We have been back on board for about 2 and one half weeks now and like I said in the post title the transition process is almost complete; ah, the transition from being a dirt dweller to a boat dweller. I can’t say cruiser yet as poor old Nelleke, although she is in the water, she is still waiting for the transmission coupling for her new engine.

So here’s the deal – fingernails are cut down to the shortest length possible, clothing choice is based solely on the weather and what is practical for the jobs at hand (doesn’t matter if you wore it yesterday), calluses are appearing on hands, I have pretty much given up on maintaining my city hair cut and have reverted to a ponytail jammed into a ball hat for while we are on the boat, every bony protuberance has been bruised, whacked, cut, or something – BUT Nelleke is about 90% sorted out after our 9 month absence and we are now into the project list. I presented quite a fashion statement when I ran to the marina washhouse this morning – thank heavens it was early and the only other creatures stirring were birds – turquoise flannel jammies, knee high deck boots, black hoodie, and my hair looked like a shorter version of Professor Trelawney’s from the Harry Potter movies – remember the batty seer with the wild hair played by Emma Thompson? Pretty much the only thing I have not abandoned is the long steamy showers that are possible here in the marina – once underway we have sailor’s showers to conserve water – wet down, turn water off, soap up, rinse off – not very satisfying but effective. Soaking in a bubbly tub with water up to one’s neck is a distant memory already – sniff, sob, snivel… The wash-up kit is down to the minimum practicalities – toothpaste and brush, dental floss, brush, shampoo and conditioner, soap, deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm – c’est tout.

You know, the designers of clothing for boat owners and dwellers really need to give a bit of thought to the practicality of the fabrics and colours they use – things need to dry faster, be more repellent, and if not stain repellent they should be in colours that match all of the different boat products we need to use – grease, oil, bleach, vinegar, 5200, and the list goes on – and why in the creator’s name would they think it is a good idea to put WHITE trim on anything – puhleese! Hmmm – maybe a boat version of the armed services camouflage patterns would suffice. And, while I am ranting, the boat designers need to be forced to get down to thinking about the practicalities of cleaning their creations both inside and topside – there are too many nooks and crannies that accumulate goop and crud – good lord – I need to de-rant myself, get out of my jammies and go for a walk on this lovely spring day here in Deltaville. In the short time that we have been here spring has arrived with gusto – daffodils, narcissus and even pansies are growing wild everywhere here (like the lupines on the roadsides at home), the forsythia bushes are blooming, magnolia blossoms abound, the ducks and resident Canada Geese have ducklings and goslings on their minds.

One more thing – on the way home from Norfolk yesterday we stopped at a great store called Trader Joe’s – I have heard others raving about it but this was my first experience. For those of you in the Maritimes it is like Pete’s Frootique with the added feature of in-store wine selection – my kind of place – interesting food, wine, lovely fresh fruit and vegs, wine, great selection of meats and dairy, wine, a lot of organic suppliers, wine AND the prices were very reasonable. We will go back to restock the boat before Mike takes the car back home – probably at the end of the day that we pick to explore the museums at colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown.