Note: Elizabeth was sold April 2012.

It is with sadness and a tinge of uncertainty that I offer Elizabeth up for sale at this time. I have spent many years dreaming of owning a Bristol Channel Cutter. Sometimes, I pinch myself to make sure it’s for real. As you can tell by reading the pages of this blog,  alot of time and care (and money!) was invested to make Elizabeth what she is today. She has not let me down. I’ve sailed her well over 6,000 nautical miles, and she’s been my home for almost 3 years. As I sit here in the cockpit looking forward over the cabin top at the tall bulwarks, the wide side decks, the stout bowsprit, and I know I’ll never find a boat like this one. But life changes, and so do the dreams. I never thought this day would come actually.

The thing about Elizabeth is that she is ready to go right now. She’s just finished a circumnavigation of Newfoundland, and is ready to carry on south this fall to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and beyond. You will not have to worry about old systems, old rigging, a tired engine, or unkempt varnish. My goal was to make her bullet proof, and she is. Furthermore, before I bought her, she sat unused for 10 years and during that time had her bottom barrier coated, her electrical system and electronics redone, a new mast installed, a new bowsprit installed, new ground tackle, and many, many other upgrades. I continued where the previous owner left off, and fitted her out with new rigging, 2 solar panels, a wind generator, coat after coat after coat of varnish and Awl-grip, 4 new batteries, LED bulbs everywhere, etc etc etc! I took my time to get things done right, and did things that made sense for longevity. For instance, I didn’t like the exposed plywood core at the hawsepipe. So I routed out about a 1/4″ of the plywood, and filled it will thickened epoxy. Now neither the wet chain, rain, or  waves crashing over the bow have access to that deck core, and rot should never be an issue.

If you are looking to sail far or stay close to home, this is the premier small boat to do it on. I single-handed her for a year. She is easy to handle alone. With both a tiller pilot, and the Monitor windvane, self steering is covered. I’ve double handed her alot this summer, and we’ve even had three aboard plus a cat for most of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. I initially thought three aboard would be tight, but it wasn’t at all.

I could go on and on about the virtues of this boat, why I love sailing this Bristol Channel Cutter, talk about the work done on her, the intricacies, the upgrades, gear choices, etc. But I think I’ll just direct you to her listing, some photos, some more photos, some videos and my email. Elizabeth and I are currently in Maine cruising, and will be heading south in October. You can come see her whenever you like.

My Dad was a big fan of the Wizard of Oz, and almost anything Sci-Fi… particularly the classics, like Dr. Who,  Star Trek, War of The Worlds, When Worlds Collide, etc.  I am so happy I had time to watch some of these favorite movies with him in the last few months. The time I spent with Dad recently is precious and I’ll never forget it.

Dad really is a great man who touched many lives. The outpouring of appreciation from his former students and colleagues has been enlightening, comforting and re-assures me that everything Dad worked so hard for was worth it. It seems he truly earned the title of “Life Changer”.

Here is the obituary as is — so hard to write a short piece on such a great life, such a great Dad.

Clifford Kapps Eriksen
Date of Death: Thursday, December 2, 2010

Clifford Kapps Eriksen, 74, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at the Woodward Home in Keene, New Hampshire.

Born February 18, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York to Louis Eriksen and Frances Kapps Eriksen, Clifford was an exceptional student. He attended Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn NY, and went on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in English from The College of William and Mary and a Masters in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University.

Clifford was a passionate educator, dedicating his 41-year career to the education of thousands of students from all walks of life. Clifford met Elsa Hess while teaching English at the Foreman School in Litchfield, CT and they married in 1962.

He went on to teach at the Winchendon School (Winchendon, MA), and Chapel Hill School (Waltham, MA). As Headmaster of The Knox School (Saint James, NY) for twenty-nine years, Clifford fully developed and implemented his educational philosophy which was based on love, structure and well-rounded enrichment. He would often say, “I am a full-time father of two and a part-time father to hundreds.” He was an active member of the Clamdiggers (Long Island Heads of School), and the Nissequogue Point Beach Club.

Clifford was very active in his local Christian Science Churches; acted as pastor, addressed many associations, and published numerous articles in Christian Science periodicals.

In 2000, Clifford and Elsa retired to their lovely home in East Alstead, NH where they enjoyed their freedom, cats, garden and their time on Lake Warren.

He is survived by two sons: Benjamin Eriksen of Huntington, NY, and Timothy Eriksen and his wife Magdalena of Amherst, MA, and his two beloved grandchildren: Luka and Anja Eriksen of Amherst, MA. He is predeceased by his wife, Elsa Hess Eriksen, and his two brothers, Joel Eriksen and Charles Lachenmeyer.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that contributions be made to The Clifford K. Eriksen Administration Center Building Fund at The Knox School, Saint. James, NY.

A memorial service will be held at The Knox School in the Spring of 2011.

After my first Dahon sunk to a briney death last fall in Charleston, I forced myself to suffer through a bikeless winter in Miami to help reinforce the error of my dinghy over-loading ways. But being bikeless on the Vineyard this summer was out of the question. My 2007 Dahon MuXl was such a great bike, that I decided to replace it with the same – the 2010 MuXl.  Mostly the same bike, but with an improved main hinge system and without the dyno hub and chain guard. There are so many great rides, bike paths and destinations on the Vineyard; I plan to enjoy them all this summer as I try to shed this nagging belly flap that hangs over my shorts now. I can feel the metabolism slowing…

The new Dahon MuXl in Oak Bluffs and at the infamous Jaws Bridge.

Wow, pictures and videos just don’t do justice to the awesomeness of a shuttle launch. Even though I was 11 miles away, it was bright, loud, and just generally intense! My cousin, an airline pilot, came down for the event, one of the last few shuttle launches ever. We drove up at 9pm and camped out in Titusville along the Indian River, with a clear view of the launch pad. We arrived at 1am, the crowds were sprawling… RV’s everywhere, cars parked along the roadside, some walking around, others perched in their lawn chairs,  but most people sleeping behind clothing draped windows. This was the last dawn launch, and it was gorgeous. The International Space Station flew by 10 minutes before launch…another rare sight…still can’t believe it only takes only 90 minutes to orbit the earth!

A pic of my own, and a video of one of my favorite bands – Rush playing “Countdown” a song they wrote after being invited to view one of the early shuttle launches. This song has always been one of my favorites since its release in 1982, and it played on a continuous loop in my head as we sat their anticipating the blessed event.

Everyone’s got one nowadays. “Hi, I’m Ben, here’s my card”. Not sure what I’m selling, but we are often trading email addresses and phone numbers. So Boat Cards, as they are called, make it easier. It’s really just a calling card. I had no clue! Seems a bit presumptuous, but anyways I made some…and people really exchange them! I put my credentials at the bottom, just in case someone needs a delivery captain, some graphics or what-have-you.

Nights growing colder
Children growing up
Old friends growing older
Experience slips away

(Rush, Time Stand Still, 1987)

The mooring field, the anchorages, the streets, the coffee houses, all are noticeably less crowded. The secret service helicopters fly overhead this week, but the rest of the island is settling down. The days are only as long as they were in April. The sun feels different, and my thoughts are absorbed in plans for winter.

I’ve scheduled a survey over in Falmouth for insurance renewal/upgrade. I’m shopping around for insurance to cover the trip south, and I’d like the insured value of the boat to reflect the work I’ve done this past year. I’m just looking over the pre-purchase survey and realizing there are a few items I never addressed. But I did pick up some new flares and a fire extinguisher, registered the EPIRB in my name, and sent it off to have the battery replaced – to the sweet tune of $250.

I’ve just learned you can’t have your SSB backstay antenna insulators right up at the top of the mast. “The mast will reflect a certain amount of radiated power back down the line to the radio (VSWR), it will also change the pattern of your signal.” So, I’ll have to pull my backstay down, and rework it a bit, making 3′ at the top. I ordered the correct Stalok pieces from Rigging Only, and still have some leftover wire. Never a dull (non-spendy) moment!

…my foot that is. I wasn’t dancing, but I got what’s known as a “dancer’s fracture”. It’s is basically an avulsion fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal due to traction exerted from the tendon when the foot is forcefully inverted. In other words, I twisted my ankle when I slipped on some wet stone steps so hard, that the tendon of the muscle that attaches to the outside of my foot pulled hard enough to actually tear off a fragment the bone.

So, looks like my sailing plans are on hold for at least a month. It’s actually not the worst thing in the world, since I had been stretching myself a little too hard to get things done so I could make it to Boston and Maine. Funny how things manifest themselves this way. Mother nature’s way of saying, “Hold on kid, your overdoing it, take it easy for a bit.” So, those projects I was rushing through, will now get the time they deserve, and the long list of projects I’ve neglected might actually get shorter (doubtful).

Clear brisk nights, the smell of wood smoke in the air, brilliant stars and Boötes (Bow-owe-teez). Commonly known as a Herdsman, I think of him more as an old friend. Boötes shows up in early December and warmly ushers in the Christmas season. He’s one of the most obvious, well known, and ancient of constellations. Residing between the Big Dipper and Hercules, he is the keeper of the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, Arcturus. Following the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle, one can, “Arc to Arcturus, and speed on to Spica”. Arcturus is another great celestial friend who’s SHA often shows up in my star sight reductions. I love Boötes!

Here’s something I whole-heartedly support and try to exercise everyday. I’m not very good at it yet, but practice makes perfect I reckon…

The following is copied directly from: www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

Suddenly, we ran out of money and, to avoid collapse, we quickly pumped liquidity back into the system. But behind our financial crisis a much more ominous crisis looms: we are running out of nature… fish, forests, fresh water, minerals, soil. What are we going to do when supplies of these vital resources run low?

There’s only one way to avoid the collapse of this human experiment of ours on Planet Earth: we have to consume less.

It will take a massive mindshift. You can start the ball rolling by buying nothing on November 28th. Then celebrate Christmas differently this year, and make a New Year’s resolution to change your lifestyle in 2009.

The two year plan is to cross the Atlantic in Juin, head to England for the rest of the summer and explore, then make way south for the warmer cote de sud du France, where exactly, only the winds will tell… but I know I’d like to spend some serious time in France, learning to live, speak and eat French. With that in mind, I’m back in full swing avec mes leçons francais.

I’ve discovered a new language learning product… le podcast. I was never really in the know, or the care for that matter, about the podcast. The name kind of put me off I suppose. But they have been quite excellent for hearing real french people speaking francais. My favorite series so far has been Coffee Break French, taught by some wacky Scots. I’ve also found an interesting blog with witty insights into a life abroad, par un Expat living in France, which I fancy myself becoming one day. And one more new reference about living in France, mais bien sur… the Expat Forum!

And a fresh new find today thanks to Rosie, Capucine! An amazingly animated and creative little girl from France… the PERFECT way to learn french! Watch her Video on Vimeo

One thing je sais is that time moves swiftly. My loose plan, to be well into France by 2010 isn’t all that far off. I’m getting ready MAINTENANT, and if I’m ready to go sooner, super. This fantastic shot of Nice is by Arcadiv, go check out more of his amazing work on flickr.