Sure, but y’all already knew that . . .We bought a dinghy for Charisma! – an Achillles LSI-10. We wanted something stowable but functional. It takes about 15 minutes to pump it up – but with practice, maybe we can speed it up a bit.Specs:Beam 5′ 2″Weight 77 LbsCapacity: 4 Persons or 1250 LbsTube Diameter 17″ (Separate Air Chambers 3 + Floor + Air Keel)Stowed Dimensions 3′ 9″ x 1′ 11″ x 1′ 4. It is a 10’4″We have yet to test out the dinghy motor that is flying off the stern of Charisma. Should be fun? I am thinking that Heather needs to be involved with all things dinghy. 🙂 
UPDATE: FROM CHANNEL ISLANDS VOYAGE, MAY, 2008. The dinghy was awesome. Check it out. We used it to explore sea caves, go ashore, set the stern anchor and it towed fantastically, even with the engine on. 
Photos of Charisma
Some of the first photos of Bob’s boat on the Bay (courtesy of Peter Lyons at Lyons Imaging)
Zombies On The Transpac
Things got a little silly after 10 days crossing the Pacific from LA to Hawaii on the Transpac this summer on Shanti, Jon’s Olson 911
Fleet Week
After 2 days of watching the Blue Angels practice outside my office window (niiiice), we took Charisma over to Quarry Point and set anchor – it set the first time. Although the Island blocked some of the show, it also blocked the wind and the boat traffic. We were one of the few boats in the area and enjoyed quite a show and the Blue Angels even flew right overhead. Of course, neither of us brought a camera this time.
In the Beginning . . .
My parents gave me sailing lessons for my twelfth birthday. I went nuts for sailing and after building my own sailboat when I was 14, (an El Toro), sailing my Flying Junior all over the Bay in my teens, international racing on Star Boats and other larger yachts in my twenties I stopped sailing for a “rest”. I always knew I’d take it up again, just didn’t know when. My love of sailing re-awakened in 2006 with a Bareboat Charter with friends Jon and Heather to British Virgin Islands.This trip got me thinking that this sailing in the tropics stuff is pretty cool. After coming back I looked around a bit at some boats and decided that the time wasn’t quite right, besides I was having a lot of fun flying to Baja and other places in my airplane. But Jon and Heather continued in a subversive manner to re-infect me with the sailing bug. They bought their own boat, Shanti, and got me to go to the Grenadines (Caribbean) again in 2007. 
…and the final straw… Jon convinced me to sail on his boat to Hawaii in the Transpac!
The damage was done. I had to have a boat and sail away to the South Seas. So, one day while reading Lattitude 38, I saw a Tayana 37 in Alameda for sale. On a whim, I went to see the boat and immediately fell in love with it and we’re now up to the present (Sept, 2007). 
This blog, this adventure is born. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I’m enjoying living it. The plan: South Pacific-bound Around 2011 or so. Stay tuned and see how close (or far off) the estimate is.
