Let me ask the question first. Has anyone out there heard of or, better yet, had any experience with electronic bottom cleaners? We have had some friends just returned from a tour to Europe with a visit or two to boat shows while over there and they tell me that they are not only the current rage, but are also becoming mandatory as there are an increasing number of European countries that are frowning on the use of bottom paints. I have done the usual cruise of the internet and have discovered that if purchased from what I would regard as a reputable source, one for Nelleke would cost in the region of $1400 which on the surface of it sounds pricy but when you consider that if it behaves according to claims you would never have to buy bottom paint again. In our case the bottom paint even with our special deals would cost $150/gal and we use two gallons plus a $100 quart of thinner and paint rollers etc. I usually count on $500 to finish the bottom on Nelleke so that would mean that on the third year the electronic bottom cleaners would pay for themselves. My only concerns are: 1. Do they work as claimed? 2. What is the power draw? 3. Is there any interference with other onboard equipment? and, 4. Does running the cleaner have any impact on your anodes?

Is there anyone out there with knowledge of these things? I am particularly looking (electronically) at our friends in the Caribbean who may have met cruisers from the UK and Europe with these things aboard.

The expected snowstorm last night came and went and from all accounts of what fell elsewhere we got off lightly. We awoke to about 6-8" and the streets had already had the ploughs across them at least once, the apartment lane had been ploughed privately and the sidewalks salted so we were able to get out and take Peri for his poopambulation down to the Dingle. The weather witches are still saying that there is more to come so we are all being careful about what we are expecting. In fact as I am writing this and when I went out to get some packing material for the move, there has been enough additional snow to make things really greasy on the roads.

One of our little jobs that we are soldiering through this week is informing all of the various databases out there that we are doing business with about our change of address. We found that although Canada Post will forward mail for a fee they won't hold it until we decide where in our travels we would like them to send the mail so we have bought a box at the local UPS offices. Besides collecting the mail, holding it and forwarding selected pieces to an address that we indicate, it has the added advantage that it doesn't appear to be a PO Box. In fact it looks like an apartment address and as long as we use UPS as a courier we won't have any issues with couriers not wanting to deliver to a PO Box.

In addition Barb is making great progress on the packing. It sounds like I am being lazy but the fact is she is way better at it than I am plus my turn will come when it is time to sherpa everything down the three flights of stairs to the trailer. We are putting as much as we can into plastic totes as we have found that they hold up much better in storage than do cardboard boxes.


The picture on today's post was snapped post-Groundhog Day storm before Barb cleared off the balcony and refilled the feeder for the daily onslaught - so nice to live in an apartment where the only shovelling to be done is for the few square feet of a balcony!

Onward. Ever onward.