tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28034834928766534332011-07-28T22:53:51.424-07:00Dare to live your dreams! Each of us has a purpose for being on the planet. As we discover and fulfill on our purpose, dreams become reality. My purpose is that People are Living Lives that They Love. These are the Voyages of Bel Ami!Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comBlogger621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-45610710714798341732010-07-11T12:47:00.000-07:002010-07-11T13:00:31.308-07:00

Past few weeks have had Victoria and I island hopping down the Leeward Islands. Our trip has been relatively uneventful, weather cooperative, with many wonderful and magical sites of the islands. Each island is unique to itself, with its own personality. Montserrat was particularly incredible with its active volcano. The local population seems to take it in stride! Hiking to the top of the

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-31261615208065777552010-06-25T00:20:00.000-07:002010-06-25T00:30:23.115-07:00

Hello all, greetings from Bel Ami Voyages. Been a while since I last communicated. Life has a way of movin on whether you are on board or not. Currently hanging on the hook at Village Cay Marina, Island of Tortola. Dave Gibson, marine electrician extrodinaire who I met while on the hard in Nanny Cay, spent the afternoon successfully trouble shooting my marine radio (ICOM 802 Single

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-31206164380658340332010-05-02T06:06:00.000-07:002010-05-02T06:07:39.476-07:00

Carnival St. Thomas!On May 1st Captain Bob White and famous Hula Mary joined me on Bel Ami and we sailed from the east end of St. Thomas to Charlotte Amalie for Carnival. Flew the kite (cruising spinnaker) most of the way with great success (sail didn’t get fouled, nobody got hurt….). After a wonderful sail, we spent the day in town negotiating the crowds, heat, noise…but eventually ended up in

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-35105539526865781622010-04-17T14:59:00.000-07:002010-04-17T15:01:15.805-07:00

Its been about 1 year since Bel Ami sailed into Ensenada Honda, the well protected anchorage on the Island of Culebra. Things haven't changed too much since last here! Ha!!! Victoria from Toronto joined Phil and I onboard on April 4th, flying into Provo in the Turks and Caicos. The three of us sailed Bel Ami southeast 185 miles to Samana Bay on the northeastern end of the Dominican Republic.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-38544382550956177162010-04-03T13:28:00.000-07:002010-04-03T13:40:27.740-07:00

Oh, what a time it was... Phil, Patty and I converged back to the Bahamas in Georgetown on March 23. Phil flew in from Wisconsin, Patty from New York, and me from Florida. Said goodbye to Georgetown bound for St. Thomas via Turks and Caicos. We did some island hopping to Long Island, Conception Island, back to Long Island/Clarencetown, then 30 hours overnight to Provo. Patty, who had never

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-37859670270096415082010-02-02T15:21:00.000-08:002010-02-02T15:27:56.380-08:00

Finally made it to Bimini to visit friends from Wisconsin Layne and Joan. Friend Larry Stange left his wife Kitty on their boat Saildreamer in Marathon and decided at the last minute to fly over to Bimini and join me for several weeks. In Bimini we had an absolute blast making new friends, including Dave Keppert who was visiting Layne and Joan as well as the owners of a great bar restaurant

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-90512874078375865332009-12-18T11:00:00.000-08:002009-12-18T11:03:34.003-08:00

The night before weighing anchor to Nassau, we went ashore for the Georgetown x-mass tree lighting ceremonies. The highlight of the evening was the Bahamas National Police Force Marching Band. Made me want to pick up the glocenspeil and start hammering away on the keys again!! They were terrific! Also great were some of the young Bahamian youth dancers. Made me remember the times when I

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-8011227173544280382009-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:002009-12-18T10:52:54.792-08:00

The time has finally come to depart Georgetown Bahamas to head to Nassau to meet friends and family for x-mass and New Years. The morning of our departure I checked the main engine coolant, which seemed to be overly filled and brackish colored. Hadn’t flushed the cooling system in forever, so it was time to flush and refill. That brought us back into town for a trip to get the coolant, where

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-44780847794943163912009-12-14T04:06:00.000-08:002009-12-14T04:10:37.367-08:00

On Monday, Dec 7 I was joined by crewmember Claudia who hails from Vancouver (by way of Ireland/Guam/Japan/Romania). Claudia is a consummate sailor with an incredible passion for living a life on the oceans of the world. She was enthralled by finding a couple conch shells on the beach, as the photo shows. Later in the week friend Bob Cronin had a “party from India” for a few friends (see

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-36294681543950581982009-12-14T03:53:00.000-08:002009-12-14T03:59:16.947-08:00

Has been a most interesting week. Friend Claudia (from Romania by way of Ireland, Japan, and Victoria BC) came aboard as crew, and will be sailing on Bel Ami for the next month or so. We were invited to a great party the other nite, and as you can see for yourself in the pictures below, a good time was had by all. Several of the guys decided for an impromptu response to the ladies belly

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-14626756667996352512009-11-13T21:02:00.000-08:002009-11-13T21:05:26.471-08:00

The highlight of my trip to St. Thomas was Sam and Diane's wedding. They were married by Rick the Pirate. When they got to the part of the wedding ceremony where Rick the pirate asked if anyone objected to this marriage, Rick quickly pulled out his Blunderbuss pistol and threated to shoot anyone who spoke up! Also included in the pictures below is a big Wahoo that was caught by a local fellow.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-52731115272556745622009-11-13T20:49:00.000-08:002009-11-13T20:51:00.373-08:00

Gayle, Sarah and Joe picked me up at the airport, and we drove into town and had dinner at Betsey'. Met Larry and Brie and their newborn Jack, who is going to be a great sailor like his Dad and grand-dad. Nice picture of Jollymon at the mooring near the cruise ship dock.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-87318776156947531922009-11-13T20:42:00.000-08:002009-11-13T20:46:54.809-08:00

While in St. Thomas working and attending Sam and Diane's wedding, my good buddy Gerard graciously opened his home to me. His home is in the Mangroves of the Lagoon, not far from where I used to keep the Bel Ami. His faithful companion, Mary Ann, is a large poodle who I got to be friends with. Not to mention Gerard's cat, who I fed from time to time. Being in the Mangroves was quite an

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-21364377886320362022009-11-13T20:37:00.001-08:002009-11-13T20:41:13.729-08:00

Back to Wisconsin for work the last week of October, and it was COLD!! BRRRRRR!! Below are some pictures of what the weather was doing when I got to my car on a Friday afternoon in Eau Claire. Driving back to Madison that day was like being in a Blizzard! Give me the tropics, PLEASE!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-21819591533142578652009-10-25T22:17:00.001-07:002009-10-25T22:24:42.598-07:00

My Mom died the other day. Doing what she loved to do, shopping! And with her passing goes a woman with incredible spirit, love and affection. We will all miss her, especially her cooking. 83 years young, Mom never knew how to stop going. Despite lots of pain and discomforts as she got older, she persevered and always got the job done. Her most recent accomplishment: Senior Volunteer of

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-42342241859196323592009-08-14T19:20:00.000-07:002009-08-14T19:33:52.978-07:00

This past week Gayle and I sailed from Georgetown to Conception Island. Conception Island is a remote place about a days sail from Georgetown. It is a Bahamas national park, and therefore relatively pristine. As you will see from the pictures below, there were plenty of "groceries" to be had, including a 20 pound Nassau Grouper that was the biggest fish we have speared on the trip. The

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-1154833391105386492009-07-18T00:18:00.000-07:002009-07-18T01:00:36.654-07:00

They say the only thing you can count on is change. Well, we have had a change of plans. We've enjoyed the Bahamas so much that we have decided not to sail up to New England this summer, but rather stay in the Bahamas. As I write this I am in New York visiting my family, and Gayle is in Massachusetts attending her family reunion. We decided to fly up rather than sail up. Bel Ami is tucked in

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-47882027163573791932009-06-17T01:03:00.000-07:002009-06-17T04:52:59.736-07:00

Greetings to all!We are finally voyaging through the Bahamas, en route to New England for the summer. Actually, as I am writing this Gayle and I are overnighting near the Miami airport en route back to St. Thomas for a week of work for me. I have already made one work week trip back to Wisconsin end of May and will probably return for another Wisconsin work week early in August. Our voyage

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-26642639329481900932009-03-02T01:01:00.000-08:002009-03-02T01:12:25.967-08:00

The time has finally come to leave St. Thomas. At the end of March Admiral Gayle and I (aka Davey can eat it!) plan to shove off. First stop Puerto Rico, then Turks and Cacos, Bahamas, Bermuda, with the goal of sailing past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River in July to visit friends and family. After that, who knows!! Been busy with final preparations: solar panels, wind generator

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-46569280975345740942009-03-02T00:03:00.000-08:002009-06-17T02:18:43.104-07:00

In January Phil and friends Brenna and Andrea came sailing on Bel Ami. Admiral Gayle and myself (Captain Doctor Accordian Guy Dave) had ourselves a fine time hosting Phil and his lovelies. We feasted like royalty, having almost all meals on board, and danced our socks off at the Willie T and Foxies. Phil and I dived the Wreck of the Rhone, and we all snorkled incessantly everywhere we could.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-64524005180576358092008-12-21T07:25:00.000-08:002008-12-21T07:29:35.249-08:00

Sandi and Rod and Jan came sailing with Dave and Gayle on Bel Ami for several days in late November. We ate (and ate and ate) and sailed and snorkled and Jan slept under the stars and Rod got his feet wet snorkling and we played scrabble and ate some more and whaddaya expect??!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-16343259088876127942008-12-21T06:59:00.000-08:002008-12-21T07:05:07.086-08:00

On December 4 2008 two families came and sailed on the Bel Ami. We had a great trip out to Salt Pond on St. James, and back to Cruz Bay on St. John for the sunset. Thanks to Colette for the referral of these wonderful two families!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-71650487319413249432008-11-19T04:42:00.000-08:002008-11-19T04:44:48.235-08:00

Fred DeVillers came down for 10 days. We sailed to St. Croix, where I took my SPEX medical licensing examination. I played accordian with the St. Croix Blues Society, and Fred got his PADI scuba diving certification. We also hiked out to Peterbourg Point on St. Thomas with Gayle, who is seen in the photos traipsing around barefoot on the rock!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-77241298239022388772008-11-19T04:28:00.000-08:002008-11-19T04:32:20.229-08:00

Dave and Julie and friends Hugh and Fiona (please correct me if I got your names mispelled) showed up a couple days after Aunt Judy and Uncle Charlie. Gayle and I showed them a good time on the Bel Ami, where we sailed out to Buck Island and went snorkling. Great picture of Julie jumping in the water!! You Go Girl!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-82642825787035353372008-11-19T04:04:00.001-08:002008-11-19T04:27:44.775-08:00

From Fun with Uncle Charlie and Aunt JudyUncle Charlie and Aunt Judy came to St. Thomas for a visit. We had a great time showing them around the island, and they made friends with all the regulars at Carigas. Great to see you guys!!!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-48926267723872143422008-11-19T03:37:00.000-08:002008-11-20T16:52:50.545-08:00

Life just keeps happening. Biggest change has been the end of a 10 year relationship with Anne. Me and Annie called it quits in July. We have lovingly parted, and wish each other well. In the meantime, I obtained my captain's license, successfully completed the SPEX examination to get a medical license in the Virgin Islands, and most importantly met Gayle (thank you Arran). 52 years old,

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-49740362113799042542008-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:002008-09-09T09:57:17.231-07:00

Lots happened since I've last posted on the blog. Hardly know where to start, so I'll start where I left off: In July I got my Captain's Diploma for a Master's 100 Ton License! I'm still waiting to get digitally fingerprinted by the US Coast Guard, and then I will get my official Coast Guard Captain's License. I'm also in the process of applying for a Charter Yacht Business License in the VI.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-61775278600562816922008-07-18T09:12:00.001-07:002008-07-18T09:14:27.916-07:00

July 4 this year was spent at Carnival in St. John. The pictures tell the story...

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-4028532429411870042008-07-18T08:54:00.000-07:002008-07-18T08:57:13.888-07:00

Anne and I had a great sail to St. Croix. This was one of our first blue water experiences, traveling over deep Caribbean waters. The boat sailed fantastically, and we had a wonderful time in Christiansted, having met some very interesting people from Denmark and South Africa.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-7221498439007674892008-07-18T08:40:00.000-07:002008-07-18T08:50:06.449-07:00

Few weeks ago friends Sam and Diane decided to take a few days off from working in their dive shop. Unfortunately, their dive boat had died--the prop shaft decided to break in two!! Making the best out of a bad situation, they took a few days off and came sailing on the Bel Ami!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-16320128810040088092008-07-18T08:31:00.000-07:002008-07-18T08:35:51.767-07:00

Gerard, one of the more interesting characters in the world of St. Thomas, decided to try out some new island footwear. Stinky Feet!!!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-65969491553266613512008-05-21T06:29:00.000-07:002008-05-21T07:01:11.660-07:00

Hard to take hanging out with Dave Starofsky and Lynne. One of these days Dave is gonna get a haircut!! FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-53331351559190125392008-05-21T06:21:00.000-07:002008-05-21T07:26:47.924-07:00

It was a slow start on Sat, May 17. Friends Dave, Lynne, Sam, Diane, Bonnie, Bob and Barb arrived at about 3 pm and we shoved off at about 3:45 pm, hoping to take the high tide out for a sunset sail. Unfortunately, I slightly miscalculated, getting us stuck softly aground for about 15 minutes while we waited for the tide to come up another few inches. The tide cooperated, and we were off on a

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-21655280885566034962008-05-21T06:15:00.001-07:002008-05-21T06:21:02.495-07:00

Love eating those Hot Dogs!! Hey Dad, these pictures are for YOU!Unfortunately, the hot dogs in the cart weren't the greatest. Took one look at those poor little doggies that had been sitting in the pot for way too long and said...Ah,...no thanks!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-35264113817221031032008-05-21T06:01:00.000-07:002008-05-21T06:14:41.074-07:00

Here is my buddy Gerard, an otherwise serious wise guy who has just become the Caribbean Distributor of DUX boats www.duxboats.com Go Gerard!!!!!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-37970589157373967702008-04-06T22:27:00.000-07:002008-04-06T22:37:28.540-07:00

Ann Wagner and Jim Penn (Phil DeViller's high school english teach) braved the late winter/early spring weather to travel from Wisconsin to the Virgins. They made very capable swabs, handling such chores as knot tying (not!) and dingy riding. The weather was not as cooperative as we would have liked, but we made the best of it with visits to the Beach Bar at Cruz Bay where the St. John's Blues

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-9997690626434781862008-03-07T16:51:00.000-08:002008-03-09T08:12:18.343-07:00

Kevin and Jamie made it down to St.Thomas on February 27th for a weeks long cruise to the Islands. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time. None the least was a local Jost Van Dyke musician who pronounced that Jamie had a body that could grill a cheese sandwich and that she was an angel. And he didn't even know we were from Wisconsin at the time! And didn't he just know what he was talking

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-71438999534275048732008-02-18T15:02:00.000-08:002008-02-18T15:05:45.126-08:00

A couple weeks ago Bob and Francesca blessed us with their presence on the Bel Ami for a week. Not only did Francesca paint her toenails pink, but she also climbed the mast to help service our windvane!!! Enjoy their photos!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-9263693884178515332008-02-16T17:34:00.000-08:002008-02-16T18:45:13.491-08:00

Bruce and Carol spent Valentine's week on Bel Ami with Anne and I. One of the first things that happened was the head sail ripped. We did a quick patch with Duct Tape and it worked great!!!!Here are more photos of this fabulous trip. Check out Bruce and Carol dancing the nite away at the Willy T!!! We hope to see them back soon!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-76295931920454464062008-01-28T20:06:00.001-08:002008-01-28T20:08:56.263-08:00

Last week in January 2008 I had the pleasure to host Fred and his mom Marie. The big event of the trip was the Packer's game, which we watched while holed up at the Jolly Roger's in Soper's Hole. Well, you know the story. Not only did the Pack not succeed, but it also rained the whole time!!!! Finally, the skies cleared and we had great sailing. We covered a lot of distance, and in the big

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-81386013200471274762008-01-28T15:04:00.000-08:002008-01-28T15:11:22.578-08:00

Right after New Years Gillian and Simon joined Anne and I on the Bel Ami. We had a most wonderful week together. Simon and I dived on the Wreck of the Rhone, something I've been wanting to do for 30 years. We all did lots of snorkling, great eating, and fabulous sailing. There is really something special about sailing around with your kids, and having Gillian and Simon on board was another

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-60506982201507761812008-01-28T14:55:00.000-08:002008-01-28T15:02:18.581-08:00

Heidi and Kim decided to visit St. Thomas and spend some time both on land and on sea. We had fabulous times, none the least were getting stuck at low tide while trying to sail back into the Marina. Not once, but twice!!! And this was the first time I ever got stuck before. Well, I really can't complain, because being stuck on a sandbar with these two georgous fun loving women was about all I

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-20253784485254644892007-12-31T14:53:00.000-08:002007-12-31T14:57:39.694-08:00

Evelyne, Chris and their daughter Eirka came sailing with me on Christmas Eve day. We had a great time beating out to the south side of St. John, then reached back in for some great snorkling at Christmas Cove. These guys own a local canvas shop, and are longtime residents of St. Thomas.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-29161497568253533142007-12-24T00:25:00.001-08:002007-12-24T00:32:44.095-08:00

Layne and Joan made a last minute decision to come down for a visit, and I am so glad. Layne is my boat systems guru, and I have him to thank for getting me on the path of boat maintenance and repair. He is AMAZING and can fix anything. Joan is an incredible bundle of fun, and between the two of them life becomes one party after another! For the first couple days Layne and I worked on the

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-76327970681565629812007-12-24T00:23:00.001-08:002007-12-24T00:23:53.680-08:00

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-10433386270716803252007-11-11T17:28:00.000-08:002007-11-11T17:33:50.650-08:00

Here are pictures of the hot tub room which otherwise serves as my office in Madison. We have sold the house, closing is May 30th 2008, and we are currently looking for a "homebase" in Madison. I took these pictures of my office, which is off the master bathroom and part of the master bedroom suite. The hot tub sits across from my desk. This is the room that I spend the most time in. I'm

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-43360044293540434702007-11-09T03:11:00.000-08:002007-11-11T19:57:28.966-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting Phil Devillers on the Bel Ami. We had a great week of sailing, starting out with a long sail from Christmas Cove to the North Sound over the north side of Tortola. Phil wrote a long a detailed journal of this trip, and I'm sure he'd be happy to send it out to any and all that are interested. Just email me and I will send you the file, which is compressed

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-85167714738932635822007-11-08T20:24:00.000-08:002007-11-09T03:18:32.207-08:00

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-42497027825900982382007-10-21T13:48:00.000-07:002007-10-21T13:52:04.480-07:00

OK, so these are not the best pictures that my Motorola Razor phone has taken. Ok, so maybe I had a few too many Buds when I was snapping these pictures. But they give you a general ideal. What's missing are the gila monsters!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-87129009026518465182007-10-15T08:01:00.000-07:002007-10-15T08:30:01.787-07:00

Sunday Morning Annie and I went off with "Big Wave" Dave (BWD)and Lynne on their powerboat Sun Chaser. Friends Onyx and Janet were along. Onyx is an avid spear fisherman and lobsterhunter, and got BWD and me all psyched up for the hunt. Anne, Lynne and Janet kept the boat going while we were diving. To make a long story short, I forget to take my camera phone with me to take pictures, so I

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-62701061243630445542007-10-10T19:53:00.000-07:002007-10-10T20:06:00.932-07:00

At long last, Annie has graced the Bel Ami with her presence! Coming off of a month where we almost sold the house, it has been quite an exciting and emotionally difficult time for us. We didn't get an offer on the house that we couldn't refuse, unfortunately. However, the offer was fair given the current market conditions, and seriously tempting. Negotiations have been protracted, the

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-50786188366220662982007-10-10T17:39:00.000-07:002007-10-10T17:41:19.841-07:00

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-81958354170302292722007-10-03T15:29:00.000-07:002007-10-03T15:36:42.813-07:00

Here is a picture of me and Sam. All I heard about the whole time I was sailing with the Utah Ladies was about this great guy Sam who took care of their every want and need!!!! OK, so he's just a little better looking then I am; he's younger; stronger; smarter; and all that stuff. Sam, you the man!!!!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-8130766761716434182007-10-02T20:52:00.000-07:002007-10-02T20:56:55.442-07:00

September 27-28, 2007. Here I am, playing the accordian at Tickles, minding my own business. Wednesday nite, open Mic, and I'm revving up a fine version of Billy Joel's "Accordian Man" when in walks a group of 4 Ladies from Utah! No, they are not Mormans. Just 4 friends who decided to take a September week's of vacation down in the Islands. And they are charmed by the accordian! Here they

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-65404327064401587152007-09-24T01:50:00.000-07:002007-09-24T01:59:06.019-07:00

My good friend Gerard has been a fabulous resource and overall good buddy. He has lived down here for several years, and adds a wonderful craziness to all thats happening. He has introduced me to many wonderful people, including Dorene who publishes an island restaurant guide and who is also a super pastry chef (a good person to know especially if you like to eat!!). Gerard's friend Dick

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-32115376032293656882007-09-24T01:29:00.001-07:002007-09-24T03:47:30.236-07:00

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-40747809827543038572007-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:002007-09-24T02:10:02.214-07:00

On September 3, 2007, I hiked up to the top of Yost Van Dyke, one of the many very cool places in the BVI. White Bay on this island is one of my daughter Sarah's favorite places in the world. The hike up to the top is brutal in the heat and humidity, but well worth the trek! Plan to have good hiking shoes and bring plenty of water!

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-29340379102189637032007-08-29T21:24:00.001-07:002007-08-29T21:54:34.430-07:00

Yes Folks, its finally happened. My accordian is finally out and about in this Island Paradise. And how well was it received? Well, just look on the faces of some of the party goers, and you decide!I've started playing at some of the local open Mics: Lattitudes 18 (Great Meat Loaf!!) and Tickles are two local bars that have regular weekly open Mics. Mighty Whitey (pictures below) is the

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-18241276958220610232007-08-20T12:22:00.000-07:002007-08-20T12:51:17.631-07:00

Hurricane Dean began in the South East Atlantic just west of the coast of Africa and slowly made its way across the Atlantic, building up strength. When it was over 1000 miles from St. Thomas, it was predicted to hit the region of the Virgin Islands. I was originally to visit my parents in NY this past weekend, but canceled those plans to prepare the Bel Ami for a hurricane hit. This involved

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-7001608192039502182007-07-26T05:16:00.000-07:002007-07-26T05:22:55.008-07:00

Bel Ami now has two new electric flush toilets, as well as a portable ice maker (thanks to Larry and Kitty). The project list is getting bigger and bigger, and includes such items as electronic navigation systems, windvane automatic steering, wind and solar power generators, new life raft and emergency beacons. Audio and video systems are also being installed. A spare parts inventory is being

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-90397006295361228702007-07-03T21:55:00.001-07:002007-07-03T22:02:08.937-07:00

Here is the Bel Ami at Dock in Benner's Bay, St. Thomas. It has a wonderful "ShadeTree" Awning that keeps the decks and interior cool despite the tropical sun. Bel Ami has 2 separate staterooms, each with its own head (bathroom/shower); a well equipped galley (kitchen); Salon area with large dining table that can seat 8 people!. There are 3 airconditioners, one for each stateroom and one in

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2803483492876653433.post-86403923100932968202007-07-03T21:49:00.000-07:002007-07-03T22:21:55.587-07:00

My daughter Sarah and her friend Terese visited Bel Ami in June. Here are some of the pictures they took.

Captain Dave Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944251471736141223noreply@blogger.com