Cheoy Lee 41"Astraea"

 

NEW!  Click HERE for Pictures and Story of my April 2008 Sailing Adventure in French Polynesia 

These pictures will show you why I am ready to retire and take Astraea across the Pacific.  I cannot wait to return and have my own boat in these beautiful islands.

Does anyone really "own" a sailboat, or are we just their caretakers?  Good question!  Well, anyway, we are the people whose name is on the title and we are the ones who clean her, maintain her, write lots of checks for her, and sail with her! 

 

Although we have been together as a couple since 1981 (27 years!), we only started sailing together in 2005 when we purchased Astraea and took sailing lessons at Modern Sailing Academy.

 

Rob was the instigator of buying the boat, but Bob went along......although a bit relunctantly at first... but now is really a good sailor!  In fact, Bob is probably the better sailor!  (And this is Rob writing this).  Although Rob had learned to sail and done extensive sailing and racing on the East Coast of the US when a midshipman at the US Naval Academy, that was a long time ago:  "Long long ago in a place far, far away".  Considering we had now purchased a BIG boat open ocean sailing boat we decided it was prudent to take lessons and learn how to sail Astraea properly and safely.

   

Bob and Rob both went to Modern Sailing Academy and took the Basic Keelboat and Basic Coastal Cruising, and passed the tests!  Bob decided he did not really want any more formal lessons, but Rob went on to complete the Advanced Coastal Cruising, Bareboat, and Coastal Navigation. In March of 2008 he was part of a Modern Sailing Academy "Adventure Sailing Class" in French Polynesia and spent 15 days sailing the Marquesas and the Tuomotus.  

 

Rob is retiring from the corporate rat race in September, 2009 and the plan is to do some serious cruising, first sailing to Mexico with the Baja Haha in 2009 ( http://www.baja-haha.com/ ) and then in May, 2010 do the Pacific Puddle Jump from Panama to the South Pacific and beyond.  ( http://www.pacificpuddlejump.com/) .  All of these adventures will be faithfully documented on this site.  As the old saying goes, "Watch this space".  

 

 

Bob, who is really an excellent sailor but does not like to go off shore. 

 

 

 

Rob, who loves to be offshore.  Here he is aboard MSA's (Modern Sailing Academy) 50 footer "Polaris" off the coast of Northern California during an advanced foul weather offshore sailing class. 

 

 

 

 

Rob aboard Astraea.

 

 

Bob is a great sailor but is always happier when he can see land on the horizon.  Fortunately the San Francisco Bay area and the northern California Coast, including Half Moon Bay and Monterey Bay give us great sailing grounds to get out and enjoy sailing. 

 

 

This was a great day!  I was invited by Larry Ellison to ride along on the ORACLE BMW boat during match racing in Marseille, France during the Louie Vuitton Cup challenge.  We whipped the French two races that day.  However my job was to sit on the stern, hold on, and not fall off!  It was amazing to be aboard and watch the Americas Cup team work the boat during an actual race.  They are definitely the world's best sailors.  That's Larry Ellison of OracleBMW to my left. 

 

 

This was at the America's Cup race in Vallencia, Spain in 2007.  Unfortunately OracleBMW was not in the final races, but we still had fun out on the water watching the races up close. 

 

 

Back home in San Francisco my mother visited Astraea.  She is from Arkansas and does not like to be out on the water, so we did not get underway that day. 

 

 

Bob and me at a friend's home in New York with our favorite for President.  She is an amazing person and actually very friendly and lots of fun. 

 

 

Bob and me Summer 2008 at Paso Robles, California Wine Festival. 

 

 

At our house in Palm Springs.  This will be our "home base" where Bob will be staying when I take off to do my circumnavigation.  I wish he would agree to go with me, but he prefers to stay home and provide logistical support.  This is our "fun car" in Palm Springs.  It is as big as some boats!  HA! 

 

 

 

 

 

In March 2008 in the Tuomotus, French Polynesia, on a bare boat charter.  Cannot wait to get back there on Astraea!!!!!

 

Click here for some pictures and description of our sailing lessons with Modern Sailing Academy on San Francisco Bay, the Northern California Coast, and French Polynesia.