Stardate 09042011.0212

Well, Irene is history and Midnight Breeze pulled through like the champ she is, without a scratch. We have the canvas back up but have not had the time to install the jib yet. We may hold off for this week on installing the jib since we have visitors coming. My cousin Dan and his girlfriend Cynthia are coming in today for crabs and spending the night and we might just have a visit from Katia. So it's wait and see for now.

Midnight Breeze has an appointment to be hauled for the winter on October 11th. Why so early you ask? We have several commitments for the month of October and I didn't want moving into November. So she's coming out early this year right after the sailboat show in Annapolis. Mary and I still have not decided on what to add to Midnight Breeze this winter but we are leaning towards either solar cells or a wind Generator. We only have money for one unit at this time and will add the other next year. We are also looking at a Sailrite unit for Mary. She is a good seamstress and wants to make a few things for the boat. I told her it would be her birthday and Christmas gift if she wants it.

A word of warning! Last year we bought a Rubbermaid step, a two stepper, to make it easier to get on and off the boat. It's been a good work horse up till now. Last week while putting the canvas back on Mary was getting off the boat when the steps literally caved in and sent Mary on her back between the boat and dock. She hit her lower legs on the dock fell back, hit her head on the haul of the boat, bent into a U and ended up in the drink! I saw her eyes close and thought she had knocked herself out. I was on my way in to get her when I saw her hand reach up. I grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the dock where she caught her breath. We had a mechanic servicing our engine at the time he came running over to help pull her out. She ended up being ok and swam over to the latter to get out. I took a look at the steps and noticed that the cross brace on the lower back of the steps had cracked in half which destroyed the integrity of the steps. They just caved in on themselves when Mary put pressure on them. The crack was due to the steps degrading from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Lesson learned, you get what you pay for. We are going step hunting this weekend! Mary is ok; she has a few bruises and a knot on her head, but in good spirits. If that in itself wasn't enough of an embarrassment you should have seen what happened to her when she was climbing the latter to get out!!! I'll leave that for her to tell. I've talked her into contributing her side of things in this blog and she should start to post soon. Until then, watch your step!

Dave