If it's good enough for her, it works for me...

Presenting...Tah Dah... Godmother to the MS NIEUW AMSTERDAM, Princess Maxima of The Netherlands. Enjoy further views of her inaugural tour of the vessel tomorrow.

First landfall o'er the Eastern Horizon

   Thanks to John Woram, author of the wonderful story of Tierra del Fuego, "Here Be Giants", I can share this GPS mapping by Google Earth of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

Honestly, I won't believe it, 'til I see it after a week at sea. (You may need to upload "Google Earth" free software to sail in closer, but try clicking the picture. See you there around the 10th of April )!

The ups & downs of life...

   I feel foolish prattling about my voyage to come when so many are suffering so. Reminds me of feeling too guilty to go to Broadway shows for years after 9/11. I suppose disasters and devastation paralleled our lives, but it wasn't in-your-face really until the Vietnam body count appeared in the living room on our family's black and white TV.
   Now the omnipresence of late-breaking news through the Internet has made tranquility a difficult state to achieve. And so we write to friends we know who are connected to Japan, New Zealand and elsewhere, send a contribution through the Red Cross and give some thought to how precious are our lives.

Alert re those less fortunate

   CompanyStore.com donates a comforter to homeless children for each one you purchase under the program "Buy One - Give One"

Mayor of Hoorn sends Greetings

      Thanks to the Honorable Onno van Veldhuizen, Mayor of the stunning city of Hoorn, the Netherlands for providing the city's flag to present the captain of the vessel. Hoping to have it flying as we enter the Straits of Gibraltar. Cue the music!
       Check out the video on http://www.hoorn.nl/ to view the many architecturally significant buildings,museums,harbor activities for recreation and the cultural events of a vibrant city's life. I plan to return to enjoy a Queen's Day celebration and the reopening of the West Fries Museum in the future.

Cartographer F. de Wit 1630-1706

       Thanks to my colleague at the NY Map Society, John Woram, the map pictured above was published in 1678. He notes that Tierra del Fuego is labelled Magellanica, meaning that it was created from sources post 1520.
        Your "Mission Impossible, if you choose to accept it", is to find Juan Fernandez Islands discovered in 1574 and Diego Ramirez. found in 1619. If anyone can find the button for Enlarging the Image, send me an email!

AnchorsAweigh!-CharlotteVanHoorn: Dateline: Hoorn - West Fries Museum

AnchorsAweigh!-CharlotteVanHoorn: Dateline: Hoorn - West Fries Museum
Recommend a visit to West Fries Museum online www.wfm.nl located in Hoorn Holland
The Museum supplied the ancient Dutch Mariners map with men in native dress from its collection.