svbeachhouse

Category: Ship’s Log

  • Portland Roads….

    20 June 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    We found the \”divers grave\” on Morris Island. Unfortunately in great disrepair. As there was apparently once a crocodile sighted here, we did not venture into the scrub. Unfortunately, an incredible amount of plastic flip flops and bottles are littered everywhere on these otherwise pristine sand islets throughout the Great Barrier Reef.

    We had 33 knot gust last night at Morris, but were very protected behind the small sand island and it\’s very large reef system. When the tide was high, we \”rocked and rolled\”! Otherwise, a comfy evening.

    Today was a windy then gray and drizzly day. But 25 knots right on the stern all the way from Morris Island to Portland Roads. Last night after dark, s/v \”Kakadu\” pulled into Morris Island and we sailed up here today with them. Anchored now at Portland Roads, Cape Grenville tomorrow….

    KIT, Scott and Nikki

  • Portland Roads….

    20 June 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    We found the \”divers grave\” on Morris Island. Unfortunately in great disrepair. As there was apparently once a crocodile sighted here, we did not venture into the scrub. Unfortunately, an incredible amount of plastic flip flops and bottles are littered everywhere on these otherwise pristine sand islets throughout the Great Barrier Reef.

    We had 33 knot gust last night at Morris, but were very protected behind the small sand island and it\’s very large reef system. When the tide was high, we \”rocked and rolled\”! Otherwise, a comfy evening.

    Today was a windy then gray and drizzly day. But 25 knots right on the stern all the way from Morris Island to Portland Roads. Last night after dark, s/v \”Kakadu\” pulled into Morris Island and we sailed up here today with them. Anchored now at Portland Roads, Cape Grenville tomorrow….

    KIT, Scott and Nikki

  • Morris Island….

    June 19, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    One hour before we arrived, the wind went from zero to 25 out of the ESE. We are snuggly anchored behind Morris Island with a 200 foot Tug boat behind us. We may go ashore for a quick visit to this very small sand island with one palm tree and a \”divers grave\” from a pearl diver buried here long ago (per the guide book). We\’re about 4 days from \”The Top\”…. Nice sandy beach….

    KIT, Scott and Nikki

  • Transit of Venus – Hinchinbrook Island Passage

    June 6, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    We are in Gayundah Creek just west of Hinchinbrook Island, Northern Queensland. We are using the sextant aboard the boat (with it\’s powerful sun filters) to watch the transit of Venus in real time. We can clearly see Venus in the bottom left hand corner of the sun\’s disk…. Very Cool. The sky is 0 percent cloud cover and the view is breathtaking.

    A lovely evening was had and we didn\’t get any visits from crocodiles though Nikki did want to feed one if it came close!….NOT.

    KIT, Scott and Nikki (Gayundah Creek)….

  • 2012 Cruising Season begins!

    June 2nd, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    Hello all s/v Beach House web followers new and long term! First, let me say thanks for the 300 plus emails I received recently, I still have to respond to many of you…..and I will.

    This writing finds me actually quite far along our journey up the East Coast of Australia. We are currently just 4 hours from Townsville in tandem with Nordhaven 62, m/v \”Oso Blanco\”, whom I met last season. Before I keep on about current events, I\’m going to try an catch up from our start in Brisbane this season.

    Also, web guru extrordinaire, Jermiah Cohick has added a new feature which allows me to post my latest \”Ship\’s Log\” on the Welcome screen and keeps them in chronological archived order under the \”Ship\’s Log\” tab above.

    As to photos, I\’ll get there, give me some time. No new videos are likely to be posted in the above link, but all the origninals are under the \”Scott & Cindy\” tab at the lower left of this screen; inside the original website.

    So, I will try this post as a test of the new system and begin updating from Brisbane to current as quickly as possible. Feel free to write either myself or Nicola at our normal email addresses as we\’ve still good internet going up the coast.

    Cheers and KIT,

    Scott and Nikki – Brisbane, Australia

  • Happy Mother\’s Day

    May 13, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    Happy Mother\’s Day to you all!  Nicola and I have left Brisbane and are now in Mooloolaba.  Tomorrow we will head toward Tin Can Bay in what is an ambitious plan for this sailing season.

    Ship\’s Logs will be updated soon and Position Reports are up to date (see links at the bottom right)…..

    Currently, we are planning on covering 2000 miles north and then west to Darwin, Australia with many brief stops along the way.  From Darwin, we are planning on  joining the \”Sail Indonesia\” Rally and cross the Timor Sea into Kupang, Indonesia.  From there, we will head across the top of the Indonesian Archipelago and into Bali where Nicola\’s daughter is getting married at the end of August.  From there, perhaps to Christmas Island, Australia, Cocos/Keeling Island, Australia and on into the Indian Ocean.  Stops perhaps at Chagos Archipelago, Madagascar and into Richards Bay, South Africa.  10,000 miles in all…..hopefully not too ambitious, we shall see.  All sailing plans are written in sand at low tide.

    KIT, Scott and Nicola

    Extensive photos (underwater & topside), blogs and  underwater videos are INSIDE the original site. Please click on the link at the bottom left of this page…..

    VIDEO LINK HAS BEEN FIXED WITHIN THE ORIGINAL WEBSITE AND VIDEOS SHOULD NOW BE VIEWABLE.

  • Happy Mother\’s Day

    May 13, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    Happy Mother\’s Day to you all!  Nicola and I have left Brisbane and are now in Mooloolaba.  Tomorrow we will head toward Tin Can Bay in what is an ambitious plan for this sailing season.

    Ship\’s Logs will be updated soon and Position Reports are up to date (see links at the bottom right)…..

    Currently, we are planning on covering 2000 miles north and then west to Darwin, Australia with many brief stops along the way.  From Darwin, we are planning on  joining the \”Sail Indonesia\” Rally and cross the Timor Sea into Kupang, Indonesia.  From there, we will head across the top of the Indonesian Archipelago and into Bali where Nicola\’s daughter is getting married at the end of August.  From there, perhaps to Christmas Island, Australia, Cocos/Keeling Island, Australia and on into the Indian Ocean.  Stops perhaps at Chagos Archipelago, Madagascar and into Richards Bay, South Africa.  10,000 miles in all…..hopefully not too ambitious, we shall see.  All sailing plans are written in sand at low tide.

    KIT, Scott and Nicola

    Extensive photos (underwater & topside), blogs and  underwater videos are INSIDE the original site. Please click on the link at the bottom left of this page…..

    VIDEO LINK HAS BEEN FIXED WITHIN THE ORIGINAL WEBSITE AND VIDEOS SHOULD NOW BE VIEWABLE.

  • 2012 Season Getting Underway…..

    April 4th, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    Hello all.  I\’m back in Brisbane, Australia getting the boat ready for the 2012 Season.  New sailing partner Nicola Woodrow and I are starting to get \”Beach House\” ready to head North and then West.

    Final plans for this season are still in flux, but think \”lots of miles\”……

    Hope to hear from you all soon and I\’ll update the site sometime this month…..

    KIT, Scott & Nikki

  • The Puddle Has Been Jumped…..

    November 20th, 2011 (Western Hemisphere)

    Dear Family & Friends,

    “A Cathartic Voyage…..” The title of the most recent “Ship’s Log” brings me up to date.  See link above.  FIVE  NEW Photo Galleries have been posted – Western Fiji, Vanuatu and Arrival at New Caledonia, New Caledonia & The Isle of Pines and lastly our arrival in Brisbane, Australia….click the photo link above. Enjoy!  I’m all caught up.

    “Beach House”  has “Jumped The Puddle” – completing her Pacific Crossing.  We’ve arrived in Brisbane, Australia and the boat will be stored out of the water here for the Austral Cyclone Season.

    Thank you Jerome and Nathalie from s/v “Na Maka” for the lovely bottle of wine.  We savored it with a toast to Cindy upon arrival – in celebration of our crossing the Pacific.

    See “Position Reports” tab above.  ”Ship’s Logs”  are now current to Brisbane, Australia (November – 2011).

    NEXT UPDATE WILL BE IN APRIL/MAY 2012

    THANK YOU ALL for the emails I recently received.

    KIT,  Scott

  • A Cathartic Voyage……

    November – 2011 Brisbane, Australia

    Dear F&F,

    \”Beach House\” has finally \”Jumped the Puddle\”….We\’ve completed our crossing of the worlds largest ocean which started 4 years ago. The \”Puddle Jump\” is the euphemism that many US West Coast sailors in particular call the Pacific Crossing. It\’s a but cutesy, but you get the point. There are actually websites devoted to nothing else other than giving sailors information on people, places and logistics to aid them in this journey.

    When we arrived, we opened that bottle of wine from friends Jerome and Nathalie and had a toast of the crossing completed and especially to Cindy who is here in spirit and always will be.

    I may eventually head further West, there are still two big Oceans out there on the horizon, but I\’m not yet sure what my plans will reveal.

    \”Beach House\” will be soon be stored in the local boat yard for the Austral Cyclone Season.

    Hurricanes (Cyclones \”down under\”) can be fairly intense in this part of the world and Brisbane is just South of the Cyclone belt which is why I chose to leave the boat here. We\’ll be in the yard for about 3-5 months depending on when I return to \”OZ\”.

    I\’ve many questions to ponder and I will be doing this in earnest while back in the USA. I may never find the answers, but I will give it my best. I should be back in Southern California around Thanksgiving which I hope to spend with Skye and Sean in Los Angeles. I will have lots to deal with, it will likely be a more difficult time \”at home\” than out here. It\’s been a tough emotional year, healing is progressing, but I\’ve got some distance to travel yet. When I\’m in the Los Angeles area, I hope to do some catching up on the original website; bringing it to date. I hope this will help many of you as well as myself understand what Cindy was going through, we might even begin to have some understanding as to why.

    Thanks to Kate Richardson, Sandrine Duren, Anja Ciercieski and Kay McNamara for helping me sail s/v \”Beach House\” from Auckland, New Zealand to Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Brisbane, Australia this season. You were all great. I wish you all the best in your continued voyages and life\’s endeavors.

    Also thanks to all my fellow sailors, Ham Radio operators and friends who were there for me yet again this season. I\’d especially like to thank the Pacific Seafarer\’s Net, Bruce Balan and Alene Rice of s/v \”Migration\”, Peter Bruckman and Diana Young of s/v \”Quickstar\”, Jerome & Nathalie Fittouse of s/v \”Na Maka\”, Jim and Pat Whiting and friends aboard s/v \”Wetnose\” and lastly David and Mary Wilson of s/v \”Giselle\” for their kindness and continued friendship throughout the year.

    I don\’t want to forget Paul McFadden, Gram Schwiekert, Chris and Sandra Biggs in New Zealand for all their help in getting \”Beach House\” back on the road and of course, Mike Lonnes, the best boat guy in the world for all his continued assistance.

    Last and anything but least, my almost daily email companions who\’ve helped me more than they could ever know getting me through this difficult time. Angela, Alexandra, Gayle, Nikki and oh so very much Laurie without whom I have no idea where I\’d be. Hugs for Karen, Ella and Alberta too. A big kiss for Skye, and thanks Sean for taking good care of her.

    I\’m working now on the photographs from the last month and getting ready to de-commision the boat while she\’s in the yard. Photo Galleries to be posted soon. Lots of work ahead over the coming weeks and it\’s more difficult doing it alone than I have in years past without Cindy. I\’m sure this needs no explanation.

    Thank you all for the wonderful emails I received. Please keep writing.

    Hugs to you all!

    Scott Stolnitz – s/v \”Beach House\” – Brisbane, Australia