anything here, because there were no pictures of me working in the blog, and the work has been intense for me as well. Sometimes it seems that the work will never end, but we are all motivated to finish and leave as soon as possible.
Now we are almost done and ready for the first part of the trip. With the return and help of Randy and Cary, the days pass more quickly and the boat takes shape. At the end of the day, our post-dinner conversations on the deck, watching the moon and stary sky with a light breeze after a long day of work, are incredible moments. We share together the incredible feeling of one more productive day, and the joy of knowing that soon we will be on our way to one more adventure, meeting new friends on the way.. Heading to Singapore and in kota kinabalu very soon. Talk to you soon …
How did I get here?
Hmm, this is a beautiful story that I have the great pleasure to share with you.
I was already in India for 1 year and needed a new visa, and had to go somewhere out of India.
When I heard that Thailand is a beautiful place to sail, I checked the Internet and found Clemens in two places, the Find a Crew and Couchsurfing, when I saw his project and the photos, I immediately fell in love.
After several contacts by e-mail with Clemens, who is always very friendly and attentive,
I arrived in Bangkok. The same day I was on board of Infinity: my wish came true. Being on a boat again after 1 year without sailing was my goal. So I within just 1 day of my arrival in Bangkok I’m back on board a sail boat!
I thought I would only stay for a few days, but 3 months have passed and the adventure continues and I hope more ... 3 years… Wow…without planning…and by going along with the flow…life always leads me to the right place. Being aboard the Infinity and part of this project could not be more of a gift to me in this moment...
When I arrived we were only 6 aboard, now the tribe has grown and each member brings his/her peculiarity that makes me feel at home and happy.
Tara and Ruben are of course an important point in this sense. They are intelligent, creative, adventurous, and are travelers by nature. I remember when I was their age, and I see myself with that dream, to live on a sailing boat and travel around the world.
Tara has a natural talent for drawing, playing instruments and her love for horses is just amazing. I’m glad I got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her with her cat Mia.
It is fun to listen to Tara take a piano lesson as she picks up a song so quickly…My Darling Clementine is the latest song she is learning.
Ruben’s power is to jump from one point to another. He is always helping the boys work and sometimes this is not very easy for a boy in his age. Just look at this photo of Ruben…he is in the tank room which is located at the back of the boat. That room is hot as hell and stuffy but he did not complain at all.
He can drive the dingy by himself…and one night he went off on his own chasing a fire fly. He loves to wakeboard and he is very good in that. Both Tara and Ruben are for sure a fascinating presence and they make my days full of joy.
We had a few weeks ago - when we were still only 6 on board - a Theater Workshop which was 4 days of rest and creativity. We (me, Tara, Ruben and our theatre teacher Magic) made some clown noses, which was a moment of complete pleasure.
It was for me an opportunity to perform again in a relaxed atmosphere, without pretention, using improvisation – like on the Saturday when we invited friends to share our co-fraternisation dinner.
About the big boys: they are beautiful and I have lots of great and fun moments with them, enjoying conversations and sharing our adventures. Of course, I also feel like pulling their ears at times when they don’t keep things in order, but they are always ready to make an effort and put everything in order and clean.
I want to say a few words about Clemens who isn’t only a good Captain but works hard and still takes time to be a doctor and is an amazing fathers, as well as a very good friend, like a brother. Thank you very much Clemens for been so wonderful with me.
The girls, Stephanie and me were very happy with the arrival of Sophia (with her Indian-English, an accent that sounds wonderful to my ears). I am sharing my Cabine with her and she decorated it with some indian details that make me feel more at home and happy.
The intensive work continues and I have to thank Sophie for putting some pictures of me working - in one of our conversations we joked on the fact that people might think that I don`t do anything here, because there were no pictures of me working in the blog, and the work has been intense for me as well. Sometimes it seems that the work will never end, but we are all motivated to finish and leave as soon as possible.
Now we are almost done and ready for the first part of the trip. With the return and help of Randy and Cary, the days pass more quickly and the boat takes shape. At the end of the day, our post-dinner conversations on the deck, watching the moon and stary sky with a light breeze after a long day of work, are incredible moments. We share together the incredible feeling of one more productive day, and the joy of knowing that soon we will be on our way to one more adventure, meeting new friends on the way.. Heading to Singapore and in kota kinabalu very soon. Talk to you soon …
Hello
Hi there, it has been a long time, I think I will share with you what it has been like for me to be aboard the Infinity. Here it goes…...
How did I get here?
Hmm, this is a beautiful story that I have the great pleasure to share with you.
I was already in India for 1 year and needed a new visa, and had to go somewhere out of India.
When I heard that Thailand is a beautiful place to sail, I checked the Internet and found Clemens in two places, the Find a Crew and Couchsurfing, when I saw his project and the photos, I immediately fell in love.
After several contacts by e-mail with Clemens, who is always very friendly and attentive,
I arrived in Bangkok. The same day I was on board of Infinity: my wish came true. Being on a boat again after 1 year without sailing was my goal. So I within just 1 day of my arrival in Bangkok I’m back on board a sail boat!
I thought I would only stay for a few days, but 3 months have passed and the adventure continues and I hope more ... 3 years… Wow…without planning…and by going along with the flow…life always leads me to the right place. Being aboard the Infinity and part of this project could not be more of a gift to me in this moment...
When I arrived we were only 6 aboard, now the tribe has grown and each member brings his/her peculiarity that makes me feel at home and happy.
Tara and Ruben are of course an important point in this sense. They are intelligent, creative, adventurous, and are travelers by nature. I remember when I was their age, and I see myself with that dream, to live on a sailing boat and travel around the world.
Tara has a natural talent for drawing, playing instruments and her love for horses is just amazing. I’m glad I got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her with her cat Mia.
It is fun to listen to Tara take a piano lesson as she picks up a song so quickly…My Darling Clementine is the latest song she is learning.
Ruben’s power is to jump from one point to another. He is always helping the boys work and sometimes this is not very easy for a boy in his age. Just look at this photo of Ruben…he is in the tank room which is located at the back of the boat. That room is hot as hell and stuffy but he did not complain at all.
He can drive the dingy by himself…and one night he went off on his own chasing a fire fly. He loves to wakeboard and he is very good in that. Both Tara and Ruben are for sure a fascinating presence and they make my days full of joy.
We had a few weeks ago - when we were still only 6 on board - a Theater Workshop which was 4 days of rest and creativity. We (me, Tara, Ruben and our theatre teacher Magic) made some clown noses, which was a moment of complete pleasure.
It was for me an opportunity to perform again in a relaxed atmosphere, without pretention, using improvisation – like on the Saturday when we invited friends to share our co-fraternisation dinner.
About the big boys: they are beautiful and I have lots of great and fun moments with them, enjoying conversations and sharing our adventures. Of course, I also feel like pulling their ears at times when they don’t keep things in order, but they are always ready to make an effort and put everything in order and clean.
I want to say a few words about Clemens who isn’t only a good Captain but works hard and still takes time to be a doctor and is an amazing fathers, as well as a very good friend, like a brother. Thank you very much Clemens for been so wonderful with me.
The girls, Stephanie and me were very happy with the arrival of Sophia (with her Indian-English, an accent that sounds wonderful to my ears). I am sharing my Cabine with her and she decorated it with some indian details that make me feel more at home and happy.
The intensive work continues and I have to thank Sophie for putting some pictures of me working - in one of our conversations we joked on the fact that people might think that I don`t do anything here, because there were no pictures of me working in the blog, and the work has been intense for me as well. Sometimes it seems that the work will never end, but we are all motivated to finish and leave as soon as possible.
Now we are almost done and ready for the first part of the trip. With the return and help of Randy and Cary, the days pass more quickly and the boat takes shape. At the end of the day, our post-dinner conversations on the deck, watching the moon and stary sky with a light breeze after a long day of work, are incredible moments. We share together the incredible feeling of one more productive day, and the joy of knowing that soon we will be on our way to one more adventure, meeting new friends on the way.. Heading to Singapore and in kota kinabalu very soon. Talk to you soon …
How did I get here?
Hmm, this is a beautiful story that I have the great pleasure to share with you.
I was already in India for 1 year and needed a new visa, and had to go somewhere out of India.
When I heard that Thailand is a beautiful place to sail, I checked the Internet and found Clemens in two places, the Find a Crew and Couchsurfing, when I saw his project and the photos, I immediately fell in love.
After several contacts by e-mail with Clemens, who is always very friendly and attentive,
I arrived in Bangkok. The same day I was on board of Infinity: my wish came true. Being on a boat again after 1 year without sailing was my goal. So I within just 1 day of my arrival in Bangkok I’m back on board a sail boat!
I thought I would only stay for a few days, but 3 months have passed and the adventure continues and I hope more ... 3 years… Wow…without planning…and by going along with the flow…life always leads me to the right place. Being aboard the Infinity and part of this project could not be more of a gift to me in this moment...
When I arrived we were only 6 aboard, now the tribe has grown and each member brings his/her peculiarity that makes me feel at home and happy.
Tara and Ruben are of course an important point in this sense. They are intelligent, creative, adventurous, and are travelers by nature. I remember when I was their age, and I see myself with that dream, to live on a sailing boat and travel around the world.
Tara has a natural talent for drawing, playing instruments and her love for horses is just amazing. I’m glad I got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her with her cat Mia.
It is fun to listen to Tara take a piano lesson as she picks up a song so quickly…My Darling Clementine is the latest song she is learning.
Ruben’s power is to jump from one point to another. He is always helping the boys work and sometimes this is not very easy for a boy in his age. Just look at this photo of Ruben…he is in the tank room which is located at the back of the boat. That room is hot as hell and stuffy but he did not complain at all.
He can drive the dingy by himself…and one night he went off on his own chasing a fire fly. He loves to wakeboard and he is very good in that. Both Tara and Ruben are for sure a fascinating presence and they make my days full of joy.
We had a few weeks ago - when we were still only 6 on board - a Theater Workshop which was 4 days of rest and creativity. We (me, Tara, Ruben and our theatre teacher Magic) made some clown noses, which was a moment of complete pleasure.
It was for me an opportunity to perform again in a relaxed atmosphere, without pretention, using improvisation – like on the Saturday when we invited friends to share our co-fraternisation dinner.
About the big boys: they are beautiful and I have lots of great and fun moments with them, enjoying conversations and sharing our adventures. Of course, I also feel like pulling their ears at times when they don’t keep things in order, but they are always ready to make an effort and put everything in order and clean.
I want to say a few words about Clemens who isn’t only a good Captain but works hard and still takes time to be a doctor and is an amazing fathers, as well as a very good friend, like a brother. Thank you very much Clemens for been so wonderful with me.
The girls, Stephanie and me were very happy with the arrival of Sophia (with her Indian-English, an accent that sounds wonderful to my ears). I am sharing my Cabine with her and she decorated it with some indian details that make me feel more at home and happy.
The intensive work continues and I have to thank Sophie for putting some pictures of me working - in one of our conversations we joked on the fact that people might think that I don`t do anything here, because there were no pictures of me working in the blog, and the work has been intense for me as well. Sometimes it seems that the work will never end, but we are all motivated to finish and leave as soon as possible.
Now we are almost done and ready for the first part of the trip. With the return and help of Randy and Cary, the days pass more quickly and the boat takes shape. At the end of the day, our post-dinner conversations on the deck, watching the moon and stary sky with a light breeze after a long day of work, are incredible moments. We share together the incredible feeling of one more productive day, and the joy of knowing that soon we will be on our way to one more adventure, meeting new friends on the way.. Heading to Singapore and in kota kinabalu very soon. Talk to you soon …
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
On the inside of the boat
There hasn’t been many visual proofs Gyan’s hard work, so here we are, with a big. Big thank you to her, for all the laundry loads and the sorting out/cleaning/labelling of all the groceries and cans stored beneath the kitchen and watched over by Phill from his berth at night.. I wonder if tin cans and milk packs are the best company, but Phill never seem to complain about them. I wondered at first why this part of the boat seemed to be avoided by many. “Could you go get me this or that from the storage room pleeeaaaase?”. The storage room is for the brave. All those who often venture down there know very well that, at times, strange sea creatures try to creep in from the windows.
The Big Buddha of Phuket
Just adding a picture I took of the Big Buddha to complement Sophie's post:) May the Buddha bless Infinity!
leaving soon
As mentioned by the ‘mates’ in the previous posts, days are getting busier as we approach the departure date. So we all got off blogging for a while and are all back in full force/posts, because there is so much to say, so much to share – and simply so much to get out of our heads for us to contemplate. So i’m adding my bit here, hoping that there wont be too many repeats.
Life on board is amazing as ever. Surreal mix of jumping off the boat to take morning/afternoon/night swims, and sweating under the sun to do one of the many Ant-work tasks which need to be done. It could be a morning - water based - task to scrape barnacles off the dingy, and then coming up inside guided by the tantalizing smell of Stephanie’s Pancakes served with a smile and a broom guitar demonstration for breakfast. And this is just an example in a million, life goes on. Time stands still.
This morning’s breakfast was blessed by some generous clouds, which brought along a few hours' relief from the sun, and also a contemplative mood on my side (Phill says moods are a women's exclusivity, being a woman is good then). So my inner debate started it’s questioning routine and i realized that attributing an age to each one of the faces (and bodies) of people around me was something I was simply unable to do. Strange feeling of one-ness rushing by. I decided not to consider ‘Why’, and felt satisfied contemplating the lightness of the realization from within. We share the same dream and all the happiness and stamina it gives us to realize it. I am still not sure if I experienced such a feeling before, and guessing that this is just the beginning might not be too much of a presumption.
So here we are, working along, singing along, living the infinite dream together. This morning we had our weekly ‘talking stick’ meeting where everyone gets a chance to share and let go emotions. One at a time, with the other crew member. It is for me a very important moment of the week, as I feel that it really adds to the quality of life on board. The reason why I mention it here is because David brought up a very sensitive definition of what community life means, and it touched me a lot, and it was a very interesting echo to my morning inner discussion that was still going on within. I could have thanked him right then, but only now I realize that it made my day, and since I don’t want to quote him wrong, he might just want to add it to this post later (please David?!).
Another highlight of the day/last night was the return of Randy & Cary on board. [They had spent a few days on Infinity before my arrival, but had left on a trip for a few days before I got here]. So this was a highlight, not only because they are wonderful, but because now our crew until Singapore is complete. Another sign that we are leaving soon and that the ocean would not wait much longer for us to discover (and wear hot pants!!).
-- like Gyan, sitting next to me as I right this post says: “next week at this time we are in the Ocean”. She says it, and already, a million starfishes in her eyes keep the dream running). --
Today Ruben confirmed his fishing skills by catching a few very fry-able fishes. I tried my scissors at cutting them open to remove the goopyguts, which was not all that disgusting and worked out pretty well.. Big fishes of the sea beware! Here we come. To complete the team, Gyan fried them up till tander-crisp, the fried fish story was a real success.
The sun is setting on the Giant-Buddha-sitting-on-the-top-of-the-hill-in-front, and I got to go and sit outside and swallow it in.
Sending you all a couple of barnicles, fired fishes and sunsets,
xxx
Life on board is amazing as ever. Surreal mix of jumping off the boat to take morning/afternoon/night swims, and sweating under the sun to do one of the many Ant-work tasks which need to be done. It could be a morning - water based - task to scrape barnacles off the dingy, and then coming up inside guided by the tantalizing smell of Stephanie’s Pancakes served with a smile and a broom guitar demonstration for breakfast. And this is just an example in a million, life goes on. Time stands still.
This morning’s breakfast was blessed by some generous clouds, which brought along a few hours' relief from the sun, and also a contemplative mood on my side (Phill says moods are a women's exclusivity, being a woman is good then). So my inner debate started it’s questioning routine and i realized that attributing an age to each one of the faces (and bodies) of people around me was something I was simply unable to do. Strange feeling of one-ness rushing by. I decided not to consider ‘Why’, and felt satisfied contemplating the lightness of the realization from within. We share the same dream and all the happiness and stamina it gives us to realize it. I am still not sure if I experienced such a feeling before, and guessing that this is just the beginning might not be too much of a presumption.
So here we are, working along, singing along, living the infinite dream together. This morning we had our weekly ‘talking stick’ meeting where everyone gets a chance to share and let go emotions. One at a time, with the other crew member. It is for me a very important moment of the week, as I feel that it really adds to the quality of life on board. The reason why I mention it here is because David brought up a very sensitive definition of what community life means, and it touched me a lot, and it was a very interesting echo to my morning inner discussion that was still going on within. I could have thanked him right then, but only now I realize that it made my day, and since I don’t want to quote him wrong, he might just want to add it to this post later (please David?!).
Another highlight of the day/last night was the return of Randy & Cary on board. [They had spent a few days on Infinity before my arrival, but had left on a trip for a few days before I got here]. So this was a highlight, not only because they are wonderful, but because now our crew until Singapore is complete. Another sign that we are leaving soon and that the ocean would not wait much longer for us to discover (and wear hot pants!!).
-- like Gyan, sitting next to me as I right this post says: “next week at this time we are in the Ocean”. She says it, and already, a million starfishes in her eyes keep the dream running). --
Today Ruben confirmed his fishing skills by catching a few very fry-able fishes. I tried my scissors at cutting them open to remove the goopyguts, which was not all that disgusting and worked out pretty well.. Big fishes of the sea beware! Here we come. To complete the team, Gyan fried them up till tander-crisp, the fried fish story was a real success.
The sun is setting on the Giant-Buddha-sitting-on-the-top-of-the-hill-in-front, and I got to go and sit outside and swallow it in.
Sending you all a couple of barnicles, fired fishes and sunsets,
xxx
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Bowie's Update
The boat has been a bit stressful lately due to the amount of work we want to complete and three out of five males were occupied in a diving course of four days. Having certified divers is great and a safety necessity, 7 out of 9 crew are now certified, so we will definitely be a diving boat! This was my initial reason for joining Infinity and remains a desire although learning about the sailing world is slowly surpassing all other pursuits. (even nights out at kajonci, lek’s place) . But in the mean time the ladies stepped it up with the manual labor and really smashed things out. Good work girls! I was as the rest of infinity very grateful to have the guys back! Even if the short shorts are “So Orrible” and the facial hair is “Desgust”.
On a note of production the mast are to finished on Friday and the crane is tentatively book for SATURDAY.
We are all looking forward to pushing off. A new estimated time of departure is drum roll MONDAY? We will see!!!!
On a note of production the mast are to finished on Friday and the crane is tentatively book for SATURDAY.
We are all looking forward to pushing off. A new estimated time of departure is drum roll MONDAY? We will see!!!!
SCUBA Certified!!!
Its
This week was brilliant; Phil, Oscar, and I got certified to dive. We had 2 cave dives and one night dive. Diving at night was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had; the feeling of being alone in the pitch dark with no sound around you and 15 meters below the surface is indescribable unless you have done it. Our instructor, Alex, was great although the DVDs we were forced to watch were less then exciting. I quickly fell back into the rhythm of my younger days sitting in high school, meaning I slept, stared at my watch and drew on my arms. Things I learned from the DVD are as follows, water is not man’s natural environment, without oxygen a human cannot breath, and one should only do things to and with one’s buddy he is comfortable with. We got certified at Ko Phi Phi which, on the whole is quite an amazing place to get your first dives in. The sea turtles, Octopi, lion fish and sharks were all amazing however I was occasionally distracted by the growing game of “make your diving buddy look bad in front of the instructor” between Oscar and I. I would grab his BCD and inflate it so he would rise to the surface, and he would grab my secondary air source and waste my oxygen so I would have less bar when we got to the surface. The way this game was progressing it looked the winner would have to shut the others air supply off; alas we figured the instructor, police and the other playing participant may frown upon such a clear and decisive victory. We are all looking forward to adding this new skill to use in the research of the
My French, Portuguese, piano and sailing lessons are all coming along, though some faster then others. Currently my French is about as good as Oscar’s mustache, which is to say it has years of work ahead of it just to become recognizable. (Side note, we are all growing mustaches as a tribute to sailors of past. It has nothing to do with the fact that mustaches are awesome and we all look superb with them.)
As far as work goes, after 4 days off to get certified we were thrown back into the daily grind. Winches are being finished and the drilling of 112 holes for the chain plates were also finally completed. (I would almost rather work in an office again then ever have to drill through rebar again. Ok maybe not, but believe me it was about as much fun as a wet blanket). Somehow through all the work, running around and tasks that need to be completed by what seems like yesterday, Clemans has completely kept his cool and kept us all busy. Keeping our fingers crossed we may be out of here in a weeks time.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Sponsors
Dear all,
With our website ready and the Mission Statement almost ready, it is high time we started the call for sponsors.
We ask every crew members'input...Time to use your connections and share your ideas.
We have already started to draft a list of sponsors that we will share with you very soon.
The idea is to target companies who would be willing to sponsor us in kind. Right now, the most important would be to find a satellite phone company to provide us with free internet while at sea and a company to give us new batteries. After,it can be anything going from solar panels, sunblock lotions, wet suit (Julien is helping with Rip Curl), diving gears, surfboards, new inverter, recording material, even food and drinks. Emphasis should be put on "green companies" (ie: environmental friendly).
I am approaching Singapore Airlines to see if we could get 2 tickets sponsored to meet us wherever we are and organize a draw / raffle.
On the media side, can everyone think of connections/contacts in his/her home country who could possibly be interested in giving us coverage.
Many thanks in advance,
We look forward to reading you,
Stephanie
With our website ready and the Mission Statement almost ready, it is high time we started the call for sponsors.
We ask every crew members'input...Time to use your connections and share your ideas.
We have already started to draft a list of sponsors that we will share with you very soon.
The idea is to target companies who would be willing to sponsor us in kind. Right now, the most important would be to find a satellite phone company to provide us with free internet while at sea and a company to give us new batteries. After,it can be anything going from solar panels, sunblock lotions, wet suit (Julien is helping with Rip Curl), diving gears, surfboards, new inverter, recording material, even food and drinks. Emphasis should be put on "green companies" (ie: environmental friendly).
I am approaching Singapore Airlines to see if we could get 2 tickets sponsored to meet us wherever we are and organize a draw / raffle.
On the media side, can everyone think of connections/contacts in his/her home country who could possibly be interested in giving us coverage.
Many thanks in advance,
We look forward to reading you,
Stephanie
Hammer Drill
Hello, this is Stephanie speaking. My biggest achievement this week was to spend one hour sitting in the harnest hanging outside the haul trying not to drop the hammer drill in the water....Can't believe I actually managed to drill a few holes for the chain plates. Oscar and Mickael, thanks for your support ! The yoga classes are really good and we need to catch up on synchronised swimming lessons. Thomas, Mickael and Philip are busy ashore for the next three days taking their Open Water diving certificate.Thanks to everyone for your creativity, smiles, support and for all the thoughtful touches too. Stephanie
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
3 days Gone By
It's been three days since i'm on board. I found a new family, infinity feels like home and is full of wonderful people. Not a replacement family because mine is amazing. Just an extra family that confirms how lucky i am on the whole.
Since there are many, i will try to explain the pictures bellow from bottom-up, so as to give you a sense of what days have been so far on board through my eyes - although this is just a very little piece of it.
I arrived from the airport by taxi, got dropped on the beach with my bag and saw the yellow dingy coming towards me with Phil and Steph on board, it was magical. I was euphoric, outburst of joy on the inside that refused to keep my smiling lips to rest. I quickly got rid of my pants as the dingy approached. Phil threw reef shoes in the water for me not to slice my feet on corals, Steph already ashore to help me get my bags in, and before i could realize, i was on board, with a warm masala chai welcome handed to me by Gyan and supported by everyone's just woken-up smiles. Home sweet home.
Learning is the core of each day on board, there is so much to do to prepare the boat and the crew's enthusiasm and talent seems to be something that we'll never run out of. Beside music, dingy driving, yoga, synchronized swimming lesson and much more, there is the boat work as such, with everyone working together in a joyous harmony of some sort. Lots of big muscles ready to be challenged with heavy drilling tasks. There are people hanging from different parts of the boat, underground workers in the intriguing fournace of the machine room, and more.
Entire days of work on which the night falls as a celebration of peace, calm, cosyness and of course night swims for the braves. Ghosts stories also belong to the night, thanks to Ruben, the little pirate on board. He's such a creative kid (as well as his sister, Tara, whom i only met yesterday), his mind overflowing with stories of cats that look like sharks and dragons with sails on their backs.
With people working on all parts of the boat, rooming on the deck also means the possibility to find a head, arm, hand, whatever, popping out from the most surprising places.
I also aught to mention the patience of Phil, working on the winches since 4 weeks, taking them apart, one piece at a time, cleaning them, cleaning them more, and fixing them back (he's of course being helped by other crew members, but he is really a winch king for sure). And Clemens, doing some dangerous mass preparation along with David an a Thai worker yesterday (or was it day before? i already lost track of the days and chronological succession of events and i could not care more).
And while all this happens on board, the life goes on with yummy meals, breakfast navigation classes, and Ruben's stories and amazing drawings, with sailing vessels being pulled by fishes and propelled by kites and other powerful rockets.
I can't be thankful enough for all this, to Clemens for sharing his dream, to the crew's energy and creativity.
Since there are many, i will try to explain the pictures bellow from bottom-up, so as to give you a sense of what days have been so far on board through my eyes - although this is just a very little piece of it.
I arrived from the airport by taxi, got dropped on the beach with my bag and saw the yellow dingy coming towards me with Phil and Steph on board, it was magical. I was euphoric, outburst of joy on the inside that refused to keep my smiling lips to rest. I quickly got rid of my pants as the dingy approached. Phil threw reef shoes in the water for me not to slice my feet on corals, Steph already ashore to help me get my bags in, and before i could realize, i was on board, with a warm masala chai welcome handed to me by Gyan and supported by everyone's just woken-up smiles. Home sweet home.
Learning is the core of each day on board, there is so much to do to prepare the boat and the crew's enthusiasm and talent seems to be something that we'll never run out of. Beside music, dingy driving, yoga, synchronized swimming lesson and much more, there is the boat work as such, with everyone working together in a joyous harmony of some sort. Lots of big muscles ready to be challenged with heavy drilling tasks. There are people hanging from different parts of the boat, underground workers in the intriguing fournace of the machine room, and more.
Entire days of work on which the night falls as a celebration of peace, calm, cosyness and of course night swims for the braves. Ghosts stories also belong to the night, thanks to Ruben, the little pirate on board. He's such a creative kid (as well as his sister, Tara, whom i only met yesterday), his mind overflowing with stories of cats that look like sharks and dragons with sails on their backs.
With people working on all parts of the boat, rooming on the deck also means the possibility to find a head, arm, hand, whatever, popping out from the most surprising places.
I also aught to mention the patience of Phil, working on the winches since 4 weeks, taking them apart, one piece at a time, cleaning them, cleaning them more, and fixing them back (he's of course being helped by other crew members, but he is really a winch king for sure). And Clemens, doing some dangerous mass preparation along with David an a Thai worker yesterday (or was it day before? i already lost track of the days and chronological succession of events and i could not care more).
And while all this happens on board, the life goes on with yummy meals, breakfast navigation classes, and Ruben's stories and amazing drawings, with sailing vessels being pulled by fishes and propelled by kites and other powerful rockets.
I can't be thankful enough for all this, to Clemens for sharing his dream, to the crew's energy and creativity.
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