Dreaming about the Fleming 55 Motor Yacht

Tony Fleming, used to work at Grand Banks building these classics before venturing on his own to build his own brand of Fleming Yachts. The result is a well built Motor Yacht for the well informed seafarer. In my books, it's simply perfect. All 55 feet of her is so well thought of, its amazing that she has a 2,000 nautical mile range without sacrificing all the comforts of home. I love the Pilot House with the Portuguese bridge, its so very practical and friendly when navigating a congested channel at night. Everything about a Fleming is practical and incredibly beautiful.

This video depicts Tony Fleming's venture to Alaska. Simply breathtaking.

   

                                                    The Classic Fleming 55 Motor Yacht.

The Last Frontier - Discover it by Boat

The Final Frontier may be space, but that vast vestige is out of reach of the common man. Not so with the Last Frontier, the Seas; best discovered by boat. The Oceans and Seas are often described as Inner Space. It may be that we know more about our Galaxy than we know about the innumerable secrets of Inner Space. The obvious reason is we cannot see through it and probably will never be able to for a long time to come. Until technology is about to penetrate the darkness of the deep oceans, there will be many more secrets to be uncovered before we even begin to unravel the mysteries of the Oceans within planet earth.

Catch good for a few meals

I checked the 2 bubu today, We usually dive down to a depth of about 12m where the bubu is placed. Today, we caught 3 groupers, golden trevallis and lots of good eating reef fish.

This 3kg Tiger Grouper ate all the small fish in the Bubu. The weight gain was obvious. 

Even with the obvious pollution, the reefs in Singapore continue to survive

Too small for the cooking pot... caught & released

Trawler yacht interiors

Whats with trawler yacht interiors that lifts my spirit up every time I look at them. The styling is warm and the wood interiors, rich and inviting. It has been my wish to live onboard a yacht for many years now. That would be the perfect home for me for sure. I am so very comfortable on a yacht, even though it may be a little cramped for the average household.

Every inch is detailed and crafted with tender loving care

Laminated wood floors add to functionality and beauty

The raised bar type table top is more than sufficient for full meals comfortably

The raised forward section houses the wheel house. 

   

Magnificent Interior, I just love this

The Joy of Giving

Giving to the Orphanage for Blind Children in Bali

They danced & sang for us at the orphanage, and never once indulged in self-pity

It has been sometime since I visited the orphanages that Five-Star Legacy supports in Indonesia. Ironically it was the children at the orphanages that taught us much more than we could have taught them. I had anticipated that they would be shy, indifference and non engaging. I was totally wrong. They were full of enthusiasm to receive us visitors and were spontaneous with their smiles, laughter and mischief throughout the visit. We felt immediately at home. They taught me a lot about the human spirit in the face of disadvantage and struggle. They were simply joyous and void of any inhibitions associated with forced regimentation. They were loved and love does change everything.

South China Sea Wreck Fishing Aug 2015

Either you love fishing or you don't. Deep sea fishing isn't always done in deep waters but it is always at the great expanse of the open sea. To catch fish, you can't just anchor off anywhere and drop the hook. You need to find the fish using the fish finder and anchor the boat up current so the bait drops down to where the fish are. Otherwise you will probably not catch any good fish except for the occasional scavenger fish that passes by.
Fishing is hard work. In the South China Sea, it is hot, humid, salty, windy, rainy and the traffic can get heavy before Horsburgh lighthouse before you exit into the Southern South China Sea.

So why do folks go fishing then? I guess its the thrill of the hunt, camaraderie, adventure and sheer excitement when you hook up a monster of a fish, that keeps you guessing what it is as you reel it in.
I am never tired at sea, even when staying awake fishing till 4am and waking up again at 6am. I only feel the tiredness when I get home, usually after 4 days at sea.

I guess that only thing I try to avoid is too much sun. I welcome the free Vitamin D but not the sun damage to skin and eyes. In any case, I will always love the sea and fishing the fascinating fish that inhibit her waters.

Grounding should be a thing of the past

Grounding can be avoided quite easily with a Chart Plotter & good Lookout 

As a Naval Officer I was taught that Navigation is 90% planning and 10% execution. We didn't have Chart Plotters or even GPS back then in the late 70's and early 80's. We had to rely on charts and take fixes every 6 mins before deciding how to get back on track or to alter course to the next track. Before setting off to a destination, the entire route had to be planned and all the dangers along that route marked in bold and given a wide berth.

As a result we had very few grounding incidences if any. Ship handling, Seamanship and Navigation was considered an art back then. Today's technology has advanced these art-forms bringing incredible efficiency that I never could have imagined. Having been brought up the old fashioned ways, I feel privileged to be able to use the current Chart Plotters, Fleur, digital radars and colour sounders for navigation.

Hence it does puzzle me that a boat equipped with all these modern marvels can still end up on the rocks. I feel that a little preparation will help tremendously in avoiding a grounding. Looking at today's Chart Plotters, it is near impossible to ground, unless one is not looking.

I would urge all boaters to have at least 2 Chart Plotters at the helm station. The little it costs these days will save lives and a huge salvage bill.

Wishing you many more happy boating days..... See you on the water .