Welcome

This is web central for news and information about the sailing vessel Celtic Wind, on a journey to complete the Great Loop of the Eastern US on waterways, lakes, canals and oceans. Leading the expedition is sailor, writer and musician, Patrick “Storm” Swonger and family. The writings, poems, songs and other creative work from the project is linked and accessible through this site. Comments, suggestions or questions can be sent to paddy@celticwind.org

Humble Beginnings

Every journey begins with a single step. Knowing when that step is taken may be difficult to recognize. That’s the difference of perspective gained over time. A better metaphor is water dripping into a bucket. One drop makes little difference. The accumulation of drops is powerful. It’s a stream of actions that create awareness, then give substance and momentum to our dreams,

Coincidence or Synchronicity?

Why do events or incidents align? Some say luck or coincidence, others cite syncronicity and karma. How do you see it? Are there ways to multiply or heighten the phenomenom for favorable outcomes?

An Epic Journey

The Great Loop journey of the Cwltic Wind, a 31 ft. sailboat, will cover more than 3,000 miles of American waterway. The voyage is a catalyst to finding insight on the “journey within a journey.”

Words, music, photos, videos,

art and more…

It’s not enough to take a great adventure. Memoreis are only significant and meaningful if shared. The challenge is translating a complex experience and making it accessible to others.

Welcome

This is web central for news and information about the sailing vessel Celtic Wind, on a journey to complete the Great Loop of the Eastern US on waterways, lakes, canals and oceans. Leading the expedition is sailor, writer and musician, Patrick “Storm” Swonger and family. The writings, poems, songs and other creative work from the project is linked and accessible through this site. Comments, suggestions or questions can be sent to paddy@celticwind.org

Humble Beginnings

Every journey begins with a single step. Knowing when that step is taken may be difficult to recognize. That’s the difference of perspective gained over time. A better metaphor is water dripping into a bucket. One drop makes little difference. The accumulation of drops is powerful. It’s a stream of actions that create awareness, then give substance and momentum to our dreams,

Coincidence or Synchronicity?

Why do events or incidents align? Some say luck or coincidence, others cite syncronicity and karma. How do you see it? Are there ways to multiply or heighten the phenomenom for favorable outcomes?

An Epic Journey

The Great Loop journey of the Cwltic Wind, a 31 ft. sailboat, will cover more than 3,000 miles of American waterway. The voyage is a catalyst to finding insight on the “journey within a journey.”

Words, music, photos, videos, art and more…

It’s not enough to take a great adventure. Memoreis are only significant and meaningful if shared. The challenge is translating a complex experience and making it accessible to others.

Aft & About

Patrick “Storm” Swonger has called the mountains of Southwestern Colorado home for most of his life. He now resides with family in Fruita, Colorado on the edge of the high desert. Patrick travels the unbeaten path where art mirrors life. By taking the journey he seeks perspective, insight and inspiration. He draws from a wide range of life and work experiences, from Fortune 500 media executive to a hard rock gold miner with other various jobs and roles inbetween. It takes a lot of knowledge to answer the day- to-day demands of a long voyage. Short stories, essays, poems, songs and videos are part of a creative record. DIY information on sailing, marine diesel engines, restoring and remodeling old fiberglass sailboats along with some other practical information is available. In the summer of 2021, in the depths a Covid-19 pandemic, Patrick began a relaxed, multi-year voyage to sail a 31 ft. Allmand sailboat, the Celtic Wind, on a 3,000 mile adventure around the Eastern US on lakes, rivers, waterways and oceans, on a route known as the Great Loop. The first leg of the voyage covered 350 miles of waterway from New York City, then north northwest, on the Hudson River past Albany to Troy, then across the Eirie Canal to Buffalo. That leg was completed in late September of 2021. The Celtic Wind is now on the hard for the winter season in North Tonawanda, New York on the shore of Lake Erie. Relaunch of the Celtic Wind is scheduled for May of 2022 for the start of the Great Lake segment. The goal this season is to reach a point south of Chicago on the Illinois River. Now home with family, Patrick is catching up on writing, cataloging photos, videos and notes from the first leg of the journey. Events at the homefront are part of a developing parallel story to the voyage of the boat. The book is formed from connected short stories, essays, resulting is a complex layering of time, place, history and the voyage of a boat. Crisis in the personal life of the author is a thread that weaves through the voyage and book. Natural beauty, interesting people, real history and insight is found along the way. There a number of ways to support and participate in the Celtic Wind project. • Make a donation. • Buy a book (hard-copy or electronic). • Buy a hat, t-shirt or other apparrel. • Shop in the Celtic Wind online store. • Subscribe to the blog or a content package, Donations and proceeds go towards Great Loop travel costs or restoring, remodeling and maintaining the Celtic Wind, a 31 foot Allmand fiberglass sailboat.

John Gaddesden

Job Position

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Mark Xara

Job Position

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Jane Smith

Job Position

Reprehenderit, culpa commodo aliquip ex reprehenderit dolore eu nisi. Quis tempor duis non reprehenderit. Culpa aliquip sed in consectetur. Nisi, quis voluptate exercitation nostrud reprehenderit commodo id et ad pariatur magna ut, eu amet. Proident dolor ullamco, id consectetur velit ut officia, deserunt aliquip ut officia.

Aft & About

Patrick “Storm” Swonger has called the mountains of Southwestern Colorado home for most of his life. He now resides with family in Fruita, Colorado on the edge of the high desert. Patrick travels the unbeaten path where art mirrors life. By taking the journey he seeks perspective, insight and inspiration. He draws from a wide range of life and work experiences, from Fortune 500 media executive to a hard rock gold miner with other various jobs and roles inbetween. It takes a lot of knowledge to answer the day-to-day demands of a long voyage. Short stories, essays, poems, songs and videos are part of a creative record. DIY information on sailing, marine diesel engines, restoring and remodeling old fiberglass sailboats along with some other practical information is available. In the summer of 2021, in the depths a Covid-19 pandemic, Patrick began a relaxed, multi- year voyage to sail a 31 ft. Allmand sailboat, the Celtic Wind, on a 3,000 mile adventure around the Eastern US on lakes, rivers, waterways and oceans, on a route known as the Great Loop. The first leg of the voyage covered 350 miles of waterway from New York City, then north northwest, on the Hudson River past Albany to Troy, then across the Eirie Canal to Buffalo. That leg was completed in late September of 2021. The Celtic Wind is now on the hard for the winter season in North Tonawanda, New York on the shore of Lake Erie. Relaunch of the Celtic Wind is scheduled for May of 2022 for the start of the Great Lake segment. The goal this season is to reach a point south of Chicago on the Illinois River. Now home with family, Patrick is catching up on writing, cataloging photos, videos and notes from the first leg of the journey. Events at the homefront are part of a developing parallel story to the voyage of the boat. The book is formed from connected short stories, essays, resulting is a complex layering of time, place, history and the voyage of a boat. Crisis in the personal life of the author is a thread that weaves through the voyage and book. Natural beauty, interesting people, real history and insight is found along the way. There a number of ways to support and participate in the Celtic Wind project. • Make a donation. • Buy a book (hard-copy or electronic). • Buy a hat, t-shirt or other apparrel. • Shop in the Celtic Wind online store. • Subscribe to the blog or a content package, Donations and proceeds go towards Great Loop travel costs or restoring, remodeling and maintaining the Celtic Wind, a 31 foot Allmand fiberglass sailboat.

John Gaddesden

Job Position

Incididunt aliqua ex, aliquip, ea aliqua ullamco sunt. Eiusmod ut, magna minim anim deserunt exercitation dolor, et, do in culpa, sint culpa duis aute amet. Id quis laboris cillum ut commodo in proident adipisicing dolor aute. Nulla ipsum aliqua ut dolor cillum? Sit sint, est dolore. Est nisi proident reprehenderit tempor ut dolore proident nisi sit ut adipisicing cillum sed tempor aliqua commodo irure.

Mark Xara

Job Position

Magna dolore esse ad sint magna consectetur, excepteur elit et. Reprehenderit adipisicing ut non est. Elit aute dolor minim ut, ipsum adipisicing dolore nulla eiusmod duis, anim nisi ad et voluptate irure. Dolor, lorem aliquip exercitation mollit fugiat dolore laboris cupidatat amet, deserunt magna enim nulla occaecat lorem sit. Velit, in non occaecat dolore pariatur occaecat, ut excepteur mollit, duis tempor sed, incididunt culpa duis eu.

Jane Smith

Job Position

Reprehenderit, culpa commodo aliquip ex reprehenderit dolore eu nisi. Quis tempor duis non reprehenderit. Culpa aliquip sed in consectetur. Nisi, quis voluptate exercitation nostrud reprehenderit commodo id et ad pariatur magna ut, eu amet. Proident dolor ullamco, id consectetur velit ut officia, deserunt aliquip ut officia.

Swag, Writings, Music and Creative

Content

The Celtic Wind store provides handy access to apparel, products, e-books and creative content, organized thematically in one place. Purchases here help fund our activities and projects. Thank you for the support!

Celtic Wind - Crew Cap

Celtic Wind Crewe Cap. Design, colors and versions vary so order carefully.

Celtic Wind - Long-Sleeved T Shirt

Celtic Wind long-sleeved t-shirt. Indespenible garment for layering.

Access Pass - for Creative Content

Creative content on the site includes writings, photos, videos, music tracks and more. All Access - One-year access to all published creative content on the site. Segment Pass - Access to all published creative content on site during any one of four legs of the multi-year voyage. Leg 2 of 4 is currently active. Writings & Essays - One year access to all published written content on the site. Music Pass - One year access to all published music content of the site for one year.

Chasing the Muse

Writing, poetry, photography, video and music all require considerable effort, time and resources to produce. It’s difficult to create a lot of content during the voyage with the boat needing full attention. We’ll continue to look for new and better ways to communicate more effectively.

Swag, Writings, Music and

Creative Content

The Celtic Wind store provides handy access to apparel, products, e-books and creative content, organized thematically in one place. Purchases here help fund our activities and projects. Thank you for the support!

Celtic Wind - Crew

Cap

Celtic Wind Crewe Cap. Design, colors and versions vary so order carefully.

Celtic Wind -

Long-Sleeved T

Shirt

Celtic Wind long-sleeved t- shirt. Indespenible garment for layering.

Access Pass - for

Creative Content

Creative content on the site includes writings, photos, videos, music tracks and more. All Access - One-year access to all published creative content on the site. Segment Pass - Access to all published creative content on site during any one of four legs of the multi-year voyage. Leg 2 of 4 is currently active. Writings & Essays - One year access to all published written content on the site. Music Pass - One year access to all published music content of the site for one year.

Chasing the Muse

Writing, poetry, photography, video and music all require considerable effort, time and resources to produce. It’s difficult to create a lot of content during the voyage with the boat needing full attention. We’ll continue to look for new and better ways to communicate more effectively.

Store

I’m asked frequently about the availability of Celtic Wind t-shirts, hats, apparel and other products with our logo. Your purchases help support this project, website and our ability to maintain and over time, remodel the boat.

Celtic WT - Crewe Cap

Our most popular item! The official crewe cap of the Celtic Wind with triskelion logo on the front and “No Passengers, Only Crewe” motto on back. A quality cap, design tested in real world conditions. Your purchase helps support our many projects and endeavors. $19.95

Celtic Wind - Crewe T’s

You are out of uniform without the official Celtc Wind crewe t-shirt. Long and short sleeve available in a variety of colors. We use quality shirts but some shrinkage is to be expectd. $0.00

VIP Pass

One year of VIP access to the creative content on this site from Patrick “Storm” Swonger including music, art, photos, videos, poetery, writings and other works.. $49.99

SPECIAL OFFER!

Combo purchase and save! Hat and t- shirt in a convenient package, perfect for the unexpected outing. . $24.95

Store

I’m asked frequently about the availability of Celtic Wind t-shirts, hats, apparel and other products with our logo. Your purchases help support this project, website and our ability to maintain and over time, remodel the boat.

Celtic WT - Crewe Cap

Our most popular item! The official crewe cap of the Celtic Wind with triskelion logo on the front and “No Passengers, Only Crewe” motto on back. A quality cap, design tested in real world conditions. Your purchase helps support our many projects and endeavors. $19.95

Celtic Wind - Crewe T’s

You are out of uniform without the official Celtc Wind crewe t-shirt. Long and short sleeve available in a variety of colors. We use quality shirts but some shrinkage is to be expectd. $0.00

VIP Pass

One year of VIP access to the creative content on this site from Patrick “Storm” Swonger including music, art, photos, videos, poetery, writings and other works.. $49.99

SPECIAL OFFER!

Combo purchase and save! Hat and t-shirt in a convenient package, perfect for the unexpected outing. . $24.95

Blog

So far so good. The first miles of the voyage can be the most difficult when the condition of the boat and engine are unknown. Here’a a summary to date: NYC launch was delayed and unpredictable. We made it out! Hell Gate was not a navigational issue. NYC and the Hudson River went by smoothly , after a few diesel fuel adjustments. Dodged dangerous storms and weather for five weeks. First canal locks were challenging, but it got easier until the double lock at Lockport. The Erie Canal and the towns along the way were an incredible expeirence and glimpse into the past. Lake Oswego was a taste of the big lakes to come - 20 miles into waves and wind. “Connie’s Lock” near Palmyra was our best stop on the canal - and a glimpse of the original canal. Rochester was the cradle of American industry at the turn of the 19th century and jump-off point for westwatd expansion. The Celtic Wind is on the hard again in North Tonawanda, New York waiting to renew it’s journey in the Spring of 2022.

Patrick “Storm” Swonger

Cocoon - A New Chapter Begins

The Celtic Wind is high and dry in North Tonawanda, NY (near Buffalo), waiting for winter. There’s lots of planning going on behind the scenes, before Spring launch of the Great Lakes segment. We’re just completing work on the essentials of the boat with the hull, diesel engine and sails getting first priority. With those needs surveyed and the parts ordered for installation in the Spring, we can look ahead to the needs for the Great Lakes segment to come. The next area of focus for the Celtic Wind will be the interior cabin and creature comforts. It’s the biggest challenge to take on, requiring the most time and resources to complete. In defining the order of tasks, our hope i to affect the most comfort as possible in the shortest amount of time.

First Mate

Patrick “Storm” Swonger

Navigating To the Past

Tim Garrity, is a 74 year-old, third generation resident of Tonawanda, NY. He is spending the next two days as I am here, working on a boat. The difference is Tim is maintaining a legacy. His boat is a monument in Gateway Harbor Park dedicated to his father and local author Richard Garrity in 2001. The small ship was a light tender from the heyday of the Erie Canal. It lit, refueled and maintained navigation lanterns that burned fuel oil behind colored glass, red on the port side and green to starboard, as you headed East on the canal. Richard G. Garrity was born here in 1903 and later as a boy, worked as a "hoggie" leading mules that pulled laden barges using 150 foot long lines from the towpath that ran along the original canal. Today bicyclist, joggers and strollers tread those worn paths packed by the hooves of working mules and their handlers. The lanterns of the Erie canal have been dimmed for more than a century now. People like Richard Garrity, and now his youngest son Tim, guide us to the past, so we don't forget the great history and traditions of the Erie Canal and the "canawlers," Irish immigrants that built this 340 mile ditch through the New York frontier almost 200 years ago. Don't forget to pass your family history and traditions on to the next generation. They too are easily lost to time or can deteriorate from neglect.

Blog

So far so good. The first miles of the voyage can be the most difficult when the condition of the boat and engine are unknown. Here’a a summary to date: NYC launch was delayed and unpredictable. We made it out! Hell Gate was not a navigational issue. NYC and the Hudson River went by smoothly , after a few diesel fuel adjustments. Dodged dangerous storms and weather for five weeks. First canal locks were challenging, but it got easier until the double lock at Lockport. The Erie Canal and the towns along the way were an incredible expeirence and glimpse into the past. Lake Oswego was a taste of the big lakes to come - 20 miles into waves and wind. “Connie’s Lock” near Palmyra was our best stop on the canal - and a glimpse of the original canal. Rochester was the cradle of American industry at the turn of the 19th century and jump-off point for westwatd expansion. The Celtic Wind is on the hard again in North Tonawanda, New York waiting to renew it’s journey in the Spring of 2022.

Patrick “Storm” Swonger

Cocoon - A New Chapter Begins

The Celtic Wind is high and dry in North Tonawanda, NY (near Buffalo), waiting for winter. There’s lots of planning going on behind the scenes, before Spring launch of the Great Lakes segment. We’re just completing work on the essentials of the boat with the hull, diesel engine and sails getting first priority. With those needs surveyed and the parts ordered for installation in the Spring, we can look ahead to the needs for the Great Lakes segment to come. The next area of focus for the Celtic Wind will be the interior cabin and creature comforts. It’s the biggest challenge to take on, requiring the most time and resources to complete. In defining the order of tasks, our hope i to affect the most comfort as possible in the shortest amount of time.

First Mate

Patrick “Storm” Swonger

Navigating To the Past

Tim Garrity, is a 74 year-old, third generation resident of Tonawanda, NY. He is spending the next two days as I am here, working on a boat. The difference is Tim is maintaining a legacy. His boat is a monument in Gateway Harbor Park dedicated to his father and local author Richard Garrity in 2001. The small ship was a light tender from the heyday of the Erie Canal. It lit, refueled and maintained navigation lanterns that burned fuel oil behind colored glass, red on the port side and green to starboard, as you headed East on the canal. Richard G. Garrity was born here in 1903 and later as a boy, worked as a "hoggie" leading mules that pulled laden barges using 150 foot long lines from the towpath that ran along the original canal. Today bicyclist, joggers and strollers tread those worn paths packed by the hooves of working mules and their handlers. The lanterns of the Erie canal have been dimmed for more than a century now. People like Richard Garrity, and now his youngest son Tim, guide us to the past, so we don't forget the great history and traditions of the Erie Canal and the "canawlers," Irish immigrants that built this 340 mile ditch through the New York frontier almost 200 years ago. Don't forget to pass your family history and traditions on to the next generation. They too are easily lost to time or can deteriorate from neglect.

Gallery

So many pictures and videos, so little bandwidth and time. The Gallery provides some general images of our journey. All rights reserved and please, no use without express permission. For a deep dive and extended look at photos, writings, videos, music videos and other creative output of this project consider one of the premium access packages. Your support makes this site and our adventure possible.

Gallery

So many pictures and videos, so little bandwidth and time. The Gallery provides some general images of our journey. All rights reserved and please, no use without express permission. For a deep dive and extended look at photos, writings, videos, music videos and other creative output of this project consider one of the premium access packages. Your support makes this site and our adventure possible.

Contact Us

Email is the best way to reach us. The more information and detail you can provide, the more likely we can find a timely solution. There’s no administrative staff, so we may be working with a backlog. Please feel free to follow up. Thanks for your support!.

Celtic Wind

Sailing at present Great Lakes to… Gulfport, Florida 33521 USA t: 01 970-335-8003 e: paddy@celticwind.org www.celticwind.org

Contact Us

Email is the best way to reach us. The more information and detail you can provide, the more likely we can find a timely solution. There’s no administrative staff, so we may be working with a backlog. Please feel free to follow up. Thanks for your support!.

Celtic Wind

Sailing at present Great Lakes to… Gulfport, Florida 33521 USA t: 01 970-335-8003 e: paddy@celticwind.org www.celticwind.org