Author: Dr. Sam

That's me in the red jacket smiling for the aerial video as the 78-foot Double X sloop sails under the Golden Gate Bridge All hands were on deck for the beginning of this adventure to the South Seas. San Francisco, Calif., July 16, 2016. Photo: C. Woods.

Ready. Set. Sail.

The Double X crew officially set sail for the South Seas on July 16, 2016, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge at precisely 12:30 p.m. It has taken over two years of preparation and a healthy dose of persistence, but it has been worth all the hard work. In fact, it’s nothing short of a dream come true.

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Eating Our Way Across the Pacific

It’s hard to believe, the first leg of the Double X journey, crossing the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to the Marquesas Islands, is just three days away. I expect it will take us about three weeks to cross the ocean, but with all the wild weather these days, it’s tough to predict just how long it will be before we arrive.

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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 Tough Motor to San Francisco

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.)

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The Firebird crew (from left to right): Dr. Sam, Captain Bob, Tom Harabee and Bill Crawford (B.C.), Seychelles, March 1977.

The Adventures of the Firebird

Throughout the Double X journey, I thought it would be fun to share highlights of my earlier sailing sabbatical aboard the Firebird over 40 years ago. I’m categorizing these posts under “Blast from the Past.” As luck would have it, Captain Bob, the skipper for the Firebird journey, is also the skipper for the Double X journey.

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Planning the Double X Voyage

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.

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