Monkey Business
Position: The Mail Room Okay – so some folks asked about signing up for Aleta.Life updates. In the old days we’d have mimeographed a bunch of pages and sent them in an envelope with a stamp from some exotic location. …
Snowed in in Charleston – Say What?!!!?
Position: 32°47’08.0″N 79°54’23.9″W For the past month and a bit we’ve been battling delays with repairs and refitting. Then there’s the weather, dealing with tides and ICW planning. But the one thing we were confident about was getting to South …
Video: Just when we thought we were done with winter…
Position: 32°47’08.0″N 79°54’23.9″W In this short video from Charleston, SC, I describe in a little more detail what life on board is like in an ice storm. Given the relatively benign passage from the Chesapeake, we weren’t prepared for this …
Pulp Friction
Position: 30°40’43.6″N 81°27’53.8″W Fernandina Beach – a tourist trap bookended by two giant paper mills. It’s really someone’s idea of hell on earth or a poorly executed site gag. Hurricane Irma had raged through here at the end of 2017 and …
Foghorn Leghorn
Position: 31°09’20.5″N 81°29’55.1″W Sailing in fog is at times an enlivening experience. While all your senses are muted and you can be disoriented to the point of panic, if you can disconnect your rational brain from your body, there’s a …
Aleta and the ICW: A “Hystorical” Rant
Position: Aleta The Valiant is a wonderful boat with a storied history. It was designed by Bob Perry back in the 1970s with the help of some friends. In many ways the original Valiant 40 was probably one of his …
Winter Has Come to Charleston
Position: 32°47’08.0″N 79°54’23.9″W Locals tell us that they’ve never seen weather like this in more than 20 years. Yeah, Charleston gets a few flakes once in a while, but they never stick around. (Just like those flaky tourists on cruise …
How to Find Aleta
Position: Here and There Several people, well at least one, have asked, “How can I track you?” Unlike most things boaty, the answer is simpler than it might be with other endeavors. Knowing where ships are in all weathers and …
Run for Salvation
Position: 33°48’54.4″N 78°40’50.3″W North Myrtle Beach lies just over the state line at approximately mile 340 of the ICW. We are at least 17 days behind schedule. The timeline is mostly in my mind because one of our first rules …