{robin}

Soooo, I've decided that this song pretty much sums up my experience of being on night watch on Catbird. Lyrics by (yes, I'm serious.... ) 

Avril Lavigne

I'm With You

I'm standin' on the bridge
I'm waitin' in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
I'm tryin' to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you
Hmm hmm hmm

I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know?
'Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
I try to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you
Yea yea

Oh, why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yea eee yeah, yea eee yeah
Yea yee yea, yea eee yeah,yeah

It's a damn cold night
Tryin' to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you, yea
I'm with you, yea

Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you, yea
I'm with you, yea

Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you, oh
I'm with you
I'm with you

on St Kitts!

hey all, arrived in St Kitts around 5 am after setting sail from Marigot last night around 7. Jib and main most of the way, and made decent time at around 10 kts. Felt worlds faster than the Anegada passage to St Martin, as we motored the whole way and only averaged around 3 kts. Port engine still overheating, and we need to replace a batten on the main, anndd the autopilot is out so Robin and I took turns manning the helm bleary-eyed all last night. At least our watches were shorter this time, and the captain's wife even
did one! Fell asleep on the stern as soon as we lowered the anchor, and slept most of the morning - woke up to strange voices and met (well there were 4 but due to our sleep deprivation only remember two names) Sam and Chris - two Kittitian transplants working as
commercial divers and looking to charter Catbird this winter. Nice guys; they're throwing us a bbq tonight at their house, and giving us an island tour tomorrow! hangin at Caribe cafe right now, people-watching and lovin the view
of Nevis - gorgeous landscapes with big tall green
volcanic mountains (and word on the street, monkeys!)
- hope to explore tomorrow. love to all,
mel

anddd....5 days later..

(Mel) We're in Marigot, St-Martin. Phone is about to die so this may take a few posts as we hunt down a european converter for our chargers.
Have a few journal entries of some choice
moments over the last 5 days..let me just say, it's been quite the shitshow.

Keywords and Highlights, while we wait for a charger:
stolen tender, 162 feet of bottom-scrubbing, The Shrimp Farm in my Hair, kayak valet service, learning filipino, Barefoot in Tortola, Yes We Do Indeed Get Seasick, Ongoing Mechanical Failures, Whoa this boat is Not a Hobie Wave, Effing mango slices, No I won't peel your avocadoes at 6am, Instant Coffee = Slow, Painful Death

miss you all, much love!

Dedicated To The Sol Mates
<3 Robin

From DOVE...
"...and now in the Caribbean we were to discover that happiness has no frontiers, that it's a state of mind and not a possession, not a set route through life, not a goal to be gained but something that steals in gently like an evening mist or the morning sunlight - something beyond our control."

It's my last night on St Thomas. It's a bittersweet feeling in my belly. Sweet because I'm ecstatic to be embarking on an epic sailing adventure across seas (and land) I've never explored. I'm fulfilling a lifelong dream (to see the world from the ocean's point of view) and it's hard for me to even comprehend what I'm about to do right now. But at the same time, it's bitter because I have to say goodbye to the cherished sol mates I've made here (been doing that a lot over the past year and a half....) I am going to miss each and every one of you (you know who you are....) Thank you SO much, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you've done for me from the moment I stepped onto this beautiful, kooky little island. I'm really going to miss you guys....
Thank you to everyone on St Thomas for being a part of my happiness. I'll be seeing you again soon....

also wishing our buds Brendan Hassett and Sam Grimes safe passage
across the Atlantic!! love you guys!

Geographer - Age of Consent (New Order cover)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0tIMy0rIYM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mel's last night on St. Thomas...
Robin wrote such a beautiful note to the Island Solmates - her words voice my sentiments exactly, but I didn't think "ditto" would quite convey the enormous gratitude and love I feel for the Solmates, my roommates, and the friends I've met on these islands.

It is a rare thing, maybe an island thing, a small-town thing, to find a community of people so willing to drop what they're doing to help you feel welcome, settled, and loved. From buying and selling our cars, to finding homes and jobs and a good crowd
of people to spend our time with - it all happened via personal interactions, because of the empathy, comraderie, and compassion of the people here.

So thank you all - I love you so much, I feel so blessed to have met you and spent time with you! I know I'll see you all again sometime!

In the meantime, well, there's facebook.

xoxoxoxo Mel
racename: Spinderella
callsign: Cupcake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wftc4U7wlBA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Love As Laughter - Coconut Flakes
from the film "180 Degrees South"

Camera Obscura - Let's get out of this country

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkCbG1Lk3E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

another good seafaring tune.

Okkervil River - "Lost Coastlines"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

and our minds were meant to sail
take a rest from our thoughts
take a brake from this world
and we'll feel miles away
from the places that we used to be

Years Around the Sun - Miles Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRdbvGgPPiw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My room for the next 3 months! cozy, to say the least!

Heyyy Robin, nice cabin!

Robin, last provisioning trip!

and they're off!

young guns

the youngest grom out there

caught these two brushing the salt out of their hair

Me, Robin, and Laura - gonna miss this girl!

To follow are some fav images
from the 6th annual SkimSlam on Saturday...

Just remember...

In high seas or in low seas
I'm gonna be your friend,
I'm gonna be your friend.
In high tide or in low tide,
I'll be by your side,
I'll be by your side.

Gonna miss this pup! See ya in the fall, Mavdog!

Well, in typical island fashion, our departure date got pushed back again - the sail should be arriving Monday, so we're now planning to head out
sometime mid-week! We're both a little antsy to set sail, but at least this gives us a chance to check out SKIMSLAM!!!
Come out and support an awesome local cause! All our friends have been so hard at work, and we can't wait to see all those skimmers in action!

Robin and Captain Don!

SV Catbird!

3 more days on solid ground!

Hey everyone!
Mel here - Thought this would be a good way for friends and fam to keep track of us as we embark on our wild sailing adventure to South America!

Robin and I are still on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, with three days to go, and still lots to do! We've been running errands all over the island, closing bank accounts, wiring money, shipping extra stuff home to New York and Hawai'i (did I get that apostrophe placement right, Robs?), and provisioning for a three-month voyage (bugspray, sunblock, and some new MAC makeup?); we also got Yellow Fever shots, and Doc Mock sent down some tropical-disease-fighting pharmaceuticals.

We're also in the process of selling our beloved island cars, and, after almost three weeks straight on the phone with various airlines, I finally found a great arrangement for my black lab, Maverick (you guys are the best- he'll be in great hands, and he'll have a great summer floating in the pool)!

It's wild packing nearly two years of island life into a backpack - we've both had some amazing times, and met some of the warmest people I've known - gonna miss you St. Johnians and St. Thomians- stay in touch!

Looking forward to one last full moon at Hull Bay with all the Island Solmates!