always look on the bright side of life

 

how could you not have a big smile on your face if you’re sailing underneath a sail logo like this?!

pic found at the Sunfish Forum, posted by Breeze Bender, and used here w/ permission.

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neither out far nor in deep

a poem by Robert Frost

The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.

As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull.

The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be—
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.

They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?

my2fish blog’s 9th birthday

9 years.

happy blog birthday to my blog about Sunfish sailing. hard to believe I’m closing in on a decade.

anyway, thanks again to all of you who follow along and pretend to read my posts, and extra special thanks to those of you brave enough to make a comment or two.

I’ve had fun blogging, sailing, and blogging about sailing, and hope to keep doing it for the near future!

cheers,

my2fish

bow-shackle pen by Oceanus Brass

for those looking for a something with a nautical theme for the sailor in your life, this may be a perfect new gift idea.  it is the bow-shackle pen from Oceanus Brass.  soft polished brash, clean lines, with a small brass bow shackle attached to the top of the pen.  brass is always a common theme with nautical gifts, and while a nice compass and sextant set looks nice on an office desk, they are usually not very practical.

the pen is a conversation starter for sure: I had tucked into my shirt pocket the other day, and everyone who saw it asked about it. the pen has a nice heft to it, and is comfortable in your hand as you write with it.  the length of the pen is probably a tad too short for the size of my hands for any amount of long-term writing, but is perfectly functional for writing a quick note, or penning a card to a loved one.

the craftsmanship of the pen is quite stunning – there are two joints in the pen that are almost imperceptible.  smooth threaded joints allow you to spin off the upper part of the pen to reveal the pen tip for writing, and the 2nd threaded joint unscrews to allow you to change the pen ink refill.

the pen certainly bucks the trend these days to have everything disposable, made from cheap plastics that can be used briefly and then easily discarded.  at $100, it certainly isn’t in the price range of a box of cheap Bic ball point pens, but it’s a bargain compared to a Montblanc.  the solid brass construction is nearly indestructible, so for the cost of pen ink refill every couple of years, this pen will likely last forever.  Oceanus Brass currently has a kickstarter campaign to help fund a re-tool to their pen design to now include a Fisher Space cartridge, details here: Bow-Shackle Pen + Fisher Space Cartridge.  if you support the current kickstarter by Oceanus Brass, you can get one of the new pens for a nice discount.

you can also purchase a Bow-Shackle pen or other nautical inspired gifts (lots of brass!) from their website.  you can follow Oceanus Brass on Twitter and Instagram.

full disclosure: I received this pen as a gift in exchange for writing an unbiased review.

the life aquatic “10 April 2015”

three years later, and I still just love this miniature painting by South African artist Lorraine Loots (@lorraineloots ) of Bill Murray’s character from the Wes Anderson film “The Life Acquatic”.

Lorraine Loots – Bill Murray as Steve Zissou in Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic”. 29 x 20 mm (2015)

h/t: paintings for ants at art news blog and the tumblr archive

you can purchase art from Lorraine Loots at her website: http://lorraineloots.com/

I am not afraid of storms

Van Gogh: The Stevedores in Arles

GOGH, Vincent van Los descargadores en Arles, 1888_557 (1965.7)

The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too ~ Vincent van Gogh