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	<title>Boat Bumz</title>
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	<link>http://www.boatbumz.com</link>
	<description>Life Between the Sheets</description>
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		<title>Birding&#8230;While Cruising?</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/birding-while-cruising/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/birding-while-cruising/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:43:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boat Bumz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Between the Sheets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cruising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east carolina sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hobbies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trip planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As an avid birdwatcher, I pondered just how my fantastic hobby could still be enjoyed while moving at 5 knots with seemingly huge obvious white bed sheets poofing in the wind. How could this be accomplished and still be underway, anchored or tucked inside a marina in a slip? The ICW has proven a wonderland of both juvenile and adult American Bald Eagles, perching majestically in enormous conifer trees along side the banks. The slower speed of travel on this waterway gives one with binoculars or a camera ample time to view them in their native environment and capturing them in photo to view again later. Markers along the rivers have continuously been the home of nesting Ospreys with their babies&#8230;the quietness of a boat under sail does not seem to frighten these great birds of prey and gives the observer a “bird&#8217;s eye view” from a close observation point that only landlubbers stand on the shore and dream of! Beautiful blackened Cormorants with Florida orange beaks help give another visual signal of wind direction to the sailor as they face into wind with fully outstretched wings to dry from diving underwater for their food. Anchoring out in quiet creeks [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
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		<title>Bimini, The Grand Bahama Banks and Chub Cay</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/bimini-the-grand-bahama-banks-and-chub-cay/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/bimini-the-grand-bahama-banks-and-chub-cay/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:24:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boat Bumz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cruises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Between the Sheets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bahamas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cruising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=204</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Alice Town on North Bimini Island is not a very big place.  I think there is only one road north to south, the main mode of transportation is golf carts.  There were several shops and a bakery, two or three restaurants, one bank, two liquor stores and several marinas.  That&#8217;s about it. It&#8217;s a little border town and I would like to visit for a day or two but we are on the way to the Exumas and we want to spend as much time there as possible. I was having trouble getting good weather info.  I was still getting NOAA weather out of Florida but nothing from the Bahamas.  Turns out that the weather forecasts are on AM Radio at noon, HF and VHF at 0600 (6am). We couldn&#8217;t get internet connections so I just took some local fishermens advice and we started for Chub Cay across the Grand Bahama Banks.  It is 90 miles of open water that is only 6 to 12 feet deep. It&#8217;s crystal clear and there are coral heads every so often that are close to the surface.  As I&#8217;ve stated earlier my client, Glenn, is not fond of sailing at night so we [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>To Go or Not to Go</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/to-go-or-not-to-go/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/to-go-or-not-to-go/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:07:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boat Bumz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cruises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bahamas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bimini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coastal navigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cruising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trip planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=198</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We had been in Miami for three days. The weather window was opening for a couple of days meaning that the winds had shifted or &#8220;clocked&#8221; around to east and southeast. Once that happens the waves on the ocean need time to settle down. My client had talked to another captain friend who suggested that the window was now and we could  make it from Miami. I wasn&#8217;t so sure, I wanted to head farther south to Angelfish Creek, near Key Largo to let the seas calm a little bit and to use the current to increase our speed but I was told this other Capt. had made over 300 crossings so we headed out anyway at 0730 with a falling tide.  The problem with this is that the winds are out of the east, the tide is going out meaning we have wind blowing the opposite direction of the current so you get waves, lots of them, close together. So it was a little bit rough getting out. The winds were supposed to be out of the SE at 9 to 10 knots with waves 2 to 3 feet in the Gulf Stream. Once we finally made it out [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are We There Yet?</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/are-we-there-yet/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/are-we-there-yet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:45:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boat Bumz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cruises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bahamas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cruising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gulf Stream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trip planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=195</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve made it as far as Chub Cay, in the southern Berry Islands since our last update.  We left Vero Beach, FL on Monday the 30th of January and headed south.  The farther south you go the better. When crossing the Gulf Stream in a slow moving sailboat one of the things you learn is not to fight mother nature. Use what she gives you to your best advantage and never, ever forget to respect her.  Timing is everything and can turn a dream into a nightmare if you are not diligent.  I start watching the weather for a week or more in advance but only trust the first 36 hours. One thing to consider is the direction of the wind, anything with a northerly component is not good because it blows in the opposite direction of the Gulf Stream current and builds the wave heights up very quickly. Winds out of the south are best.  So we start our journey with winds out of the Northeast (NE) and head down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)  toward West Palm Beach. We decided to stop early the first night and anchored out on Hobe Sound where we discovered that the boat had [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>On the hook in Lake Worth</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/on-the-hook-in-lake-worth/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/on-the-hook-in-lake-worth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:32:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boat Bumz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cruising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=190</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jane and I are on the hook just inside the Lake Worth inlet in West Palm Beach FL tonight. The weather has not been cooperating and we have had to start the trip inside on the ICW.  We left Vero Beach Monday morning at sunrise and made it as far south as Hobe Sound the first day.  We anchored out just outside the channel near ICW Marker 38.  We discovered that the plumbing in the shower had sprung a leak and we would need to get it fixed before we go to the Bahamas.  The winds were out of the NNE at about 15 to 20 knots but we all slept like babes the first night. We were up early the next morning and planned to get into West Palm around midday but a broken bridge delayed us for over two hours.  We finally made in to Lantana about 4:45pm where we had arranged for a plumber to meet us, but it was so late we rescheduled for this morning.  We stayed at the Loggerhead South Marina on Tuesday night and were able to use the sauna and showers there. It took until 2:30pm to get the plumbing fixed but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.boatbumz.com/on-the-hook-in-lake-worth/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bahama&#8217;s Bound</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/bahamas-bound/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/bahamas-bound/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:05:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Charters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cruises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coastal navigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learn to sail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trip planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=183</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Jane and I are headed down to Florida then off to the Bahama&#8217;s for 6 weeks.  I have been hired to teach and consult with a couple who are planning on spending some time on their Gulfstar 36 ketch once they retire. We are on our way via car to Vero Beach, FL.  We will be posting updates and tips over the next few weeks. Starting with today.  We&#8217;ll go over trip planning and points of interest (POI).  We&#8217;ve packed and repacked and repacked again. There is still a full day of travel ahead of us on I-95 but once we get there we&#8217;ll get started with an intro to the tools and resources we use to plan our cruise.  The first place we always start looking at well in advance is Passage Weather, if you get a chance check it out. &#160; &#160;]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.boatbumz.com/bahamas-bound/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>ECSS 2011 Season</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/ecss-2011-season/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/ecss-2011-season/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:33:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east carolina sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learn to sail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=176</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just a few highlights from our last season! Enjoy]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.boatbumz.com/ecss-2011-season/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Our Sailing Club</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/our-sailing-club/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/our-sailing-club/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:34:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boat Bumz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rentals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing club]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m excited about adding the New Bern site this year.  Sailing out of New Bern you can easily cruise to Beaufort, Oriental or the many anchorages along the Neuse River in a 2 day weekend.  Boat Bumz has a 22&#8242; boat available for day sails and a 27&#8242; boat for day sails and overnight cruises. I started the club as a way to give our students an opportunity to gain experience and put into practice the things they learn in a class.  It&#8217;s much more affordable than owning a boat and allows you to immediately get out on the water to build your confidence.  One of our sailing schools can teach you all the basics; terminology, types of wind, points of sail, tacking, jibing, rules of the road, crew overboard procedures, distress signals, knots and much more.  There is a lot packed into a few days!  Each of our students gets 2 free days on one of the club boats.  You can split those 2 days in to 4 half days or any combination thereof. One couple last year did a couple of half days, then a whole day and then they took an overnight cruise from Washington to Bath [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.boatbumz.com/our-sailing-club/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Strolling the Streets of New Bern</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/stolling-the-streets-of-new-bern/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/stolling-the-streets-of-new-bern/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:15:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life Between the Sheets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=156</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is at least 100 yards to the shore from our slip.  I&#8217;ll be in better shape in a very short time!  Lots of great boats and we&#8217;re meeting lots of people here. Jane and I spent the day strolling around town and checking out our new surroundings.  It was about 65 degrees so it was a nice walk.  Once we got to shore we found out we are only a couple of blocks from: a) the Farmers Market b) Fresh Seafood Market/Cafe c) US Post Office d) Music Store e) at least 6 flavors of banks f) at least 10 restaurants g) and finally the ABC store. New Bern is the second oldest city in North Carolina and just celebrated their 300th anniversary. The town was taken early in the Civil War and therefore most of the historic building were spared.  There are over 160 buildings downtown that are on the National Register of Historic Buildings.  We can see Tryon Palace from the boat, it was the seat of the Colonial Government and the first capitol of NC. George Washington even partied over there. Once we got back to the boat we decided to take the dingy up the [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Come Sail Away with Me!</title>
		<link>http://www.boatbumz.com/come-sail-away-with-me/</link>
		<comments>http://www.boatbumz.com/come-sail-away-with-me/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:12:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life Between the Sheets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boatbumztv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sailing school]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.boatbumz.com/?p=145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Come Sail Away by Styx.  I love that song.  Anyway it was playing the other day as Jane and I were getting ready to hoist the anchor in Durham Creek on the Pamlico River.  It seemed like a fitting way to start the day.  It also reminded me of this video that I made during a class a couple of seasons ago and since I&#8217;ve updated the site I decided to try to embed it in a post.   Teaching people to sail is how I make my living, a part of it anyway.  I have a channel on YouTube called BoatBumzTV. There isn&#8217;t much up there now but that will change shortly.  Jane and I will be adding more videos of various aspects of living aboard and the cruising lifestyle.  I will also be adding some videos to supplement and enhance some of the things I teach such as diesel engine repair, electronics installation and trouble shooting.  Jane has already documented how to reupholster your cushions and it will go up shortly. (Right Jane?)  I hope you find it useful.  If you&#8217;ve got suggestions of things you&#8217;d like to see, let us know by subscribing to either the Boat Bumz [...]]]></description>
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