Mozambique Cyclone Sailing Tanzania to South Africa

2 Comments

Mozambique Cyclone Update – a short post to let you know we are alive and well on Sailboat Brick House! The Mozambique cyclone definitely did have some effect on us on our 1200 mile passage down the East African Coast, from Tanzania to South Africa this month (March), hence why this 1200 mile passage is taking so long and why there haven’t been any posts or videos!

We had made a carefully calculated plan to follow the cyclone down, according to weather at sea from preeictwind and our Iridium GO,  riding the north winds on the tail of the cyclone and have had an interesting passage down…something we NEVER would have done without exceptional weather capabilities of Predictwind. Our Bluewater sailboat who is ready for storms at sea, as well as with the help of Des Cason, a cruiser who made this trip many times and kindly works with many cruisers traveling down this coast for local knowledge tips about the weather.

We left a little earlier than planned to come down the Mozambique coast, while it was still cyclone season, and it was certainly a little anxiety producing for us both. Weather at sea had to be watched closely and we had to be willing to turn in or even turn back if anything new popped up. I didn’t miss getting a single report this entire trip, that is for sure!

We have a video which we will try to post next weekend when we reach Richards Bay South Africa about the trip down, during what is being touted as the “worst cyclone to ever hit the east coast of Africa”. We feel horrible for the many Mozambique people who have lost everything including their lives in many cases. No photos or replies to comments until we get there since I’m using an expensive “World SIM card” to make this post, but we will reply to the many comments on YouTube and on this blog once we reach South Africa and get some real internet.

Again, we are safe, a bit tired of the passage, and hope to arrive South Africa this weekend or early next week! Please don’t worry about us…the video is ready to post about the whole adventure within a few days of arriving!

Thanks everyone for their concern over the last few days!!!

Here is our weather source: Predictwind Free

Rebecca Childress

 

Predictwind and the Iridium GO!

Bluewater Sailing Tips and Tricks Videos on Patrick Childress Sailing Youtube Channel

 

Marine Electronics on a bluewater sailboat… THEN… and NOW

Leave a comment

In his latest video, Patrick explains how he navigated around the world with a sextant and a keel for a depthsounder on his Catalina 27. We then shows you what the marine electronics on Brick House started off with and now have evolved to. From Sextant….to Iridium GO! An old dog really CAN learn new tricks!

Make sure to watch this video and share with your younger sailing friends so they don’t forget how lucky they are these days!

I mean…look how easy it is now to get  weather!

Thaipusam Celebration – Very Painful, Very gruesome. True Religious Devotion for Hindus

Who is Patrick Childress..and why a YouTube Channel?

2 Comments

7364 Subscribers, 34 videos, and over 3 millions minutes of watch time now!

Watch the video to find out why Patrick loves YouTube…And Read below for his background…

Who is Patrick Childress, and why a Youtube channel? Patrick and Rebecca Childress are sailing around the world on their 1976 Valiant 40,  SV BRICK HOUSE, one of the sailing world’s most famous Bluewater Cruising sailboats.

Patrick learned to sail when he was a young child, and has played around and worked around both sailboats and powerboats for half a century.  Rebecca didn’t learn to sail until she was in her 20s when the sailing bug bit her hard!p, but has been at it with both feet in for a few decades now. But we are both still really young!!!

Patrick completed a solo-circumnavigation on Juggernaut, a Catalina 27 in his younger days. He has been published in most U.S. and many foreign sailing magazines, for both his writing and photography. He co-authored a book titled “The Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts”. He holds his 500 Ton Masters Captains License, and is an active delivery captain and instructor. His Ham license is a General.

Captain Patrick Childress owned a home improvement business in Newport, RI but retired in June 2007 to cruise a second time around the world on Brick House.

He is also, most importantly, Captain of SV Brick House, AND married to Rebecca Taft, now Rebecca Childress! (July 4, 2007)

Rebecca Childress is an accomplished sailor as well. She has owned many boats ranging from a 17′ MacGregor, a Catalina 27′ and a 36′ Catalina, and now the Valiant 40 that she purchased a few years before meeting Patrick. (Lucky Patrick hah?)

Before meeting Patrick and heading out on this circumnavigation, she had completed numerous blue water passages between Rhode Island and the Caribbean and passages across the Gulf of Mexico. Cruising has included the Bahama Islands, New England, Nova Scotia, the Florida coast and the BVIs, all in preparation for the day she could circumnavigate.

Rebecca holds her 50 Ton Masters Captains License with towing and sailing endorsements. She is also a General Licensed Ham Radio Operator.

She met Patrick on her first NARC Rally from Newport to Bermuda. She had always dreamed of sailing around the world, and knew that a passage to Bermuda in November would teach her more about heavy weather sailing since it is usually rough that time of year.

Several years later when Patrick and Rebecca got together, they set their sites on earning enough money to cruise around the world together! Three years later, they had saved just enough money and were ready to move aboard!

First mate Rebecca became a successful Realtor in Newport, RI, and has an extensive list of Computer Certifications and experience as well.

Now they are both retired!

After almost 8 years of exploring the Globe, they decided to add another crew member to Brick House. This was while in the island nation of Palau. They got Lily, a 7 week old practically wild little tiger kitten from a local apartment building. She has grown up on Brick House, learning how to sail ( the first time a freighter passed and stirred up a wake, she vomited at the sight of it. She hasn’t been sick since, even in 50 knots of wind!) She has learned how to fish, lets us know when people approach the boat, and has learned how to swim too.  With almost 15,000 miles and 18 countries under her belt, she is a well traveled cat. On the rare occasion she gets to a marina, she decides its time for her to to see the world! I guess she takes after us!

Together, we make a great team taking our home around the world,

Here is a good place to start…and continue your sailing education:

YouTube Sailboat How To Videos…Tools we use for growing our sailing Youtube channel that have worked

 

Ever wonder if Patrick wrote any books in his life?

FLASHBACK! The Day We Untied the docklines and left

Advertisements


Advertisements