Southern Crosses

Welcome

By Annen on September 09, 2008 | Comments 0

Welcome

Greetings everyone,
I would like to welcome you to my blog, Southern Crosses, which just happens to be the name of my newly released novel. Southern Crosses was several years in the making, and was quite a project of mine. I wanted to take you on a sailing adventure along the western coast of present day [...]

Introductions

By Annen on September 08, 2008 | Comments 0

Introductions

Welcome to the Southern Crosses blog, and thank you for visiting. I would like to introduce the crew of the s/v AbbyGale based in St. Pete Beach Florida. We are aboard a 1985 40′ Endeavour Center Cockpit sloop rig sailboat. The sloop rig designation means that we have a single mast, and are just a [...]

Our boat

By Annen on September 07, 2008 | Comments 0

Our boat

Welcome aboard the s/v AbbyGale, our 1985 Endeavour sloop rigged center cockpit sailboat. The s/v stands for sailing vessel, sloop rig means one single mast, and the center cockpit is just that, in the center. She is 40 feet long and weighs 25,000 pounds. An amazing 8,600 pounds of lead is in the bottom of [...]

Chat with the author

By Annen on September 06, 2008 | Comments 1

Chat with the author

Questions, comments, or suggestions, I welcome them all. Please feel free to let me know what you thought about my book, this web site, or sailing and travel in Florida. Do you have a favorite Florida beach hangout you would like to share? Where is that special out of the way eatery with a distinctive [...]

Book purchasing information and discounts

By Annen on September 04, 2008 | Comments 0

Book purchasing information and discounts

Southern Crosses is presently offered for sale: Buy a copy of Southern Crosses! and is listed on Amazon, B&N and other online retailers.
Bulk rate purchases are available upon request, for a quote, please contact me at:
annen@southerncrosses.com
Please contact me at the above address should you be interested in any book signing events in the Florida [...]

Featured Articles
Welcome
Introductions
Our boat
Chat with the author
Book purchasing information and discounts

Key West/Dry Tortugas May 2009

Key West/Dry Tortugas May 2009

Early on May 02, 2009, 7 boats left the safety and comfort of the BCYC (Boca Ciega Yacht Club) basin and nearby waters to embark on our latest “trip of a lifetime”. Destination: Key West, the Dry Tortugas and point’s in-between.
Xanadu, Panache, The Rachael, Casa Mia, Second Love, Sailacious, and Celebration made up the expedition.
We [...]

January 27, 2010 | Annen | Comments 0

Gulfport Florida with a little ‘Clam Bayou’

Gulfport Florida with a little ‘Clam Bayou’

I didn’t think I could do it, but I somehow managed to persevere. Expending minor amounts of mental energy and proper planning, I was actually able to achieve the almost impossible.
Wasting an entire day is truly becoming an art form for me. It’s not for everybody. My standards of a normal day have changed [...]

November 02, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

eMarine Systems, shipping issues

eMarine Systems, shipping issues

I wonder when it actually changed. I don’t believe it happened overnight but surreptitiously crept in while we were all sleeping and the Internet was being invented.
For those of you not old enough to remember, we used to have something called “Customer Service.” This was a grand thing. You would walk into [...]

October 16, 2009 | Annen | Comments 2

How to open a coconut

How to open a coconut

Okay, so there you are… marooned in the Florida Keys, adrift for endless hours among the mangrove islands upon your boat and enjoying a nice Rum Sundowner (cocktails for you landlubbers). Suddenly and without warning it happens — you run out of mixer.
I know, very traumatic if you are not expecting it. [...]

October 10, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Vinoy Basin, St. Petersburg Fl

Vinoy Basin, St. Petersburg Fl

Many years ago I was watching the local news when the weather guy cut to a camera shot from a bank building in downtown St. Pete. They showed sailboats in the harbor anchored on a beautiful morning as the sun sparkled along the water.
I pointed at the T.V. and said, “One day that is going [...]

October 08, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Just build it already…

Just build it already…

I walked up and down the docks at the marina. It’s Monday morning and the place is a ghost town. Most of the folks have reported back to work and the parking lot is empty. I do not suspect I’ll get any more offers of assistance to avoid my solar panel task.
We had a big [...]

October 06, 2009 | Annen | Comments 2

Time to finish the solar panel…

Time to finish the solar panel…

I’ve managed to dawdle on this project as long as possible now. Avoidance is a time tested method of problem prevention. Whenever I’m involved in an extensive project such as this, I mentally prepare for total disaster somewhere along the way. This is an old boat with lots of hidden quirks just daring to be [...]

October 04, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Stop bleeding and get back to work…

Stop bleeding and get back to work…

I’ve been among the ranks of do it yourselfers for a number of years now. I’ve even seen the T.V. show. Why do these people not bleed? Is it some magic editing technique and we simply don’t see it? Could it be pay related? I pulled my old diesel engine out of this boat at [...]

September 25, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Much about nothing

Much about nothing

Sitting at the marina last week we decided it was time to stop sitting at the marina. Sure, plugged into shore power with the A/C running on high makes for a comfortable afternoon. The satellite dish is connected and faithfully gathering every show imaginable from the sky. Most of which I don’t care to watch [...]

July 25, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

The bent scoop

Not every day on the beach is a great day. Beach days are always better than office days. Heck, the dentist chair is better than an office day if I recall correctly. At least in the dentist chair there was Nitrous Oxide to take the pain away…
The surf God is presently angry on the west [...]

July 18, 2009 | Annen | Comments 1

Florida Bay Scallops: The how to guide

Florida Bay Scallops: The how to guide

You’ve ordered them in restaurants, you seen them on the Discovery Channel, and you may have even seen their shells on the beach. Well, now you’re going to find out how to hunt the little fella’s down, gather them up, and finally enjoy some of Florida Bay’s tastiest little morsels we affectingly adorn our seafood [...]

July 15, 2009 | Annen | Comments 2

The great beach wash-up

The great beach wash-up

Well then… I finally made it back to Florida where I belong. The desert was fun, but nothing like home. So anyhow, I have a new toy. A Garrett Infinium LS metal detector and I just have to give it a try.
So I hit to beach today with my Infinium in search of famed golden [...]

July 11, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Island time photos

Island time photos

Time is a precious thing. It can’t be taken back once it’s gone, knowing that, we should all endeavor to use it wisely. I found myself on Island time recently, and enjoyed every minute of it. Although you can’t actually go back in time, you can look at photos and mentally relive some rather fine [...]

May 22, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Isla Mujeres Race, Part 3

Isla Mujeres Race, Part 3

The next day or so was very similar, with several minor exceptions. Nobody really ate much as it was too rough. The easy food was consumed when one had an opportunity, or desire, to eat. Pringles, Chex Mix, cans of cheese spread with crackers… man food, with beer of course.
The day passed easily enough sans [...]

May 11, 2009 | Annen | Comments 1

Isla Mujeres Race, Part 2

Isla Mujeres Race, Part 2

Strategies were becoming apparent as we could see which vessels were settling in on what course. Some were choosing to follow the most direct and shortest path, the rhumb line, while others were going out to look for currents and eddy’s to up the speed along the course. We choose the longer path, but with [...]

May 07, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Isla Mujeres Race, part 1

Isla Mujeres Race, part 1

St Petersburg Florida to Isla Mujeres Mexico Race: April 24th 2009
Weeks of planning and preparation are about to bear fruit. The anticipation and excitement of my first race have led me to the morning of the 41st annual St. Pete, Florida to Isla Mujeres, Mexico race. I’m the newest crew member so therefore assigned [...]

May 05, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Isla Mujeres Mexico

Isla Mujeres Mexico

Buenos Dias de Isla Mujeres
Good morning all. For those of you that were following the race via the internet, you saw how well we did. Our arrival, just under one week ago, began a long list of events related to the race. We have also enjoyed all that the island has to offer. Fine dining [...]

May 03, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Regata del Sol al Sol, St. Pete to Isla Mujere Mexico

Regata del Sol al Sol, St. Pete to Isla Mujere Mexico

It’s that time of the year, RACE TIME!
The 41st Regata del Sol al Sol is preparing to depart from the Saint Petersburg Yacht Club on Friday morning the 24th, at 1000hrs. We will be racing from St. Pete Florida to Isla Mujere Mexico, a short 460 nautical miles to the southwest. It will take us [...]

April 21, 2009 | Annen | Comments 0

Yum-Yum from Key Largo

Yum-Yum from Key Largo

15 gallons of gas: $43.12
Fishing lures: $14.73
Sunscreen: $7.95
A woman who can catch fish, clean them, and cook ‘em up: Absolutely PRICELESS!
(No… sorry… she is not for sale or trade)
It would seem that while I’m overseas on a business trip my lovely wife Sheree has found herself in Key Largo hanging out with her brother, Capt. [...]

March 29, 2009 | Annen | Comments 2

The Great Bahamas trip: Part 6 / Chub Cay to Bimini

The Great Bahamas trip: Part 6 / Chub Cay to Bimini

Two Years Before the Mast – Chub Cay to Bimini
By: Nat Manning
After a nice layover in Chub Cay, we cast off on Tuesday, the 10th of February and motored out clear of the reefs off Moma Roda Rock. We unfurled the sail and slowly slid down the underside of the Berry Islands, past an almost [...]

March 24, 2009 | Manning | Comments 0