Passion For The Sea | Gene Parola

Gene Parola started the forum topic Hurricane Preparedness in the group Boating: 9 months ago

My Hurricane Handbook–based on thirty years of liveaboarding in MD and VA– is available again at a discount as a storm roars toward the South Atlantic coast. You still have several days to prepare if you start immediately. Go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/40894 to browse and buy. I’ll reimburse the download price to anyone who writes a [...]
Gene Parola posted an update: 9 months ago

With a hurricane roaring toward the Atlantic Coast, l again offer my Hurricane Handbook–based on thirty years of liveaboard experience in MD and VA–at a discount. You still have several days to prepare. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/40894
Gene Parola posted on the forum topic Boat Names & Stories in the group Boating: 1 year, 1 month ago

Goodness aren’t we touchy about language!! I’ve had two perfectly good words censored in two days. Who does this stuff–a machine? I”m an author and pretty well know the English language and its use-polite and other wise. Not all four letter words are “bad”. A four letter word that is short for dinghy is very [...]
Gene Parola posted on the forum topic Boat Names & Stories in the group Boating: 1 year, 1 month ago

I had a dinghy once which I named, “Pain in the Aft”. After a few years of trying ALL of the advice that’s out there on the subject of towing a ****, I made room on the fore deck and lashed it down there. Kept the name–it was a good conversation starter.
Gene Parola joined the group Boating 1 year, 1 month ago
Gene Parola posted an update: 1 year, 2 months ago

I’m seeking a long lost friend. Anybody know a guy named Matt Blair?
If so and you have contact info for him, please pass it to me. I want to surprise him on his birthday.
Gene Parola posted an update: 1 year, 2 months ago

Some one asked on another site about the title of my novel, ‘The Devil to Pay’. The Devil was the longest seam (just below the gunnel) on the hull of a great sailing ship. To ‘pay’ it meant to put hot pitch in it to make it water tight. It was ‘maintenance’ and done while hanging over the side while under way. We get the saying: ‘Between the…[Read more]
Gene Parola posted a new activity comment: 1 year, 2 months ago

It’s reality. It’s like the Nuke problem in Japan. The failures occurred in places he least expected-in back up gear that failed when primaries failed first. An old sailor’s adage– Emergencies come in threes–two and three result from the previous one.

In reply to - Gene Parola posted an update: Been counseling a friend just returned from the Tuomotos. He spent a lot to buy a blue water boat, spent more than the purchase price to bring it up to his standards (he made a […] · View
Gene Parola posted an update: 1 year, 2 months ago

Been counseling a friend just returned from the Tuomotos. He spent a lot to buy a blue water boat, spent more than the purchase price to bring it up to his standards (he made a circumnavigation 20 years ago) and set out last fall.
He had made two one thousand mile shakedown cruises and everything looked fine. By the time he arrived in the…[Read more]
- Kathy replied 1 year, 2 months ago
  
  I can’t tell if that is a comedy or a tragedy!
  - Gene Parola replied 1 year, 2 months ago
    
    It’s reality. It’s like the Nuke problem in Japan. The failures occurred in places he least expected-in back up gear that failed when primaries failed first. An old sailor’s adage– Emergencies come in threes–two and three result from the previous one.
Gene Parola posted an update: 1 year, 2 months ago

I’ve published a Hurricane Handbook reflecting my years on the MIdAtlantic coast as a live-aboard. I’ll give a free copy of my novel (most of which takes place on a sailing yacht) to any who will download the Handbook and post a review of it. Anyone interested please contact me here.
Gene Parola commented on the blog post PFTS Photo of the Week! 1 year, 2 months ago

Finally retired back to the islands after forty plus years on the mainland.
Had a 32′ Galaxie by Bill Tripp on the Chesapeake for thirty of them
No slips out here–ten year waiting list.
Gene Parola commented on the blog post PFTS Photo of the Week! 1 year, 2 months ago

Hey, David–
Picture reminds me of too many times when a halyard snagged and all the crew turned toward the lightest guy in the crew–me. One season in Hawaii back in the early ’50s (the days of hemp that you pulled instead of smoked)
I almost got saddle sores from the bos’un chair.
Gene Parola became a registered member 1 year, 2 months ago