A little bit more about "Jo Beth"...

It's an unfortunate fact that I have to report we haven't done any sailing, continued work on our on-board maintenance, or done anything connected with "Jo Beth" since last week. Perhaps unfortunate is not the best choice of words here; the reason we haven't gone sailing or continued with our work projects is that I've gotten quite busy with new work of the income generating kind.

Since I'm self-employed, being busy isn't really unfortunate; its merely another case of "life-interruptus." So, I thought I'd take the chance to say a little bit more about our plans with "Jo Beth" and introduce a couple of friends of ours.



"Jo Beth's" main saloon.













"Jo Beth's" galley.




From the time we met in Darien, Georgia way back in 1986, Lisa and I have shared a dream of voyaging the oceans aboard a small sailing yacht. It is a dream fueled by the tales and adventures of others that have gone before us; Eric and Susan Hiscock aboard many different boats named "Wanderer"; Hal and Margaret Roth aboard "Whisper"; Miles and Beryl Smeeton aboard "Tzu Hang"; and James Baldwin and Mei Huang, aboard "Atom", whom I'll introduce in a moment. "Jo Beth" is the yacht, the conveyance, that can make this dream a reality. She is designed and built to cross oceans. She's already made at least two round trip crossings of the Atlantic and numerous trips between United States and the Virgin Islands with her previous owner. We have every reason to believe she will take us at least that far, and much further if we play our cards right.








"Jo Beth" at Brunswick Landing Marina."



Where exactly do we want to go with "Jo Beth"? That's still up for discussion.

Thirty years ago, I was hell bent on sailing around the world. Some ten years later, when Lisa and I met and married, she shared the same dream with the same fervor. However, age has mellowed and softened me somewhat. Now, I mostly want to sail and I don't really care where. I want to go as long as it is fun. If that means venturing no more than a few hundred miles to the Bahamas, fine. If it means crossing the Atlantic, fine. If it means circling the globe, fantastic! But what if it means never leaving sight of the Georgia coast? Well...I hope that's not the case, but if it is, fine. As long as it's fun, I'm good.

We first met James Baldwin and his wife Mei Huang when we arrived at Brunswick Landing Marina back in 2003 while sailing north with "Jo Beth" from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Over the years, they've become good friends, and have lived (and are living) the life Lisa and I say we want. James has circled the globe twice on his 28' Pearson Triton sailboat named "Atom." Mei has sailed on many trips between the United States and the Caribbean and has crossed the Atlantic by small boat with James. James met Mei during his second global circumnavigation while he was working at the Hans Christian Yachts facility in Taiwan.







James Baldwin and Mei Huang.




James and Mei are now based in Brunswick and operate a business outfitting small sailing yachts for ocean voyaging, as well as general small sailing yacht repair and refurbishing. James regularly writes for many sailing magazines. You can read more about them and their voyaging adventures at their website.

James has done quite a bit of work for us aboard "Jo Beth" from electrical system upgrades to rigging and line maintenance and repair, to some structural modifications and cosmetic repair. His experience and knowledge gained over thousands of miles and days at sea are an invaluable resource.

Lisa and I are hopeful to get underway on a few trips before the summer heat and calms set in. When we do, I'll be sure to tell you about it.

The Yacht "Jo Beth"...

Welcome to "Jo Beth's" Blog!

My name is Bill Ballard. My wife Lisa and I own the yacht "Jo Beth". She has been a part of our lives since September, 2003.

Who is "Jo Beth"? The answer to that question must be given in two-parts.


"Jo Beth" the person was a very important woman in my life, as well as Lisa's. She was the matriarch of a wonderful family that I've known since my high-school days while growing up in a small town in central Georgia. This magnificent woman informally adopted me (along with one or two other "strays," as some of us were), welcoming us into her home and her family. In every way, she was my second mother. Sadly, she has passed away. However, the impression she left upon both me and Lisa has been a guiding light in our lives ever since.


"Jo Beth" the yacht is a 1984 Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34 ocean voyaging sailing boat. She was built in 1984 by Pacific Seacraft Yachts in California. They are now based in Washington, North Carolina, and continue to produce fine ocean cruising yachts. "Jo Beth" is literally our dreamboat. Pacific Seacraft yachts can be found in harbors the world over. You can visit the Pacific Seacraft website here.

Lisa and I are both avid sailors. We met in 1986 at a small marina in Darien, Georgia, just north of St. Simons Island. This was where I kept my first boat, a small 19' cruiser. The owner of the marina, who also ran a sailing school there, claims to this day to have "arranged" our meeting. No matter; we were married less than a year later and sailed together on that little boat for years to come.

"Jo Beth" is 34 feet from bow to stern, 10 feet wide, and needs at least five feet of water in which to float safely. She is rigged as a cutter, meaning she carries two headsails and one mainsail. An auxiliary diesel engine, rated at 30hp, is also installed so we can move when the wind isn't blowing or isn't favorable. The Crealock 34 is the perfect boat for a voyaging couple, carrying 70 gallons of fresh water in two tanks, along with 30 gallons of diesel fuel. She is fitted with a private toilet, full galley, and comfortable main and forward cabins finished in teak.


"Jo Beth" currently lives at Brunswick Landing Marina, in Brunswick, Georgia. This is a fantastic facility for the small cruising yacht; it is fairly well sheltered from storms and is close to a significant Georgia port, the Port of Brunswick. This means easy and reasonably fast deep water access to the ocean, which translates into good sailing. There are fantastic local restaurants in the revitalized downtown area and numerous grocery stores, hardware stores, and marine chandlers close by. The marina facilities themselves are nice and efficient, with fuel, water, and waste pump out services available.

The one downside to "Jo Beth" being in Brunswick is that we live in Savannah. From our home to the marina is an hour and fifteen minutes drive. "Jo Beth" was docked at Isle of Hope Marina on the Skidaway River just southeast of Savannah, (a beautiful marina with wonderful people!), for many years but we were frustrated by the distance of the marina from the open sea and by being limited to river sailing. Plus, the currents in the Skidaway river made docking a real challenge. We decided to move "Jo Beth" to Brunswick Landing Marina over New Year's 2008/2009. The driving downside is offset by the fact we can now get offshore and into the open Atlantic much faster and easier.


Cattle Pen Creek, our anchorage on New Year's Eve during our move to Brunswick Landing Marina.



So...where are we now and what are we doing?

You can click here to see our current location.

"Jo Beth" has been in Brunswick since January and due to several episodes of "life-interruptus" we've fallen behind in her maintenance and in our sailing. We are now, hopefully, getting back on schedule and once a few maintenance projects are brought current, we'll get the waves moving beneath her keel once again.