Cruising: fixing your boat in exotic places (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 38
Posted on August 9, 2018
We start to get ready for our crossing back to the US! On the boat chores list: -adjusting the rigging with our friend Joe from Barefoot Adventures -replacing the incandescent masthead navigation light with an LED bulb -fix the wiring to the new LED bulb! We started to plan our...
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Visiting a Loyalist Settlement, Hopetown Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 37
Posted on July 4, 2018
This week we explore Hopetown in the Abacos! A loyalist settlement, Hopetown is a charming area, with colourful houses and winding pathways. The most famous landmark in the area is the Elbow Reef Lighthouse. The only remaining hand cranked kerosene lighthouse in the world, it’s candy striped exterior only further...
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Snorkeling on a Bahamian Reef in the Abacos (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 36
Posted on June 20, 2018
Credits:
“Maps” by Kara Keith
“Heartbeat” by Kara Keith
Social Media:
instagram.com/svcatsaway
facebook.com/svcatsaway
twitter.com/svcatsaway
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Conch Feast in Spanish Wells, Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 35
Posted on June 5, 2018
We left Hatchet Bay and traverse Current Cut on our way to Spanish Wells. Current cut is aptly named, as the current can be fierce through the cut - up to 10 knots. Ideally we would have traversed it at slack tide with an opposing current to assist steering, but...
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Swept away (almost) in Eleuthera (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 34
Posted on May 22, 2018
This week we decided to take advantage of uncooperative winds and played tourist! We sailed to Hatchet Bay, known as “The safest harbour in the Bahamas”. We hitchhiked to Hatchet Bay Caves with some new friends, who shared some local knowledge and introduced us to a tamarind tree. Afterwards, they...
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Crossing the Gulf Stream (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 39
Posted on May 22, 2018
This week the crew of Catsaway plans their crossing across the Gulf Stream. With a compromised engine (cracked heat exchanger) and a malfunctioning drive leg (broken seal), we had to be very careful planning our route back to the States. While many people were crossing on calm days, those were...
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Exploring Eleuthera in the Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 33
Posted on May 16, 2018
This week, we leave Cat Island and travel to Eleuthera. Due to light winds, we ended up stopping in Little San Salvador for one night. We were trawling lines behind us and both lines went off at the same time; rewarding us with two bar jacks. We gave the larger...
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Sailing Cat Island, Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 32
Posted on May 1, 2018
This week we relax and explore Cat Island. We anchored outside of Rolleezz Resort. Carl and Yvonne are very welcoming to cruisers and encouraged us to hang out at the resort and use the facilities. We borrowed a couple of bikes and headed into Old Bight. Cat Island has a...
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Cat-astrophe! onboard kitty emergency (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 31
Posted on April 23, 2018
This week we leave Long Island and Hercie gets sick. We sailed from Calabash Bay to Rum Cay. The coral heads at Rum Cay are over 20 feet high; unfortunately most of these reefs are dead. They were ravaged by hurricanes and much of the sea life is gone. The...
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Long Island, Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 30
Posted on April 16, 2018
This week we explore Long Island, Bahamas. We motor sailed down with a flotilla of boats. We made good time and pulled into a nice flat anchorage in Thompson Bay. We started some boat chores immediately; Greg began with replacing the zinc in the heat exchanger, and then we changed...
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George Town Cruising Regatta & sailing to Long Island (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 29
Posted on April 11, 2018
This week we enjoy the Georgetown Cruisers Regatta! We participated in the coconut challenge and the downwind inflatable dinghy race. Our rig for the sailing race was a shower curtain, connected to two boat hooks. Though our design was simple, it worked very well and we actually ended up placing...
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Exploring George Town in the Exumas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 28
Posted on April 4, 2018
This week we explore Georgetown! Georgetown is located on the island of Great Exuma, and was the largest settlement we had seen within the Exumas. It is also a very popular spot for cruisers; there are often more than 200 boats anchored by Stocking Island. There are several restaurants, resorts...
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Coconuts & Conch in the Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 27
Posted on March 27, 2018
This week SV Catsaway travels to Rudder Cut Cay. Rudder Cut Cay is home to two beautiful caves, reefs, amazing scenery and a mermaid sculpture. The water and surrounding environment here is stunning; it was one of our favourite anchorages. There is a strong current here, so snorkel at low...
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Dragging Anchor in the Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 26
Posted on March 20, 2018
DRAGGING ANCHOR! We had anchored at Black Point with south winds about 15 knots. Overnight the winds spun around to the north. We spent the morning doing chores (laundry and water). After returning to the boat, we started preparing lunch when we realized our buddy boat Jennabird was right behind...
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Pigs, Sharks, & Caves in the Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 25
Posted on March 10, 2018
This week the crew of SV Catsaway explore Big Majors Island and Staniel Cay. Due to incoming strong northeast winds, we decided to anchor by Big Majors (pig beach), as it had good reviews for northeasterly protection. We arrived on a calm day and dove on our anchor before the...
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Sailing the Exumas in the Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 24
Posted on March 5, 2018
This week Catsaway sails through the upper Exumas! We begin at Highbourne Cay, where we finally put some fins on our dinghy. Since we only have an 8 HP outboard, we sometimes struggle to get up on a plane with two of us plus baggage. The fins were straightforward to...
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Sailing to the Exumas in the Bahamas (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 23
Posted on February 23, 2018
SV Catsaway finally made it to the Bahamas!! After a few weeks away from the boat, we finished provisioning and preparing for the crossing. We waited for an ideal weather window - light winds and definitely nothing coming the North. We checked multiple weather sources, including a meteorologist friend. The...
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Dog Rescue, Provisioning, & Miami before our voyage (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 22
Posted on February 13, 2018
Catsaway rescues a dog! We arrived in Miami and had a great time exploring South Beach and visiting with friends. After several days anchored by the Venetian Causeway, we moved to a mooring ball at Dinner Key Marina. We had just moored when we heard a dog barking on a...
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A Day on the Intracoastal Waterway (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 20
Posted on January 19, 2018
A typical day on the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway): Wake up Feed the cats Check the oil Warm up the engine Set up the tablet: Shut off the anchor alarm Plot the course for the day Pull up the anchor Raise the sail if the wind is in our favour One...
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Sailing Chesapeake Bay! (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 19
Posted on December 18, 2017
This episode we leave Chesapeake City and continue heading south. Our first destination was Annapolis - we had heard many great things about the city that was known as the sailing capital of North America. We had a great motor sail down the Chesapeake with our buddy boat Bandera. We...
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Sailing the New Jersey Coast and Delaware Bay! (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 18
Posted on November 21, 2017
This week we leave New York Harbour and travel down the New Jersey coast and up Delaware Bay. We left New York just before 6am. There was already a lot of marine traffic at that hour and the first couple of hours was spent dodging wake from ferries, water taxis,...
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Sailing down the Hudson towards New York City (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 17
Posted on November 9, 2017
This week the crew of SV Catsaway leaves the comfort of the Erie Canal, and starts their journey down the Hudson River. The Hudson River is a much larger waterway than the Erie, and we immediately saw an increase of marine traffic. The amount of commercial traffic was especially noteworthy....
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Erie Canal Part 2 from Little Falls to the Hudson (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 16
Posted on November 9, 2017
This week the crew of SV Catsaway complete their journey on the Erie Canal. We left Little Falls and experienced the great lock 17, the highest lock on the Erie Canal. With a descent of 40.5 feet, lock 17 took over from 5 older locks on the original Canal. We...
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Sailing with Cats
Posted on October 30, 2017
Erie Canal Part 1 from Lake Ontario to Little Falls (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 15
Posted on October 17, 2017
This week the crew of SV Catsaway starts their journey down the Oswego and Erie Canals. Our first locks were nerve wracking! That being said, it was actually quite straightforward. You can call the lock masters on Channel 13. They will let you know if the lock is ready (or...
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Border Bounce part 2 (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 14
Posted on October 8, 2017
This episode, the crew of Catsaway spends their time back in Canada to get more prepared for their border crossing. We were able to source a used Zodiac 8’ RIB dinghy, with a 8hp Yamaha outboard. We bought it at a great price, and decided to license it for our...
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Border Bounce part 1 (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 13
Posted on September 29, 2017
This week we move onto the boat, travel to Oswego and get bounced back to Canada. The last couple weeks in Ottawa were a whirlwind of activity - getting the solar system installed on the boat, trying to get a renter for the house, finishing up work, packing the house...
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Fixing boats and naming Catsaway (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 12
Posted on September 20, 2017
This week we welcome our friend Charles back, fix the hole in the floor, rename the boat and prepare for becoming liveaboards. Charles used plywood and fiberglass to reinforce the floor. The cut out section had gotten a little warped, so Charles and Greg stood on it while the fiberglass...
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Gemini 105M Boat Tour (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 11
Posted on September 13, 2017
Welcome to our home for the next year! We live on a 1998 Gemini 105M (Hull 605) named Catsaway. She is 34 feet long (10.21m) and has a 14 foot beam (4.27m). She weights about 4 tons, but only sits about 1.5 feet (0.46m) deep in the water. The 105M...
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VHF Maroon Radio
Posted on August 30, 2017
My partner and I are leaving on a year long sailing trip this weekend. One of the last things on our shopping list is a spare handheld marine VHF radio. This spare radio will allow us to communicate with other boats if our main radio is incapacitated. Canadian Tire’s website...
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Ship's Computer, how much tech does a sailing yacht need? (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 10
Posted on August 16, 2017
We updated the ship’s technology including; Raspberry Pi running a Rails app as the Ship’s Computer Outernet receiver for weather at sea Find me Spot to report ships current location vYacht to connect to the Ship’s instruments And an EPIRB in case of emergency We attempted to create our own...
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Learning to Sail Upwind on a Catamaran (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 09
Posted on August 11, 2017
This week we become temporary liveabords (if that even makes sense)! Some things on our list of work to be done included changing the oil and filter, find out how to successfully sail upwind, and rebedding one of our front hatches. The oil was more complicated than we had anticipated....
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Close Call - learning to dock (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 08
Posted on August 2, 2017
This week Diana’s parents came to visit us in Kingston, Ontario. We took them on a brief sail (the winds were light and later died), and then later enrolled them to help us remove the old name from the hull. Finding out what worked for our boat was helpfully fueled...
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Our First Sail on SV Catsaway (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 07
Posted on July 26, 2017
This week we managed to adjust our rigging, set up our sails and finally get Catsaway sailing on the water. Setting up our jib was a good learning opportunity for us as neither of us had worked with a rolling furler. Diana was the only one who had set up...
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Pre-journey Preparation for our year long trip (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 06
Posted on July 21, 2017
This week we continue to prepare for our journey by: Launching our website. His Royal Highness Prince Charles came to Shopify HQs (Greg’s workplace), and assisting in launching 15 new online businesses. This was partially in celebration of this year’s Canada Day, which happened to be the 150th year of...
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Coming Home - motoring across Lake Ontario (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 05
Posted on July 12, 2017
In this episode, Catsaway gets her mast stepped and journeys to her temporary home in Kingston, Ontario. The crew at the Chaumont Yacht Club helped us step the mast. Due to time constraints, we didn’t wait to finish setting up the rigging, but departed immediately because of thunderstorms approaching. We...
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Hole in the Hull - we discovered a crack (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 04
Posted on July 5, 2017
This episode follows the delivery of our boat from Cape Cod, MA to Chaumont, NY. When the boat was picked up from Cape Cod, a 6 inch crack was discovered in the hull. By the time it was transported to the Chaumont Yacht Club, the crack had widened to 16...
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Boat Survey - inspecting a Gemini 105M (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 03
Posted on June 13, 2017
The humans of the crew of SV Catsaway travel to Cape Cod, Massachusetts to complete the boat survey on “Rhapsody” (the original name of SV Catsaway). We met with Angel from Mass Maritime Marine, who performed a thorough and unhurried survey. Due to time and money constraints, the survey was...
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The Plan - sailing for a year (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 01
Posted on June 6, 2017
Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans but this is our attempt. We’re looking forward to adventure, new experiences, and learning new skills (including video editing). We’d appreciate feedback, ideas, and thoughts on our plan :) Crew: Admeowral Diana - Canadian, has never sailed, but is good with...
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Buying a Boat
Posted on May 30, 2017
I took the advice of an internet cat. We bought a boat and we’re taking our cats sailing around the world leaving in September. This is the first released episode of our new sailing vlog for SV Catsaway
If you like it, please subscribe to our youtube channel :)
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Boat Shopping - finding a boat for us and our cats (Sailing SV Catsaway) - Ep. 02
Posted on May 30, 2017
This is the beginning of our sailing adventure with two people & two cats. This episode follows our boat shopping journey as we try to find the right sailing vessel for our upcoming trip. Our parameters included: 1) Comfortable cruising 2) Under $100,000 CDN 3) Bluewater ready/almost ready (we won’t...
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Sail fail
Posted on January 3, 2012
We’re at the Basin which is about 2km north of our starting location. It’s a lovely place but I think the Australian land mass us moving north faster then us. The winds weren’t favourable and the East Australian Current (the underwater highway in Finding Nemo) wanted to go south. After...
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Sails set for Brisbane
Posted on January 1, 2012
The Laura Court has set sails for the trip to Brisbane. Alan (skipper), Gaten, John, helan, and myself onboard. First scheduled stop is Port Stephens which with current winds should be in our sights by early tomorrow morning.
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Wildlife in Pittwater
Posted on May 27, 2010
Once a week I volunteer for the Street Mission sailing program. We take clients for a sail around Pittwater which is the next harbour north of Sydney. Here are some photos of wildlife I’ve taken. This is a pretty little bird that visited our boat.</p> There were thousands of jellyfish,...
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Cap'n Greg then and now
Posted on May 22, 2010
left, 1987 London, right, 2010 Sydney
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Greg Verse Poseidon and Aeolus
Posted on May 22, 2009
I’m back on dry land after 4 days battling Poseidon and Aeolus. My father and I had planned to sail to Lord Howe Island, spend a few days, and then return. The voyage began at noon on Tuesday after some boat maintenance. Before we had left sheltered Pittwater Aeolus was...
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