Today we are anchored on the banks near Devil’s and Hoffman’s Cays. The wind is from the west to northwest and the current runs east or west, depending on the state of the tide. All night long, the boats in here jostled and bounced and twisted about their anchors with the wind against the current. The waves slapped against our overhung transom and sent salt water flying into the cockpit. Now the tide has turned and we are just bouncing and tossing instead of lurching. This is a huge improvement.

The wind is supposed to increase and clock more northward during the day, so maybe things will calm down somewhat. Tomorrow, by dawn, the wind should die a little and clock some more, going to the northeast. This will allow us to haul anchor and sail to Nassau. A vessel from Manitoba, “Say Yes” with David and Bob aboard will accompany us on the trek. Wendy, the usual Admiral aboard, has gone home for Christmas and Bob is helping David sail south into the Exumas. They will take a dock in Nassau while we anchor as usual.

The stores will be closing as we arrive but I will try to get tokens for the laundry as soon as I can. That job can be done on Saturday or Sunday, depending on weather. Another cold front is expected through on Sunday with again some very strong winds. Hopefully the stores will re-open on Monday and we can visit the grocery to re-stock our vegetable bin.

On Tuesday, we should be able to continue on into the Exuma Cays, with plans to reach Staniel before New Years. Perhaps we shall enter the regatta once again, depending on the crew situation.

So, those are our plans for the next few days. Written in jello, as always.

Enjoy your Christmas gatherings with family and friends. If we manage to get an e-mail connection, you may hear from us by Skpye. Otherwise, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!! Imagine, 2011!

Hugs
Heather & Murray

Just a short message to let you all know that we made another safe crossing to the Bahamas. Departing West Palm Beach near 0300 hrs today ( Thursday ), we motorsailed the whole distance. The waves were less than a meter with occasional splashes into the cockpit. The passage started out quite cool but finally we warmed up in the late afternoon. In fact, it warmed enough to take off our rain gear for the first time in days.

A cold front is expected soon so we will stay put for a few days, at anchor here in the canals of Lucaya.

Hugs to all
Heather & Murray

Remember how I complained about the cold in the last message? I didn’t know how cold Florida could get. Morning temperatures have been right at the freezing point with the wind chill pushing it much lower.

On Sat Dec 4th, we departed Reynolds Marine Park and headed towards and through Jacksonville. It was a cool day but quite comfortable and we anchored near Blount Island, just a few miles from the entrance into the ICW. Arising before the dawn the next morning, we hauled anchor and headed out. Again, it was cold but comfortable in long sleeves, polar fleece vest and rain jackets to break the wind. It was a strong northwest wind that blew us along quickly and we made good time, anchoring near Fort Matanzas just after 3 pm.

But the next morning it was bitterly cold as we hauled anchor with the dawn. Dressed as the day before, I quickly froze at the helm. When Murray took over, I dashed below. There in the aft cabin hung our seldom used survival suits. They had been purchased in the early 90’s and I think that we had them on a total of three times since then. But, if ever they were needed, it was now. Just removing my rain jacket, I stuffed myself into a top-to-toe yellow snowsuit. Now I felt like a little kid sent out to play in the snow but unable to move or bend. But I was warmer! Taking over the helm, I sent Murray down to don his.

All day long, we wore those suits. Actually, in order to move more freely when we stopped for fuel, we removed them at that point and dressed in layers that gave us flexibility. We anchored early once again just north of New Smyrna Beach. The next morning found me digging in lockers once more. I found my silk long johns, again carried aboard since ’97 and never worn. Wearing these under the survival suit, rather than jeans etc, gave me the ability to move more freely and kept me quite warm. One thing that I couldn’t dig out of the lockers, was hats or mittens. That bag of unused items was taken home and sits in my closet. We do have sailing gloves though and those keep our hands relatively warm. This year as I packed clothing, I decided that one long sleeved shirt was sufficient. What an idiot I was! But who could know that Florida would experience the coldest Dec on record? That one shirt has gotten a lot of wear the last few days!

The problem that we have is that, at the end of the day, when we take off those survival suits and go below decks, there is NO HEAT! We don’t have a furnace and our ceramic heater won’t work unless we are plugged into power. Which we are not, when at anchor. So, the little coal oil light burns and gives off some warmth. Cuddling together under the covers is the best way that we have found to stay warm. But, you can’t stay in bed all day!

On Monday, we managed to make contact with old friends, Pete and Lani on MarNel. Sharing an anchorage with them, for the first time in 9 years, was great. On Tuesday, we both motored south and anchored at Cocoa. It has been too cold to get together but we are both staying put today. Plans have been made to go ashore, find a warm restaurant and catch up on all of the news. They have a different vessel than when we sailed together previously. MarNel IV was a Endeavor 42 centre cockpit and MarNel is a Leopard 40 catamaran. They purchased the vessel out of charter in the Virgin Islands, brought it back to the US for re-fit and sailed back into the Caribbean for several years. Health issues brought them back to the US last year. Now, they plan to spend a little time in the Bahamas and we look forward to continuing the good times that we have shared.

Tomorrow, Thursday, we will scrape the frost off of the deck once again, haul anchor and head on south to Vero Beach for a few days. I need to finalize some Christmas shopping and send a few small parcels north to the grandchildren. Once that is completed, we will start to watch for crossing opportunities.

Until then, we will stay in touch, write when possible and try to stay warm. Hugs
Heather & Murray

PS Spent a few days in Vero before moving south again on Sunday, the 12th. Anchored in Peck Lake watching weather with strong north winds blowing. Possible window later this week.

Hello everyone

Yes I know that it is December but this morning the temperature here was within 2 degrees of the temperature in Tillsonburg! That is darn chilly. But we do have good news and even better news.

The good news is that the frig parts finally arrived on Wednesday, Nov 24th. It had been ordered in June for shipment in September to the marina. But, it DID arrive. At least most of it.

Murray measured the coiled refrigeration lines three times and did the calculations to figure out exactly how much line was in that coil. Each time, the number came up short. We had ordered 16 feet of refrigeration line but were only shipped 12 foot lines. I contacted the manufacturer while Murray started installing the unit. Previously he had re-insulated the icebox, installing 3/4 inch R5 foil-backed foam insulation on all sides of the box. He made patterns in order to follow the curves and each cut edge was sealed with aluminum duct tape.

The copper refrigerant lines had to be fed through the wall of the icebox, behind the stove ( which had to be removed for the installation ), through the pot locker, the hanging locker and into the area under the aft cabin berth. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough length to reach the compressor. Together we lowered the heavy holding plate ( the source of the cold for the frig ) into place with me supporting it while Murray secured it in position. Then he constructed a box around the holding plate which works on a spill-over principle. If we had left the cold plate uninsulated the whole box might freeze or at least anything that came into contact with the holding plate would freeze. At first I was disappointed by the reduction in the size of my frig but soon realized that the huge bag of ice was hogging some space. Since our arrival at the boat, we had been using ice to keep our food somewhat cold.

What to do about the short lines, we pondered? Should we have a whole new cold plate with the correct length lines sent to us? How much longer would that take? We contacted the manufacturer again or rather, tried to. His phone said ” no longer in service” and his e-mail address bounced. Now what?

Thinking that our supplier’s business had failed, we wandered to Green Cove Springs Marina. There, friends cheered us up over multiple glasses of wine and convinced Murray that he could add the correct length himself. In the morning he headed to his favourite store, Ace Hardware, where he purchased some 1/4 inch copper tubing, silver solder and the torch needed to solder. Another friend at the marina flared the tubing so that the end of the old piece would fit into the new addition and then be held securely with the solder. Once all was securely held, he connected all of the lines,purged the system and then brought the compressor up to the required pressure. The frig started and ran!! The temperature in the icebox started to fall. Our new digital monitor made it easy to watch the progress of the cooling. That project was finished. There are more photos of the job here on our website.

Quickly the final shopping expeditions were organized and months worth of foods stashed everywhere aboard. Meats were vacuum packed and placed in our freezer. The bill at both marinas was paid in full and we were ready to go. To leave the dock!! Arriving in Florida on Nov 4th, we will be heading off one month later, on Saturday Dec 4th.

But that is the even better news. Tomorrow, bright and early in the cold dawn hours, we will cast off our lines and head down the river towards Jacksonville, anchoring for the night near Blount Island only a few miles from the ICW. It will take us several days to get down where things are warmer but that will keep us traveling southward. On the way, we will test the various systems and stop in Vero Beach if something needs repair. Doesn’t it always?

So, continue to send pictures and jokes to our gmail address but the best way to reach us from now on will be by our winlink e-mail. I will send a quick message from that one to make sure that everyone is registered on our white list.

Take care of each other, write often and stay warm. Hugs to all up north,

Murray & Heather

Hello everyone,

On Thursday the 11th, Windswept IV was lowered into the water once again. The engine started on the first try and we motored the short distance down river to Reynold’s Marine Park where we had reserved a dock. The wind was behind us as we powered into the slip but, with the able assistance of a marina staffer named Alan, Murray put her into the space as though he did it everyday. Soon the lines were secured and we were able to relax.

In the morning we scrubbed the dirty decks from bow to stern, getting rid of the work yard grit and grime. What a relief that was! The sails were bent on and she started to look like a sailboat once again.

Our huge order from West Marine had arrived just before launch, so that box needed unpacking and the new items installed. The EPIRB was a simple job, removing the old one and installing the new. The registration form for the new one was completed on-line and that job was finished.

The new head installation wasn’t quite so quick and easy. I planned to be ashore, doing laundry while Murray tackled that job. But, upon my return 2 1/2 hours later, the job was still on-going. Other cruisers had convinced him to change the system to a fresh water flush. This has several advantages. Urine combines with salt water to form crystals and those crystals deposit in the hoses, eventually closing them completely. To prevent this happening, I pour strong acid into the toilet monthly. Switching to fresh water eliminates that problem completely. The fresh water flush also will eliminate the odour some of the salt water exudes. But, that decision increased the head installation job into a major production and a two day job. Luckily the toilet was usable overnight just not completely finished. The only negative to the change will be the increased use of fresh water requiring running the watermaker for longer periods.

New LED reading lights arrived and Murray installed those one evening. Wow, what a difference they have made! Bright lights to illuminate the cabin, what a concept. The best part is that they use so little power that I can have lights on everywhere. Murray was so impressed that I ordered another reading light for the aft cabin, two ceiling lights for the main salon and bulbs for two other ceiling lights. They should be here soon and, in fact, I just got an e-mail confirming the arrival today.

Earlier today the new spinnaker halyard went into and up the mast along with a new topping lift. Then Murray spliced in the shackles to finish that job while I worked on the computers below. A few days ago, Murray finished a shelf for the small computer under the dodger. This will allow us to view our digital charts from the cockpit instead of requiring me to go down below to the nav station to check information.

Hopefully the refrigeration system should arrive by this weekend. Meanwhile the old system needs to be torn out and the box re-insulated before installation. But, in order to remove and install the system, we need to take our stove out. That will be a big job and one that I am not looking forward to. We may wait until the new one is here before beginning the removal, just to lessen the time without a stove. Luckily I can cook almost anything with an electric frying pan.

At a ham flea market this summer, Murray purchased the wire to replace the old coaxial cable in the mast. I will have to crank him up to the top of the mast ( 60 feet ) where he will install the new VHF antenna, splice the wires together, feed it down from the top while I will pull the wire out at the base of the mast. This will then be hooked to our VHF radio. A second VHF antenna was installed on the arch and that wire will need to be fed through the cupboards and lockers to reach the navigation station. There it will be connect to our AIS system, which gives us relative position, course, speed and name of commercial traffic around us. That system saved us from having to purchase a new radar unit when the old one failed.

As you can see, we are keeping busy. Luckily the days have been sunny and warm with cool evenings for good sleeping.

Friends ( Doug & Connie on High Stepper ) have already crossed the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas but we will be on their tail as soon as we can. Just a few more jobs…..

Hopefully all is well with you and yours. Write when you have time as messages are always appreciated.

Hugs
Heather & Murray

Just a quick message to let y’all know that we arrived safely at the boat on Thursday and were moved into the work yard. There is little or no mildew and, best of all, NO ANTS!!!

So, the inside work is going quickly. Outside is another story. The temperature dropped overnight and everyone here is in parkas. As it was in the mid 60’s F (18C approx ), we wore shorts and sweatshirts. But, it is chilly to chip away at bottom paint. But that job starts tomorrow. Murray is going to scrape the bottom to remove some of the built-up coatings of bottom paint. Although we use ablative paint, there still seems to be a build-up, probably due to the fact that we were twice sold the wrong product!!

Launch is scheduled for Nov 12th and then we plan to be at Reynolds Marina for another two weeks or so. The new refrigeration system has not arrived yet but we hope to see it soon. I am drooling over LED lighting for the boat ( a chance to have several lights on down below at night and not chew up the battery power ). Hopefully that order will go in soon as well. The West Marine goodies should arrive in the next few days and it will seem as though Christmas has come early, as we open the packages containing things like new halyards, a new head ( toilet for the landlubbers amongst you ), VHF antenna and, the all important, anchor ball. This ball is a daytime marker to indicate that the vessel is anchored. Insurance companies have successfully avoided payment in collisions if the anchored vessel has not displayed an anchor ball.

The cell phone has been re-activated and the number is unchanged from last year.

The wireless is up and running but not necessarily the fastest connection in the world. But, try us on Skype if you see us.

Hugs to all
Heather & Murray

The frost is glistening on the lawn in the early morning light. The roofs around us are coated with white as the leaves tumble to the ground, propelled by the strong winds. Fall has arrived and it is almost time for these “snowbirds” to unfurl their wings and fly south. Our time here now is counted in weeks, not months.

The end of this summer went quickly as usual. One bright sunny afternoon, we headed to the marina for a sail. The water in the slip was extremely low and the boat was a long jump down from the dock. That didn’t stop us but I was already planning how to get back on the dock on our return. We untied and backed out of the slip. Murray prepared the sails as I piloted Fandango out into the lake. Just beyond the barrels marking the entrance to the marina, I ran aground, not once but twice. Murray took the helm, turned around and managed somehow to find a passage between the weeds out into deeper water. The weeds still lurked just below the surface, ready to grab the keel again. Once the sails were set and we were flying down the lake, I suggested that perhaps returning to the marina would be not be a good idea. So we set sail for Booth’s Harbour and tied there for the night. The next day, arrangements were made to haul the boat out on their travel-lift. Using the gin-pole, Murray and I took down the mast. Due to the shallow water, he couldn’t get off of the boat so I had to run the gin-pole on shore. Some other boaters ( Steve and Shirley ) came along to add their strength to the job and she turned out to be someone that I had worked with years before in the lab at STEGH. Small world. The job got done in record time and the boat, as well as a full compliment of weeds, was hauled shortly thereafter. The haul-out only cost twice the cost for W4 and she is twice as large. Thus, we paid four times the Florida rate to haul here in Ontario. Yikes! I am not sure that we can afford these prices.

Our friends, Linda and Kuyler, arrived home from a short vacation to discover a major flood in the house. A part failing on their upstairs toilet caused water to spill onto carpeting, down the walls onto hardwood flooring, onto furniture and just generally caused a huge mess. We have been hosting them as much as possible so that they can get a break from the noise of the machines and workmen doing the repairs. It is the least we can do for these two great people. But, this is also a reminder to all of us, to check our toilets, especially newer ones, and replace the hose from the toilet to the valve near the floor if it is not CSA approved. The made-in-China parts have been failing frequently and they do not have the CSA approval.

The bean harvest is progressing in spurts and stops as Murray again helps his brother, George, by running a combine. Just when things are going well, some rain falls and holds things up again for several days until the desired dryness is achieved. But the weather man is promising sun for the next few days and perhaps the beans can be taken off with no further delays.

During the Thanksgiving weekend, we did have sunny days and thus Murray was off farming some of the time. Jeremy and Cynthia, Matthew and Samantha drove down from Ottawa to stay with Steve and Katherine in St Thomas. I went to Orillia and brought my mom back down to Tillsonburg and the whole bunch of us got together daily. One day we went apple picking, another day we went to the pumpkin patch and on Sunday, everyone came to our house for turkey dinner. It was a wonderful, busy, noisy time with 13 ( counting James who didn’t have turkey ) for dinner. But there were lots of leftovers, to make soup, sandwiches etc.

This week, we finished blowing out the lawn irrigation systems of our neighbours, so those items can be crossed off the list. Now the flowers need to be pulled, the pots dumped, cleaned and stored for the winter. One more cutting of the grass and then we start on the other lists. What foods come with us, what needs to be given away and what can safely be left behind. Those decisions are mine to make as I sort through the cupboards and frig. As paranoid boaters, we leave the house as if it was a boat or cottage to be winterized. The water is turned off, the toilets drained and RV antifreeze added to each trap. All plugs are pulled to lower our electric consumption and prevent damage by lightning etc. Of course, the phone, TV and internet are turned off at the source. I sort through the clothing to figure out what needs to go and what should stay. Then it is just a matter of finding space to pack it all into the car. Luckily Murray is a master of loading ( that is also why he gets much more in the dishwasher than I do ).

The boat will be moved to the workyard on Nov 2nd and then the work will start in earnest. Our new refrigeration system should be there awaiting us and will need installation. Another huge order of things from West Marine should be there as well ie new EPIRB and head plus lines to replace halyards etc. The EPIRB ( Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon ) is to replace the one currently aboard which we purchased used in 1997. The head ( toilet ) ….. well it is a very important item and it is almost cheaper to replace it frequently than it is to purchase the repair kits. The halyards were damaged during previous two hurricanes which passed Green Cove Springs and we are replacing them with low-stretch line. So those things all need to be installed as well as the usual jobs of sanding, painting and polishing. It may take us quite a while this time before we are ready to head off, down the waterway.

Those are our immediate and long-range plans. Hopefully we managed to connect with most of our friends this summer. If we missed you, drop us a line or make a phone call and we will try to get together with you before this ship sails!

Hugs to all,
Heather & Murray

Where has the time gone? It is almost September already. The heat this year has made the pool at the rec. centre an integral part of each day. Aquasize starts at 10 AM and, by the time that is done at 11 and we drift around and chat for a bit, then it is lunch time and the day is half over. Most afternoons, Murray is tinkering in the garage while I work inside with computers etc. Sometimes I even do housework.

From having only one working computer in June, we now have three fully functioning. For the Mac, I found a guy on eBay who could repair the logic or mother board. And, for a reasonable sum, that was accomplished. Then it took me quite a while to restore everything from the external drive and then to figure out why the computer wasn’t accessing the external drive to back-up frequently as it is supposed to do. But, now the Apple is back to its old self, if perhaps a touch slower than before. When I can type faster than it can put the letters down, there may still be an issue or two.

The old Acer with the failing screen had finally died to the point that only one inch of screen was working and that only when Murray twisted the screen to cause it to make contact inside. A neighbour gave us a seventeen inch monitor and we delivered the whole shebang to Steve. With a lot of knowhow and some luck, he managed to access the correct keystrokes to send the screen output to the external monitor. Murray now uses that computer for games mostly. Especially when I watch something on TV that he isn’t interested in watching.

On the sewing front, we completed the seats for George’s airplane and that plane should be flying soon. The seats were a challenge and more an engineering job that a sewing one. Then we tackled a new sailcover for Fandango. The old one was too small, worn out and, worst of all, orange. So, with a nice medium grey Sunbrella and some dimensions from the old cover, we laid it all out, cut and then sewed it together. It looks very nice and we are quite proud of the finished effect.

For the August long weekend, we made the trek to Ottawa to visit with Jeremy and Cynthia, Matthew and Samantha. Their new house is lovely and Murray and Jeremy worked away on some of the small gliches while Cynthia and I explored the local garage sales with the kids in tow. Matthew accompanied us to a movie one afternoon and we all enjoyed ” Despicable Me”. All too soon we were back on the highway headed home. But they may have to put up with us once again before we head down south.

On the home front, Murray helped George with the wheat harvest and seems to have been signed on for the beans as well. Oh well, it keeps him busy and adds to the cruising kitty. He still has a few jobs weekly for neighbours and he does enjoy that. In September, we have again organized a street party with a barbeque and dance on the street, in front of our house. I got permission from the town to close the street and they even will deliver the barricades for us. Everyone brings salads etc and we set up card tables to make it easier for those who don’t like to eat from a plate on their lap. At a local auction, Murray picked up a super sound system and he wires that up, installs it in the trailer on the front lawn , hooks up our XM radio and we blast the music until everyone goes home. Last year it was a great success and we are hoping for bigger and better this year.

I have been working on the committee for the Holler, our Hickory Hills newsletter. It has been fun and keeps me hopping to find someone to write a story for the “Meet the Neighbours” column each month. But, right now, I have enough set up that will keep the column going until December at least. As a fill-in on the library committee, I was asked to work the library for 3 Wednesday’s this summer and that got me reading more and exchanging my books more frequently as well. Soon we will cull the stock, as the shelves are bulging. Working that day is a good deal as we get first choice of any discards and those books help fill my spare time in the winter. The discards are given to a service club which sells them in their annual garage sale to raise money for local charities.

Continue to enjoy this wonderful weather and all of the fresh produce available at the farmers markets. Take care and we will see you soon.

Hugs
Heather & Murray

PS Murray completed the sign for our house from a piece of driftwood brought back from the Bahamas. The sign says ” Rand Aground”. And we are.

Hello everyone,

Fandango hit the water as planned but she is having her difficulties adapting to the weeds of the Inner bay at Long Point.( Just a reminder that Fandango is our Goman 20 sailboat.) We launched her at Booth’s Harbour Marina in their travel lift. The charge to launch was almost double what it costs to haul the 40 footer in Florida! And then we paid $50 to use their equipment to raise the mast! Yikes!

But, she is in the water and I have made a new sailcover for her as well. The boat is light grey with stripes at the waterline of burgundy,orange and yellow. The previous sailcover had been orange and, as this is not my favourite colour and because it fit too tightly, had been on my list of things to replace. The new cover is silver grey Sunbrella and fits very well.

So far, we have motored from Booths Harbour to Bayview Marina on launch day, a distance of 2-3 miles and gone out sailing one afternoon. Fandango didn’t have a depth sounder installed and this seemed just fine while we sailed her in the Killarney area. But the inner bay is shallow!! So, the next job is to install the depth sounder/fish finder that has been rattling around in our stores. Murray plans to put the transducer into a wax toilet ring against the inside hull. We have been told that this works quite well. Report to follow.

The sail was lovely though. It was a weekday afternoon with a nice breeze blowing but flat water on the sheltered bay. We tacked our way out towards the markers pointing the way to the deep water of the outer bay before turning to dash back to the marina. Here we share a dock with George’s ( Murray’s brother ) powerboat. The marina staff said that they don’t usually dock power and sail together but since we requested it, perhaps it would be ok. George and Barb have brought down a barbeque and a dock box while the marina provided picnic tables. With some chairs and umbrellas in the dock box, we are all set to share a dinner or two. Again we plan to sail or motor during the week as much as possible to miss the busy weekend influx.

Mom has been down for another visit and we have enjoyed the Aqua-fit classes at the pool each weekday morning. Murray is busy working for his “little ladies” as he calls them, the women of the neighbourhood who need assistance with various things around their houses. He is also assisting Scott and Lisa re-fit their sailboat for an adventure south this fall. The third thing on his plate is assisting George in re-building an airplane from the mid 40’s. And, last but not least, he will be helping George with the harvest at the farm. So, he is quite busy. My next sewing job is to cover the seats for the airplane and the fabric arrived just yesterday. Now to carve the foam with the electric knife we picked up at a garage sale and then figure out how to cover the seats.

James is growing like a weed ( almost 15 pounds! ) and we have been lucky to have Steve and Kath visit two Sunday’s in a row, to celebrate my birthday and then Father’s Day. My mom was here last Sunday and thus got to spend some more time with her youngest great grandchild. Jeremy and Cynthia are back in Ottawa, arriving just in the last day or so, and will be moved into their new home in Kanata soon. We look forward to spending some time with them and especially with Matthew and Samantha.

Basically, life is good, whether afloat or ashore. Hopefully it is treating you well also.

Hugs
Heather & Murray

Almost a month ago we arrived home to our little house in Tillsonburg. But, I am not sure where the time has gone.

Our computer problems continued.The Apple MacBook Pro died just before we left the boat. Once I had some time, I called AppleCare and talked to a technician. She diagnosed a failed hard drive. With Jeremy’s encouragement, we ordered a new hard drive from iFixit.com and Murray installed the new one successfully. Then I proceeded to re-install the software and our backed-up files. But, after a day or so, I noticed that the drive was running very hot. In fact, Murray measured it at 58C!

Communications with iFixit resulted in a new hard drive coming our way. This second one was again installed successfully and I re-installed the software. But, in the morning, the computer was D-E-A-D. This time, experts were called into play and we took it to the Apple repair shop in London. The diagnosis is not a good one. A terminal illness, for a computer, as the logic or mother board is caput.

Thus, my excuse for not writing previously. Luckily enough, we had purchased a small Dell netbook before leaving Florida. With it, we have been able to perform most of our usual tasks but my address books were in both the Apple and the Acer. So, please contact us to make sure that your e-mail address in back in MY memory banks.

The new grandbaby, James, is growing like a weed as he guzzles his bottles down to the last fraction. We are enjoying being able to see him frequently. This was something we missed with Matthew and Samantha, due to the distance between us and our cruising lifestyle. But, soon they will be returning to Ottawa from California and we look forward to seeing them more often.

Fandango, our Goman 20 foot sailboat, is being prepared for her launch, scheduled for later this week. It will be great to sail just for pleasure again. A dock has been reserved near Port Rowan and we will share the finger dock with Murray’s brother, George. They have a powerboat but we still speak to them anyway. Actually we have a good time with George and his wife, Barb. I foresee a barbeque or two happening near that dock.

There are no big trips planned for this summer and no major renovations on the house at this time. Thus we should have more time to play, either in the water or ashore. In his spare time, Murray is working with a couple in Port Dover who are sailing south with their family for a one year adventure. He and the captain are scrambling to get everything ship-shape aboard before their mid-August departure.

That is our life ashore. We hope that you can enjoy this beautiful summer weather with your family and friends. Stay in touch.

PS We just wrote our boater’s exam! After 14 years of living aboard and cruising, approximately 30 years of sailing/racing, passing Canadian Yachting on-the-water tests and for Murray, writing the exams necessary for his captain’s license, we STILL had to write the exam and pay our $50 in order to get the plastic card to carry in our wallets to prove that we can safely run a motor vessel.