Category Archives: Boat & Trip Prep

A Tough Motor to San Francisco

A view over the Double X stern as it motors out of Newport Jetty in the early morning. The ship’s flag is limp, signaling calm winds needed for good motoring conditions, Newport Beach, Calif., June 14, 2016.
A view over the Double X stern as it motors out of Newport Jetty in the early morning. The ship’s flag is limp, signaling calm winds needed for good motoring conditions, Newport Beach, Calif., June 14, 2016.

We left Newport Beach on June 14th to motor up the coast to San Francisco for our departure to the South Seas on July 16th. Typically, the wind whips straight down the coast, so you need to motor up to make any progress at all. (If we sailed up, we would probably still be out there.) Continue reading A Tough Motor to San Francisco

Planning the Double X Voyage

On the left, the Double X, hoisted in the shipyard, undergoes much needed repairs; Newport Beach, Calif., May 2015. On the right, the Double X after a complete overall spanning over a year to make her seaworthy for the long journey ahead; Newport Beach, Calif., May 2016.

All of us on Double X are in the thick of it as we get things ready for our upcoming sailing voyage. As you might expect, the to-do list is a long one as we ready the boat, chart our course, gather the necessary permits and licenses, and get our stateside affairs in order. Continue reading Planning the Double X Voyage

Returning to the South Pacific

Kicking back on a sunny day aboard the Firebird in typical attire: sunglasses, bare feet and swimsuit, Grenadines, 1978.
Kicking back on a sunny day aboard the Firebird in typical attire: sunglasses, swimsuit and bare feet. Grenadines, 1978.

On July 1, 1978, I sailed into Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, California, after circumnavigating the world on my 84-foot sailing boat, the Firebird. My then 11-year-old son Rod and his young friends were waiting for me on the beach wearing their cool Quiksilver board shorts. Continue reading Returning to the South Pacific

Welcome Aboard!

I’ll be blogging about our adventures in a couple of weeks.

The team is putting the final touches on the website, so you may see a few pages with “password protection” while they work behind the scenes until the site goes live on June 1st.

Come back and join us then as we set sail aboard the Double X in search of sustainable changes for a healthier planet.