Ok, it's all about the weather now!

We have been pulling our hair out trying to decide on a new hatch from the states. We exhausted everything on island trying to get this going faster...but after shipping and customs fees with a new Bomar hatch from West Marine, it would cost close to $1,000. US dollars that is. That's what my honey needed to hear for his creative juices to flow. He got a perfect piece of teak, bought two generic stainless hinges and we have a hatch that works! We have to prop it open with a stick and she leaks like a sieve, but she's ours. Thanks honey. The dingy was fixed. It had 7 holes from the bottom paint that dried and cracked and that's done. She's holding perfectly...the guys varnishing Miles' yacht, Shawn and Tan Tan are using it and it's been three days, still doing fine.

The GPS, the autopilot, the windlass...all checked out and are working. Check. We've done lots of provisioning with important stuff like wine and cheese to do yet. I've repaired and restitched the bimini, dodger and connector (with revisions for better water catching), revised the jerry can covers, All the stainless is polished, the hull cleaned of algae and the ever present vertical rust stains, the faux teak touched up and lots of bon voyage reasons to gather with friends.

Altair is happy and we are just wracking our brains about how to get back to the states by July! We know how part...it's the agreeing where we can stop and for how long...the he said she said thingy still.

Stay tuned!

Bec