Vacation

2011 04 07

Meredith leaves Vero in the next day or so headed for the Chesapeake.  This will be our last sail of this season.  With a bit of luck we will be in the Chesapeake in under a week even allowing for our cowardly approach to Cape Hatteras (we don't go there).

Once there we haul out at a small boat yard in Solomons Island to let the hull dry for a month.  Then it is off to see the children.

The crew plus one, our son in law Nic, will return at the end of May to finish bottom painting and float the hull.  Then we are off on the sail to Bermuda.  If that works there is more sailing to be done in an easterly direction and if we get there, a good 4 months of weather to enjoy Europe (there is some disagreement aboard as to whether one can enjoy Europe or whether one should even if one could).  Then we set out on the milk run home (French Sailing Directions: sail south till the butter melts then turn east.  Perfectly clear, easily implemented)

Our preparations for the Bermuda trip will be posted but for the next month we will not be sailing or venting frustration about our fellow sailors.  That waits for our  return to the salt.  We will be talking to Chris Parker about his Atlantic weather routing service and checking out OCENS high speed weather products.  Not willing to trust our lives or comfort to the ferenghi who run ICOM we will also be checking out satellite phones and the SPOT system that so many people are moving to.


To date you know that we have replaced the diesel and all our sails, replaced the standing and running rigging, the mainsheet traveller and boomvang, the batteries and the generator.  We have removed and recaulked the portholes and replaced so many small parts we can't keep track.  The liferaft has been repacked and recertified at great expense and we have a new EPIRP, although I am not really too confident anyone will respond to an emergency midocean.

The ceaseless expense has rendered the Budget Committee comatose on some days but she has yet to object.  

Of course something is going to break because we should have replaced it but we will have some bailing wire and a Newfoundlander on board so we feel ready for darn near anything.


Fuel and water are always an issue but we are reading up on rain dances and will practice over the break.

In the meantime we have arranged to see many of you on our return and we look forward to all our visits. 

Now it is time for you to be working on your own boats.  We will write when there is something more to say.