Wow! That must have been so much FUN! It's been years since I've even been on a motorboat, much less sailing. Any more photos?

Shelly

How wonderful!! Lucky you!
That sounds like a really exciting opportunity.

Thanks for asking-I wish I knew how to make the pictures smaller-but are't they great when they are big. But does thiere size cause problems with dial up servers/
My sis and I think the boat cost over a $1,000,000-
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I think this is called a salon-the boat was built in New Zealand. It was a work of art. All Cherry
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It was all electronic and and computerized. It could sail itself-
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My Sister and sil. There was not alot of seats for a spendy boat. But this was a great spot to sit.
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It was a perfect weekend!
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Tootswisc,

Those are nice pics and I have to say; You're brave. You couldn't pay me to get on a boat that wasn't the size of the QEII. Although I must say I always pictured you having light colored hair and maybe a bob. Don't ask why-I just did.

:0)

Lady Tara is a gorgeous craft, worth every penny... and her passengers do her beauty justice :)

How long has your brother been sailing? Do you and your sister sail as well?

Can you tell I miss the ocean like I'd miss my right arm? :)

My brother has owned 3 sail boats. He lived in Florida for 19 years and has spent the past 15 years living outside of Chicago. My father was a "boat man." I suppose that is why 3 out of 4 of his children are water people. My sister lives in San Francisco. She's a scuba diver, has owned a speed boat and rented sail boat with other divers. I am a water person who dreams about owning a boat. But I married a non-swimmer. Fortunately, Gil likes being around water.

I feel I will never live by water and that will be my biggest regret. I hope I am successful enough to be able to take wonderful vacations by the water. I usually plan our vacations and a room with a view is always what I try to book. Now that my brother has this boat and my sister lives on the Bay in Alameda, family visits will help my water desires. We have rented a cabin up North for a week in August at a place called West View Resort-on the water of course.

The few hours that the sails were up on Lady Tara were the best. We were sailing back from Eliott Key towards Miami Beach. We sailed thru the saturday morning race-into hundreds of sail boats. That was when the picture was taken-I was still in my jams-a bit odd?. But I was sun burned, it was 86, and those soft cotten jammies blowing in the wind kept me cool. But I was back in a swim suit by the time we hit the Port of Miami. Rough seas hit after we got back onto the ocean heading for Fort Lauderdale. 3 of us went down into the cabin to put away breakfast items that were flying around. Gil and I got sea sick-I was told not to look at Gil while he lost his breakfast over the side of the boat. Remember-he is a non swimmer and refused to put a life jacket on. We we rocking a rolling and I was told not to look at him and I was panicked that he would fly overboard-I do have nightmares about that.
Maybe he will let me teach him how to swim

Hi Toots,

I was enjoying this whole thing (am a water person, beach-raised infant, now live near the beach 18 yrs.).

Am envious of yr. experience in all this, have always wanted to boat & learn to sail.

Was enjoying, til I heard Gil is non-swimmer who refused to wear a life jacket: rather reckless no??? Teach him how to swim before the next boat outing pls. (too scary a thought for me)!!!

Looks like a great time was had by all (except for those rough seas, of course)!!

Karen

The seas were not really all that rough-just enough to throw a few things around in the cabin and make one seasick. But my dear husband does need to learn how to swim. I just had a thought...we have friends who have a pool. Perhaps I can arrange a ROMANTIC swimming lesson sometime when they are gone. All my kids learned to jump into my arms at a very young age. This could be fun.

Did I mention that this boat comes with a captain and all we have to do is schedule our next trip. He will pick up groceries for us so all we need to do is get there and off we go sailing into the sunset. And the captain is a sweet young thing-23 I think!
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The captain is wearing sunglasses-the other cute person is dh

So you guys didn't sail the boat yourselves? Is he "on staff"? :)

That's so... Kennedy!

When my brother is on board, he pays for the captain to stay in a hotel. The boat is such an investment that there needs to be someone on the boat at all times. So when the weather gets bad, the captain sails the boat elsewhere.

The captain is also...the maid...I am sure that is not the correct word. He washes all the linens, washes all the salt water off the deck etc. etc. I guess there is alot of maintenance-you have to screw and unscrew things so that the salt water doesn't corrode things.

It really is alot of work to keep a sail boat ship shape (is that where that phrase gets it's meaning) This captain makes decent bucks I am sure. And the captain will sail family and friends to places when my brother and his family isn't using the boat.

It is truely a lifestyle of the rich and famous thing that my brother wants to share with his family, I think anyway.

The captain came on our last day-he was visiting his girl friend while we were there. The captain will be sailing the boat to New England next week.

"It is truly a lifestyle of the rich and famous thing that my brother wants to share with his family, I think anyway."

Well, share away! Sounds like a honk load of fun... and so oceanic!

What says it better than, "WOW!"?
How nice to have an "in" with the rich and famous! The boat is beautiful, and the vacation sail sounds like a dream...except for the seasick part. (I'm a Scopalamine girl, myself!)
I grew up with lakes all around -- big ones and little ones, from Superior to little ponds. I really miss that in this part of the state. Rivers are fine, but they don't have the same magic for me. I must say, our family didn't have anything like your brother's beauty, but we had a flat-bottomed "duck boat", canoe, wooden rowboat, Lund fishing boat...yeah, the water was a big deal (and still I'm a lousy swimmer!)
I've always loved the ocean, too, and though I've never lived near it, I jump at the chance to vacation near it! I think it's really thrilling that you had this great opportunity, and I hope you'll have more to tell us about in the future!
Did you get to do any exploring in the Keys while you were there? Did you get to check out any FL nurseries?

Diane,

I have been living vicariously through your experiences on your brothers boat. I love boats! I always have. Anything from small row boats to whale watching boats and anything in between. I never get seasick fortunately. My wife gets a little motion sick and was a little nervous when we went out on a whale watching boats off Cape Cod on our honeymoon. When she got on the boat she bought some Dramamine. When I got on the boat I bought a hot dog and a bag of potato chips. I was hungry. She gave me the look like I was going to eat a bug or something. She could not believe that anyone would put something in their stomach before going out on a boat ride. I didn't have any problems.

I have never been on a sailing boat that size though. And I would love to! You are fortunate to have a brother in the position to have a boat like that who loves you enough to bring you along. I really do envy you.

I hope you have many more wonderful sailing experiences. It sounds like you had a great time.

Larry

Larry is in the archives...

Thanks for making my day rethinking about our trip...I have get to get back to my weeding though. Did you read that I dropped my camera and the lens fell apart. I felt so awful I couldn't tell Gil. but it was fixable for $50 and it is ready. If I had picked it up, I could take a picture of my dirty hands and maybe an earwig or a holy hosta leaf or perhaps some spent daisies or a pile a weeds!

Good by for now Larry.