TIME OF THE SEASON: Still enjoying a little taste of Summer

I enjoyed taking BIANKA last weekend to Port Jefferson to enjoy the summer like weather. But, I did notice that some of the trees along shore began to have a little tinge of colors that signal that it is now officially Fall.

Fast forward to this past Wednesday. Temperature rose to near 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I decided it might be best to spend the day on the boat and at least enjoy a cool breeze. With some trepidation I decided to take a swim and clean the bottom of the dingy. Expecting a cool shock as I jumped in I was surprised at how comfortable the temperature still was. Seems summer is still lingering just below the surface and I stayed in for over a half hour. 

GIFTS FOR SAILORS

Here are some gift ideas for the boaters in your life. I use and/or own them and found them to be worthy of being on the boat.



I never liked those small Speedo swim googles. They never fit my face quite right and leak pretty badly disrupting my swimming workout. Then I found these Aqua Sphere Swim Mask Googles. They are comfortable, fit over the eyes and don't leak like the small googles I tried in the past. I've been using a pair five days a week for over a year in a pool and they are still holding up well. I bought another pair for on board the boat. I use these for swimming or quick checks of the hull and prop instead of dragging out the mask and snorkel. They could also come in handy checking the lines or anchor on deck when the winds and rains making inspecting the lines for chafe difficult. If you know a boater who likes to swim they should make the perfect gift.



I carried rescue flares on board BIANKA which I never hoped to use and never have. The problem with the flares is they go out of date. Which requires you purchase new ones every few years. Another thing is being incendiaries they can be dangerous in starting fires or damaging fiberglass if used incorrectly.  The SOS LED Distress light gets rid of those issues and meets the requirements night rescue signals. You can still carry flares if you want to. But, this SOS light will last a lot longer without any of the danger of pyrotechnic flares.  It would be a welcome gift for any boater. I bought one for myself and no longer have to worry about if my flares are up to date.





I don't have an elaborate stereo sound system on BIANKA. I prefer the sounds of nature over a powerful music system. But, when I do want to hear some tunes or check on some of the latest news this small radio and MP3 players fits the bill. It has great sound for it's small size. It can also easily fit inside my shirt pocket. It charges up with any USB charger and will last about five hours on a charge. It also has a micro SD card slot so you can play your own selection of tunes when you want. It also has a handy LED flashlight built in too. Even if your boat already has a radio this compact handy radio will come in handy for trips to shore or the beach. In addition to having one on the boat I also bought one for the house to use as an emergency radio

So these are a few quick gift ideas I can recommend for the boaters in your life or if you are a boat owner already you might want to buy it for yourself.

COMFORTABLE SWIM GOOGLES

I spent most of January cruising through the British, U.S. and Spanish Virgin Islands. Did a lot of swimming and snorkeling during that cruise. Several weeks after returning home I began to miss the ability to swim everyday like I did on the cruise. So I decided to see if I could make do with a substitute until the waters warm up enough and I could just jump off BIANKA for my daily swim.  So I signed up for a membership at a local health and fitness club that had a decent sized pool:

This worked out well for me and I soon got into a good routine for an early morning swim. Though I needed to find some type of googles to keep the chlorine out of the eyes as much as possible. While cruising I was mostly using my dive mask and snorkel when swimming. But, in the pool it's a little bulky and does not allow for ones nose to be used for breathing and exhaling.

I find that the swim googles I've seen most frequent pool swimmers use don't really fit my face well:
They tend to leak requiring frequent stops or require me to keep them overly tight. Plus they never fit my eye sockets comfortably.  So I went looking for an alternative that would fit my face.







The solution to my problem is the Aqua Sphere Vista Swim Mask



Unlike other goggle type swim eye wear it is shaped so it seals around ones forehead and cheeks. Yet, it still keeps the nose clear so it is easy to exhale when swimming which is one of the draw backs of a dive mask. It also does not put pressure around the eye sockets like the usual swim googles do.   I've been using them  for several months and find it very comfortable to wear and I can do an entire thirty minute swim without it leaking.  I'm so pleased with it's comfort and use I plan to buy another one to keep on the boat for my frequent cool down swims off of the boat during the summer .

THE LURE OF SWIMMING

I do love to swim  off the boat. There is something nice about just jumping over the side for a refreshing swim without having to pack things into a car and head to a crowded beach. During the summer I usually jump in for a swim two or three times a day. Though it is not without some surprises. The other day I jumped and was doing a breast stroke up toward the bow when one of my hands meet some resistance. I thought it might be a thin reed floating along the surface. Then my other hand met the same type of resistance. I soon realized I had run into a piece of fishing line.  It seemed to be connected to BIANKA's mooring buoy. I pulled on the line and pulled and pulled until I had a handful of fishing line. Then I saw a lure popping along the surface toward me. I soon had a new lure to add to my collection of others that I had found in previous swims and dives around the boat. Swimming is good!

FIRSTS OF SUMMER

Yesterday was the first day of summer. It sometimes seemed so far away and then suddenly it's here. There are a lot of firsts as summer and the sailing season begins. A week ago I took my first swim off the boat. It was bracing at first as my body recovered from the shock and the tips of my fingers tingled from the cold. But, a few minutes later my body acclimated to it and I managed to stay in for a half hour. Last Saturday was also the first day this year that I saw an Osprey. A sure sign of summer here on the Isle of Long. Unlike other sea birds the Osprey announces it's presence with a distinctive chiping call. The Osprey was also carrying a twig no doubt for building a nest nearby.  Other firsts await like the first sail of the season. But, that will have to wait until I get the sail on board but, like summer it will happen.

I'M GOING IN!

Well, sitting around in front of computer all winter has caused Capt. Mike to put on a few pounds. Pounds that I did not really need. So I felt the need to get some exercise in my life to counteract that until the sailing season starts here on the Isle of Long. During the summer it's easy enough to jump off the side of BIANKA and get in some free range swimming and exercise. But, this time of year when the water is in the low 50's it's a little too cold for swimming. So I thought perhaps I might join a local health club. One that has pool. But, that requires a sign up fee and monthly dues. Plus soon I'll be living and cruising on board BIANKA and won't be wanting to spend too much time on land. Especially inside a building. Then I had an idea: What about a buying a wetsuit?   It's cheaper than a health club membership in the long run plus it would get me swimming NOW. I could use it on the boat and would also extend the swimming season well into the fall as well. Besides swimming in pools is rather boring. With a wet suit, gloves, boots and a hood  I find can swim for an hour or more in fifty two degree waters. So these days I come down to the boatyard and go for swim for an hour. Then go work on the boat. Yep! I'm going in!

THINGS YOU CAN DO FROM A BOAT: SWIM

This summer I went swimming,

This summer I might have drowned

But I held my breath and I kicked my feet

And I moved my arms around, I moved my arms around.

 

Loudon Wainwright

 

 

I have a land based friend who likes to go swimming. But, he will only go to his nearby beach to swim at high tide or two hours either side of it. Something about the rocky, slippery shoreline at low tide prevents him from getting in the water at that time. I on the other hand can be anchored just off that same beach and swim whenever I damn well please. An important consideration when temperatures here around the Isle of Long are approaching the 100 degree mark along with high humidity. Today I took the plunge four times starting a little after 7 AM and the last one just before sunset. Tomorrow will be another scorcher for those on land. If your looking for me chances are I'll be in the water.

DROWNING: TV vs. REALITY

Back on land for a day. I came home to see if the stainless steel tubing cutter I ordered had arrived so I can start on phase two of my solar bimini project. But, damn it did not show up. Alrighty then! I'll spend  some time checking up on some of my favorite blogs including Capt. Brucato's NY TUGMASTER. When Capt. Brucato speaks I listen up and I'm not even a member of his deck crew! Today he is saying to check out former Coast Guard rescue swimmer Mario Vittone's blog and especially an article he wrote on drowning that he published about what signs to look for in the drowning victims behavior. Here is one of the money quotes:

So if a crew member falls overboard and every(thing) looks O.K. – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Vittone's article does contain some very important information for both boaters and those on the beach. It is aptly titled DROWNING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DROWNING and yes, it is a must read.