Steal Away on a Secret Rendezvous at Couples Resorts

Looking for a steal this winter? Want to add an element of surprise to your vacation? Try a "Secret Rendezvous" from Couples Resorts! Rates start at only $350/per night - total for TWO people. The secret is you won't know which Couples Resort you are booked at until 7 days prior to your arrival! 

Book by March 18 for travel between March 1 to 31, 2011. 


Jamaica is one of the few islands that has cheap flight prices available even if you wait until the last minute to book. Delta, Air Tran, American, and United all have daily flights.

Enjoy,

A sailor, not a hunter

Yesterday I went on a shoot.

I had my doubts and reservations, but decided to give it a try to support friends and family that had organised the event. While I admire the ethical position of vegetarianism I continue to eat meat, an act which inevitably involves the death of animals. So would it be inconsistent not to be prepared to do the key task myself?

In the end my aim was so poor that I have no pheasant's life on my conscience.

It was interesting to see who else was there and why. The main group were locals taking the opportunity of this, the last weekend of the shooting season, to enjoy a traditional countryside activity as a community event. They typically wore checked shirts and ties and were all ages down to boys the height of their guns but already dead-shots and quietly polite.

Then there were the experts who choose this activity, those who'd go off to Africa to hunt large animals, who had the gear and practice to know what to do, who'd ended the day with a decent tally.

There was much advice from both groups as to how to improve, such as to spend time clay pigeon shooting, for like all skill based occupations the way to improve is practice, practice, practice.

But I don't want to get any better: it is not a skill I want.

I am a sailor, not a hunter.

Buff speaks out!

G'day all! Buff Staysail here, Buff by name and Buff by nature!

JP's just stepped away from the keyboard for a moment so its time for a spot of Buff's wisdom. As you will know, get a cold beer or two in my hand and you're in for a treat.

Just some of my words of wisdom are:

"The art of winning is not in winning, but in winning so that the rest of fleet are pleased you have won"

"It will give an idea of my approach to sailing when I say I measure distance in bottles of liquor"

"Training accumulates. It's like money in the bank"

"Let this be your motto - Rely on yourself! For, whether the prize be a ribbon or throne, The victor is he who can go it alone!"

"Success is simply the extension and utilization of an an entire series of failures"

"Starting a boat in a large fleet is like playing Russian roulette with five bullets instead of one. One mistake and the finish is very quick"

"In life, as in surfing, there are waves that if you dare to ride them will kill you, and there are waves that will give you the ride of your life... All we are really doing in our short time on this big round ball is paddling around trying to figure out which ones are which."

"If there is one characteristic which all winners share, it is impatience with, and intolerance for, losing"

"I had been sailing for years before I realized that most people with boats are liars"

"Oh what a luxury it be how exquisite, what perfect bliss so ordinary yet chic to pee to piss to take a leak"

How about that! Those are truly words of wisdom from your's truly!

That's Buff - over and out!

Not so Happy Australia Day

First of course Happy Australia Day!

I was a bit worried I'd missed Oz day but according to my iThing it is still Wednesday in Perth so I've just got in under the wire. But all is not happy in the land of the bouncy 'roo and shrimp loaded barbie, for us poms are in the dog house again.

Not content with taking the ashes home we've got our grubby mits on the first map to call the land down under "Australia".

It was so named in the drawing (above) by Captain Matthew Flinders who circumnavigated the continent back in 1801-3. He made it while imprisoned for six years by the dastardly French in Mauritius and now it rests unseen within the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton.

Strewth!

Hence this campaign to bring the map home.

Anyhow put away those wee drams of whisky, get yourself a cold tinny and raise it the lucky country!

Gastro quiz

A gastronomic quiz relating to the picture above:
1) What do you call the three things on my plate?
2) What are they made of?
3) Why should you eat them today?
4) Which one can't you import into the USA and why?
5) Would you eat them?
6) What do you drink with them?
7) What toasts should you make?

Grenada Sailing Festival 2011

If I could click my heels and go anywhere, leaving the dreary cold rain of Atlanta behind, it would be the Grenada Sailing Festival. I love the excitement of good competition and if the ocean and a tropical island are involved, even better! This year's festival runs from January 28 to February 1. Can't make it this year? Let's get started on your trip for next year! 

For full festival details - go here.

Check out the photo gallery of the Marina Headquarters.

Cheers,

Feel the Love Month in Bermuda!

This February is "Feel the Love" month in Bermuda! They've planned a few wonderfully romantic events across the island. You can download the full brochure here. Our company is able to combine the Feel the Love package with the "Compliments of Bermuda" promotion offering every 3rd night for FREE at many participating hotels! Contact us for more details. 

Cheerio,

Panel finds Blackbeard innocent

Today were published the findings of the official enquiry into the raiding of several ships off Charleston by Blackbeard, which concludes he was totally innocent.

The panel decided that he and his crew were "placed in a situation they were not completely prepared for and had not anticipated" and this led to loss of life.

According to Israel Blackbeard several of the merchant crew terrorists attacked him by reversing onto his sword - not just once but five times. Some even managed this while they were lying on the ground!

While the attacks happened in international waters it was legitimate as Israel Blackbeard was at the time undertaking a "completely legal" blockade of Gaza Charleston. This city - described by the pirates as a hostile territory - had shown its terrorist nature by resisting Blackbeard and crew. "God has told us all the gold in Charleston is ours" one crew member said.

Apparently some in Charleston and surrounding colonies have been seeking independence, a clearly hostile act.

"There has never been a country called the United States of America and there are no such people as the Americans" said pirate spokesperson Ms "Gold" Meir.

The panel did not interview any pirate crew or merchant sailor terrorist, instead basing its finding on the statements by Blackbeard.

Despite that it rejected calls from international lawyers that there was "clear evidence to support prosecutions" against Israel Blackbeard for "wilful killing" and torture committed when its sailors stormed the ships.

"We conclude by saying that these critics of Blackbeard are clearly biased against pirates" said a spokesperson, a Mr "White" Wash.

Amazing Wallpaper HD

Buff's Official Apology

Today we are joined by a (rather scary) representative from Leech, Vam, Pire & Partners lawyers who is to make an official statement.

On behalf of our client, Mr Buff Staysail, we would like to make clear our regret at the incident at the London Boat Show.  Our client is willing to accept without reservation that he is not the "Original Buff" and that he in no way had any hand in the creation of this brand. Furthermore he accepts that his statement that "it was all my idea" was completely without substance.

Mr Buff Staysail regrets grabbing handfuls of the product and throwing them into the watching crowd. Also after closer examination he agrees that the statement "I don't need one I'm not going bald" was factually incorrect. In addition he sincerely regrets trying to demonstrate on the sales woman his theory that the headband could be used to support other parts of the body.

In conclusion he willing agrees with the request to remain at least 50 m from any Buff store and accepts that his behaviour was in part due to a long session in the Boat Show bar.

With this statement we suggest that the incident is hereby considered closed.

Make a Difference in Jamaica!

I was introduced to the Children's Integrity Fund two years ago and featured their cause in this post. Since then, we've continued to support their efforts to educate the poorest of the poor in Jamaica. Being that they are based here in Atlanta, we are able to attend their local events and meetings which helps us feel connected to the cause.

On our trip last year to Jamaica (on the beach, in the villa and around the island), we made a stop in Trenchtown, to visit one of the fund's primary benefactors - the Operation Restoration Christian School:

School was not in session when we visited but we were able to meet some of the wonderful people who run the school:

This is the neighborhood:

These are roller skates:

Nearby the school, in what used to be one of grandest theaters in Kingston, the group conducts weekly worship for area kids. Here are some neighborhood kids coming to join in the sweet singing of hymns:

A volunteer leading the group:

We continued our tour of Trenchtown, kids in tow. We briefly questioned whether we should take our kids with us. Trenchtown is dangerous. This is the part of Jamaica made notorious by dancehall artists singing tales of the gunmen... but we stood firm in our belief that we do not want to shield our children from the realities of the world. It is only when we are truly made aware of reality that we are most inspired to make a difference:

When packing for our trip last year, I realized we needed to upgrade our luggage. Our old luggage had seen better days. Instead of giving it all away locally, I filled one suitcase with school supplies to deliver to the school on our visit. It was an easy way to make a difference.

 If you're inspired to do the same on your next trip to Jamaica, or any other Caribbean island, I'd be happy to help you coordinate the drop off. Contact me here.

If you'd like to donate to the Children's Integrity Fund - go here.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post! 

Altantis Paradise Island Launches $11 Million Teen Club

The Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in Nassau, Bahamas, recently launched CRUSH, an $11 million, 14,000-square-foot teen nightclub and entertainment center featuring an interactive Internet Lounge with multi-touch computers, plus surface tables with photo editing and publishing interfaced to Facebook. The facility also includes a Gaming Stadium with a 22-foot, floor-to-ceiling gaming tree and private cabanas stocked with state-of-the-art technology including Kinect, Microsoft’s motion sensor product for Xbox 360; plus a 1,500-square-foot Dance Club equipped with multi-purpose video walls, performance stage, VIP sections and doormen.

Priced at $25 per person, CRUSH is open from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. for teens ages 13 to 17. The new club joins the resort’s Club Rush in offering a fully supervised “no adults” private club where ‘tweens ages 9 to 13 can socialize and enjoy evening entertainment including the Atlantis LIVE concert series featuring Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. 

For more details, contact us! 

Cheers,

Some boat shows pic

Some pics from the boat show. Above and below some of the humongously big plastic things that Italian PM Berlusconi would use to entertain his "friends".

This rather neat display showed cruising shoot hoisting with a bank of fans to create wind and a boat that could be rotated round to simulate gybes etc.

There was also this indoor arena where you could try out standup kayaks, dinghies etc.

Alas Buff didn't behave himself that well and got into trouble......

Geoff Holt at the London Boat Show

One of the highlights of the London Boat Show was hearing Geoff Holt, winner of the 2010 Yachtsman of the Year, talk about his experiences.

He described his love of sailing and how he thought it was to be his life. All was going to plan and he had many thousands of miles under his belt, including several crossings of the Atlantic, when his broke his neck in a hasty dive into the deceptively shallow waters of Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI.

Geoff is a good speaker, relaxed and fluent, and from many a retelling as a "motivational speaker" tells the story well. It is indeed inspiring to hear how even a quadriplegic can achieve great things like circumnavigate Britain or cross the Atlantic. It reminded me a bit of my encounter with Jamie Andrew last month.

Maybe it was because of this I went up to him afterwards with a question that had come to me after talking about Jamie with a friend: it can it be a bit daunting for those that have mobility issues to hear about those that have been so successful despite their greater problems - what would he say to them?

It wasn't a question he'd expected, and we were distracted by photographers. But he made good points: firstly that everyone's path should be the one that is right for them, and that doesn't mean doing what Geoff or Jamie did. What is important is to gain in confidence and the best way to do that is to feel independent.

For Geoff that meant sailing again, to feel the boat react as he hauled on the main sheet or pushed the tiller over. And he was open about how hard it was, taking a long time to rehab - its now 25 years since his accident.

But there have been good things too: he met his wife in hospital where she was a nurse and they now have a son. Geoff might not have been able to play footie with him, but nothing was going to stop him learning to sail - as in the pic above.

He has also achieved much to help the disabled sail as part of his work for Sailability and last year 25,000 of them went out on the water. Good deeds like those give him a warm feeling, of doing something of value, and recognition too, with an MBE in 2010.

Geoff invited us to look at the names on the Yachtsman of the Year award, and there were many that I recognised, like Eric Hiscock, Francis Chichester, Robin Knox-Johnston, Chay Blyth, Pete Goss, Ellen MacArthur and Samantha Davies.

Those names have something in common, something that hopefully Geoff will have too, for already he is thinking of the next project - to be the first quadriplegic to sail around the world.

I certainly wish him well.

Stay in Luxury this Winter at Cap Juluca!

I'm still daydreaming about my last visit to Cap Juluca, easily one of the Caribbean's most perfect hotels. 

The year when you make good on your promise to escape the cold of winter and get away to the Caribbean paradise of Cap Juluca too. Their quiet bay, white sand beach and 80° temperatures are waiting!

They've made the decision even easier with our "Stay in Luxury" Package*. Simply book a Superior Room at its standard rate and you will be upgraded to a Luxury Room and will include a Continental Breakfast each morning, on your terrace or at Blue Restaurant on the beach. At almost 800 square feet, your Luxury Room is beautifully-appointed and features a covered terrace and fabulous ocean view. 

As with all promotions, restrictions apply. Please contact us for full details!

{Photo from my trip. View more here.}

Cheers,

London Boat Show 2011

After seeing the Gauguin at the Tate I went on to the Boat Show. Between the two spent rather a long time walking and had time to come to an important conclusion: people walk too slowly.

I mean really, do you want to spend an hour more than you need to wandering the isles of the cavernous ExCel?

Of course each year have wondered if its worth going at all, but this year thought it might help with the problem of choices, choices posted on earlier.

Many of the options could be ruled out, starting with the shiny new and hence expensive yachts. Indeed I'm not sure that ownership is right for me apart from that gleam in the eye for an inflatable kayak, especially when there are so many sailing schools and holidays.

Again some like the Fastnet and Clipper require far too much time than work will permit, but that still left many possible alternatives.

But not just sailing: the boat show was combined with two others, the outdoor show and something to do with bikes (push bikes that is), and some of those trekking holidays looked pretty good too.

In the end that's probably the best reason to go to these sorts of shows. Unless you have something specific in mind what is interesting is what you find interesting.

As the ancient Greeks put it: know thyself.

Or at least try to.

The Palmyra Opens in Montego Bay, Jamaica

The new Palmyra Solis Resort & Spa, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, opened recently in Montego Bay, Jamaica. We are super excited about the gorgeous spaces and well appointed rooms and suites and wanted to share a few photos...

The resort features an array of accommodation options to at varying price points.

All guestrooms, suites, and villas include: 24 hour room-service, daily housekeeping, nightly turndown service, and more...

We'll be featuring The Palmyra Wedding Packages on our Destination Wedding Blog so stay tuned!

Enjoy,

Gauguin at the Tate

Gauguin was a bad boy and he paid for it, dying of syphilis aged just 54.

You see him in this self portrait with one of his classic paintings in the background. In it a naked young girl is observed by a devil like death - or is she is dreaming of it? Gauguin excused himself as so many have done in the past: he is a genius and it is for art's sake.

But what does that make the gallery visitor? As you enter the Gauguin exhibition currently on at the Tate Modern you find yourself face to face with this very picture, the Manao Tupapau or Spirit Of The Dead Watching.

It is a disconcerting image on many levels, but that is something that Gauguin would have relished. Often in his paintings he seems to challenge the viewer. Rather than just paint a still life of fruit there'd be a mischievous face to one side, watching.

Many of his pictures are from his time in Tahiti. He imagined it to be unchanged and unspoilt since the first westerners arrived on HMS Dolphin, where the sailors were warmly welcomed by the local girls. He was depressed to find a land changed by French colonialism and Catholic missionaries.

Gauguin, though disappointed, seems to have replaced the reality by layers of imagined or reconstructed myths taken from sources as wide apart as Greece and Easter Island. Though surrounded by the most beautiful of blue water it rarely appears in his paintings. There are just the odd boat, not very good ones at that.

For his eyes were most definitely on land, and on those young girls in particular, and you could see the resignation in their faces.

The exhibition leaves a disturbing picture of a man with many demons of his own: I did wonder whether the devilish figure in the picture above was Gauguin himself, aware of his own mortality and the path that would take him to his death.

Buff's America's Cup Bid

G'day all! Buff Staysail here, Buff by name and Buff by nature!

Psst! Keep this one quiet will ya, got a wheeze to make your's truly loaded - and you too if want in. Buff Staysail is putting together an America's Cup syndicate. I've seen how there's big dosh to be made and I want some of it, and what's more I know how.

That Larry geezer missed a trick and Buff Enterprises is going to clean up - it should have gone to NY! This is how we make it work:

1. Mooring rights

Larry's first mistake was to go for real estate, 'cos that's limited by spare space, and there ain't much of that in the big apple. But you've got lots of water front, and just think of the money you could get by lining it with Cruise ships converted into appartments!! We're talking $$$ billions - and that leads me to the 2nd part of this scheme:

2. Short the property market

Now yours truly (actually holding company Buff ScrewU Inc) will create mind-blowing complex financial instruments that go short on what used to be NY waterfront properties that now just have views of our ships. When their value hits the floor our bank balance goes mental!! Of course it'll be routed via Mid West Main Street Family Bank so if it goes belly up the tax payers coughs up. But it won't cos of the next bit:

3. Radio Spectrum

What's worth more than property? Nothing! And the radio spectrum is just that - thin air! If NY want us there're going to have to give us 2 x 30 MHz spectrum to be taken from those lame-street broadcasters. With re-sell to the telcos we make billions and enter the high rollers and my yacht is bigger than yours. The final component is then:

4. Social Media and Marketing

It's all the buzz today, and we're going to tap in, by giving away all media - TV, games, web site, the lot - to anyone who subscribes via LinkedIn, Facebook, iPhone or Android app. And our app will suck all your connections and private data to Buff ScrewU offshore data farm (safely out of legal reach) for processing. With (say) 5 million users, each with 20 contacts we've got our mitts on 100m of the world's top people's inner secrets, and lets remember Facebook values each at $ 50 per user - that's serious money!

Timetable

Ok, we've got to get those ducks in a row. My biz plan says we can flog the AC for several billions, so our campaign budget will start at $ 500 million. But according to those lawyer folks we got to start the game rolling now. We need not just a wholly owned NY yacht club but one that has held at least one race a year over two years to pass Go, so we need to get cracking.

Here's the plan: we get together, set up a NY based yacht club, hold a race (Tillerman vs Adam will do, just 100 m then back to the bar) and we're in business. Bit of VC raising, do the rounds of Wall Street (they're going to love this) and we're in the money. IPO say 2014, laughing it in 2015.

Who's with me???!!!!!

Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana's New Spa!!

Secrets Resorts & Spas, the award-winning resort brand offering Unlimited-Luxury vacations for adults only, recently announced the opening of the new Secrets Spa by Pevonia at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana. The 20,000-square-feet facility will treat guests to a complete spa experience with nine treatments rooms, a thermal hydrotherapy circuit, fitness center, yoga and pilates studio, full-service salon, beauty boutique, juice bar, outdoor relaxation garden and locker rooms.

The new facility, accented by natural stone and wood, was custom designed. Hand-made blown glass chandeliers also were chosen to enhance the ambiance of the space. The nine treatment rooms, inclusive of 13 massage tables and two treatment tubs, are divided between the main spa building (three) and exterior private spa suites (six). The spa’s thermal hydrotherapy circuit consists of a sauna and steam bath, cold rain showers, whirlpool bath, cold plunge bath, swimming pool with cascading waterfalls and a tubular air lounger. There is also an outdoor relaxation garden.

Sanctuary Cap Cana is a luxury spa hotel. Prices are somewhat higher than other Secrets Resorts but we can combine with discount flights for decent package rates. American Airlines and most other major airlines, service the Punta Cana Airport. For full details, please contact us.

Cheers,

Choices Choices

Tillerman has recently posted about his decisions... which was an impressively long list and all to be resolved within a week! No wonder he retired to bed to think them through.

I've been wondering about something too: what to do this year? More offshore racing? More kayaking? More dinghy sailing? More power boats? More motor cruisers? More putting my feet up and watching others?

An unpredictable work life means I find it quite hard to plan ahead except to say no. So when was prompted to have the annual "shall I do Antigua week?" thought it only lasted as long as it took me to work out it would be just as a project we've just started on is planned to go live. Hmmm.... that might not impress the client.

Then when was asked whether would be interested in going skiing the answer was of course yes, until worked out it was the week of acceptance testing. Hmmm.... that might not impress the development team either.

I guess it will be another of those wait and see years.

Classic Yacht Kayak World

Today I got another invite from a magazine company suggesting I subscribe to their publication: this time "Ocean Paddler". Alas their sales and marketing department are going to be disappointed.

But it gave me an idea. These sorts of magazines worked best back when information was hard to get and so those interested in niche subjects had a relatively easy to meet requirement. There might only be a couple of articles per edition of interest but the lack of alternatives increased their value.

My problem - and I can't believe I'm alone in this - is that I'm sort of interested in a number of a topics and in each case there is now a free alternative, the web.

But that doesn't mean there aren't articles that would interest me from each publication. So from Classic Yachts it might be a report of the Fowey Classics while from Ocean Paddler an interview with Audrey Sutherland (as per Bonnie's suggestion). Good journalism is always worth reading, and finding it is getting harder not easier.

So maybe there's a new subscription model in which you can (say) read in an iPad app 100 articles from any water sports related magazine per month for $ 10 and after that (say) $0.5 per article. It would be a bit like your mobile phone (cellphone) contract: you get a certain number of minutes in the basic contract and after that it'll cost you.

Of course you'd call it something better than Classic Yacht Kayak World, but it would represent a half way house between single magazine subscriptions and high granularity pay per read micropayments.

If a publishing house like IPC Media with a decent portfolio were to use such a model it would be an awfully more attractive than each one of their publications on their own.

Maybe I should move quickly before the Buff Staysail Publishing Empire grabs the idea!

Get Fit for 2011 at the Bahamas' One & Only Ocean Club

The Bahamas’ One& Only Ocean Club is partnering with personal training system Physique 57 to offer two exclusive four-night retreats on Jan. 13 to 17 and May 12 to 16, 2011. Physique 57 is a dynamic exercise method featuring a cardiovascular program of isometric exercises and orthopedic stretches incorporating muscle-defining arm exercises, intense thigh and seat sequences, abdominal moves and fluid stretches to create a long and lean physique.

Guests will enjoy two daily classes with Physique 57 instructors, a Balinese-style spa featuring eight private treatment villas, outdoor meditation pavilion, extensive fitness facilities and nutritional cuisine by Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Georges. The four-night package also includes a food and beverage credit of $300, two $50 spa certificates, a welcome beach barbeque catered by Chef Jean-Georges, airport transfers, and a welcome gift bag with a Physique 57 DVD set and more!

For full details, contact our team at Caribbean Journey! 

Enjoy,