Updates...

Key Bay, Peter Island

Dec. 28

  Our Swiss friends, Esther & Dan introduced us to Key Bay a few weeks ago. We snorkeled around the point during our last visit and found the reef teeming with life.  Shortly after we arrived here today, we went ashore to explore.   No trails were apparent along the beaches, but we were able to weave our way through part of the shady vegetation, finding many hermit crabs underfoot.  We made our way back to the beach and followed it for about a half mile over large deposits of beached corals and huge rocky outcrops, some strikingly tinted rich shades of burgundy or jade.                                     . 

       The cruising guides describe this quiet anchorage as having a small area with good holding for a few boats .  This evening there are eight boats anchored here, as Christmas through New Year’s is the busiest charter week of the year.

Diamond Cay, Jost Van Dyke

Dec. 29

    For years we’ve heard about the annual Old Year’s Day Party extravaganza at Foxy’s.  So we made a plan to attend this year since we’re in the neighborhood.   Our plan entailed us anchoring in a smaller anchorage away from the crazies making their way in and out of Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke, where Foxy’s is located.  Diamond Cay has always been a quiet place to stop to enjoy the best of JVD natural beauty, so we anchored there two days before the party. 

   This trip we took a walk up the steep, steep road (Most roads in the BVI are at a 45% grade!) toward Great Harbor.  We also found a new bakery near Foxy’s Taboo Restaurant and a short trail to follow right on Diamond Cay- sadly there were building materials staged at the point.

SURF’S UP!

Dec. 30

    When a heavy weather system traverses the northern latitudes during this season, (i.e., the states get snow/sleet/rain dumped on them), it sends “Christmas winds” to the Caribbean.  The Christmas winds made the Bubbly Pool and the sandbar path to the Little Jost Van Dyke’s Brothel extra breathtaking! (We only recently learned that there was a brothel nearby when we saw it marked on a map at Taboo’s Bar, but it is no longer operational.)    Our customary trek along the beach, through the mangrove, and up over the rocky island goat path to the Bubbly Pool was well worth it.  The surf rushed in with increasing force while a few tourists bobbed around in its natural Jacuzzi effect.  The sandbar between JVD and Little JVD appeared perfect for surfing and a few kayakers attempted to take advantage of the breakers. 

*Becky, the striped rock pile you left was nowhere in sight.

Sky Blue Pink



Sunset view from the beach at Cane Garden Bay



Dec. 25

       When we were kids our Dziadzia (Grandpa) would sometimes take us to Mass on Sunday mornings.  Whenever he did, he always took us to the soda shop inside the Rexall Drug Store afterwards for ice cream.  One of our favorite flavor choices was Sky Blue Pink.  Today I cannot recall exactly what it tasted like, but I do clearly remember the delicate blend of hues & the way it made us feel. 

      In years past, Dan & I have spent a few Christmases away from home and phone conversations had to suffice. Today we were truly blessed to spend Christmas with our family and friends via Skype video calls.  Our toddler grandchildren (Mino, Lyla, Maya, and Genna) showed us the gifts Santa brought.  We visited screen-to-screen with Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, and aunts and it made our Christmas extra special!  

     The sunset today was sky blue pink and was the perfect way to end a Christmas Day spent far from our dearest family & friends.

Wigilia

    When we were boat shopping, one requirement was that the galley would have a counter top suitable for rolling out pierogis, a main staple of our traditional Polish Wigilia (Christmas Eve) dinner.  Our first Wigilia on board Exit Strategy was kept as traditional as possible.  I reviewed my brother Marty's recipes for Mushroom Soup and Fried Fish from our Glista Family's  Cooking From the Heart cookbook to begin preparations. Then we invited our friend Milton to celebrate with us, as his wife Debra had returned to their home in Guyana for the holidays.  Captain Dan's favorite fried well-peppered cabbage pierogis were some of the best I've ever made and Milton enjoyed our traditional meal as much as we enjoyed his company.

The secret to making pierogis is the Polish sweat.

“The Salt of the Earth…

is buried on Salt Island.” 

Dec.23

     We intended to snorkel the Rhone Reef that is just off of Salt Island near the wreck of the Rhone.  But we hiked around the shore a bit instead.  Only one family lived on the island who were caretakers of the salt ponds. We’d heard that the sole survivor passed away a few years ago.  There were deserted buildings, but also were signs of new construction of shaded picnic areas on the beach.  A worn path along the coast led us to small graveyard with burial sites piled with conch and coral and marked with weathered wooden crosses.   Further on was a nicely kept garden spot.  I shook a papaya tree and coaxed a few green ones down and made a spicy green papaya salad.

Full Moon Party

Dec. 22

      Esther & Dan are a young adventurous couple from Switzerland whom we met last month around the midpoint of their 6 WEEK sailing holiday.  They have sailed extensively and we marveled at some of the quiet, out of the way bays they’ve anchored in for the night in the BVI. 

      We met them in Trellis Bay this week and attended the festivities of the Full Moon Party that occurs there at every full moon.  There were bands playing a mix of Christmas songs and fungi (pronounced “foon’-gee”), BBQs, Jumbie Dancers, fireballs and burning structures, and lots of liquid refreshments.  Amidst all of this, there also were artists engaged in their various crafts, such as pottery wheel, raiku, jewelry, or weaving.  The highlight for me was watching the young Mocko Jumbie Dancers hop around effortlessly despite the strong breeze blowing on the uneven sandy shore.  They paused every now and then to pose for pictures among the palm trees.

Anegada

    Barry was the one man welcoming committee when we arrived at Anegada after navigating our way around the reef and shallows safely to anchor off of Setting Point.  In his spoken way, he professed that “Anegada is where the world ends and life begins.”  This BVI island is the only one that is flat with its base stemming from coral that grew along a fault where the Atlantic and Caribbean plates met.  Then over time, the ocean currents deposited sand and voila- Anegada de vida, Baby! 

    We’ve come to understand just what Barry meant over the last few days here as we lazed or walked on the long beaches or wandered through the sleepy one and only settlement, aptly named Settlement.  Only about 300 people live on Anegada whose economy relies solely on tourism and fishing conch, lobsters, and fish.   (We’re working our way down the menu.)

The sands of Cow Wreck Bay, one of Anegada's north shore beaches, are tinted pink by bits of coral. 

Prickly Pear Island

Dec. 9

     The North Sound of Virgin Gorda has been a favorite of ours since we began sailing in the BVI.    We took a mooring near Saba Rock which is really a resort built on a reef in the scant channel between the North and Eustatia Sounds and sandwiched between Virgin Gorda and Prickly Pear Islands.  This spot always provides some pleasant and free entertainment from the vessels that come and go, as mates perform a tenuous ballet while picking up (and dropping) a mooring ball due to the steady, strong current.  Last night near dusk, a young man arrived by boat and seemingly couldn’t wait to break out his kiteboard- so he did and proceeded to amaze us by skimming the board all around Eustatia Sound and over the REEF!

      This morning we were going to snorkel that reef, but there were four kiteboarders flying about, so we headed in another direction to the far side of Prickly Pear Island and beached our dinghy on a deserted stretch of powdery cream colored sand that was soft enough to nap upon.  We were mildly disappointed when we found no reef there to snorkel, but we did find a treasure of many mature conch throughout the grassy bottom just beyond the rippled sand.   We also found a surprise when we returned to the dinghy- it was almost half full of sea water and sand and held minnow captive that looked a little frantic.  We bailed out the fish with the water and sand and returned to our boat happy to have spent yet another nearly perfect morning.

Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda

Dec. 5-7
     During this trip to Spanish Town we ventured farther down the road beyond the seaside restaurants/bars to see what the settlement had to offer.  The walk took us up and down hills past the usual brightly painted homes and shops.  The roadsides are teeming with all sorts of flowering trees and shrubs, reminding me of the tropicals some of my friends and family "adopted" from our house just before we moved onto Exit Strategy.  Those tropicals annoyed the heck out of Dan, especially each autumn when I enlisted his help to shove the large pots onto a sturdy dolly and haul  them upstairs to our sunny loft.
    From our anchorage, we could see a cross high up on a hill near Spanish Town.  When our hike took us that direction we followed the steep single lane up to the top and found St. Ursula's Catholic Church.  The doors were open, so we went in to light a candle and say a prayer for our family and friends.

As the Pelican Flies

             Anchored here in Road Town for a few days, we’ve learned that the world is at our fingertips, so to speak.  From our boat that sits firmly in the muddy sand of Tortola’s main harbor, we can hop in our dinghy and quickly get to all sorts of places.  The road in town snakes along every crook & cranny following the coastline, so walking often requires a longer route and more effort.  The tourists from the cruise ships also tend to clog the sidewalks as they hunt for those unique souvenirs while ashore, but they are what keep the BVI’s economy afloat. They certainly provide lots of people watching entertainment, and we don’t totally begrudge them because, after all on any given day, we are one of them!

The Captain returns from a solo shopping expedition.

The dinghy, though, allows us to zip off in one direction or another as the pelican flies. Nearby, there are two large regular grocery stores, two large stores similar to Sam’s Club (no membership needed), two ample hardware stores, two marine chandleries, countless restaurants (enjoyed oxtails at one and sushi at another), a hospital and medical clinics, and St. William’s Catholic Church.  The Customs and Immigration offices are also easily accessible from our anchorage, and we’re happy to report that we’ve been granted an extension to visit and travel freely within the BVI for two more months.  

"Do you want to do something?"

      I should know better. 

      As Captain Dan has skillfully been laboring to get all sorts of boat projects done, I often tell him to let me know how I can help.  When he doesn’t give me an assignment right off the bat, I busy myself with a lesser task on board until he calls me.  The past few days, he hasn’t called me, but rather has come to me and said “Do you want to do something?”  Well- that phrase instantly gets my attention because to me, with my cup is always overflowing attitude, it sounds like a playful invitation to take a break and go for a swim, a walk, or whatever.

      But no-o-o.  Lately, the captain’s suggestions have been more along the lines of:

“Use the power buffer for a nicer finish on the portside hull and don’t drop it in the water.”

“Crawl over the aft cabin bunk and under the helm station to sweep up those fiber glass shavings.”

“Get that sticky adhesive off of that stainless rail.”  

      I do know better.  As First & Last Mate, it is my duty to remind the Captain of the importance of an occasional recess. I’ll do just that right after I get that sticky stuff off of that rail.

Solar panels are finally installed & operational!

Island Girl

     For nearly two months, Jean, the lead housekeeper for HYC, has been watching me clean & polish Exit Strategy from the inside out, as she’s been cleaning & polishing neighboring boats at the dock to ready them for charter guests.  I go to Jean when I need advice on cleaning the boat’s interior, and she has shared some great tips for keeping our new home in “tiptop” shape. 

     This afternoon she asked me, "You like work in de heat?" 

     I said, “Yes, because I love it when I know everything is clean & fresh." 

     Jean responded with a knowing smile, “Den you an island girl now.” 

     THANKS, JEAN! I take that as a big compliment.  That's just what I’ve always wanted to be.   

THANKS giving-

May 2010 on the Farm

    It was interesting growing up in a family with nine children in the 50's and 60's.  Then, throw in the fact that we lived on a large working farm in Southwestern Michigan that further ensured nary a dull moment.  If you weren’t getting along with one sibling, you could always play or work to complete a chore with another.  Most of us stumbled upon conflict resolution techniques, as well as acquired clear communication skills out of necessity.  We were disciplined in every sense by our parents and still often defer to their judgment in certain areas out of a deep love and respect, and for that I will be forever grateful for my Mom & Dad's constant care and guidance.

Somewhere in the Caribbean at Sunset

    My dad permitted me to attend Southern Illinois University on a teacher education grant that his sister/my counselor, Sr. Paschalita helped secure, knowing that my then boyfriend Danny was also enrolled there.  I recall my father’s specific words of warning- “You know, Rosie, sometimes boys can just string you along.”  My relationship with Danny only grew stronger during our time at SIU and four decades later continues to bring unusually pleasant adventures after two children, four grandchildren, 3 apartments, 7 houses in 4 states, and a boat in the Caribbean.  Our friends & family know that our opposing personalities have often resulted in a difference of opinion, but I’m so thankful to Danny for unknowingly pushing me to become the person I am today.  So in a way, Dan is still stringing me along- only these days he uses the mainsail and genoa sheets or dock lines.
    Hope your Thanksgiving day was spent within the warmth of family and friends!

PS: The island radio stations began playing Christmas carols this week!

Mass in the Islands

       Sunday mass at St. William’s Catholic Church in Road Town is always a lively affair and very different from the weekly celebrations we’ve been accustomed to in the states.  Mass begins at 9 AM or whenever the priest arrives, as the parish is awaiting the assignment of a permanent pastor.  The celebration is an elegant event where the people dress in formal attire complete with satiny elaborate dresses for the ladies and dress pants, shirts, and ties for the men.  (I felt underdressed the first week because the hem of my skirt was above the knee.  Dan, on the other hand, continues to be the only male wearing shorts.)

          The key element that makes mass at St. William’s so lively is the music.  There are two directors who alternate three different choirs.  Their voices are accompanied by guitars, conga drums, a tambourine, and a good old fashion organ.  It’s been a lovely surprise to hear the intros to music we sang at mass during the 70’s and 80’s with every verse of every hymn sung in grandiose manner (frequently 2 or 3 times) fully accompanied by lots of harmonizing, swaying, and hand clapping in the pews. The “handshake of peace” occurs right after the petitions and often takes on the appearance of a party, as a special song rallies the parishioners.  (I haven’t quite deciphered the words yet, so I just sway and clap along.)

         And lastly, there are the announcements that take about 10 minutes which recently included a lengthy “Thank You” to everyone who helped with the annual fundraiser, “Hurry, Hurry!  Come for Curry!”  (Yes, names were named all the way down to the last volunteer who took out the garbage.) Following the announcements, people are called to the front in groups to be given a special blessing by the priest and congratulated by the entire congregation for birthdays, anniversaries, or for being first time visitors.  Most Sundays, Father sends us out to “go forth in peace” after an hour and forty-five minutes.  Once a priest from St. Kitts came to say mass and Dan guessed we’d probably finish earlier because “white guys (i.e. priests) give shorter sermons…”  Not true in the islands! 

The Hidden Agenda

        Rick LaVoie is, in my opinion, the all time guru of learning disabilities.  Rick has written several books that zero in on understanding and educating children with learning challenges and I’ve been fortunate to attend a number of his presentations.

        Part of one of Rick’s talks dealt with what he called “the Hidden Agenda.”  He stressed the need for parents and teachers to instruct their children about the specifics of what may occur in new situations because most with learning difficulties do not recognize nor decipher social nuances.  He suggested that an actual book be prepared for students to study prior to entering the new setting, so they are apt to look and act less awkward and fit in more easily.

       Since we moved to the Caribbean, I’ve decided that I could have benefited from a “Hidden Agenda” book.  I would have loved to have had inside information on:

1.      Washing your hands in most public restrooms (Usually, there is NO water at all connected to the hot water faucet. Also, there is no hot water in the hot water cycle in laundromats.)

2.      Drying your hands in some public restrooms (You have to wave your hand over the right spot on SOME paper towel dispensers, but the “wave hand here” sticker is worn off.  I’ve rescued a number of women I found staring at a dispenser.)

3.      Depositing coins in vending machines (You have to “cock” coin with your index finger and give a spin, so it has a chance of rolling all the way in.  I suspect that there’s corrosion building up from the island climate.)

4.      Businesses do not necessarily open for business at the posted time.

5.      If you need an immediate answer to a question (Stay with the person who’s getting the answer until you get it or days may pass.)

6.      Inspect ALL bread for mold before you purchase it.

7.      Smile and introduce yourself by first name to everyone (This greatly enhances your island experience especially with the locals and will usually get you a cold one faster.)

Water, Water Everywhere...

...and not a drop to drink!
      This week while back at the Nanny Cay dock, Captain Dan has been working feverishly to change just that on board Exit Strategy.  Our vessel, like most, is equipped with 2 fresh water tanks that hold a total of 210 gallons.  That is certainly an ample amount for cruising around the islands.  But to ensure that we can actually safely drink the water without boiling it and enjoy the taste, we decided to invest in a watermaker.
      There are all sorts of marine shops and technicians in the Virgin Islands that can install whatever a boat owner's heart desires; however, Captain Dan is quite knowledgeable and experienced with home handyman projects and since Exit Strategy is our home now, he was willing to tackle the installation.
      To prepare for this task, Dan read and memorized every detail of the installation manual including the diagrams twice. (Or was it three times?)  The watermaker is being tucked into the large stowage space under our master bunk, so we moved our bedding into one of the aft cabins.  My job has been to stay out of the way, but within earshot so I can do/get whatever Dan needs while he's working, as this system has worked for us going on 37 years.

The Spectra Cape Horn Extreme

Dan tucks himself & the watermaker in.

 

According to Foxy…

(Copied from Google Images)

Foxy Callwood is not only the founding father of the Virgin Island’s most renowned conglomerate; he is also a regular guy who enjoys shooting the breeze with anyone who approaches.  This morning Dan was waiting for me outside of a gift shop on Jost Van Dyke-BVI. He saw a man wearing a Chicago t-shirt and struck up a conversation.  The man was Foxy Callwood.  I returned to hear only the tail end of their dialog, but was quite impressed with how well-read this well-connected man was.  Dan and Foxy were talking a bit of politics and Foxy felt that the USA acts and speaks with too much political correctness.  He said that they shouldn’t be afraid to “call a spade a spade.”  He said he’d like to meet President Obama someday. (Foxy, for America’s sake I hope it’s soon, so you can give the brother some solid advice.)

P.S.:  Foxy also mentioned that he's considering offering a FREE LUNCH on a weekly basis to share his personal catch of the day and give back to the community.

CONCH Season Is OPEN...

11/5

During our recent circumnavigation of St. John we spent a quiet evening in one of the USVI National Park’s multiple pristine bays, Little Lameshur.  It is located midway on the island’s southern coast making it open to the sea.  What that meant to us is that the seafood taken from the area is highly likely to be relatively safe from the dreaded Ciguatera parasite.

There was a USVI NPS notice board on shore that posted Nov. 1^st as the open season for conch. We were just in time! So later while snorkeling we harvested a nice one and had Conch Chowder with sour dough bread for supper.

First ^{& Last} Mate Rosie’s Conch Chowder (Serves 2)

Ingredients: 

1 fresh conch, shelled, cleaned and diced

2 C. water

1 bay leaf; ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning; ½ tsp. parsley

2 chicken bouillons

½ C. each cut carrots, onions, celery

1 C. milk

3 TBL. flour

1. Go snorkeling & get a conch about the size of a football. (I find one and have Dan dive for it.)

2. Remove conch from shell; clean and skin to reveal white meat; dice meat.

3. Place 2 C. water in pot with conch, all seasonings and bouillon bring to boil and then simmer for 30 min.

4. After 30 min. add chopped vegetables and continue simmering for 20 min.

5. After simmering for 20 min., wisk 3 TBL. flour into 1 C. milk and blend into pot; bring soup to a gentle boil, stirring slowly for 2-3 min.  Serves 2 and makes a very filling meal when accompanied by some nice  crusty bread.

"Do one thing a day..."

Dan said that Joe gave him a "blueprint" for retirement.  He told Dan that all you need to do is get one (1) thing done each day.

So the one thing we aimed to accomplish yesterday was to pick up the watermaker we had ordered. Our plan to get it seemed simple: take a local safari bus ($1/person) to the watermaker dealer in Benner Bay-St. Thomas and then call a cab to drive us with the box back to Red Hook Bay.  The distance didn't seem far on the map.  This shouldn't take long, we thought. 

We asked a man on the street if the bus along that road would get us to Benner Bay.  He told us it would get us close, but that it would still be a walk to the bay.  So, we waited for the bus... Did I mention that the taxis and buses look almost exactly the same on St. Thomas?  We flagged a number of buses down and by about the fifth one it really was a bus we could take. We got off at the flashing BUDGET MARINE sign. (No, it really doesn't flash, but all marine chandleries have a strong magnetic pull on boat captains.)  We shopped for a while in the down right cold A/C and then asked directions to the watermaker dealer only to be told that "you can't get there from here."

We started walking to the dealer and, luckily, a guy with a pickup truck stopped to give us a lift. He saved us from a rather long winding walk up and down steep terrain.  He offered to take us back to Red Hook with our box if we'd be ready in a half hour or so.  We were ready, but the dealer didn't have the watermaker at his office location...So our Good Samaritan, Wayne, was willing to drive us to yet another dock locker area to pick up our huge box.  He dropped us back near our dinghy in Red Hook and we managed to shove the giant box into the dinghy.  We returned to Exit Strategy and had to unpack it piece by piece to stow it safely on board  in our aft cabin "warehouse".

So, Joe- One thing a day is not so easily done.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOBY!  Stolat!               

Yes, Dear- DEER! *

10/31

Early one evening while moored in Caneel Bay, St. John, we noticed movement on the resort lawn.  At first glance, we thought a small band of island goats had come to graze on the shady hillside under the trees that stood along the water’s edge.  Using binoculars, we soon discovered that the animals were not goats, but deer!  Then we scanned the entire bay and found that there were about 15 or so other deer nibbling all along the coast.

* This note was written with my deer hunting niece and brothers in mind:  Bethie, Marty, Joe, Ed, Larry, Rich, and Bubba.  (St. John, USVI is largely a National Park, so no, you cannot come down here to hunt!)

ANCHORS AWEIGH!

AT LAST! 

10/26  We left Nanny Cay after completing enough maintenance to travel safely and comfortably for a few weeks.  We headed straight for one of our favorite BVI spots- The Bight at Normand Island.  I usually don’t venture into the water alone to snorkel, but did and almost immediately wished I had insisted that Dan join me, so I could put him between me and the huge fish (some 3 ft.) that I saw.  Later, we enjoyed a crazy evening aboard Willie T’s (The William Thornton) where a group of cruisers from Minnesota unknowingly entertained us with their various photo ops. The bartenders do tattoos.

10/27  Sailed around the south side of Norman Island to cast our fishing lines with no success. The south side of Norman Island is open water and less protected, so maneuvering Exit Strategy through larger seas was more demanding.  We dropped sails at Manchioneel Bay-Cooper Island and moored for the night.  The rest of the day was very lazy.

10/28  This was our first time in Road Harbor by boat.  Road Town is Tortola’s main city and has many shops, small department stores (similar to Dollar Stores, but more like $10 Stores), banks, restaurants, St. William’s Catholic Church (That’s a whole other topic!) etc.  Having so many businesses and conveniences nearby is nice… the down side is that the harbor is heavily traveled and the water is not the clear, beautiful blue that we’ve come to love here in the Virgin Islands. We came to Road Town to do two specific things: arrange for our boat insurance policy and clear out of BVI. Having accomplished those- we were off and on our way again.

10/29   Hello, St. John, USVI!  We’ve checked into the USVI many times before, always through Cruz Bay, St. John.  Our routine is to moor at Caneel Bay which is just around the “corner” from Cruz Bay.  After checking in at the USVI Customs, we usually amble down the winding, hilly streets as we window shop here and there and somehow always land up at Dan’s favorite beach bar on St. John- have you noticed that we have a favorite bar on every island?  The children were trick-or-treating at the two “malls” in Cruz Bay for safety’s sake. (The roads are not designed for pedestrians.)  We saw a large man wearing a very purple t-shirt; he, no doubt, was dressed as The Color Purple for Halloween.

You've got Columbus Day; the BVI has St. Ursula's Day

The local morning news casters kept mentioning the holiday business closings for St. Ursula's Day.  We asked a few people what the holiday was about and no one was able to give us an answer.  There were limited hits when I googled it just now, but the following excerpt helps to explain it a bit.

St. Ursula is on the BVI Flag.

The Virgin Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians from South America around 100 BC and inhabited the islands until the fifteenth century when Carib Indians from the Lesser Antilles Islands displaced them. The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was in 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas. He called them Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins); this was shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins).

The source was not clear if Columbus landed in the Virgin Islands on or around St. Ursula's Feast Day, October 21st, but I'm guessing that is what moved him to name them as he did. 

The Hen Knows...

An old favorite t-shirt of mine from the island of St. Lucia displayed a proverb that read, "The hen knows every morning that it is dawn, and yet she lets the cock crow."   Over the years of vacationing in various Caribbean Islands, we have more often than not been awakened each day by the crowing of a local rooster.  Here in the BVI it is no different, and most mornings we also hear the call of some kid goat!

So we rise, have some breakfast, and stroll down the dock to meet with our boat maintenance "boss" Milton.  Milton has been great at teaching both of us what we need to know about the various systems on the boat.  Dan, of course, understands much of what Milton explains about the engine, the rudder and prop, as well as the heads and water works.  I, on the other hand, ask for clarification often and Milton doesn't seem to mind patiently scaffolding me to an acceptable level of understanding for a first mate.

We began a round of deep maintenance on Exit Strategy during our first days here.  Then she was lifted out of the water and put on the hard to prepare for new bottom paint and inspection of the rudder and prop.  We hope to have her back in the water by tomorrow so we can move on board.

Up & Away Without a Hitch

Surprisingly enough-  When we left early Wednesday morning, the American Airlines agent at O'Hare checked us in easily & didn't charge us for the few pounds extra that some of our ten (YES, count them- 10) boxes full of all our worldly possessions weighed.  Then later that day at the Beef Island Airport, we prepared ourselves for the worst (i.e., having to open every box & pay a duty.)  At first, the lady customs agent looked at our stack of boxes and told Dan that she was going to have to charge us something. She requested our inventory and Dan politely handed it over.  The agent scanned Dan's chicken scratched notes and started checking things off.  Then she the blankly looked at the pile of  boxes and finally said with a slow shake of her head, "Oh, go ahead."  We didn't stop to ask any questions. In our experience, the best way to deal with Customs Officials is to treat them with the respect that Seinfield gave the Soup Nazi. Works every time.

The "Conditions of Our Release"

Recently, our children orchestrated a going away party for us that was nothing short of AMAZING!  Dan & I spent the last 5 years or so making plans to retire early and sail off into the sunset.  I think our children were the only ones who really believed us.  At the party, they formally granted us the following release to pursue our dream-


"The following conditions must hereby be adhered to for the release of this unlikely pair of Polish sailors to test their skills of life and love on the high seas Somewhere in the Sun...
Condition #1
       When the seas get rough, there shall be no pushing of the Captain overboard or setting of the First Mate adrift in the dinghy.
Condition #2
      When the seas are calm and the winds are blowing just right, take time to enjoy each other and the adventures before you.
Condition #3
       When you get lonely or bored, remember, our next visit isn't too far away!"



(We really do have to move onto the boat now-  Becky & Bob took all our stuff!)