WASHED UP IN POVOA

October 3, 2010

Since Thursday we have known a severe storm system was heading our way and would hit Saturday evening and Sunday.  Being cautious people, we entered a harbor Friday afternoon about 1600 hours so we could be all neatly tied up and tucked away when the worst of the storm hits.  As a courtesy we usually call the marina as we are entering to ask for a berth so they can direct us.  Their answer quite shockingly was, sorry we don’t have room for your size boat.  Apparently our boat is too heavy for their finger docks in a storm.  We were stunned and at a loss of where to go since we had already sailed all day.  They suggested we anchor just outside the harbor.  Sure that’s ok for this one night, but a violent storm is raging in the Atlantic and they are sending us away. 

In the meantime W and I have teamed up with another couple heading in the same direction.  Great fun couple, our age and you won’t believe it, he is Austrian she is German.  We get together most evenings or do day trips when we are a place long enough.  More about them later.

The four of us decided to go north (where we just came from)13 miles, the nearest harbor just to be on the safe side.  We left 7:30 Saturday morning, arriving at 9:30 in Povoa only to be told that we can’t stay...also because of the upcoming storm....WTF.   By now the storm was fairly immanent and there was no guarantee of a place anywhere else. Most of these ports and/or harbors are also commercial fishing harbors. The fishing boat wharf looked like a good alternative.  We tied our lines to the 10 meter high wall and  felt relieved to be in a sheltered space.

The storm has been raging for almost 24 hours now with winds more than 40 knots, a good sailing wind is about 15 knots.   During this time W has put out more lines and double tied other lines as well.  In between checking the lines for chaffing, most of the day was spent reading, and napping.  We are starting to get a little cabin fever, but as I am writing this the winds have calmed down a bit and the sky is clearing.

ANCHORED IN HOLDING PATTERN

October 8, 2010

The character of the Atlantic coasts of Portugal and Spain varies widely between the sheer cliffs north of Cabo Finisterre and the flat sandy lagoons of the Faro area. Spain’s coast has rolling hills, many with wind mills and small towns built into the hillside, quaint and picturesque. I can imagine the cruising here is pleasant and interesting in the summer months, but in stormy conditions it can easily be quite dangerous. Locally it is known as the Costa del Morte (Coast of Death).

Portugal’s coast on the other hand is flat and one continuous line of high rise buildings with miles of empty, featureless beach. The harbors are commercial and /or fishing in nature. Many have hazards of one sort or another in the entrance. The most common is a sand bar, although safe enough for freighters and large fishing vessels they can be dangerous for the smaller boat if there is a swell running......and worse if it is running across the tidal stream. This brings me to our present anchorage.

After much deliberation about whether or not to leave the marina at Povoa de Varzim we headed back out into the choppy waters of the Atlantic coast with it’s 2-3 meter high swells. Looking back from the sea I can still see the high-rise buildings, hotels and a very modern Casino which belies the interesting old town just behind.

We headed for Aveiro a ten hour trip motoring the entire time. The Aveiro

harbor is a very large commercial port with hugh freighters rallying for space and fishing boats hauling their nets in or letting them out. By the time we arrived at the entrance, the sun had set and we knew it wasn’t long before it would be dark. This entrance has a reputation for being dangerous with strong tidal streams that make for high swells, therefore it’s not advised to enter at night. After being in radio contact with the harbor control tower we were nevertheless glad to hear that the entrance was open to traffic. The harbor master’s last words to us were, “good luck”.

The next ten minutes were a total adrenaline rush. The high waves and the swirling water took us for a roller coaster ride we still like to talk about; incredibly scary, yet incredibly exhilarating. In our log book W’s entry under “remarks” for that day “don’t go into Aveiro in the dark, against the tide and with big swells!” W’s analogy “coming in was like riding a sand-worm on Arakis” from the movie Dune.

The anchorage was very calm and quiet a very welcome refuge after the stormy entrance. We stayed several days, did a day trip into the city of Aveiro which is described in some books as the second Venice. Yes there was a canal and yes they had gondolas, but Venice it wasn’t. The day we planned to leave the entrance was once again closed due to the high winds and large swells.

Finally lifted anchor, after control tower cleared us for exit (don’t want to tango with a freighter).

Day trips are usually anywhere from 6-10 hours. This was going to be another 10 hour day, but well worth the effort, Nazarene. Calling ahead Captain Hadley, a British man who runs the small marina assured us a spot would be available. We rafted up with Viva-mare and had a disturbing night from the fishing boats loading and unloading their goods.

We took the bus into town the next morning. The town relies largely on tourism for it’s prosperity, but the lower town on the beach has kept some of the old atmosphere. For me the most compelling reason to visit Nazare is the view from the upper town which we reached via steep electric gondola.

Except for the occasional rain storm, the weather has been fabulous and continues to lift our spirits.

FINAL WEEK IN PORTUGAL

October 24th 2010

Marina de Cascais

The moment we arrived on October 15, at this fabulous facility I felt completely at home. In a setting of such unparalleled natural beauty you can’t help let down your hair (the thin amount I can still let down) and relax either on-board or at one of the many outdoor cafes or restaurants in the marina.

Before being allocated a berth, the captain and his crew (me) are required to check in at the reception desk. After filling out all the necessary documents and a passport check with immigration, you are given a bottle of the local red wine, a detailed city map for shopping and transportation along with your security cards.

After a little relaxation we decided to investigate a suitable place for dinner. Grabbing our city map we set off in search of a quaint little place at reasonable prices. Cascais , basically a suburb of Lisbon is a pretty town, with a large number of tourists so there is no shortage of restaurants to choose from. We were all quite famished and we try to eat where we see locals eating. Just ten minutes along the shore we found a place to satisfy our immediate needs. Good food and friendly atmosphere. We no longer have to worry about drinking and driving, simple, NO CAR. Bonus is you can walk off a few of the many calories you just consumed.

Days have been filled with domestic chores, laundry 2-3 loads, hanging it up, (no dryer) refilling the water tank to do dishes and take showers. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t intensive labour and I’m not complaining, just trying to create a picture.

Supermarket shopping is challenging because to can only buy what you can carry...even with a two-wheel cart. Once you figure in the essentials....beer and wine, there isn’t much more room in the cart for anything else. When the cart is empty it’s easy to maneuver over the cobble stone street, but getting back with a heavy load makes the 1 1/2 km trip seem a little tedious.

Yesterday we took a little bus trip to the MALL. The bus driving skills required to drive the narrow streets is a story in itself. W needed a grinder for a small repair so we needed a Canadian Tire equivalent. We found a “Home Depot wanna-be” in this very up-scale mall, and within minutes we found what we needed.

We are getting ready now for our trip back to Canada. Our dinghy has been deflated and put into it’s storage bag. Putting things away in the same way you do with a house when you go on vacation. Simple Abundance will stay in the water here at the marina. Our friends from Vivamare will be staying here also until we return.....they have promised to keep an eye out just as an extra security measure.

GUERNSEY-JERSEY-BAY OF BISCAY

September 7, 2010

GUERNSEY TO JERSEY

We sailed from Guernsey to Jersey, great sail; a mere 33.3 nm. Just as we rounded the south-west corner at the lighthouse , we were accompanied by a pod of dolphins. What a greet feeling! Once in a life time experience. Arrived in St. Helier in early afternoon but we could not enter marina because of low tide Boats wait at a holding pontoon until the “traffic light” turns green, indicating water level adequate to enter marina.

Jersey is the largest Channel Island and is quite cosmopolitan with an extensive pedestrian shopping area. My wardrobe has not been a major concern on this trip and regular t-shirt and jeans only come out of the closet when going ashore. However we did spot a Red Cross charity shop where I managed to get some real bargins.

After spending a few nice of days in Jersey, we consulted with our new friends and finally ventured out to cross the Bay of Biscay. The weather forecast called for southerly winds (good) but we had only southwest winds, (not good) directly on our nose, so we finally turned on the engine and motor- sailed for about 12 hours. The tides were very strong and sometimes our speed was only 2 knots and other times our speedometer read 11knots over ground when the current was in our favor. Our first night out we motor-sailed, luckily it worked in our favor again so that we got to Quessant at ebb flow. The lIe d’Quessant is an island off the most westerly coast of France perhaps best described as a flat plateau surrounded by cliffs, rocks and tidal streams running like roaring rivers. This area represents the last obstacle while rounding the French coast going south. Simple Abundance behaved quite admirably, driving through the 3 meter high swells we never once felt insescure. After Quessant we finally could turn south and catch the wind came from behind. Now that was different sailing again, because now the boat was rolling; it’ like being on a roller coaster.

September 14, 2010

HELL ON THE HIGH SEA

We have successfully crossed the Bay of Biscay without any major catastrophe and we did it in 4 days and three nights non stop sailing from Jersey. Most of the first day the wind came from the direction we were heading south-west and part of the way the tidal stream was also against us..this means that we don’t cover a lot of miles. However the weather was in our favor, by this I mean it didn’t rain and two days out of four we had sun. Now this might lead you to think T-shirt and shorts....but in reality we are dressed in what amounts to ski wear including warm hats and gloves so we both look like the”Michelin” man. We basically lived in the same clothes for four days. All we did is eat (very little)(no cooking involved) attempt sleep and stand watch. Two hours on and two hours off.....at least during the night.

We did however have two incidents during our crossing. The first was a once in a life scare. I was below and Wolfgang was in the cockpit, or so I thought. Steering can be put on autopilot and I had not noticed he went to pee. When I looked out, no Wolfgang anywhere, even when I called, no answer. You can’t imagine what went through my mind. It only took maybe twenty seconds before he out of the toilet but those were the longest twenty seconds of my life.

The second incident happened Sept. 12 late afternoon. The genoa reefing drum came apart and let out this hugh sail flapping aimlessly in the wind. Once again grateful for autopilot, we managed with lots of muscle and sheer determination to pull the sail down through the v-berth hatch. Another heart stopping situation averted but now we only have use of the smaller sail with several hundred miles to go. Sa la vie

Some days were pleasurable with hugh swells gently rocking the boat with nothing to do except take in immense vastness of the sea. Other days are spent adjusting the sails so that the boat doesn’t heal (leaning over to one side) too much. There is so much more to this sailing than I remember from our other boat. Then there’s the navigation...yes it’s electronic, but we still have to be computer savvy.

We crossed into Dijon, Spain,because La Coruna showed bad weather. Gijon is very nice, new harbor and easy mooring, straight in, no turning etc. When I was checking in I was still swaying at the counter, my body was still on the rolling boat.

Tomorrow we are planning a day sail to Ribadeo and then on to La Coruna. After that it is much up to the weather forecast. By the way, you can wear short sleeves here at 7 in the morning and sit outside till midnight. Great. It was quite lonesome out in the Biscay, no AIS signal from any boat for 2 days. Makes you think. But it was nice too, with the stars out and the beautiful sun rises.

49 degree 11minutes.00N 002degree 07 minutes.00W

My title refers to the coordinates of our location. Sitting below in the saloon looking out; these numbers appear on the inside of the harbour wall in Jersey. We arrived Tuesday afternoon after a day sail from Guernsey and were greeted by a dolphin pod at the north west corner as we rounded Jersey. We were thrilled with their appearance and even managed to get them on video.

In the foreground of the above picture you can see the "waiting area" for boats that want to enter the marina. When the water is high enough boats pass through the opening and look for the visitor docking which in this marina is at the very end.

Today we took a trip into town. Many stores, a real shoppers paradise; all in a car-free, pedestrian only zone. After strolling through an indoor market filled with fresh fruits stalls and we had lunch at one of the quaint outdoor cafes and headed back to our home with heavy bags filled with wine and used books. We arrived back just to make ourselves comfortable and watch the air show

According to all the weather info we have, tomorrow will be a good time to head south west along the French coast and then across the Bay of Biscay. It will be a three day trip. We know this won't be easy, but the further into September we go, the weather window becomes smaller for crossing the Bay of Biscay.

THE CHANNEL CROSSING

The Southerly Journey
We were finally ready to take the leap across the English Channel to Guernesy. We waited for the winds to be just right and calculated the tides and currents. Our calculations meant that we had to leave Chichester Harbour around 2 am. We set the alarm for 1 am, made a thermos of tea, put on our woollies, foul weather gear and life jackets. At 1:45 we finally cut our umbilical cord heading south with a beautiful full moon to guide our way through the anchored boats. It was our first night sail.

The winds were pleasant, the sails raised and we were doing a respectable 8 knots. We were anxious but everything was under control. With the autopilot engaged we relaxed a bit with a cup of tea anticipating the sunrise. It was right about then that my stomach started feeling queasy; trying to ignore the symptoms I had to go below to use the loo.

I don't remember much after that ; it's really all just a blur of endless retching and the shakes so bad I thought this is what heroine withdrawal must be like.

Wolfgang:" So it was up to me to steer the boat, even though I didn't feel that good either. But "Uncle Otto", our autopilot did a very good job. Maybe when we have more feeling for it, we might reduce the sensitivity of it, thus reducing the amount of course corrections and therefore reducing the amount of power draw. It was a beautiful sunrise, we just couldn't enjoy it as we might have without the "Mal de Mer".

Yes,Wolfgang was sick too for a little while , but after a few hours he seemed to have acquired his "sea legs".

Simple Abundance sailed easily through the inconsistent, lumpy, choppy waves, but staying on course is a constant battle due to the strong current.

Being very close to the north coast of France you must keep constant vigil for other boats. Suddenly, out of the blue, ha ha, came this big, grey freighter- like boat. At the same moment we hear the name of our boat on the radio calling us. This is a VHF radio that mariners use to communicate with each other. At first we thought it was the coast guard, but they identified themselves as a customs vessel and asked us numerous questions as all customs officials are in the habit of doing.

Between drinking water to stay hydrated and going down below to the loo was a fine balance. Going to the loo of course is not just a matter of pulling down your pants. First the life jacket comes off, then the foul weather jacket and pants, then the woollies; all of course ripped off and just left inside out on the cabin floor because I put off the inevitable. After everything has been reassembled I go back on deck only to hear Wolfgang say, "only 3 more hours honey".

At this point jumping overboard looks like a brilliant idea.

You might think that arriving in St Peter Port would be a relief because by this time we had been awake 40 hours, and sailing 15 hours; however, the harbour and marina were so crowded that exhaustion and confusion about where to go lead to a very stressful docking.

We have been in Guernsey now for a week recovering, doing a little sightseeing, relaxing, and planning our next trip. Weather permitting, on Tuesday we will travel to Jersey. Only a three hour trip, but I'll take some anti nausea meds, eat a few ginger cookies and stand at the helm looking out at the horizon.

CRUISING LIFE/??????

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Most people are quite curious to know what it must be like to live on a sailboat. A cruising life might seem as alien as life in outer space. There is no single definition of the cruising lifestyle. Although I have only lived on board a short period of time, for me it means spending time everyday.......in fact nearly every minute with my husband in the same space. Something we really have never done. Funnily enough I honestly didn’t find this idea frightening. We have been planning this lifestyle for a very long time and now that it is here we spend most of our time planning even more. We listen to weather forecasts, look at tide and current information vital to sailing anywhere. We have spent the last five weeks familiarizing ourselves with all the computer systems such as chart plotter and autopilot and compass.

Our boat is the focus of our lives. It is our new home and our mode of transportation. We will be moving from place to place, constantly learning new things and meeting new people. You may think this sounds interesting but lonely. Not at all; we have met so many new interesting people, exchanged emails and in one case have made arrangements to meet before we head back to Canada.

This lifestyle offers me adventure, challenge, and a renewed relationship with my first mate. I do not spend hours cleaning, shopping or watching TV. This early in our adventure most of our time is spent learning new things. This also includes learning to live with things that I cannot change. Mother Nature has her own way of making a point. Too much wind, not enough wind, constant rain, salty spray and choppy waves. We have to learn to adapt.

I feel that we are adequately prepared for our first long trip; 15 hours from Itchenor to Guernsey. We have all kinds of safety equipment, adequate navigation information and a certain amount of confidence in our abilities.

Our goal is enjoyment not endurance . I’m anticipating lots of excitement as well as some unknown demands as we enter the natural world of sea and weather, but our commitment to this adventure is unwavering.

DOMESTICALLY CHALLENGED

Sunday, August 22, 2010

5:45 pm

With a whole chicken roasting in the oven I’m taking some time to reflect on the last few days. The weather has been nothing short of miserable this past week. The skies are grey in grey and there is constant sprinkle in the air. As some of you probably know I have a washing machine on board, however not a dryer. This makes drying jeans for example virtually impossible, not to mention bed linens. When I do a load of T-shirts the entire boat is turned into a clothesline.

I now also have a much greater appreciation for flush toilets. Our toilets on board need to be pumped and pumped again for water to remain in the bowl. Oh, did I mention everything gets pumped out to sea. There is a holding tank (2 actually) but they only get used in marinas.

Last week we ran out of cooking gas. We do have a second tank to avoid just such disaster but when W. went to change the tank the fitting on the second tank was different.. Since we don’t have a car here even the smallest issues become all day events. After hearing about our dilemma someone from the office offered to drive us to get the gas tank exchanged.

Since we have lived on board now for four weeks, we have noticed that on weekends there is no power at the dock. This means no hot water (no shower), no charging the computer etc., nothing you would plug in.

Wolfgang has just pointed out that we can’t have roast chicken too often because

1 1/2 hours in the oven will not leave much gas in the new tank. Ohhhhhh!!!!!!

We were planning to leave for Guernsey this week, but looking at this week’s weather forecast shows gale force winds for Thursday and Friday.

Yesterday we did one more provision shop with a rental car. You all know what Costco is like on a Saturday, well multiple that times ten. Total mayhem, of course not only in the store but imagine the parking lot.

Today’s shopping list consisted of a dinghy and motor for those days where we are at anchor and want to get ashore. For those unfamiliar with dinghies; they are inflatable boats that can be deflated and rolled up for easy storage. I’ll report back how that worked out at a later date. It took us longer to decide on which dinghy and motor to buy than our decision about this boat.

Most nights W. and I play cards after dinner when we not entertaining neighbors. Last week we met a lovely couple from Eastbourne. They also have a new boat, so we spent the evening with a few bottles of wine comparing notes. They have now sailed back to Eastbourne, but invited us to stay with them upon our return to Canada from Gatwick.

MAKING NEW FRIENDS

Thursday, August 19/2010

It's lunch time here in the pub. It get very crowded every day at mealtimes. It's holiday time and all sorts of people are out on walking tours. A group of six ladies have just entered all wearing purple outfits and red hats. Can't believe the variety of people and dogs galore. We have met some new people who are tied up next to us. They have also come for a compass alignment and some small things that need fixing. They are a little less experienced than we are, so we are able to help them a little.

SOLO VOYAGE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010

9:30 PM

I dare anybody to beat tonight’s entertainment Mind you we have opened a bottle of CHIANTI (with dinner) of course. There was a moment when the sun came out this evening after dinner so we wrapped ourselves in a blanket and sat in the cockpit while unpacking and reading the instructions for an additional anchor. Apparently it’s a good idea to carry two of everything.....who knew.

Thursday morning after christening our new home with some champagne we left our safe dockage and headed out. We didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but when mother nature determines your direction, compliance is crucial, resistance is futile.

For those of you who would enjoy following our actual route, go to “marinetraffic.com”; type in the vessel name and you can watch our progress.

Heading southwest we are in the Solent. Here people say if you can sail the Solent you can sail anywhere. The Solent is very much a shipping channel with freighters, ferries, Hovercrafts, sailboats (all sizes) 10’-60’, motor yachts, dinghies, fishing vessels all going in a different direction.

We arrived in Cowes ...(very popular in the UK,) early evening. We decided on a marina and called on our VHF....(our phone on board), they allocated a berth. Have I mentioned anything about the tides and currents here, crucial info for sailing in any direction. For docking into our berth, we tried once, we tried twice but the current was so strong the back end of the boat would not swing around, hitting another boat already docked. Our boat not a scratch, the other boat not so lucky. Our insurance company will love us. No body was hurt, but we were the topic of conversation that night.

Next morning we took a tour of the town, quaint and charming narrow streets, with pedestrian walkways only but a tourist trap with many expensive nautical clothing shops as attractions.

After a quick lunch we headed out in the rain wearing our yellow weather gear. Destination: Chichester Harbor ......Arriving at the boatyard only to discover that our place had been occupied by another Southerly, What the hell, we’ll raft up. This time we had timed the current just right, we didn’t leave a mark.

THE SOLENT

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010

9:30 PM

I dare anybody to beat tonight’s entertainment. Mind you we have opened a bottle of CHIANTI (with dinner) of course. There was a moment when the sun came out this evening after dinner so we wrapped ourselves in a blanket and sat in the cockpit while unpacking and reading the instructions for an additional anchor. Apparently it’s a good idea to carry two of everything.....who knew.

Thursday morning after christening our new home with champagne, we left our safe dockage and headed out. We didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but when mother nature determines your direction, compliance is crucial, resistance is futile.

For those of you who would enjoy following our actual route, go to “marinetraffic.com”; type in the vessel name and you can watch our progress.

Heading southwest we are in the Solent. Here people say if you can sail the Solent you can sail anywhere. The Solent is very much a shipping channel with freighters, ferries, Hovercrafts, sailboats (all sizes) 10’-60’, motor yachts, dinghies, fishing vessels all going in a different direction.

We arrived in Cowes ...(very popular in the UK,) early evening. We decided on a marina and called on our VHF....(our phone on board), they allocated a berth. Have I mentioned anything about the tides and currents here, crucial info for sailing in any direction. For docking into our berth, we tried once, we tried twice but the current was so strong the back end of the boat would not swing around, hitting another boat already docked. Our boat not a scratch, the other boat not so lucky. Our insurance company will love us. No body was hurt, but we were the topic of conversation that night.

Next morning we took a tour of the town, quaint and charming narrow streets, with pedestrian walkways only but a tourist trap with many expensive nautical clothing shops as attractions.

After a quick lunch we headed out in the rain wearing our yellow weather gear. Destination: Chichester Harbor ......Arriving at the boatyard only to discover that our place had been occupied by another Southerly, What the hell, we’ll raft up. This time we had timed the current just right, we didn’t leave a mark.

RAINY ITCHENOR

Tuesday, August 10, 10:26 am

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain splashing against my window pane, to be more specific it was the small hatch above my bed which had been leaking all night because I didn’t close it properly. I don’t think we’ll be out much today other than our daily visit to the pub for our internet fix.

At the moment there is a young chap here resolving some minor issues. We are still finding enough things to keep us busy while we are waiting for things to be done. If the weather improves we might take her (SA) out on our own tomorrow for the day.

OK two more chaps have arrived just now so I thought I’d head off to the pub early.

Sitting in the pub now with no other customers around it's a little strange because this place is usually hopping with people and to my great plearsure DOGS. The English do love their dogs. They are allowed in all the pubs, with dog drinking bowls visible everywhere.

The pubs here work differently here in terms of service. The staff do not come around to take your order. You must order your drink and any food at the bar. Once the food is ready they will bring it to the table , but everything must be paid for right away.

All the food we've had here in the pub or what we have purchased is very good. Yesterday' dinner consisted of prepared hamburger patties with roasted potatoes and veggies. The patties were seasoned perfectly and juicy.

Once W. arrives we'll have lunch here today. Need to do some online banking and more research, weather forecast for tomorrow since we plan we first solo sail. We have saved the campaign for the christening for our first solo sail

SUNNY IN ITCHENOR

Itchenor, August 9th, 2010 Thinking back at the time when life was tough and we had to fend for ourselves. Even the heat in the Cottage had to be provided by the surrounding woods and by the muscle power of the "wolfman". But now it looks like we will soften our bodies with leisure time on the boat and let the wind do all the work. Or....

The sun was shining for a change in the English channel and a bit of sun tanning was in order, ahh, the vitamin D !

A slight suntan is what the body needs, and no phone calls from the company. An added bonus.

Just waiting for a few fixes and the ominous spinnaker pole and we should be off exploring the south coast of England before we do the crossing of the channel. Vive la France, here we come!!

ITCHENOR ARRIVAL

It's been 20 days since we have arrived in this cute sea side village and I have done some other journaling, however we don't have a wifi connection on board so it's been difficult. There have been so many details that need attending and blogging is way down on the list. I had also been discouragaed because I'd written a piece at the airport and because I never had my password with me I couldn't publish it.

OK enough excuses. Since our arrival most things have gone according to plan. Our four boxes had arrived before us and so we unloaded them and moved on board. We rented a car to get around and do all our shopping. Our first visit was to Tesco (Costco) where we bought what we thought were the basics, However we did two more shops after that for the rest of the basics. We also did two big shops for chandlery stuff, marine gear, safety equipment etc.

We have beeen out with the boat (SA) in 20 knot winds and she felt seady and secure with waves pounding over the bow. The weather here has been mixed with cool temperatures which is really just the way I like it.

Most days we have lunch and dinner on board. Meals are fast and clean is easy.

Now I just have to figure out have to attach photos into these blogs. In the meantime I will copy and paste the entries I have made earlier.

Saturday

AIRPORT TIME

Our departure is immanent; although we were not 100% certain that we were leaving on the July 19th. W. has finally been diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica and has started on a cortisone medication that has virtually eliminated his all over body pain.

A tremendous amount of strenuous packing has occurred since that last entry. Many days of hair raising moments where I wasn't sure we would make it out the door. During these last few days, before we finally turned the key to close another chapter in our lives I created piles from the house. A Sudbury pile, cottage pile, Goodwill pile, garbage pile and in the end we had to leave half of the combined piles with our neighbors. Our neighbors took us in and gave us room and board for two days.

We only needed to walk across the yard where a cool glass of wine or beer was always waiting for us. We truly felt very comfortable at their house and humbly accepted their help on those last three days of record temperatures and staggering humidity. We locked the door on our country house without regret or even shedding a tear. We drove to Sudbury with a truck load of STUFF for the cottage to await the movers. All went well with the unloading, and we spent the rest of the day purging and repacking our suitcases so we only had 20 kg per suitcase. We never did get it down to the allowed amount.

We headed to the cottage the next day. After unloading from the GMC to the boat and up to the cottage we could finally relax knowing nothing else required our last ounces of strength.

Leaving at 8 am the next morning heading back to Newmarket for the last errands we stopped for our usual Tim's coffee and felt confident about our upcoming day looking forward to spending time with the Sewards.

Our first stop was to return W's new glasses. Long story short, we got caught up there at the mall and didn't make it to the Seward's until 5:30. Better late than never.

Our farewell party was fabulous, with the entire Seward clan present. I was a little overwhelmed with everyone asking all kinds of questions, which I was very happy to answer. Lots of little ones playing in the pool, just like in our early days of living next door. We had presents and champagne and of course some tears.

Sitting here in the lounge area we feel relaxed and ready to continue the next leg of our journey.

CONTINUED PREPARATOPNS

I feel like my "to do" list is still endless although preparations have been ongoing basically since January . This was when I started interviewing real estate agents because it was time to sell our house. We had made a commitment to a lifestyle change by putting a down payment on a custom 42' sailing vessel.

Upon Wolfgang's (W) retirement we planned to cruise the Med with no particular schedule in mind, no morning alarms or 6 am employee meetings. Just the two of us together 24/7. This can't be good?....or can it?

Briefly, let me just go back to July 09 when Wolfgang and I flew to London England, took a train to Chichester and a taxi to the village of Ichenor where we met with representatives of Northshore Shipyards. This shipyard builds the Southerly yachts known primarily for their swing keel design. At the shipyard we also met up with Paul and Sheryl Shard, 25 year cruising veterans and video producers. It was through the Shards that we became familiar with the Southerly as they own a 42' named Distant Shores. After the pleasure of sailing her one very bright, fine day on Lake Ontario, we were hooked.

So here we are one year later almost to the day, with our house sold, my car sold and half of our belonging shipped off to England. Today is W's last day at the office, so to say there is tension in the air is an understatement. We have exactly 11 days to finish packing the rest of our things because the movers will be here July 12th.

PREPARATIONS...

My eldest daughter has convinced me into keeping a blog for the duration of our nautical journey. This is just one of the many steps towards us finally setting sail in our Southerly 42.

Get ready to share in our adventure!