POCO LOCO
who had been overdue limped into Grenada a couple of days ago with a broken backstay. As this was also his radio aerial he was out of touch with the local coconut radio net who were monitoring his progress and had posted a watch for him. He was anchored close by in St Maarten and I was glad to see him anchor close by me today in Prickly Bay. I am sure I will hear the “There I was” story soon.
RONNIE BOUGHT WARRIORS WISH HOME BUT NOT THE KEEL
Ronnie Simpson was competing in the singlehanded TransPac to Hawaii. He was second in his class. On the way back to the USA his keel dropped off 800 miles offshore. Fortunately his borrowed Jutson 30 was wide and had water ballast capabilities. Somehow he kept it upright and as the weather was pretty benign he managed to blag some diesel of a passing freighter then set off to motorsail 800 miles home.
It has been the last thing I checked before shutting down and the first I looked at when logging on for the last week.
What makes it an even more amazing story is that Ronnie is a vet with limited vision who is still working to overcome injuries sustained in Iraq.
In June 2004, an enemy-fired Rocket Propelled Grenade blew up within feet of me, while I manned a .50 cal machine gun on top of a Humvee in Fallujah, Iraq. I sustained life threatening injuries, and was subsequently put into a medically induced coma, with a machine to breathe for me. I would remain like this for 18 days, where I woke up to my mother, father, and brother in Texas. My left lung, eyes, gastro-intestinal system, and left ear were severely damaged. I had taken burns and shrapnel, and was bandaged up pretty much everywhere. When I woke up, I didn’t know what was going on, had a tube down my nose (to my stomach; not as comfortable as it sounds), I was hooked up to oxygen, I could not eat or drink for over a month, and I had to be strapped into a chair to sit or else I would fall out. Because I could not eat, I went from 185 lbs. to 119 lbs. I thought I was going to waste away and die. Doctors did not know how my body would recover from the devastating blast injuries.
He could have abandoned the boat and jumped on a passing freighter or Coastguard Vessel. Instead he chose to sail on with one hand on the liferaft and grab bag and the other on the boat.
RESPECT RONNIE
PASSPORT RENEWAL POSTED OFF
I finally assembled all the documents for my passport renewal and it is off to the British Embassy in Washington DC. My fingers are crossed as the requirements given on the web site are often contradictory and it was hard to fathom out what to do.
GOOD SERVICE FROM MACK SAILS
They came through big time for me. I needed two small clevis parts to replace those I lost while beating upwind from Montserrat to Deshaies in Guadaloupe. I had tried to source them in Grenada but could only buy the whole assembly with the screw at $125 US [ouch]. I asked Mack Sails if they could supply the clevis parts on there own. There only response was to ask for my location and address. 2 days ago these arrived. BOOYAH. Invoice total 0.00 BOOYAH BOOYAH!
BAD NEWS
SUICIDE
An old colleague who had overcome his alcoholism a decade or so ago and had been sober for all those years committed suicide while he was on a major bender. What makes it worse is that he leaves behind a wife who has pretty serious early onset dementia. In his last email he did say that she still recognized him on some days.
TOP US MODEL FLYER CAUGHT IN STING IN FLORIDA
I had met Jason while flying in Florida last year after knowing him through the forums on RCUniverse. For some years now he has been regarded as one of the best RC pilots in the world and had some serious sponsorship as well as membership of the US team for the upcoming Pattern Worlds. But he has just lost it all. Why he was one of 15 men arrested in a FBI sting set up on Craigslist. After driving to Polk County he expected to have sex with a woman and her 14-year-old niece. He requested that the woman and her niece wear sundresses with nothing on underneath them and to meet him at a convenience store. Instead, Jason was met by Sheriff's detectives. He has admitted to the charges. Not much choice it was all on his Iphone! I believe he is being held on a suicide watch.
BUMPS ON MY BUM
Bloody bloodsucking little bastards have somehow made it out to the boat! I always try to anchor a fair way out from any shore to avoid getting mosquitoes on board and it has worked here in Prickly Bay for some time but the last 3 mornings I have woken up to find the little sods have been drilling on my posterior. NOT GOOD!
##No bum pictures by public request so it is another sunset or looking at it another way I like watching the blue draining out of the sky.
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