4/27/2014 - 11/16/2014

What a lot can happen in 7 months, especially when 4 of them were spent off of Eos and traveling around. But with the fun, work, scares and everything else that goes with not only living but living on a boat we have done just fine.

We spent May and June in Brunswick enjoying the friends we have made and continue to make there. We started off soon after our return with a great breakfast gathering of the current and past (that's us) dock mates from Dock 2. It was a lovely time and we met more new sailors, Canadians who were temporarily docked while one of the 2 boats had to do some repairs. We aren't the only ones that get to enjoy that part of cruising, you know. Now Sinclair on Wise Owl is off sailing, Sam and Mae have Miramichi for sail, the Canadians are long gone, and only Mike and Susan on Pogo and George on Joy Bird and Jules and Karin on La Contessa VII are still on Dock 2. We certainly made some great friends while on Dock 2. But things change and people move on but what a joy to have such wonderful times with them when we can and to keep in touch.

And, of course, we met more fun folks at our new slip on Dock 7 - Mark and Chris on Silhoutte, and Kathleen and Mike on Content. There were many fun outings with them and others to Fox's for pizza as well as games of Chickenfoot and a visit to the Confederate Station by a large contingent of sailors including Dave and Paula on Vesta and Linda and Geoff on "unnamed" boat. And to make sure we were reminded of how small the world is, we met Susan and Brent at happy hour and discovered they were from Mahtomedi, MN, one of the suburbs on White Bear Lake where we first started our sailing adventures. They even owned the Piccadilly restaurant where we had eaten several times. What a kick to meet them and chat about MN. Bill and Judy Rohde brought Jubilee back from Puerto Rico and have her up for sale. While they were still here getting her ready to show, John and Joan from Changing Lanes came through on their way to Deltaville to put her on the hard for the winter. That meant a great night out at Cilantro's with them - long time friends from MN and the first close friends we made cruising down from MN.

We hated to leave everyone but the end of June it was time to take Eos south to Fernandina Beach, FL and Bill Kavanaugh's Tiger Point Boat Yard and Marina for bottom paint and a new paint job on the hull. She was looking pretty ratty and we decided to have it done while Bill had his hip replaced.

July we headed up to MN for the hip surgery and other doctor visits and a chance to see family and friends there. We arrived in time to see my brother Scott and friends, Jerry and Di as they passed through MN on their way home to NM after a month's long motorcycle trip. Sister Kit and her family as well as nephew Bob came through later in July on their way to northern MN camping. It was just lucky that we were be able to see so much family as their travels synched up with ours.

Bill's surgery was the 7/17 and all went well. We spent 2 months at my sister, Diana's, and she graciously let us have her first floor bedroom for the first 2 weeks after the surgery. A couple of weeks after the surgery Sylvia took off to Serpent Lake to childhood friend Nancy's cabin. Kris from MN, Gayle from CA and Mary Lynn from NE were there as well and we 5 childhood friends had a wonderful and relaxing 4+ days at the lake with beautiful MN summer weather.

Because we were in MN we had time to get together with family and friends without pushing Bill's recuperation too much. Diana's whole family made it to a picnic (forgot the camera that day, darn!). Even Aaron, Amanda and Hallie Rose (first time to see her) made it over from WI. That was the first time they have all been together with us around for many years. Nephew Randy and his friend Sue biked up from Omaha one week-end to see us. So this was the year to see all of the family on this trip but Bruce and all of his bunch except Bob. We were so glad to be able to see so many. The family is spread out all over the country and only Bruce and Scott's Tami are within a day's drive of us when we are in Brunswick.

There were lots of get togethers with friends as well - Rohdes, LeBlancs, Nellessens, Sheldons, Pitmons, Kelsey Bruso, Wicklunds, and Budds. And as always the annual Sunday Breakfast brunch at Billy's in Anoka with the Robinson's and Greenbushes. Of course, we were there in the summer and an active time in MN, so there we friends we weren't able to connect with but they were in certainly in our thoughts. Sylvia even got a couple of games of Chickenfoot in with Diana and some of her friends.

After we got the okay from Bill's surgeon and physical therapist the beginning of September, we started our trek back to Florida. We had kept in touch with the boat yard and knew that they had a very, very rainy couple of months which had delayed the paint jobs on Eos. They could sand her down in the wet, humid weather but putting on any fillers, base coats or paint just couldn't be done and have a job that would last. So knowing they weren't ready for us to show up in FL we took our time getting back. We headed to the southeast by first going southwest to Lincoln, NE to see more of Sylvia's childhood friends. We spent several relaxing days with the Swartzs. A girls lunch meant seeing more long time Fairbury friends while a day trip to Beatrice meant brunch with the Rothwells.

Then it was off to Fort Leonard Wood, MO to see neice Beth and finally get to meet her husband Brandon. We spent a day with them and then were off to Newnan, GA to niece Tami's for a couple of days before continuing on to FL to see what was happening.

Work was progressing on Eos but there was still much to do and we couldn't live on her while it was being done so we took Tami up on her invitation to come back if we needed to. Then it was almost 3 more weeks in Newnan with Tami and family. She and Steve were off on a week's Mediterranean cruise the first week we returned but Nephew Bob was there taking care of Blane and the pets while doing some landscaping for them. Good thing we have such great family who will put up with us itinerants.

While there Bill got into writing a short story. He woke up one morning with this idea/plot in mind and worked diligently for a couple of weeks getting it filled out and written down. And it isn't bad for a first effort, at all. He is busy writing part 2 now and has a part 3 conclusion in mind. Grandma Moses began to paint late in life, so Bill can certainly discover a new talent and begin writing at his age.

We returned to Eos mid-October and stayed at the Travel Lodge in Kingsland where we had stayed before, driving back and forth everyday to Fernandina so Bill could work on the mast while it was lying on saw horses, and then help clean up all of the stainless pieces that were taken off the stern so Eos would fit in the shop and so the arch could be painted. Linda and Ric on Magic were at St. Mary's just across the bay from Fernandina so we got to have fun with them several times. We also found a day when we could drive to Melbourne to visit Kent and Caol Davenport, high school friends from NE who had just moved there.They have a lovely house and it is great that they are only 4 hours away.

Finally things were done enough that we could move back on Eos even though she was still on the hard. But, oh, were we glad to be home and to sleep in our own bed. We actually moved back in on a Friday and it was very propitious that we did. That night and week-end there were very high winds. A house in the area even lost it's roof to a gust. Probably the same one that hit us broadside about 6 that Saturday morning. We were awakened by a loud noise and Eos shifted on the stands. We grabbed Spanker and rushed down the stairs to discover that the gust was strong enough to move her so that one of the jack stands holding her from tipping had fallen down and another one was partially down. When on the hard the actual weight of the boat is on the keel and the jack stands are to keep her upright on the keel. Now she was tilted about 5 degrees and resting against the metal staircase we use to get aboard. The remaining jack stands wouldn't be able to keep her from tipping if we got another gust like that one. Luckily, Greg, one of the fellas who has worked at the yard, was on his boat and knew where more jack stands, pads, and chains were . We quickly got busy and she ended up with 17 jack stands instead of the original 7 which in normal circumstances are enough. We spent the rest of that windy week-end living on the slant until Monday morning when the fellows got the travel lift around Eos and straightened her out. This was another case of being where we were meant to be. Had we not moved back on board the day before she very likely would have toppled over and ended up against their building do who knows what damage to her hull, mast, rigging, their barn and the boat that was inside the barn. We were very lucky. We only ended up with a couple of small 1" dinks from the metal ladder in the new paint job and the painters were able to repair those so well that we can't even show anyone where they were. About a week later, the sails were back on, the deck canvas that was out for repair was re-installed, the Windex on the top of the mast was replaced (damaged by the crane when the mast went back up) and we were back in the water. Hurrah!!

There was a good one day weather window and we headed out on 11/13 and had a quiet trip back to Brunswick. We had been gone for almost 5 months and most of that we were on the hard or away from Eos. We stopped for a pump out and Kathleen from Content came down to greet us. We had thought we wouldn't see them again but family issues mean they are back. Luckliy, she came aboard and motored with us to Dock 11. The marina is very full so we were put in a slip again which turned out to be a challenge this time (Bill was running a fever and not feeling well so his reaction times were slow and the maneuvering room was tighter than on Dock 7). But with help from Dennis on Alpha Wave and John on Tenacious fending us off of Dock 10 and its boats and the marina staff and Gordon on Tres Bien, Mike on Content, and others on Dock 11 we got her in the slip with only a minor bend on the dinghy davit where it ended up against the cement pilon for a short time. Boy, were we glad to get tied up. Bill immedidately went below and to bed.

He is better now and I borrowed Silhoutte's car for a big grocery run now that we had refrigeration again. So we are ready to begin cleaning her up inside and out after all of that time. Friends from Vesta, Sea Tramp , Joy Bird, and others have stopped by or called or greeted us on our way in. We watched the recording of the MET's prduction of Terandot with Judith and Gordon on Tres Bien and others yesterday afternoon in the lounge. There is Chicken Foot tonight and the weather today is gorgeous after a couple of really cold days. What more could we ask right now? Nothing!

We had a longer than planned time off of Eos but she is now beautiful - almost. We still have to sand and paint the fiberglass in the cockpit and cabin roof but it can be done is stages. We got to see many long time friends and lots of family over the summer and fall. And we are back with so many of our cruising friends. Life is good.