Well, I have certainly not kept my promise to write more often, have I. It has been a very long time since we have been quite this busy and all of that without going out to work.

The last message found the floor almost finished and travels starting. Well, the floor is done and we spent a few days at a cottage on Lake Huron with Linda and Kuyler. While there, we managed to catch up with friends, Brian and Kathy, s/v Tundra, who we met in the Erie Barge Canal in 1997! They are still cruising as well and left their boat in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala this summer. We returned home from there, did the laundry and re-packed for another trip. This time towards the east.

Friends, Al & Marilyn from s/v Scaramouche, have a home on Amherst Island, near Kingston and we had arranged to spend one night on our way to Ottawa. As they have hung up the cruising life for now, it was super to spend some time with them again and to reminisce of beach parties etc. From there, we headed on to Ottawa where Jeremy and Cynthia and the kids were spending some time visiting family and friends. They were staying in a hotel in Kanata and we had arranged a room there as well. It was fun to have no responsibilities for meals or cleaning and just large periods of time to spend with the grandkids. But, the dollars racked up and after a couple of days, it was time to move on again.

Now we headed more north and west to the Bancroft area where Bob and Jane from s/v Flextime, have a cottage on Monck Lake. Another cruising couple, Doug and Sharon, on s/v About Time, joined us there and a super time was had by all. Despite the cooler weather. While kayaking one morning, I managed to get some fairly close photos of a loon and her young and will post them on the website. I also got some video footage and will try to post that as soon as Jeremy teaches me how to manage to do it. Bob & Jane put up with us for four whole days and then they could take it no more.

On we traveled, picking up my mom in Orillia so that she could experience some of the craziness around our house. The weather stayed cool and rainy, so she didn’t get to aquasize as often as she would have liked. But, we enjoyed her company for about 10 days and returned her back north, before the August holiday weekend, to avoid the heavy cottage traffic.

In mid August, we jumped into Linda and Kuyler’s Roadrunner and headed further west, to visit our friend Gary. He had purchased a country home about 2 hours north of Winnipeg. This man had made the drive to Killarney from Duluth, MN, Grand Forks, ND and Winnipeg, MB. Just to spend a weekend with us! Anyhow, we owed him a return visit and this was the time. To shave expenses, we shared rooms with Linda and Kuyler on the journey, cooked dinners on her George Forman grill and made sandwiches along the roadside. At Gary’s, we pitched in to complete some of the tasks on his “To Do” list while also enjoying the local countryside and swimming in nearby Lake Manitoba. After spending five days with Gary, it was time to hit the road once more. The drive from Winnipeg, across the top of Lake Superior, is certainly full of wonderful vistas. Murray got into rally mode on the twisty roads and the miles were eaten up. By the time we reached our door again, it had been a 4700 km journey!

The next weeks flew by again, with more visits from friends and dinners here and there. Doug & Connie, from s/v High Stepper, took time to drive here from North Carolina for a couple of days. The Brantford Air Show was on at that time and we spent the afternoon with our necks craned high to watch the skydivers, stunt pilots and precision flying.

And now it is September. Last night, we had planned a street party. I contacted the town office and received permission to close part of our crescent for the late afternoon and evening. The town even delivered barricades for the road! Approximately 40 residents of our street showed up. Murray cooked burgers and everyone brought food. Mur set up a sound system with his old speakers and we danced until the mosquitoes drove everyone home. All in all, it was a wonderful evening and everyone wanted to make sure that it became an annual event.

This week, we are headed to Lake Muskoka to visit more cruising friends. And very soon, we will fly to California to see Jeremy and Cynthia and the kids. Linda and Kuyler are flying down as well and we will spend about a week sightseeing. Maybe even drinking some of that Napa Valley wine.

So, as you can see, we have been busy. I am not just making that up. Life is very full and we are happy and healthy. What more can we ask for? A new grandbaby? Well, there is one of those on the way as well! Steve and Kath will be parents in early March.

Hugs to all and we will try to get together in October with all of those whom we have missed so far . Maybe things will slow down a little by then.

Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

Well, I said that I would write more often, didn’t I? Oops, I think that it has been at least a month since I sat down and wrote to you. But, life has been full here. That’s my excuse and I am sticking to it!

As you can see from the attached photos, we have started our flooring job.In fact, Steve and Katherine weren’t back from their honeymoon yet and we started ripping and tearing out old flooring.

What a nasty job that is! The amount of dirt and dust under the old carpet is disgusting. We had hired a flooring installer to spend a morning with us and teach us the “tricks of the trade”. In preparation, we had cleared out the furniture from the spare room, removed carpet, underlay and staples, put in screws every 6 inches on the joists and laid the waxed paper down. But, when he arrived, he said ” Oh, I wouldn’t start there. I would start here in the hall”. Well, we kind of wanted to practice in a room that was less on view than the main hall. But, we decided to follow the expert’s advice as that’s what we hired him for. So, we quickly tore out the vinyl flooring and subfloor, cleaned, screwed down into the joists and started to work. Oh by the way, Murray had bought me my own lightweight drill and an extra long bit extension to make it easier to install all of those screws. I have spent more hours screwing in the past couple of weeks and have been enjoying it much less than than when I was younger! The screws keep the floor from creaking, just in case you are wondering why we went to all of this extra work.

By the time he left, we had a good start on the hall and we continued on our own. The bathrooms were all getting new vinyl and Murray spent hours trying to get the floor in the guest bathroom level and smooth. Our advisor said ” just go over the old vinyl in the bathrooms”. Murray and I worked together to make full sized templates of the bathrooms and entry. Those installations went much faster. Once the hall was mostly done, we headed into the spare room and made quick work of it. Then, it was time to move our bedroom furniture into the spare room so that we could continue on into our room. Within two weeks of starting, we had completed the hallway, spare room, master bedroom, three closets, two bathrooms and the entrance. The photos show the completed hallway ( minus the new vinyl at the entry ) and the master bedroom. There are a few more photos on the website, if you wish to see them.

Then Murray tackled the trim for those areas. As he cut the pieces, I gave them 2 coats of paint. When the work table got too full, he started installing them. Then he filled the nail holes and finish painted. And on we went.

Now, we have moved all of the furniture out of the living room, torn out the carpet and are more than half finished laying the hardwood in there. And yesterday, the flooring nailer failed! Murray wore it out already and we were only about half done the total job. But, Princess Auto replaced it with no questions asked. It just entailed a drive into London ( in a friend’s jaunty little red sports car ) and an end to the workday so that I could sneak off to the pool with our other guest. A good afternoon to spend submersed.

In between all of this work on the house, we have driven to North Bay ( for an open house at our niece’s new home ), to Owen Sound ( for a funeral ) and done four or five jobs for neighbours. Maybe now you can believe me when I say “Life is busy here”.

Soon we will be making another road trip, up to Lake Huron to visit with Linda & Kuyler at the cottage, then on to Ottawa to meet Jeremy & Cynthia for a couple of days and then west to the Bancroft area to meet up with cruising friends at their cottage. It will be almost a week and a half of vacation and we are both really looking forward to relaxing with friends and family.

Hopefully, the garden will survive our absence. Murray has 6 tomato plants, 6 peppers, 4 hot peppers, some onions and herbs. Everything looks great right now and we have tiny peppers showing up. Murray had dug the area up, prepared it with triple mix and then we covered it with a garden cloth to keep the weeds down. That is working very well and the few weeds that manage to take hold are easily removed as their roots are shallow. I planted marigolds through the vegetable to try to discourage pests, besides they are happy looking plants and give a bright colour to the garden. Out front, our huge pots are thriving finally. I planted them too soon and they were exposed to a late frost. Then, as they were sitting down on garden cloth, they were not draining well and some plants rotted and died. But, we lifted the pots onto scrap pieces of hardwood and watched the water run out. The plants are much happier and the pots are full, and overflowing, with bright flowers.

So, that is our life here in Tillsonburg. Hopefully all is well with you and yours. Write when you have the time. Otherwise, take good care of each other.

Hugs,
Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

I know that I have been delinquent for the last month and have written neither to you nor the website. But, now that Steve and Katherine’s wedding is over, I should be back on track.

We arrived back in Ontario on April 12th, Easter Sunday. Murray has been moaning and groaning about the temperatures, as most people were, but I have relinquished control over the weather. Other than the mail taking over much of the kitchen counter, the house was in great shape. Once the mail was dealt with and the tax info dug out of the pile, we started to make plans.

First there was a shower to organize for the bride and groom-to-be. It was a family event and held on the 25th of April with 15 people for dinner in our small house. But, all went well and, with extra chairs borrowed from neighbours, everyone had a seat at a table.

And sometime in the middle of everything, Murray found the time to install our new tankless natural gas water heater and remove the old 40 gallon electric one. He did all of the plumbing and wiring and called in an expert crew for the gas connection. Our utility room now has much more available space which will eventually be taken up with a wall unit/storage cupboard. The energy usage of the new unit will be appreciably less and thus, also our expenses.

Then there was a tux to order and plans to be made for the wedding day. I drove to Orillia and picked up my Mom on May 7th. Kath’s parents, David and Carole Mann from B.C., arrived on Sat the 9th and Steve and Katherine hosted a Mother’s Day brunch.

Then the time seemed to fly by. Jeremy, Cynthia, Matthew and Samantha arrived late on Wed and stayed here with us. On Friday, all of us from T’burg moved over to the Lamplighter in London. That night we hosted the rehearsal party at the hotel, serving pizza and snacks. Any of you who know Steve will realize that he lived on pizza for many years!

Saturday, of course, was the day of the wedding. It rained but couldn’t dull the smiles on those two faces. When I think about it I remember that it also rained on Jeremy & Cynthia’s wedding day, almost 9 years ago! It didn’t slow them down much either. Both Matthew and Samantha were a delightful part of the ceremony. Matthew delivered a mauve rose to myself and his great-grandmother, my mom. Samantha was a diminutive flower girl and walked down the aisle as though she was much older than 1 1/2 ( although she didn’t want to carry her basket and throw the rose petals ).

The whole event was lovely and we will post some photos when they are available. I DID promise at least one picture of Murray in a tux!

Jeremy and Cynthia went on to Toronto to visit with her dad and step-mom before flying back to California today. Steve and Kath had lots of visitors from out-of-province, so postponed their honeymoon for a week. We will be cat-sitting while they fly off to Jamaica for a much needed respite.

Now we will finally start the installation work of our hardwood flooring. First the carpet must be torn out, the staples removed and the floor securely screwed down. Murray even bought me my own cordless drill so that I can help with all the screwing. I think that he bought 2000 screws which need to be installed into the sub-floor. Mur is in his element with new tools to play with – a flooring nailer, a brad nailer for the trim and a compressor to run it all. Our talents have also been discovered locally and we fill our spare time with odd jobs and computer fixes. Oops, spare time filled with a phone call, Mur is off to Randlawn Farms for the rest of the day, assisting with planting now that the temperatures are right.

A flooring installer is coming next Saturday to give us some tips and get us started correctly. So, we must have the carpet removed from the first area along with the furniture. The house will be a disaster zone for a month or two while this job continues. On a positive note, the vegetable garden is planted and the flower pots thriving. Mom Rand’s wind chime is bonging away in the tree in the front yard and some of Murray’s beach finds swing there as well.

Please, stop by for a visit but expect a little messiness. We would love to see you anyway and are always looking for an excuse to stop working.

Hugs,
Murray & Heather

Hello all,

We wrote last just before we got to the Reynolds Park Marine Centre. The water there wasn’t quite as deep as they said it was but by plowing through the mud with our winged keel, finally we did reach the dock and tie up. Friends, Bill & Barb on a boat called Snuggery, drove us over to Green Cove Springs Marina to retrieve our car from the storage yard. But, it wouldn’t start. With a boost, we got it up and running. For a while.

The next day, Bill and Barb drove us to WalMart to purchase a new battery. And we thought that we were all set. I did many loads of laundry and Murray started his laundry – sails and lines. George & Barb dropped in for a visit the next day and we had a great time catching up with them.

The work was progressing. Murray needed some parts for the Honda outboard ( the impeller had disintegrated! )and I had some shopping planned as well. So, we took a day off for a road trip. We got the parts in Palatka, went to Sailor’s Exchange in St Augustine where I found some yards of sunbrella at a good price and then on to the outlet mall. The day was getting on as we headed back towards Green Cove. Just as we approached the Shands Bridge, a couple of miles from the marina, I noticed that the radio had stopped. Murray said that he had no instruments either. Then the car started to slow down. Slower and slower it went. Finally it stopped, just before the highest point of the bridge. It is a two lane bridge and now it is 4:15. Rush hour is starting. Horns honk as traffic backs up behind us. Eventually, four police vehicles show up. But, just as the car stopped, Murray put the transmission in “park” and it won’t come out without any power. So, although the police vehicles are equipped to push us, it cannot be done. Murray jiggles and wiggles the lever and finally pushes down on it and the transmission shifts to neutral!! Eureka! They gently nudge the Volvo with their SUV and get us rolling over the high point of the bridge. We drift slowly down the other side and meet the tow truck that was called. He tows us back to Reynolds Park where Murray borrows Bill’s battery charger yet again.

But why would a brand new battery die? The alternator wasn’t putting out. And it had been re-built just before we left Tillsonburg. So, we contacted an alternator rebuild guy in Orange Park and drove over to see him, after disabling the headlights to conserve power. He checked it all out and said that he would remove and repair it tomorrow ( Thursday ). Bill and Barb again came to the rescue, driving us back and forth. But, by 4 pm, we were running! Now, time to make final preparations for the haul-out tomorrow.

By 8:30, we were in the slings. And before 2 pm, we were on the road north, with the boat all tidied up.

So, friends come to the rescue once again. How wonderful it is to have so many friends scattered all over this huge country.

But, now we are back home, becoming re-acquainted with our neighbours and friends in Tillsonburg. The phone works ( another long story! ) and has the same number. Call when you have a chance. Or e-mail. Either address will work all summer.

Hugs to all,
Murray & Heather

Hello everyone,

When I wrote last, we were anchored at Titusville. In company with Flextime, we headed north from there on Monday the 30th. And, as I had promised Jane, we saw lots of roseate spoonbills on the islands near Haulover Canal. They were in the sky, the trees and wading in the water. Due to the shallow waters around the islands, we could not get very close but made good use of our binoculars. The day went well with no groundings by either vessels, even during our transit of the ICW near Ponce Inlet. Both boats anchored in Daytona that night and we invited Bob & Jane to join us for a fish dinner.

With another early start the next day, we again made good time. Until we arrived in St Augustine. The bridge tender told us that, due to construction, the bridge would be closed until 8 pm that night. It would then be open until 7 am the next day. Both times would require us to travel in the dark. Not our favourite option in the waterway. We dropped anchor to await 8 pm. After a couple of hours, I called the bridge tender again to check on another opening the next day for cruisers further south of us. He announced that the bridge would be going up at 4 pm, in about 15 minutes. I quickly called Flextime and both boats hauled anchor and headed towards the bridge. The sun was setting before we found a spot to anchor for the night but we were glad of the chance to move on.

During the night a cold front came through with high winds and lots of rain. It continued to rain in the morning and we got a late start, waiting for a break in the weather. The two boats anchored at Blount Island and we rowed over to Flextime for the last evening of cocktails and card games. In the morning, Windswept IV headed off upriver, fighting the current all the way. Flextime was headed to St Mary’s, GA to haul there.

The weather stations reported expected high winds for Friday, so we continued on to the dock at Reynolds Park Yacht Centre on Thursday. Now the work was to start. But first Murray had challenges with the Volvo. It turned out finally to require a new battery and friends on the dock here drove us to the store.

George & Barb dropped in for a brief visit on Saturday and it was wonderful to see them! They had a long drive ahead of them so could only stop for a couple of hours. But, it was great that they took the time for a visit.

The work continues and we will be hauled out on Friday. Once we get the cover on and the final jobs done, we will hit the road north. Friends in Ohio have offered us a bed for Sat night and it will be nice to see them again. By Sunday we will be back home in Tillsonburg.

There the phone and internet should be back on and we will be able to talk to you all at the drop of a hat. Until then, take care and hugs from

Murray & Heather

A couple of weeks ago, we visited friends at Man o’ War Cay, Abaco. That morning we had heard on the ham net that a shuttle launch was to take place in the evening. Sitting on the deck at their rented cottage, my heart sank as I saw all of the trees surrounding us. No worries, they said ” we have an observation deck”! After dinner, I watched the time and all of us managed to reach the deck in time to watch the vapour trail of the shuttle , just after launch. It was very dramatic but, of course, my camera was down all of those steps. Thus no photos.

But, the last few days they have been announcing the return of the shuttle with a possible landing here at Titusville. The wind was honking this morning and we were concerned that the landing might be scrubbed. But, after a delay, the landing was set for 3:14 pm. And we were in just the right spot to hear the double sonic booms as it re-entered our atmosphere. Then, Murray’s sharp eyes spotted the shuttle itself as it dropped below the clouds and made its approach to the landing field. No photos again, of course.

But, how lucky are we do have seen it take off and land!

Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

Just a brief note to let you all know that we have safely arrived in the US. We departed from Great Sale Cay, Abaco and landed at Cape Canaveral, FL. It was a rough and rolly ride! I am ashamed to say that I lost my lunch on the way. Murray toughed it out and was the iron man of the trip, as usual. We entered the harbour at 0730, cleared customs and had an early lunch ( no one ate much all night! ) and then cast off, heading through the lock and on into the ICW. The anchor went down at Titusville at about 5 pm. time for a drink, a light dinner and an early bedtime.

Tomorrow, we have been invited for lunch with friends ashore. And then, the shuttle is scheduled to land shortly after 1 pm. The weekend is supposed to be rainy and windy, so we may just stay put.

To prepare the boat for haul-out, we are going to go to a marina that is close to ours. It is Reynolds Yacht Centre and is a lot more expensive then our usual marina. But, as the dock there has been condemned, we do not have a lot of choice. The boat will still be stored at Green Cove Springs Marina. It is scheduled to be hauled on April 10th and, if all goes well, we should be back at our house by April 12th! In time for the Easter Bunny.

Right now it is time for this tired old bunny to take a shower and put her head down.

Hugs,
Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

We are currently sitting at Manjack Cay, Abaco and have access to the internet through a house nearby with an unsecured wireless. Yeah! That hasn’t happened very frequently this winter. And, since the wind is blowing, I have time to write and catch up with my e-mails.

So, our last message had us heading on towards Hope Town. And that we did, but not early enough in the day. We had a leisurely breakfast and hauled anchor about an hour before high tide. Not enough time obviously as we ran aground opposite the lighthouse at Hope Town. And the tide was still falling. So we dropped the anchor and went ashore to explore. Up to the top of the lighthouse we went with a lovely view of the islands around and our boat, sitting facing away from the wind but quite upright on its wing keel.

Then, dinghy across to the village itself and check out the stores and pubs here. No hurry because it will be several hours until the boat is floating again. As we were in town later than usual, I was finally able to talk to my Mom. Mostly I had been leaving messages all winter and not actually speaking to her. So this was a wonderful happenstance.

Just before dark, we hauled anchor and moved to a spot with enough water for us to float. In the morning, we were off to Marsh Harbour for laundry and supplies. Flextime were having credit card problems and needed to get to a payphone to straighten that out. The lockers full again of food and clean clothes, we headed out in the late afternoon and anchored near Matt Lowe Cay, away from the crowds of Marsh Harbour.

Friends had rented a house on Man O’ War Cay for 2 months and wanted us to visit. Flextime needed to motor for a while to check out a cooling, or rather an over heating, problem. Meanwhile we sailed slowly to Man O War, where we picked up a mooring ball. Our friends, Tom & Kay, invited us for dinner and we had a wonderful time catching up with them after 5 years.

On Monday, there was time to visit the little shops and stores while the tide rose high enough to allow us to leave this shallow harbour. Lola, a local lady, was delivering bread to the marinas and we purchased a fresh, still warm, loaf. Man, it was delicious.

We sailed on, planning to stay at Bakers Bay overnight. But, the waves were rolling in there and making for an uncomfortable anchorage. The two boats opted to continue on, cross over the Whale Cay passage and head for Green Turtle Cay. Dark clouds and rain storms chased us all the way.

In the morning, we went for dinghy exploration of the two protected anchorages, White and Black Sounds, and then on to the town where we enjoyed lunch at Dave’s. As it was St Patrick’s Day, he was giving out shots of Irish whiskey or Bailey’s Irish Cream. By the time lunch was over, no one felt any pain.

The next day, we moved further north to Manjack Cay, ahead of an expected cold front. Since we arrived, the wind has blown hard and it has rained buckets. We have spent our afternoons playing games with Flextime and the evenings watching movies or discs of Thirty Rock.

But, the weather is supposed to clear up. Tomorrow we will return to Green Turtle, a distance of 2 miles, get rid of garbage and grab a few provisions. Then, start positioning ourselves for a crossing on Thursday/Friday from Great Sale Cay to Port Canaveral.

We will keep you informed. Meanwhile, take care and enjoy the arrival of Spring.

Hugs,
Murray & Heather

Hello everyone,

We have done a lot of moving since I last wrote to you. On Feb 28th, we motorsailed to George Town and anchored near “the big city”. Contact was made with the Port Stanley boats and a get-together arranged for later that day. It was great to catch up with all of them and hear of their adventures during their voyage from Lake Erie to the Bahamas.

As another cold front was expected, we departed George Town the next morning, after some computer gliches, and sailed northward to Rat Cay, eventually anchoring all alone in Children’s Bay. The front came through during the night but no one could drag down on us when their anchor let go! In the morning, the Research Centre on Lee Stocking Island announced a tour at 1 pm so we made our way through the shallows and anchored nearby. The tour was very informative and the first time we had seen the Centre in all of our years in the islands. It is a facility where researchers can do projects on subjects related to the ocean. Most of the studies are done in the summer months when the professors have time available from their teaching schedules.

On Mar 3rd, we departed Lee Stocking ( after a collision with a shallow reef! ) and sailed north in the Exuma Sound with all fishing lines deployed. No luck though! Galliot Cut gave us a good entry onto the shallow banks and we continued on north and anchored in Little Bay, just south of Black Point. Friends joined us for cocktails and Randy & Lori from Solemate III stayed for an impromptu dinner party. Murray sailed the boat off the anchor in the morning while I gathered up the laundry and we dropped anchored before 0800 in front of the Rock Side Laundry. Ida made us very welcome, as usual, and my clothes were soon clean and sweet smelling. Lorraine’s Cafe was the next stop where we checked our e-mails and banking using her free wireless. By 2:30, we had hauled the anchor and sailed on, towards Staniel Cay and the Big Major Spot anchorage.

We stayed put for one whole day and caught up on the news with Doug & Connie from High Stepper. We had hardly seen them this winter but made plans to meet in the summer on a road trip.

By March 6th, we were off again, sailing north to Norman’s Cay and then on to Highborne Cay the next day to meet up with Bob & Jane on Flextime. Early the next morning at first light, a small fleet set out for the Fleeming Channel and the top of Eleuthera. Some boats went to Royal Island to continue on to Abaco the next day. Flextime and W4 opted to visit Spanish Wells where we picked up a mooring.

Walking the island streets the next day was an eye-opener for Bob & Jane as this community is so different from the other Bahamian towns that they have visited. The locals are extremely house-proud as is shown by their well-tended, well painted homes. The flowers are incredible and we took many photos. Our friend Wayne Perry ( Little Woody ) is a guide and he led us out to the ocean through the intricate opening in the reef just after dawn. We waved goodbye and set our sails for Abaco.

The ocean was quite flat with a long swell. But, there wasn’t enough wind to sail so the motor went on. We made water and charged everything we could think of as we motored for 8 hrs. The cut at Little Harbour was rolling from the ocean swell but both boats made the transit safely and anchored near Lynyard Cay.

Today we snorkeled at Sandy Cay in the morning and took the dinghies to Pete’s Pub in the afternoon as it was a lovely sunny day. Tomorrow we will head on towards Hopetown to see the sights there.

Flextime also wants to return to the US about the end of this month so the two vessels will travel together for the crossing again.

So, we are only a couple of weeks from the States and access to wireless and telephone service more easily. Then on to the marina to store the boat to return to Canada. And that is a whole other story as the marina pier has been closed. Doing the prep work for storage is going to be difficult or rather, a challenge yet to be solved.

See you sooner than you think!!

Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

We have finally left the Jumentos after spending 4 weeks in that area. But, our stores of gas, diesel, propane and food was very depleted and more cold fronts were expected. So, we departed Hog Cay on the 21st of Feb and sailed northward, hard on the wind, all the way to Flamingo Cay. Early the next morning, we headed out again but motorsailing most of the way. Of course, we arrived at the shallow Comer Channel at dead low tide but made a successful transit with 0.4 ft of water under the keel at
minimum. That isn’t much to spare and we were glad that it wasn’t a huge tidal difference that day.

Motoring into Thompson Bay, Long Island, our radio came alive with calls from friends with plans to get together. Early the next morning, Murray dropped me ashore to do laundry ( 3 huge bags worth of smelly, salty things ) while he made multiple trips for gas and diesel. At Long Island Breeze, where the laundry costs me $4/load, wash or dry, I was able to use the wireless internet and catch up with our financial information etc. Once all of the clothes were clean and folded and fuel topped up aboard,
Murray joined me and we shared a pizza while surfing the ‘net. Then, off to the grocery to replenish our larder with a few fresh vegetables etc. By 2:30 we were back aboard and ready to put our feet up. Oops, spoke to soon, back in the dinghy and off to shore to meet friends for beer and conversation at Thompson Bay Inn. I told a bunch of jokes and the bartender offered me a job!! Oh oh, don’t give that girl a microphone!!

But, the fun was over and the wind started to blow again. This is now the third day of high winds. The batteries are happy but we don’t venture out too much. Yesterday we did go ashore and took a long walk, made a phone call or two and bought some more veggies. Murray cleaned some conch and trimmed his beard. In the morning, we sanded some spots on the teak in the cabin and re-applied some Cetol which is a marine finish, not a varnish nor an oil.

Tomorrow, if the wind is subsided enough, we will sail the 35 miles to George Town, Great Exuma. Several of the boats from our home yacht club in Port Stanley, Ontaio are there and we want to get together with them. Those boats are Windswept with Bob & Marg aboard, Nice Butt with Wayne and Maxine aboard, Southern Cross with Karen and Dennis aboard and Brandelera with Walter and Brenda aboard. Don Wilson on Next Exit may also be there or he may have already departed to return to the Jumentos. While
there, we will have access to wireless aboard and may try to make some calls with Skype. So, if your phone rings and you don’t hear anything, hang on a minute as it may be us with a bad connection!

From George Town, we will head north, back to the cays of the Exumas for a short while, on to Eleuthera and then to Abaco. It is time to turn the nose northward as we plan to be in the US by the end of March.

Hugs,
Heather & Murray