MIDORI ADVENTURES

Depart Charlotte Harbour Boat Storage - Friday April 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Arrive Ninette, Manitoba - Tuesday, April 30 at 11:30 a.m.

My last posting was Thursday, April 18th. MIDORI was hauled out the next day and we proceeded to do only the absolutely necessary work to put her away for the summer season. It usually takes us two weeks, but we managed to accomplish it in one week - in spite of the heat, and in spite of the fact that Brian was feeling miserable with allergies.

Now that we are home, driving just over 2,500 miles, we have had a chance to review the highlights of the past season.

Season six started with a lot of projects. As the mast was down, we installed new rigging, a new l.e.d anchor light and a new wind metre. Other projects included a new MackPack,(for sail handling) a new windlass, (for anchor handling) four new batteries, and a new dinghy (warranty replacement), Oh yes, and we shouldn't forget the huge project of re-bedding the front lexan window - and we still have a leak! We still don't know where it is coming from.

During the time we were working on these boat projects we enjoyed the social activities with other cruisers in the boatyard. Although this is a working boatyard, there is quite a number of snowbirds coming back every year and a lot of social gatherings take place in "The Hut".

The sixth season of cruising didn't start until January. We started off with our boat buddies of five years, Steve and Mary Ann on LIVING WELL. When we left Marathon, Steve stuck to the "outside route" in Hawk's Channel while we took the "inside route" at the Channel Five Bridge. I don't think any of us thought that MIDORI would not catch up to LIVING WELL within a few days. The weather did not co-operate, and LIVING WELL went on to have a great cruising season without us. Yes, we did miss them.

We got "stuck" in Dinner Key for two weeks firstly, due to weather but then we started having problems with the battery charger. It was better to have problems in the U.S. where it was easier and cheaper to purchase boat items than in the Bahamas. We left No Name Harbour with a group of twenty-four boats that had also been waiting for a weather window to cross the gulf stream to Bimini. Not all the boats stopped in Bimini, but when we arrived, there were at least six Canadian boats at Blue Water Marina.

We got "stuck" in Bimini for a month, but it was a great time in the company of the other cruisers who were stuck there too. Over the course of a month a lot of new friends were made. Usually, just a stopover point, we now got a chance to explore the north and the south island completely, including a foray into the mangroves to the east. We learned a lot about sharks from the young researchers stationed in South Bimini. The Marina had a fresh water pool to swim in and several "Happy Hours" were held around the pool. We ate our fill of conch, lobster and wahoo. Lynn found a lovely French wine for cheap. We were present for the first "fast ferry" full of tourists from Fort Lauderdale and participated in the fanfare with free rum punch and a Junkanoo band. We met new friends Paul and Lucy on FLEUR DE LYS from Montreal. Paul shared weather apps for Brian's IPAD and Lucy practised her English while Lynn practised her French.

We did not make it to Georgetown and missed the Cruisers' Regatta. However, we enjoyed some new anchorages and sharing some of our favourite spots with some first time cruisers to the Exumas.

We continued to learn more about the weather, about sailing, about our boat, about ourselves.

We are back on land and looking forward to the tulips coming up and visiting with family and old friends.

MIDORI ADVENTURES will resume in November. I will be sorting the photos and creating albums.

Captain Brian and
Co-Captain Lynn