Wee Willie is getting closer.....!
21 August 2009
• RNSYS, Halifax, NS
by Mike
We have spent the last couple of days including my one day off getting Nelleke ready to be introduced to Hurricane Bill. She has already ridden out Juan at her dock at AYC but this is the first time that she'll meet a Hurricane up on the hard. Everyone seems to think that we have the best deal possible, including our insurance agent who happened by the other day, but still, we worry and make preparations. Being out of the water, we can't run the engine to generate power so we will have to rely on the solar panel and wind generator to keep us going if the shore power conks out. As Kayt is moving we have no place to stay other than Nelleke for the storm even if we wanted to.
I has been quite a revelation at the amount of "stuff" that we are finding that we took with us on the first cruise that was "absolutely essential" but which we never used not even once and which we are now much more comfortable leaving behind in the storage unit. This is great to make some space so we won't have as much stuff lying about on the bunk, but also to decrease the weight aboard. We are raising the waterline about three inches simply to minimize the growth in the sun light area in the first few inches above the actual water and with the less weight aboard that should be enough.
We went to the AYC Dining Room for dinner tonight and had a really nice meal, well cooked, well, served and well presented. Barb and I had the salmon while our friends Pat and Lisa Noonan had the chicken and steak respectively. The prices were a little higher that in the past, but still, it's a means of supporting the club. I am becoming increasingly convinced that since we will be keeping the boat at RNSYS when we return next year while we are in Halifax, it would make sense to convert to Outport Member at AYC in order to retain our affiliation with the club.
We have discovered that the NARC for 2009 is free except for a small stipend for each crew to cover the costs of the social activities. They will be leaving from Newport RI on 1 November or whenever after that the weather will permit and that is starting to look more and more like a good arrangement. To say nothing of the whole business of making other friends, the NARC has arranged for good deals with dock space in Newport and in Hamilton, and a much reduced price for fuel while in Bermuda. For us the only sticking point is the arrangements for the pets so we'll wait and see.
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