CookNH
Nate Cook Joined: May 20th 2008
Logged in: July 3rd 2009
Logged in: July 3rd 2009
"TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL BE MORE DISAPPOINTED BY THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T DO THAN BY THE ONES YOU DID.
SO THROW OFF THE BOWLINES.
SAIL AWAY FROM THE SAFE HARBOR.
CATCH THE TRADEWINDS IN YOUR SAILS.
EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER."
Travel Blog Posts
Blue Moon crew
The best thing that has happened this summer would have been the experience of attending the Arlington Million Horse Race. This is like nothing I’ve ever done in my life! The entire crew was fortunate enought to spend the day at the Arlington Race Track. There were endless amounts of food buffets and VIP service. The girls were decked out in sundresses and oversized hats, with the guys in jackets and ties. We tried our luck at betting on horses, but weren’t too successful. The day was unlike any I ever had. We ended the day with dinner at a Tapas Bar in Lincoln Park, where we chatted and laughed for a few good hours. When the crew is all together on nights like these, we really have a good time. A few days later, we ... read more
Launching the Jet Skis
It’s been a few weeks now since landing in Milwaukee. Although there is always work to be done when there aren’t guests on board, we still find enough time to have fun and entertain ourselves. We caught the last night of Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival. Earth, Wind and Fire was the main highlight of the evening, along with some other great bands that I’ve never heard of. Since the Milwaukee/Chicago area is where I’m originally from, all of my family is not too far away. I had the opportunity to see Grandma for a couple of days. She came and got the full tour of Blue Moon and brought me back to Lake Geneva (an hour outside Milwaukee) for the weekend. So great to see her! We have spent a few days in Chicago ... read more
Toronto Skyline
The tall, thin, space needle-like structure known as the CN Tower stood out among the other buildings as the skyline slowly emerged from the hazy morning sky. We pulled alongside Pier 4 in the heart of Toronto next to a restaurant full of onlookers disrupted from their meal. The Sky Dome (home of the Blue Jays), or now called Rogers Centre, sat just 3 blocks from the marina right under the CN Tower. There couldn’t have been a better location to be berthed. Toronto was a much more modern city, a bit larger, and less inviting than recently visited Montreal. We were fortunate to have experienced Canada Day with the rest of the city, as thousands of people flocked the streets and harbor front to partake in the shopping a and free concerts all weekend. I ... read more
Sailing North
It’s hard to believe how fast time goes living and working on such a ‘small’ boat! Since my last blog, we’ve sailed into Canada and spent a week in Montreal, climbed a few hundred feet in elevation to the fresh waters of Lake Ontario via the St. Lawerence Seaway Lock system, glanced at Quebec City’s mighty castle, pulled along side Pier 4 in downtown Toronto, and visited Niagara Falls. Each passing day has included new lessons learned, new routines, new scenery and landscapes, new pilots, and the constant wonder of what we’re going to see next. We sailed as far north as Newfoundland as the temperature dropped to a bone chilling 5 degrees Celsius (I’m adjusting to the metric system quite well)! My hands were numb as I shammied the saltwater off the decks for the ... read more
Statue of Liberty
The motor yacht Blue Moon has been quite an adjustment from the normal 9 to 5 job and lifestyle we’re all used to. My day’s have consisted of scrubbing decks, polishing stainless steel, cleaning windows, and doing it all again the next day. I work in the ‘deck department’ with 3 other deckhands, one from South Africa and two from England. Our team’s main responsibility is the exterior of this 198’ Feadship yacht. We handle the lines and fenders when docking and transport the guests to and from the yacht when we are at anchor. The other toys, which include a 32’ ChrisCraft tender, a 1972 classic Riva Aquarama, scuba equipment, jet skis, kayaks, and fishing gear are also our responsibility to keep in top shape. The job doesn’t start at 9 am and end at ... read more
My new home/work for the summer.
Got a call from the Captain, asking me to meet the boat in Charleston, SC on the 31st of May. Of course! Pack some "going out" clothes, and a computer. I have no idea what to expect, what type of crew is already on board, where I'll be sleeping, or what I'll see. This is a good start into the yachting industry. As a temporary deckie, I have a lot to learn this summer. We are planning on heading north to NYC and Long Island, around Halifax, Nova Scotia, into the St. Lawerence Seaway, and through a series of locks. The month of July is supposedly spent around the Chicago/Milwaukee area. Should be interesting, to say the least...!... read more
