Living aboard suits us. This weekend is a good testimony to that affect. It has been jam-packed with opportunities and events, so hang on while I briefly relate them to you.
Friday night we were invited for drinks aboard
Carpe Diem with our new friends Peter & Bente. They have lived aboard for 5 years now and sailed much of the Caribbean as well as the US and Europe.
CLICK HERE to view their website, but don't expect to be able to read much (unless, of course, you can read Danish). Although, you may enjoy their Fotoserier (pictures). Peter & Bente proudly showed us their boat and happily related many of their experiences. Mainly, though, it was just a grand opportunity to socialize with a couple with whom we comfortably 'clicked'. The unfortunate fact is that they will be leaving the marina on Tuesday. They plan to head north for the summer, then sail back south to the Caribbean. It is sad to have them depart so quickly after we just met; however, we are going to have to get used to it. Such are the lives of cruisers. Paths cross then separate. We can only hope that our paths will cross again somewhere further south.
Saturday morning we took our dinghy,
Patience over to the farmer's market. Last week we finally had the lower unit on our 3hp Evinrude rebuilt, so it was much easier to cross the Trent River than before (we had been rowing
Patience across). The engine ran well, albeit with the noise and smell which always accompanies a 2-stroke engine. I suppose that we will either get used to it, or purchase something which is easier to row. A two-person kayak, perhaps?
Saturday afternoon the time finally came. It was a calm day, and we had no major projects planned. It was time to go up the mast. Two items up high needed to be addressed. First, the deck light was no longer working. Second, we are thinking about replacing our tri-color/anchor/strobe light with an LED variety. LED lighting uses only a fraction of our precious battery amperage. This was to be a mission of information gathering. In addition, it was to be a learning experience. Neither one of us has been up a mast before.
Sheryl removed our new bosun's chair from its packaging and climbed into it. We connected two halyards to the chair and she readied herself for the ascent. I soon discovered that it was no problem for our small deck mounted winches to lift Sheryl's minimal mass on the low speed setting. It was a slow process, where I stood in the cockpit and cranked her up a few feet with one halyard, then snugged up the safety halyard. Crank, snug, repeat. After a stop to inspect the mast light, the upward climb continued all the way to the top. From a perch 50+ feet above the waterline, Sheryl inspected the mast top and took some great photos from on high.
CLICK HERE to view the new addition to our gallery of
Prudence photos. Definitely a different perspective on the boat.
Saturday night, a group of cruisers here at the marina had a pot-luck dinner (bring your own meat for grilling). We were quite happy to be among the invitees, and brought veggie burgers for the hot coals. It was a great opportunity to interact with a half-dozen other couples who have cruised the Caribbean extensively. Sheryl even brought along a notepad to document any and all useful information. With good food and good conversation, a truly good time was had by all.
In fact, upon learning that we intend to head to the Caribbean ourselves, they decided that we should learn how to play dominos. Therefore, I am signing off for now. It is Sunday at 1:00pm, and that is 'dominos time' down island.
Until next time, dear Reader, enjoy a few more photos by
CLICKING HERE.