42 Vagabond s/v RYEN`S QUEST; Allan Baird & Jean Roberts

This is Gross

2010-09-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

If you have been following the blog, you know that there is a lot of garbage in the harbour. One of the marinas have their staff go out every day and bring out the garbage that is in their vicinity. Well, yesterday, one of the guys brought a duffle bag. And, when he opened it on the jetty there was a head inside. The police were called but at the end of the day, they still had not shown up. Eventually, one of the guys carted it away to somewhere. They certainly do business differently down here. Wish I had a photo for you, but I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Keep safe everyone.

I love you Ryen!

Time in Review - three of three

2010-09-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

Time in Review - two of three

2010-09-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Time in Review - one of three

2010-09-05T10:24:00.001-07:00

As we enter the third year with this vessel, we reflect over the past 2 years and the changes to our lives in that time. We want everyone to know that these past two years have been huge in our lives and the transition of both our life paths has been pivotal.

We blog about the everyday events and the things that are immediate and in the forefront of the moment and in reviewing our words sometimes it sounds like times are all rough and distressed. Gear breakdowns, bruises, stubbed toes, missed family, rough seas and weather have been discussion points and frustrating in their moments.

What Jean and I realize however, as we review and share this photo essay of the past 2 years with you, is that it has mostly been a realization and bonding of our spirits far beyond the day to day. As we witnessed the power of the sea and the majesty of the places we have been, with the sun, rain, change, travel, tears, smiles, laughs and giggles contributing, our personal growth both as individuals and together has been enormous.

I traveled and voyaged for many years alone and now I have found having someone I love with me to share every moment is outstanding. That moment of world and self discovery sparkling in her eyes completes me and bonds us at that level those who have been there understand and already know.

Reflecting on this part of our lives, our time we feel has been very well spent. We smile again and again as we notice the smiles, love and joy on our faces captured by these few snapshots. We highly recommend living your dreams as it does fulfill your spirit.

We would so like to thank everyone who participated in, promoted and allowed us to achieve this in our lives and those who still help and enable us to continue to live our dreams. We hope your lives are blessed and that you enjoy the next group of photos of time in review as year 3 of our voyage continues...

OK! Enough Already!

2010-08-25T02:53:00.001-07:00

I have been getting a lot of flack from folks who tell me I am not posting enough stuff. So I will try to fill you in on some of the other things, that I wouldn't have thought you would have any interest in.

Last Friday I went to another mall and it was like something out of a magazine, truly, it was so nice. More shoe stores than I could count. There was so much to buy, but I remind myself that we have to get that engine paid off before we can make any major purchases. BUT I found what I could afford, and something Allan would appreciate as well. I found a "Burger King". So I did what any one of us would do, I bought three double cheese Whoppers. The three of them cost less than $9.00 US. And I am pretty sure they were made of beef. Man they were good. My only regret is not getting six of them. Next time we go, I am going to try the "KFC".

Yesterday was a huge work day. The electricity was scheduled to be out from 0800 until 1500 hours so we worked on the deck. I had a laundry hanging before 0730 am, and started polishing the stainless steel on deck. The dorads (sp) and some of the stantions (sp)came out really nice. So that is great incentive to keep going. Al emptied the back locker and a lot of other stuff that we didn't need and was able to stow pretty much everything so now the aft end of the boat looks great. He also scrubbed the teak with some soap and a little bit of Chlorine.

Allan told me there is something wrong with the outboard; it doesn't accelerate, so Al has a guy coming tomorrow morning at 0830 am to look at it. Another Bill in our future. The air conditioner guy came yesterday and filled the air conditioner with some R-22. Ours was down quite a bit. So the bills continue to creep up. Boating is not a cheap hobby that's for sure.

Some fellow cruisers spent last weekend in Grenada and said the place is filled with cruisers. That would have been our choice to stay for the winter. Maybe next year we can get a rider on our policy to be able to stay in Grenada for the hurricane season. There aren't many facilities to fix boats, but it's a great place with lots of beaches and nice coves to stay on the weekends.

Horror to us, we found lil bitty bugs that look like ants. Almost too small to see, but Al and I can see a bug a mile away. By the way, the last entry I thought was a cockroach, wasn't....it was a beetle. My apologies for that. Anyway, when Al found the lil bitty bugs he went nuts with a spray can of bleach and water. If there is anything moving on deck today, they will be getting another application of Allan's wrath. We finished up around 1800 hours, and after having showers, I went directly to bed, while Al just sat sitting straight up. His back was killing him too. I washed all the deck lines, so that may be the source of where the lil ones came from. Man those ropes stink. Nobody told me that, ever!!

So having cleaned the cockpit last week, I will continue with the stainless steel cleaning, and also do some scraping of the varnish. That, I love to do, seriously! I am not breaking any records doing this stuff. Ryen's Quest is going to look loved and beautiful inside and out. I do something until I get sore or tired, and take a rest. Neither Al, nor I took any breaks yesterday so when we finally stopped, we dropped. That's just crazy.

We are considering getting married in Trinidad.

Good night Precious Princess, Nana loves you. xoxox

August 5th - August 12, 2010

2010-08-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a relatively slow week here in Trinidad. Allan visited some of the businesses to talk about some of the work he wants to get done on the boat. I didn't ask for details; can wait for the bottom line. I got a spurt of energy the other day and decided to start cleaning the deck, and began with the cockpit. I was going really good, when all of the sudden I was down, and down hard. I tried calling out to Allan but wasn't sure he could hear me over the a/c below. But he said he heard me call him twice...."Allan...Allan, help me, I fell". In my mind it was merely a whisper but according to Al, everyone around heard me. Oh dear! I was hurt bad, and the pain in my leg was so bad, I wasn't sure what was wrong. The only thing that worried me was being sick in Trinidad. I took a small gouge out of my ankle and expected the side of my leg to be black and blue. I feel that my Angel is working around the clock to keep me safe.

Tomorrow we are heading out to get some provisioning at a bigger grocery store. Hopefully the selection will be better and we can get some meat. I am dieing to have some meat that I can recognize...no more goat, or pig tail, or pig snouts. We have never been so giddy about leaving the boat in weeks. We have also booked a day tour to go to the zoo and the botanical gardens. Apparently the gardens are the oldest in the world; however, reviews on the zoo all lean toward it being bad. I will take photos. People just don't value animals like some other countries in the world. I can see me with a placard out front trying to shut the zoo down. Might need backup from Trish....so Trish if you are reading this.

Below is a photo of what garbage and other stuff can be seen around our boat, on a "good" day.

This photo is what is officially called "Fishing Co-op" but Allan and I lovingly refer to it as Shanty Town. The fishermen stay here through the week, and those who have family elsewhere go there for the weekend. They drive through the marina's at at least ten knots. You can imagine how the boats rock and roll, and this goes on all day and most nights. The first day here I yelled at one of them to "slow down" but didn't realize that there were no "no wake zones" here. Apparently there are laws on the waterways, but there are is no law enforcement. The Coast Guard boats go through faster than any of them.

Good Night my little Angel, Nana loves you. xoxox

Photos -Random

2010-08-03T20:17:00.001-07:00

We stayed in this beautiful harbour for a few days.....Beautiful Bequia

Beautiful Canouan Island....We really liked it here!
Familiar vessel, "Liane's Ransom" now doing cruises for groups and individuals. This gentleman is the owner's Uncle. He does a great job!
A stow-away!
English Harbour, Antigue, Race Week 2010

Sopers Hole

Fort of France, Martinique

Tobago Keys, this is where the turtles come to lay their eggs. It's quite something to see!

Kisses to my baby girl, Ryen. Nana loves you to infinity!! xoxox

When Men Get Sick

2010-08-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Poor Allan has been feeling under the weather for three days. We aren't sure if he caught a bug or not, but he has had terrible, wrenching waves of pain in his lower abdomen. Plus, he has been spending most of his time in the bathroom, not getting much sleep, and looks like he has been dragged through a knot hole. Tonight he went to be at 1730 hours and we are hoping he gets a good nights sleep.

In the next few days, we will begin working on the list of things that need to be done on the boat. Just the usual boat maintenance stuff. Bottom painting, and we have to clean the deck as well. She needs to look like she is loved. She is loved on the inside, but to go out and work in the heat is keeping our motivation at bay.

I didn't have any chicken to make him chicken soup, but I did make a nice spicy spaghetti sauce and Allan felt well enough to eat a good supper. If anyone knows how I cook, I can't cook small portions. Like tonight, I made enough spaghetti to feed everyone at a TGIF night at the DYC. I also sent a big bowl over to the boat beside us. They are young guys, probably high school boys, from Sweden who are spending their summer on the boat which is sponsored by the Government of Sweden. It's amazing to see how much they have matured just in the last few weeks. They are very polite and even ask me if they can get me anything at the store when they go. Oh, back to the spaghetti sauce....I had enough to freeze for two or three more meals.

Something else a little off topic....we found another dead dog in the water today. The Taiwan's have been given notice by the police to leave the domestic animals in the area alone. They actually chase the dogs and cats in the area for their own consumption. Man, I hope I am never that broke, or that hungry.

Well, that's it for today. I should go check on Allan to make sure he is still breathing. We both agreed today that although Trinidad is not the best place to be holed up in, at least we are together, and we like each other. That's a bonus!! Be safe everyone, we are thinking of you.

Nana loves you baby girl, I miss you....kisses and hugs from your Nana

Allan and The Air Conditioning Unit

2010-08-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Air conditioning units are a must in the Islands, in my opinion. There are no breezes, and the rain every day makes the humidity curl my hair. There is so much garbage in the water that sometimes the intake gets clogged with stuff minutes after cleaning it out. We have had condoms, plastic bags, sticks, fish, and lots more sucked in, which causes the air to continually drop off. Poor Al is more often fixing the unit than enjoying it. The screwdriver is all that is needed to clean it out. We hired a local who dives with just a snorkel to scrap what he could and he was swimming in the dirty diapers, and dead fish. That's his job, and he doesn't seem to mind it. I am guessing he has a phenomenal immune system.

As I mentioned a few times in previous posts, this is the rainy season in Trinidad. And it rains everyday. More recently the rains have developed into down pours along with lightening, and the most amazing thunder I have ever heard in my life. Yesterday there was a clap of thunder that literally shook the boat. The lightening must have hit somewhere close, because a few minutes later the emergency sirens were blazing not far from the marina.

We met a lot of local cruisers this weekend at a BBQ here at Coral Cove. What a variety of people. There were Africans, British, Canadian, American, Sweden, Norway, and Brazil. One gentleman older than me recently married a young lady from Brazil, and they are expecting their first child in two months.

Everyone brought something to eat of course. I made a Penne Alfredo which was a poor choice. Nobody wants to eat hot foods here, so the selection of salads and dips were some that I had never heard of before. One of the desserts, with fruit, was more of a drink than a fruit dish.

Unfortunately, we didn't stay long enough to enjoy the desserts. Allan was feeling funky with an upset stomach, and after three hours of fraternizing, I am done. We came home at 2030 hours I am embarrassed to say.

Our schedule this week is to go the the West Mall, which is supposed to be a nice place to shop, and I would also like to go to the local market. From what I have heard, it's worth taking the camera to show what delicacies Trini's enjoy.

As we try to be thrifty with our spending in an effort to pay off the cost of the engine, we were truly surprised to find out that last month we only spent $500.00 US for groceries and eating out a few times and incidentals like toilet paper. That's pretty good I think! At this rate, we should have the engine paid off and be able to leave Trinidad in 5 - 10 years. (Kidding) The cost of living in Trinidad is really quite inexpensive. Someone else has told us that Venezuela is even cheaper. It costs $1.05 a gallon for diesel here in Trinidad. Another couple said they bought two barrels of diesel in Venezuela for forty dollars, and two barrels is more than they would use in a year.

Oh, and today I have to tell you about the flying ants. Now I know we have flying ants in Canada, but these ones like to attach themselves to people. I didn't leave the boat all day. Not for anything. And I frantically called for Allan to come and save me from a huge bug in the bathroom. We are not sure, but Al thought it might be a cockroach. We have so much cockroach killer tablets around I don't know why he was in the bathroom sink. I hate bugs. Allan hates bugs too. We aren't good bug people. We have to get out of Trinidad.

Not much to write home about, but this life in Trinidad. It's not safe to go out after dark, you are told not to trust anyone, and people find it easier to steal than to work. And they don't steal small stuff, they go for the big expensive stuff. Take care everyone.....hopefully will have something more interesting to write about next time.

Don't forget to kiss Ryen for me, Nana loves you baby girl.

Did Someone Turn The Heat OFF?

2010-07-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Today I am wearing capri pants and a long sleeve t-shirt. I am either sick or I am turning native. I actually feel cold. How weird is that, living this close to the equator.

This is the long weekend of August in Canada, and it is also a celebrated holiday in Trinidad celebrating the emancipation of slavery. (JJ that's HOW many syllables?) Trinidad seems to have a lot of holidays and elections....guess that makes it almost just like home, eh?

The other day Allan yelled to me from the bathroom to "hurry, come quick!". Well I detest bathroom humour with a passion. So I didn't hurry, but I went to him in case he was bleeding or something life threatening. There in the toilet bowl or head, whatever term pleases you, was a fish. It was very much alive, and probably wondering where the hell he was. I wish I had had the restraint to hold off and take a photo of the lil guy for you all to see, but I wanted him out of my toilet bowl. I am not sure if he survived the plumbing to get him out. Maybe he preferred the toilet bowl over the poop and pollution in the harbour. For two weeks now, each time I drop my shorts to go to the bathroom, I have terrors that a shark is going to jump up and bite my bottom. Some days I feel blessed for chronic constipation.

Our neighbours from Florida left the other day to head back to their home state. Before they left, they gave us their clothes washer. It's kind of a neat little thing with the washer on one side and the spinner on the other. It works great, except the spinner. It doesn't work at all, But I can get the job done by hand as long as it isn't too bulky. Now I get so excited just to have laundry hung all over the boat like the other "yachties". We are looking more and more like Jed Clampet's truck all the time. Being the rainy season here, you can bet big bucks that it will rain every day. So unless I get up at 0700 am and have the laundry hung out in the morning sun, there is a good chance it's not going to get dry. I am considering doing the laundry at night and hanging it out. I figure the laundry won't pile up, and I won't lose sleep. Anyone who knows me, knows I can't do 7 am mornings.

Some of you reading this might wonder how I can get so excited to have another person's garbage that only half works. I wonder it myself sometimes. But when you have to hump your laundry any distance, be it blocks or kms, you become grateful for any conveniences. Now I can wash my clothes easily, and we don't have to smell under the arms to see if we can get another day out of a shirt. I know I can change our bed every week now! Or every day if I wanted to! That is totally awesome. These little units new cost $200 US. Maybe I can get one from Santa if I don't complain about anything, not one single thing, from now until Christmas. That's not gonna happen, so I'll be happy with the one that half works.

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about Al's relationship with the air-conditioning unit. :)

I miss you Ryen, I think of you every day, Good night Precious, Be safe. xoxo

Home And Back Again

2010-07-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from Nova Scotia. Our stay was short, only a few weeks. Unfortunately, we were unable to see all the folks we wanted to see, but it’s tough to get around when you are on a tight schedule and it includes two provinces.

Having been in Trinidad for a couple of months, I had hoped my first impression would change. It hasn’t. The garbage still decorates the waters along with the rainbows of gasoline dumped. The harbour is just incredibly polluted.

We had one instance of theft aboard our boat. And the thief wasn’t more than two feet away from Al at the time.

Al, having struck up a conversation with a local who had spent some years in the US Navy, didn’t hesitate to invite this chap aboard and when he visited us, he brought with him some local cuisine. At the time, Allan was on his knees doing a repair on the air-conditioning unit, while I was on deck checking for the water to come out the through hole. Our guest, unclipped the money from Al’s money clip while he was leaning to watch Allan doing his repairs. I set up the table and before the eating began, our caller gave the blessing, and we enjoyed small talk over chic peas and rice. The kind man left, leaving promises of future visits and trips to visit with his family. After his leaving, Al was at the nav station and asked what I had done with the money. We both just looked at each other and knew we had been “got”. The culprit had gotten away with approximately $60 US, which wasn’t bad considering all of Al’s ID and credit card was also in the mix. We could have called the police but with cash, it would have been a “he said, she said” situation. A few days later we were to learn that our guest had borrowed money from another cruiser, and of course, never saw the guy again. Oh hell, his name was Marcus. So if you are reading this Marcus, YOU ARE A THIEF !!

I guess he already knows this.

We took the shuttle to one of the better malls in Port of Spain. It was bleak to say the least. There was a major food chain store but little else. I would like to go to the down town shopping area but I really have little motivation. There is nothing we need, and with everything I hear about pick pockets and purse snatchers, and having experienced theft first hand, staying close to the boat is good enough for me.

I will never have enough time with you Ryen, kisses and hugs every night. Nana loves you the most. xoxoxox

Trinidad

2010-07-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it! Our goal to reach Trinidad before June 1^st was attained. The last leg of the journey, from Grenada to Chaguaramas, Trinidad was 80 miles, which required another over-night passage. What should have taken us no more than 20 hours turned into 34.5 hours. Between the current and the wind, there were times we were going backwards. This was very disappointing on so many levels.

Being the worrier that I am, during the passage I was continually on the lookout for boat raiders from Venesuela (pirates) who have made newspaper headlines in the past few months. One boat was robbed of everything that could have been removed from their boat. Yikes! Luckily, we didn’t see much more than cargo ships.

The weather wasn’t so kind to us either. Had we made our destination in the twenty hour window, we would have missed the forecasted rain. But we didn’t, and the weather was spot on. About five miles from port, the rain came down, and as we made our approach the fog dropped from the sky like a brick, which made for a tricky entry. Allan and I stayed out and circled Ryen’s Quest a few times until we were sure we had a good visual. Entering the port was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was lit up like a huge fantasy city. It was quite spectacular. Morning light would show us a much different perspective.

In keeping with the immigration laws, at 0030 hours, we made our way to the immigration office before doing anything else. Although the office is supposed to be a 24 hour operation, Allan knocked on the door and was surprised to have the door opened by an immigration official, half dressed and half asleep or half awake. Allan was told to return in the morning. This was fine with us, as we weren’t sure where our permanent berth was anyway. The immigration jetty was home for our first night in Trinidad.

Chaguaramas is a marine mecca. There are about a dozen marinas offering every kind of marine service and repair that you might imagine. There are literally hundreds of sail and power boats being stored, repaired, or merely sitting out the hurricane season, like us. There are fast food joints, expensive dining experiences, hotels to house the folks waiting for repairs to finish, grocery stores, post offices, travel agencies, and water taxi’s (if they answer their vhf call). It all sounds rather grand, but with this, is the fact that it is an industrial port which takes any glamour away from everything else. Bags of garbage are randomly and regularly dumped into the water. Not just a bottle or two, but bags and bags! It’s sinful. Further inside the port you will find a small area which Allan and I lovingly refer to as a “Shanty Town”. This is an area of little shacks built entirely with pieces of plywood nailed onto other pieces of plywood. It is officially called the “Fishing Co-op” but in my mind I confused it with a “Fish Hatchery”. (Two very completely different defined and visual interpretations). These shacks are somehow sitting on a dock of some kind. One or two of them have electricity, but surely not many. Most of them have a small little fishing boat tied to them. I often wonder if the locals resent the visiting tourists flaunting their big yachts and eating in restaurants where a breakfast costs more than a local makes in a day. If they do, they certainly don’t show it. Everyone we have met has been friendly with big “hello’s” and ready to go out of their way to help in any way they can.

Coral Cove Marina, where we are, is probably middle of the road, in terms of facility. They promote themselves as having a pool, which, if judging by it’s size, might better be referred to as a hot tub. And it doesn’t look like it gets much maintenance, if you know what I mean. There is a newer updated marina next to us, called Crews Inn, which is by all accounts bigger, better, and way more expensive. We are able to stay here with water and electricity and cable included, internet available, for about $750 a month. June is paid for, but we may look at other options in July and onward. I do gotta say that I love having the air-conditioning on, and being able to cook my own meals and live like normal people. If not normal, then like I used to live on land. As we get to see more of the city, Port of Spain, I will add to the blog.

For those who have been looking for updates to this blog, I apologize. Cruisers seem to get crazy busy doing a lot of nothing, and they tend to keep doing it. Mack and Al have it down to a science, but I am a very quick learner.

Kisses and hugs before you go to bed Angel....Nana loves you always and forever.

St Georges, Grenada

2010-07-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful sail to Grenada. We ran into a couple of rain squalls, but they were welcomed and it was a nice opportunity to get some of the salt air out of our hair. The lagoon is undergoing a mammoth overhaul. They have new jetty’s for mega yachts and haven’t forgotten about us smaller boats either. The downside for us, is that they only had 220v and some 110v but they didn’t have 60 cycle, or 50 cycle. Whatever cycle we needed, they had yet to install. So we were out of luck. They hope to have all the cycles installed by next summer. Water and electricity is metered here, and someone has to pay for all of this new infrastructure, so docking fees are not cheap. Security is 24 hours a day, and the bathrooms and showers are something out of a magazine. Each “unit” inside the bathroom is private, and has it’s own shower, toilet, and vanity/sink, and it has air conditioning. Everything is spotless, including the grounds. There are boutiques, a superb restaurant, and an artisan shop selling local crafts. These are upper end shops. A ladies’ bathing suit and wrap starts at $495 US.

The day we docked, we ran into a fellow Haligonian and retired naval officer. For those of you who remember “Liana’s Ransom” from Halifax, she is now doing cruises in St George’s and she fits in wonderfully. The owner, Joe and his uncle Steve, had us aboard for a pot-luck, and we hung out with him and his friends during our stay in Grenada. A big shout out to Kate and Pierre, and their little Einstein, Coraline!! We really enjoyed Grenada and would have spent much more time there, but our insurance required us to be below 12 north by June 1^st. I have found the people in the Caribbean to be very friendly and helpful, however, the people I met in Grenada were by far the friendliest and it was almost embarrassing to be on the receiving end of their hospitality. We could all learn a lesson of human kindness from these people.

The only thing missing to make this trip the happiest time of my life is to have my kids with me, especially "Ryen" who I adore. Good night baby girl, I pray your Angels can keep up with you, cuz I sure can't. Kisses sweetie.

Never Close Your Eyes

2010-04-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up in beautiful Saint Lucia. Night sailing is starting to become a way of life here on board Ryen's Quest. Actually, night sailing is quite calming. I am at my calmest when dreaming about other things. Back to Saint Lucia. We arrived early morning and were tied along side before noon. Allan did all of his running around with customs and immigration. There is a tremendous amount of running around to do when you are the captain of a vessel. I am happy to be crew. The last 70 hours have started to show on Al's face. Maybe tonight he can rest easy and sleep, knowing the boat is secure. That may be him I hear snoring in the back cabin now.

Rodney Bay is undergoing a major overhaul. The marina is top of the line, accommodating boats and mega yachts. They have both 220 and 110 electrical, which means we get air conditioning for the next few days. There is laundry, groceries, banking, eateries, gas, water, plus they added a jazz festival which starts on Sunday. At least we won't smell bad if we go to any of the jazz events.

We have been in St Lucia for a week, and without a doubt this is by far my favourite island. We have met a lot of nice people, and yesterday Allan and I went on an island tour with a couple from Washington state. They are also taking their yacht to Trinidad. Our tour guide, Jonas, was a terrific fellow, has seven children and fifteen grandchildren. We drove through lots of little fishing villages, the island's mini rain forest, a drive in volcano and got a chance to swim in the waterfalls. Well, I didn't swim, I just watched. The island has a diverse economy, from the very poor, to the very, very rich. We had lunch in a small little place and tried local cuisine. Chicken Roti, which is potato, chicken, and curry spices all wrapped up in a soft tortilla shell. Our hostess/cook, and proprietor was Cynthia. She was delighted to have us in her place, but I am still not convinced that she charged us enough.

Martinique - April Sometime

2010-04-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

We got to this beautiful french colony and spent two days there. Fort de France. It was lovely, but too hot. Photos to follow.

Guadeloupe April 22, 2010

2010-04-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Getting away from the mangroves and heading towards Guadeloupe was only a forty mile passage. Trade winds were still missing, so with no wind we had to motor. Here’s a funny for you. The only thing worse than sailing with no trade wind, is sailing with the hot, motor running in the tropics with no trade wind.

Entering the bay at Deshaies was beautiful. The water is clean and people are swimming all around. Being unable to swim might have accounted for a brief but relentless meltdown on my part. I am reminded that this is a journey, and we are headed for the equator. That is like the hottest spot in the world. The closest part of the world to the sun. I am menopausal with hot flashes, sailing the tropics with no trade winds, being belted by bugs that carry the sickly dengue (sp) virus. I think I am entitled to one little outburst. But moving on to the beauty of Deshaies.

We anchored at a quaint little French village, with the colourful faded shanties rounding the water. And their traditional fishing boats were ready for any amateur’s photo camera. I hope I have taken enough shots. Early in the evening this adorable young blonde male child of 18 or so, came to us in his dinghy and in his truly Parisian French accent asked if we would be interested in “fresh bread and perhaps some croissant au chocolat to be delivered fresh in the morning around 7 or 7:30”. Indeed we did order six croissants and a loaf of bread. Insisted he return for the right currency in Euros, and to return a third time with the change. Al did this for me.

The sunsets are like I have never seen before. Probably because I have never been so close to the sun before. A photo is worth a thousand words, so I will leave a photo or two. I thanked God for the beautiful sunsets, He knew I was being facetious, and I stubbed my foot on the boat rail. Another “Our Father”.

There was a lively band playing at a local bar/restaurant called Hemmingway’s. It was packed and the band sounded great. They sang English, French, Spanish, and maybe more but none that I recognized. There was lots of laughing to be heard, if you could hear it over the cricket’s protests. And in the morning you are awakened by what can only be described as the “Rooster’s Symphony”, and this I kid you not. While I tried to point out the area where one was doodling, another would answer, and after their banter back and forth, a third and a fourth rooster would add their doodles to the piece. I enjoyed this part of our stay most. Those darn roosters! And the other thing I particularly enjoyed was in the morning, long before dawn, when the fishers would tear through the anchorage with their motors revved up, nary a light to see with and not hit one boat in the entire places. I know this to be true, because I was sitting at the bow of the boat figuring out the rooster thing

Today I celebrated my birthday in Guadeloupe. Allan had stuffed crab for an entrée, and conch and rice for an appetizer. He enjoyed it very much. I ordered a steak with no entrée, and it was tough as the bottom of a leather boot. The waitress struggled with her English, while I puttered with my French, and we found common ground at “non bon”. At $45 US it was definitely “non bon”. But I do have to ask myself why I would order beef in the middle of seafood country. I would have tried the poisson if the poisson had a name, and came to the table with no tail and eyes. I will try harder; this is after all an adventure. At my age, a peanut butter and jam sandwich tastes great on that French bread that was delivered this morning.

While we were waiting for the customs office to open so we could exit the country (it never did open) we enjoyed the company of the local people, as well as a visit from a very friendly pelican. I thought for sure he had made a suicide dive, but these birds dive from about fifty feet straight into the water, and their wings all go squishy and funky, and they come out of it with a beek full of fish. Amazing!

Antigua April 17

2010-04-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Leaving Road Town, Tortola meant one thing to me. My first ever over-night passage, and also my first ever two-night passage. To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to the event; however, the trip was really quite spectacular. I might have missed some of the trip due to some well timed gravol. The weather doesn’t seem to be changing, much. Just getting much hotter.

We arrived in Antigua just at the end of the Classic Boat Racing and the good people co-coordinating the events were already preparing for the influx of sailors and on-lookers for the racing week to begin. We took a spot in the anchorage at Ordinance Bay which was beautifully surrounded by mangrove trees. I had never seen a mangrove tree before and it wasn’t until sundown when I learned where all the night biters lived. It quickly became less beautiful. But life is an adventure. And where were the trade winds that keep everyone so even tempered? It was so hot in Antigua that even the locals were dropping like flies. One woman warned me about the gray and white striped mosquitoes that carry the dengue (sp) virus, which makes you very sick. I can’t see with my glasses on, and I thought gray was a shade of white. Allan is bitten from his feet to his knees and neither of us took note to the biters' colour. He could be getting very sick. Yikes!!

English Harbour was very nice. Nice like Citadel Hill and King’s Landing, only warmer. We ate out at some of the eateries, which were all very good but I am getting a hankering for some galley-made food. I am going to start cooking as soon as this heat wave subsides. We did a little shopping which consisted of a t-shirt each. Mine reads “Antigua, Wind Chill Factor 87 degrees”.

I just happened to have a ring side seat when the sailors began arriving for the races. There was a time when I could have imagined what fun it would be to be out partying with a group like that. Now I imagine what fun my kids could be having with a group like that. Have I mentioned the heat yet?

Al talked to his mom and dad, and I talked to my kids. Allan’s parents are doing well, as they always are. Shout out to you Orva and Gerald! My son leaves for Afghanistan on May 3^rd. How quickly I am learning all of my prayers. My oldest bought a new house, and my baby picked out kitchen cabinets for her new place. Wonder who is financing this luxury? And there’s a saying about not having a pot, to….throw out the window or something like that.

With the bugs and the heat, I was ready to move along to Guadeloupe.

Just A Little Off The Top

2010-04-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Allan has been talking for awhile about shaving off his beard, and there's one thing I have learned from Allan, is that he always follows through on what he says he is going to do. Anyway, today the plan was to go to Cane Garden Bay because it's a nice place to anchor and there is a nice beach. So in preparation for the short jaunt across the water, I take a gravol because I am most certain to get sick. I don't remember what caused our plans to change, nor does it matter really. Point is, I went for a nap courtesy of Gravol. A short time later, Allan came into the aft cabin and tapped me on the shoulder. I think he looks like his 7 year old nephew Skyler. He is adorable. Beardless makes him look younger I think. I also think that we won't be seeing him with no facial hair for another twenty years.

I am not sure if there will be more surprises in the morning if I fall asleep tonight!!

A Foxy Milestone

2010-04-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

We left Soper's Hole on Tuesday, mid-day, and sailed to the infamous "Foxy's" bar. You could spend the day there just looking at remnants of t-shirts hanging on the rafters, left by patrons of the bar over the years. Of course, some people just leave their thongs, underwear, and mini-skirts. I am still undecided whether to leave a shirt of Allan's, or Mac's shorts. Fighting for space in the rafters are wicked amounts of spiderwebs, and a variety of insects who found their final resting place.

This doesn't paint a very pretty picture, what with the moldy clothes hanging around, but one would be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with the cuisine. I had a rib steak that I could cut with my fork, with nice fresh vegetables. Allan had a tuna steak with rice and veggies. Mac opted for the King Fish with rice. Al still hasn't found "great" conch fritters, but thought the dish he had for an entre was probably the best yet. However, the search continues. (I recently found out that my daughter's underwear is part of the decor at Foxy's. Those crazy kids! I just keep getting prouder and prouder the older they get.)

We didn't see Mr Foxy himself last night; however, because we had forgotten the camera we took the dinghy in this morning and Foxy was chillin' in a hammock rappin' to a couple of ladies. He took notice of my "Canada eh!" tee and welcomed us over with some Canadian specific rap. He's quick for sure. Or has done it so many times it's like riding a boat for him. He told us about meeting the Queen and his trip to England and Buckingham Palace to receive the prestigious "Member of the Order of the British Empire".

If you ever get an opportunity to get to Foxy's you may come across a very popular and anatomically correct carved wooden monkey. Al urged me towards Mr Monkey and was ready for the shot when I turned around with embarrassment. This may be a long trip or a short trip, but I will get him back for that one.

I just have to share another beautiful sunset with you. The reason I notice the sunsets is because I realize that my reading time is over and the bugs are coming out to dine. Allan really gets chewed up bad.

Be safe everyone! And as they say in Great Harbour, "Have a Blessed Day!"

Back In The Cockpit

2010-04-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

After some months of being away from Ryen’s Quest, I have returned to find paradise. Don’t be fooled by those pretty glossy pictures you see in tourist mags, and “Cruising World”. Being here in the British Virgin Islands is so much more.

We arrived in Tortola after a less than ideal flight. Missing connecting flights in Toronto and having to switch to United Airlines, meant having a sleep over in San Juan. Lucky for us there is a hotel in the airport so we didn’t have to do much digging to find a bed to fall into. By noon on Tuesday we were enjoying drinks and sunshine in Soper’s Hole. Since then, our schedule has been pretty pathetic really. Because I have a few more weeks of recuperation post-surgery, the biggest decisions I have to make is whether or not I want to read or swing in the hammock, or both. The sun is relentless. Everyday is sunny, hot, blue skies, clean water, and a refreshing trade-wind which cools you off. And don’t expect things to change. Nobody wakes up wondering what the weather will be. It is what it is. Not a good place to be if you like a lot of variety.

There is an unending parade of charter boats coming into and leaving the harbour. Catamarans seem to be the boat of choice. So far I haven’t seen a lot of chartered mono-hulls. The charter boats seem to be in excellent repair and having watched a few young people working as Skippers and Crew on the crewed boats, they don’t look like they miss much. The boats are meticulous and they don’t cheap out on provisioning.

Allan has provisioned the boat with water, diesel/gas, and food and fluid, so now we are prepared to make my first trip to Jost Van Dyke. We will probably drop the pick there for a few days and then head for Peter Island and then Road Harbour.

I wish my brother and his wife could be here. This is the place to find rest and relaxation. Think it over guys, I can give up the hammock for a week or two. You would absolutely love it here. I will try to post some photos…enjoy!

Engine install part 2 ...the saga continues...

2010-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

The engine saga continues... and there is progress...over the past while the engine has been in and out of its hole a couple of times, nearly breaking Mack and Franklin's backs...

Fitting, measuring, aligning etc then out for fabrication and building... the rear motor mounts were usable however the forward ones did not line up so out they came and two new ones were built of wood and a bunch of fiberglass... you could probably lift the boat from these new mounts if you had to...

Then engine back in to fit and then out again to build spacers and other bits and then back in again and all the new and old bits attached ...mounts and shaft aligned and then engine bolted down... ( this is the short version )...

The fiberglass guy lived in that engine hole for 3 days and as you can see from the pictures grinding fiberglass makes dust that goes everywhere and sticks to everything...

We are cleaning every inch of the boat again...

But all in all the engine is now in and yesterday...St Val Day... we started it up ...no vibrations of any type, forward neutral and reverse ...woohoo... and all seemed to work very well... barring a couple of little leaks that we are now sorting out... but in all a good day ...however, my mind won't rest till this is all history and we are sitting at some anchorage with a fishing rod with no line in one hand, big hat and big rum in the other hand.... dozing....

Today we are starting the wiring and harnesses panel and sorting out the details, fixing parts that leaked, and making adjustments... which will probably take a few more days... but there is progress... there is a light at the end of the tunnel,...

It is in the wind that Jean will be joining us soon, if all goes as planned and the ducks all line up pretty... nothing pops out of line ...( i can't wait ) and then hopefully we will be out of here and sliding slowly south... with no more big boat work until the stuff we planned for the summer and fall in Trinidad

Apart from that all is well and the time continues to pass ...just noticed that we have been on board now for 8 months, total... away for 3 months... time flies...

Saint Valentines Day

2010-02-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Saint Valentines day to everyone and especially to the one who is not yet here and is missed more than anyone can imagine... only a few more days ...yea... love u Jean...

Engine install part 1

2010-01-29T05:31:00.000-08:00

Another day in the BVI's and it is pointless to discuss the weather,... as Jean has kindly answered our question: What color is snow?? ...with a photo of her brother's back yard in Truro... :

I guess her response is clear enough.... hehehe

Over the past few days the engine has arrived and we have manoeuvred it into the boat and into its new home in the engine compartment. It is sitting there now on a huge 6x6 block, from here we have to start lining it up and fabricating the way it will sit on the mounts, exhaust, etc etc so a few more days of pain to get to the point where we can actually start it... how ever small it seems it was allot of work an is real progress for us... which is great .... the down side is that the boat is a sea of engine bits and tools and it smells like diesel and petroleum but that will pass... and we will hear a rumble in the future... here are some photos if it arriving:

We are here almost a month and that of course meant a visit to immigration for our extension to stay here a while... no worries they were happy to have 2 more rag tag sailors that smelled heavily of diesel stay in their country... actually I think she just wanted us out of her office as fast as possible ...stamp pay 10 dollars each and ...out.... :) All is well

Over the past few days we had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful cruising couple, Captain and Mate, Thierry and Marine of the 85 foot sailing cat Sun Tenareze.

They are here at the docks with us, departing today and are planning to visiting Nova Scotia and the maritime provinces including Halifax during the months of June and July. We spent last evening passing on local information and phone numbers of the folks who helped us as well as talking about anchorages and yacht clubs, where to go and ideas for spending their time... I hope that when she visits you get a chance to see this big cat. She is one of the most beautiful vessels we have seen in a long time...

Ohh... and at 85 feet she is for sale so if anyone is in the market for a yacht like this I would be happy to put you in touch with Thierry and Marine to discuss the details... she is one of a kind...

We had a great evening and truly hope to meet and do it again some time in the future...,

Here are some photos of Sun Tenareze:

Apart from that all is well, ...missing Jean but we are counting the days...

Until more time passes ....Be Happy....

Passing Time...

2010-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Been a few days since we updated the blog...

We are fine and the Caribbean is beautiful,... however... it seems like we are all just passing time waiting for things to happen at this point in order to get moving...

old 61hp Peugeot Lehman engine is gone... found another engine, a used Yanmar 4JH3 TE which is a 75 hp turbo and we hope that it is in as good a shape as it appears ... did all the right tests and it passed so we have rolled the dice and the install will start this week... waiting...

Jean is still in Canada and will be there till the 20Th or so of Feb for a minor medical procedure... then she will be on a plane to here.... I miss her terrible .... waiting...

Mack is all set up on Skype and has invited Maggie to call him.... Waiting...

Jean is staying comfortably at her brothers while in Canada and she is bouncing off the walls wanting to be here as time passes .... waiting... (did I say Jean wants to be here already... ?)

But in all everything is well and time will resolve these little issues... in the mean time we are getting a bundle of little jobs done ...greasing thru-hulls, cleaning the spaces, cleaning the bilge, refurbishing a pump, cleaning the engine room - while there is no engine in the way... decks fridges bulkheads deckheads ladders cushions laundry.... we are keeping busy... to pass time...

We are on Skype it is a great asset... everyone should check it out ... and the cost to be able to call landlines and mobiles unlimited in the US and Can is great.... watch out phone companies...

Until time passes... be happy.... :) ...more later...

Engine Change Out

2010-01-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

All is well here in in the BVI's.

We met a gentilman from bedford today and he knew a man who works at the perkins store here who is a military retiree and is living here on his boat and we called him and by chance knew him... and he put us in touch with my long lost brother in crime... it truely is a very small world,... any how we should soon be sharing a beer with this long lost sailor and perhaps be a step cl0ser to a new engine ...

Well the engine rear bearing became too involved to change so we have removed the engine and are now looking for another reconditioned engine to replace it with... So at this point we are engineless....

apart from that i checked to see if it might be snowing again to nite but all was well ... i didnt need to put my t-shirt on... :))) so all is well though there is some one that i am truely missing!!!! and hopefully she will be here soon...

apart from that how is the sailing season in Halifax .

Here are some pics of our engine leaving....

Village Cay Marina

2010-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

All is well here as we clean and transition the boat from passagemaking to living on the hook and day sailing. We are putting in some pretty long days dispite how the photos look :))) ...

So far we have stripped and cleaned the forward head and cabin, the galley and the fridge, freezer and the starboard side of the main cabin... all emptied scrubbed down and polished then items sorted and repacked as we install all the things we had stored away for the warmer weather and kinder sailing...

We have also done some shopping and now have food and drink on board so that we can stay out of the hotel restaurant and eat on board for loads less cash...

Mack has scrubbed and cleaned the entire deck wood and fiberglass. What came out of the wood was amazing and it has now taken on almost a silky appearance... big change, we have also sorted and changed several lines and re-set how we handle several processes.

The old girl enjoyed the voyage and is now settling in very comfortably as we continue to deep clean re-sort and stow things ...half the inside left to go... but things are really starting to take shape...

I asked Mack to model the hammock for the pics and I think he glued himself to it....kidding ...i think... ...I would like to thank Alex for the Hammock and Brad for the awning they both fit and work beautifully... Thank you both.... just some of the things we had tucked away ...if you look really hard you may see the fishing pole over the stern and that out little patio lights are back up ...they are as nice or nicer than allot of the lighting ideas we see here and they don't blink like the string lights on the guys cat up the jetty.... red on red off green on green off red on...... there is an axe here somewhere.... anyhow....

Here are some photos of some of the work we are doing, and the results, and of where we are sitting here at the marina...

BVI's

2010-01-02T04:30:00.000-08:00

Well we made it to the islands... we are in the BVI's and all without too much pain. Only one problem to speak of and that is the rear oil seal on the engine has started to leak so we have to look at replacing that however everything else is working fine here are some photos of the way down

At sea headed south the weather was

good except for one electrical storm

close to the islands...

A couple of flying fish that crashed

into out rig at night they were a bit

stiff in the morning when we found them... they didn't make it... we gave them back to the sea....

Sunrise over the stern on the morning we sighted land...

Virgin Gorda in the distance the first land sighted in the BVI's

Squall passing through as we got

closer

end to the squalls...

sailing up the narrows by Sopers Hole...

a few yachts passing by...

morning of the entrance to Road Town some of the houses , cuing up to enter with a big ship and the sunrise

The Meaning of Christmas

2009-12-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

The celebration of the birth of Christ is a little more than 24 hours away. Ryen's Quest left St Georges, Bermuda ten days ago and have broken the 200 mile mark within the waters of Tortola. The weather has been warm to moderately hot. Sounds awful, I know. The wind for the past three days has been on the nose and at one point they considered changing their sail plan and go instead to Antigua. Today was their last contact with RCC Bermuda.

The fatigue in Allan's voice gets more worrisome each day. With four hours on watch and four hours to sleep, there is little time to eat, clean up, and do boat maintenance. I regret not being an able sailor to help get the boat to the British Virgin Islands. But, it surely is a good New Year's Resolution. It is hoped that they are anchored early on December 26th and sleep until they get hungry enough to make themselves a decent meal. Canned food is losing it's appeal.

Christmas this year means that our plans have been altered for reasons beyond our control and Allan and I will be apart over the holiday for the first time. It means that being together is more important than the giving of gifts or receiving bobbles of glitter and gold. For us, it means being grateful for God's grace in guiding Ryen's Quest to safe harbour, and His will to bring us together again. (And I would really appreciate that being sooner, than later!)

This will no doubt be my last entry before Christmas, so on behalf of Allan, Mack, and myself aboard Ryen's Quest, I wish to all of our family and friends who follow this blog a very Merry Christmas and a terrific 2010. Follow your dreams, even if there are a few bumps in the water, and a bruise or two along the way. It beats watching cable television.

640 Miles From Somewhere

2009-12-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

Al called again today from the satellite phone aboard Ryen's Quest. They continue to enjoy really nice sailing weather, with all sails up. She is sailing well with no problems. The watches are working well, and they are 640 miles from either Tortola or Bermuda. I am hoping they are closer to the BVI's than Bermuda. So the sooner they get there, sooner I get there. It is so less stressful getting calls that they are safe and warm and dry. Al said, and I quote, "Finally, this is what sailing is all about!"

Al says the tuna are literally flying out of the water and they are quite a sight to see. Maybe he has captured one or two on camera and will post them when he gets time. Can't imagine either Al or Mack fishing for their dinner. Sounds like they are having a blast!

Monday December 14th, 2009

2009-12-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

I hope Santa's sleigh moves faster than Ryen's Quest. Today, she was 140 miles south of Bermuda, sailing with full sails in 15 knot winds on the starboard quarter. The weather is beautifully warm, and although the seas look calm the boat still feels a rolling, as a result of the poor weather to the north of Bermuda. No equipment malfunctions so far, but the engine is acting up. This will definitely be a priority to get fixed when they reach Tortola.

All is good, the boys are into their watches of four hours on and four hours off.

Bye Bye Bermuda

2009-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

Today Ryen's Quest said it's good-bye to the beautiful Island and people of Bermuda. With a very good weather window for the next few days, it's off to Tortola. As of 5 pm today, the seas were rolling at approximately ten feet, and the temperature was warm. Much different from the temperatures in Dartmouth. More tomorrow, after what is hoped to be a calm sailing experience.

St George Christmas Celebration

2009-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day on Ryen's Quest. The sails were put on and everything is a go in that department. They are just thinking about provisioning and waiting for me to leave before they top the water and diesel. After the work was done, we took a dinghy ride to the Dinghy Club for showers. They give you a token to put in a machine, and if you haven't rinsed the soap off or out of your hair, too bad. I would guess one token gives you ten minutes of shower time.

Tonight the Historical Society had a community celebration. All the stores and businesses were lighted up and there was entertainment at different historical locations in the surrounding area. Everyone was in a great mood and high spirit. Lots of artists with their paintings for sail.

Later we had some of the cruisers aboard for drinks, and if Amber from Halifax reads this, we also enjoyed meeting Adam. Nice guy, he's a keeper! Tomorrow we have been invited to Rod and Sweda's home for dinner. Rod works in the sail shop, and is originally from the Philippines. Really nice people. I will post some photos when Al downloads them for me.

All is good. Ryen's Quest looks like she is ready for another passage!

Slow Day In Bermuda

2009-12-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

It's almost supper time on Thursday, and I know that because Allan is in the galley cooking spaghetti and meat sauce. Smells delicious. It is always better when somebody else cooks.

Today it rained here, for about a half hour. Just enough to freshen the air up. Not sure of the temperature but the rain makes it a bit muggy. I am not complaining. You don't have to shovel rain or muggy. The boys want me to mention that today has been a typical island day which means they didn't do enough to break the sabbath. Mack read for most of the day, while Al practiced some card games. I walked to the drug store and back and bought some nail polish to play with. It is really quiet in this part of the island. Obvious that the tourist season has died down to damn near nothing. Good thing we are here to kick the economy into the near year.

We have Canadian neighbours now. A couple from Upper Canada in their 45 Dufour "Entre Amis". I haven't met them yet but Al and Mack have helped them with their lines when they came alongside. We have also been offered the private dock of Mr P Outerbridge. The family name is quite well known in this area. Long story short, Mr Outerbridge married a Canadian lady and he has at least one son back in Nova Scotia. I am not sure if we will be moving to his place or not. Like I said, this has been a lazy day, and Al shut down his thinking too. It's nice to see his face soften a little bit. When I got here you could see the strain on his face from the storm me thinks. Anyway, I just hope he continues to relax and enjoy retirement.

I have been checking out some real estate prices. "If" you had a million dollars you could buy a property. A small cottage two bedroom with one bath in need of some TLC runs you about $775,000. That's after you put down a cool million to be able to buy. Gotta find me a cheaper island to live.

That's all from us. Hope everything home is okay. Kisses to Ryen, from Nana!

Nothing To Write Home About

2009-12-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that a week has passed already. There is nothing to write home about tonight. I just want to take advantage of the internet time. Today the sails and canvass was ready for pick up. Remember the wave that took out the panels of the enclosure? All those zippers have now been replaced as well as the zipper on the stack pack which lost a few teeth on the way down. The top two panels of the stay sail needed to be patched. Because of some chafing during the storm, three small holes were identified. So all that is fixed and the enclosure is good as used. It keeps the sun out of our face. Temperature today was 68F degrees or 20C degrees.

The acronym for boat....Bring Out Another Thousand.

"Just Say No" to Mopeds!

2009-12-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

With nothing planned for today, Allan and I thought it would be a good time to go to Hamilton. The sails were in getting the zipper fixed as were the panels to the cockpit enclosure. One travel option was to take a moped and that way we could take our time and stop along the way and take pictures. Maybe pack a picnic. Sounds great in theory, right? Not wanting to be a "negative nellie" I went along with it and dressed as if I was going to be driving a moped.

As we walked with a skip in our step we got to the moped rental shop. After a few quick question and answers back and forth regarding cost and insurance, the attendant invited us to pick out a helmet. You can't know my feeling about wearing other people's head gear. The bottom of my feet started to itch and I hadn't yet picked out a suitable helmet. I wanted both Al and the attendant/moped instructor/mechanic to understand that I did not want to rent this machine if I was not comfortable driving it. I have seen too much moped damage in my young life to risk what I have left. It was agreed. The guy renting these death machines was going to make sure I was comfortable driving.

First up was Allan. He picked a shiny black half helmet that you see worn by sexy, muscled Harley Riders, if they wear any at all. He caught on quick about the ignition, brakes, and mastered working the horn and kickstand. Al drove fearlessly up the small knoll and around the tree and coasted confidently down to the start line. With a broad smile across the attendant's face he was happy to rent to Allan.

Last up was me. I also picked out a shiny black half helmet, not because of my fantasy about Harley drivers, but because it looked like it was newer and cleaner than the rest. There didn't appear to be anything moving that might make someone want to scratch. I, too, caught on quick about the ignition, and the brakes, and the horn and kickstand functions were well woven into the threads of my memory from a previous lesson some thirteen years ago. So the attendant is telling me to get onto the bike and put both feet on the ground. I would have obliged if my legs had been another inch or two longer. Come on, people! It's not like I didn't want to put both feet on the ground. So I failed there. But he wasn't going to let me off that easy. He insisted I start the bike while he held the bike up and to turn the gas on "a little bit". He assured me he would be at my side holding the bike up if the need arose. So define "a little bit". Potayto Potawto! I competently turned the ignition on, gripped the handle, and twisted it a little bit more than either of us expected. With no choke built into the bike, there is no risk of stalling out. So up that little knoll I barreled with the attendant running, but still at my side. I was impressed that he kept his word. (Later I would learn that his fingers had gotten stuck in the grocery basket screwed on the back of the bike.) As I rounded the tree at the top of the hill, I turned my head to see Allan standing at the start line, smiling me on. He really wanted me to pass the instructors standards. Getting to the bottom was no problem. Ta Da! I had passed the finish line. The attendant was smiling, but he knew better than to give me anything close to a passing grade. He suggested we give the practice run another try. So again, he held me and the bike up while the ignition, etc, etc...... Finish line. Still not comfortable with giving me the key? So who was concerned about me driving this machine in the first place? :) After three tries of trying out this practice run I threw in the towel. Some things are just not worth the risk.

We took the bus. Hamilton was beautiful. Temperature today 76 degrees. No snow in the forecast. I hope something interesting happens tomorrow that I can write about.

Bird Lady!

2009-11-30T14:54:00.001-08:00

Everyone Loves A Happy Ending!

2009-11-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

I make no claim that the following information is correct. I wasn't there. But I did ask for some feedback pertaining to the trip from Halifax to Bermuda as one of my many readers has requested. Tonights post was going to be about me and the birds, but I guess that can wait another day. There will always be bird ladies. So from the mouths of Skipper Al, and Crew Mack, I offer you the following as your evening enjoyment. (Hope you are happy now James!)

The first three days, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday the weather was sweet. By Tuesday evening they were down to a stay sail and a mizzen. Wednesday was building weather, and by Wednesday evening all sails were down and a storm sail was put up on the stay sail track. Weather continued to worsen throughout the night Wednesday and by Thursday morning the boat was in consistent ten plus meter seas and consistent 60 knot wind gusting to much higher. This weather stopped all southerly progress to Bermuda and the next four and a half days were spent riding the seas and making no progress. By Monday evening of the following week, the storm started to diminish allowing the guys to put up a double reef main, and half the genoa. Weather continued to improve until Wednesday and by that time they put up the mizzen and changed the storm sail to a stay sail and continued sailing southerly. By Friday evening the boat was twenty miles off Bermuda with absolutely no wind, leaving the guys going no where because the engine was not working. They waited outside St George Harbour for two and a half days until finally accepting a tow on Sunday night. Thus making a seven day trip to Bermuda fourteen days.

The storm created several problems. A wave passed through the enclosure taking out the two side panels. Water so high that the fresh water tanks were contaminated through the vents. The engine wasn't working, because the ignition wire came off, wabasto heater exhaust through hull sea cock leaked and there was no valve to shut off which has been rectified. All problems, which were relatively minor, have been rectified and we are now enjoying some sunshine and slow days.

Throughout the passage communication was had between Ryen's Quest and RCC Bermuda, Halifax RCC on a daily basis assisting in an on-going search and rescue operation.

p.s Entry is now in my words. Al forgot to mention the three dozen eggs that smashed against the walls and floors of the galley. The toaster became a flying missile. The quarter cabin bunk slid out and everything stowed there went somewhere else. Both Allan and Mack are or were bruised from their waist to their knees as they tried to brace themselves and not be thrown around the boat in the high seas. They had at least one good laugh a day which usually involved Al laying on his back with his feet in the air capsized. All in all, it was a good trip, with a very happy ending. Al and Mack

More Pics While We Wait For Santa

2009-11-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

Bermuda is Beautiful, and Warm!

In one photo we have Mack looking a bit confused. He did a bang up job today. While in the next photo we see Al standing in front of a big something. And then the church ruins, to the beautiful churches of Bermuda. I will post more of our pics taken on our tour of the town. Everything is so clean, and fresh. It's going to take some doing to get me back on that plane to go back to Halifax.

Christmas In Bermuda

2009-11-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and we're heading for Christmas....already?

What's The Date?

2009-11-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday, and for the first time since I arrived, we had a bit of a blow last night. It was nothing to write about really, but you must be getting tired of always reading about how beautiful and warm and sunny the weather is here.

Al and I took a walk around the town and took some photos of the area. We chatted with shop keepers and of course the locals always want to hear about us and the boat. Mack is a great Ambassador for Ryen’s Quest and the entire country of Canada! We met and spoke with two couples who were badly damaged while underway when Ida hit them. One had their entire mast and rigging laying at the boatyard, and the other had huge chunks of their boat missing.

Later in the afternoon we took a dinghy ride to the Bermuda Yacht Services yard and had showers, talked to some people and then took another little ride to the Dinghy Club. For any of you who are familiar with this place, they now have two jetty’s.

The funny of the day was figuring out the date. None of us knew the day of the week or the date of the month. With the sincerity of a five year old I quipped, “I’m pretty sure we are still in November.” It wasn’t meant to be funny but the guys thought it was hysterical.

Hurry Up And Bring Your Camera

2009-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

Today is Saturday, and it’s another beautiful day in Bermuda. The locals are wearing long pants and long sleeves plus fashionable woolen scarves. We three stooges are in shorts and tank tops and sweating from the brow. I could make this island my home, if I had the money.

Mack hollered to us to hurry and bring the camera. So we did both. Years ago, in Bermuda, if a wife was a nag she was publicly humiliated by being tied into a chair and dunked into the water. So a couple of times a week, the locals do a re-enactment of this sordid punishment to women. I am sure this is done in the spirit of entertainment; however, some would say it promotes violence against women.

Happy Thanksgiving Bermuda Style

2009-11-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Today fell short of a vacation by a long shot. All three of us carried every thread of wet clothing, bedding, etc., to the Laundromat. Because of the shortage of fresh water on the island, everyone goes out to do their laundry and it’s quite a social event rather than a chore. However, it was a chore to me.

With the laundry done, we took a vote and we all won. It was time for beers. While we were drinking our drinks a guy came along who owns a bakery and he began to throw big wads of bread at us. He was either a very good or a very bad throw because he missed us by inches, and the bread landed in the water just outside the balcony gate. I thought he was pretty dumb, because the birds were gathering at his feet and they weren’t much interested in diving into the water for a few crumbs. What happened next, I have never seen in my life. The fish came out of nowhere! There were needle fish, gold fish, yellow striped fish, blow fish, and other fish that looked familiar. They were jumping right out of the water to get the bread. The man had thrown the bread in our direction so that we could see this magnificent display of fish. I guess he wasn’t so dumb after all!

Tonight Mack thought he would install the BBQ. He made a few small mistakes, but after a while he had the thing ready to turn on. First thing, he turned on the propane. Then he clicked the electric start seven or eight times. By the time he hit the switch for the tenth time, and with all the propane that had already built up inside the BBQ, there was a huge SWOOOOSH, and blue flames billowed from under and at the sides of the BBQ. I apologize, but I laughed so hard I thought the top of my head was going to pop off. Allan asked Mack if he still had his eye brows, and Mack casually informed us that the electric starter switch worked well. I still laugh when I see that picture in my head.

We had unexpected visitors this evening and by the time he left, it was getting too late to flash up the BBQ again, plus run the risk of Mack losing more of his eye-brows and nose hairs. So, since today was Bermuda’s Thanksgiving Day we went to a nice place for turkey dinner, kind of. It wasn’t real turkey, the gravy was tomato base, and the potatoes were scalloped. It was good; however, but we have to stop eating out. Tomorrow I am hitting the kitchen and getting everything cleaned in there and put away. Next I have to make a proper bed to sleep in, and put my freshly laundered clothes away. It all sounds like a working vacation to me.

Happy Thanksgiving, we all have much to be thankful for.

Wednesday Is Work Day

2009-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day! Not sure of the temperature, suffice to say it was warm, very warm. I had a great sleep last night after I got to sleep. When I woke up, at my usual 11 am, I heard the fellas working around the boat. They had emptied the water tanks and filled them three times over. The water got contaminated because the vents for the tanks were under water for most of the voyage thus making the drinking water not potable. Things were beginning to come together again after the fourteen days at sea. More than anything we needed to get the boat dry. So we had as much stuff as possible on deck airing them out to prevent mold or any other stuff that you don’t want growing on a boat.

After a few hours work, we did what the locals do and signed off for the day. The three of us took the walk “downtown” which is ten minutes from where we were tied up. The cars drive on the wrong side of the street and the drivers sit on the wrong side of the car. I have no idea what sides of the street pedestrians are supposed to walk, but most of them walk in the middle. Horns blow continuously for no apparent reason, and the mopeds are the means of transportation for most

We had dinner at a great spot, The George and Dragon. We all had prime rib and it was perfect. The three of us play a game of guess the day and date. Mack is never right, Allan doesn’t care, and I worry that I will miss my flight back so I am always right. The tourist season is over here in Bermuda making it quiet for the most part. Very little pedestrian traffic and the local shops have notices in their windows about their closing dates until the new year. The weather is brilliant, not too hot, and certainly not cold. I could stay here for a very long time.

Fit For A Queen

2009-11-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

What started out as an ordinary day, (you know get up, dress, and grab your bag as you run out the door to catch Continental Flight Number 3088 to Newark. That kind of a day!), turned out to be extraordinary. With the exception of being delayed on the tarmac for 45 minutes in Newark, the trip to Bermuda was relatively uneventful. Hindsight, I wish I had asked the flight attendant for a newspaper instead of a peanut snack pack. It was newsworthy to write about the Queen’s visit (yes our Queen) to Bermuda, but it would seem that I was the only one who had not read about it. The cabbie didn’t think it was a very good idea to go to Ordnance Island what with the Queen’s visit. With this little tidbit of local knowledge, I knew two things to be sure. The first was that my boat was tied up at the wharf at Ordnance Island. No, I wasn’t really sure of that. The first was, the Queen of the Commonwealth was visiting St Georges, at Ordnance Island, coincidentally at almost the same time that I was scheduled to be at Ordnance Island, St Georges. Weird, eh? Had my flight not be delayed for that forty five minutes, I would have arrived at precisely the exact time as the Queen was shaking hands with her loyal subjects. The second thing I was absolutely sure was that I didn’t have a clue where Ryen’s Quest was. Time to get directions; I know when I am lost. I was a little timid as I approached the Customs Office and smiled at the young man with the corn rows as he played Solitaire. I kept smiling as I cleared my throat a lil bit but was getting absolutely no where with this young man. Playing solitaire is intense. The humid Bermuda air was starting to get on my nerves. The temperature was like in the 80’s or 100’s and my throat was parched from eating the salted peanuts on the plane. I had been in this heat for almost an hour by this time. So I spoke a little too loud as I asked for directions. He pointed his mouse in a direction over my head so I turned and followed the imaginary line. The place he pointed was as quiet as a tomb. There was no Ryen’s Quest, there was no Queen, and there were no Royal subjects. There was just me and the young man playing Solitaire. Rather than disturb him again, I took another route and entered the exact same building, from the front. There was a reception counter, a rather obtrusive print of Her Majesty the Queen, and the sweetest looking young man in an official Customs uniform. When he asked if he could help me, I think my face gave me away. I needed his help badly. I didn’t know where the boat was, I didn’t know where Allan was, I didn’t know where the Queen was, and I wasn’t real sure where I was. All of a sudden my eyes filled up with tears, and my mouth was drooling out incomprehensible sounds. I managed “boat”, “Ryen’s Quest”, “storm”, “Halifax”, and in a matter of seconds, he had my luggage and me in his office. He radioed Al, and as always Al was on the other end of the call. He had been waiting for me and was unable to tell me about the Queens visit and that he had to move the boat for security reasons. YadaYadaYada! Could he come to pick me up? Negative I could hear Al respond, but he could walk down to pick me up. The Customs man looked at me, I sniffed again, and he asked Al to stand-by. The Rescue Pilot Boat was offered up to take me to Ryen’s Quest. I nearly fell in the water trying to get on that boat before someone changed their mind. Guess who the driver of the boat was? Yep, the Solitaire guy! Weird, eh? We didn’t talk much on the trip over. I asked him what the charge would be for his service and he said I didn’t have to pay. Maybe the stuff you have to pay for in Bermuda is expensive, but getting a free ride in the rescue pilot boat was pretty special. I should have offered a tip maybe but it never occurred to me.

I was most grateful to be aboard Ryen’s Quest. Mack had gone to dinner with folks we had met in Dartmouth. Allan and I took a rain check on dinner and just spent some quality time catching up and listening about the intensity of the storm they had just been through. There is nothing funny to write regarding the storm. It was unpleasant, and something they hope never to have to do again. Chances are good that their passage to the BVIs after December 9 will be better than their last passage.

As we were lying down in the aft cabin with the hatch open wide and the breeze flowing nicely over our sheets, we could see straight up through the hatch. The stars here are incredibly intense and vivid. Constellations are seen far more clearly. Bermuda is growing on me. It is beautiful, and clean, and the locals are some of the nicest people we have met on this trip so far. Although they are going into their winter season and are finding the temperatures to be cold, Bermudians have the warmest hearts of all.

God Save our Queen!

The Humidity Is Hell!

2009-11-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight's update was quick. The boat is now along side and Allan did a quick walk about on the boat. He says there are a few things that need fixing, but overall Ryen's Quest is in pretty good shape considering the weather she just battled enroute to Bermuda.

Today was not the day to begin any work on her. The guys found, or rather could see, a charming little pub from where the boat was tied. They have decided to go there and find a corner to hide in so not to offend anyone with their salty sea man smells. After a decent meal, they will return to the boat for what they hope will be a decent night's sleep. Tomorrow, with fresh eyes and some sleep under their belt they will begin the task of doing a more thorough inspection of our girl and make a list of things that need some attention. Al loves his lists!

For those of us who are enjoying the Maritime weather, Allan wants us to know that the humidity in Bermuda is hell. Wow, better him than me, eh?

Al has asked me to extend his thanks to everyone who has emailed him and also to those who have left messages on the blog. He wishes there had been something more exciting to write on the blog, but I don't think I could have handled too much more excitement. As far as I know, the Coast Guard has still not been able to get in touch with the other vessel from the Halifax area. I hope the vessel and those aboard are all right. I would also like to thank those who called me, asking for updates and offering their support. I appreciate every call and I know that Al rests easy knowing that we have a circle of friends who I can go to during his absence.

Unless the sky falls, I hope to join Allan on Tuesday or Wednesday. I need to find out first hand that the humidity is that BAD! And more importantly I need to know that he is all right. My next entry may be from the cockpit of Ryen's Quest in Bermuda. Yippee!

Allan said he saw Tuna fish....hundreds of pounds each! I am gonna get me one of those babies. Wonder what kind of a worm you would use to convince the tuna to nibble on your hook. I think I have a book on fishing.

Feast or Famine

2009-11-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Today's update from Al "almost" had me feeling bad for him. Almost! The winds just aren't there, and Ryen's Quest is barely getting by 2 knots. So no wind! Cry me a river, boys. I am quite positive I didn`t hear any moans from disgruntled sailors, yet I am not sure why Al went on and on about it being sunny and warm, and eating and sleeping. Sounds like quite a winter escape after all. From my look out, I am seeing temperature drops to the minus, fleece-lined leather gloves, sheep-skin boots, and ear muffs.

As of suppertime, Captain Al (he is really gonna hate me for typing that :) ) and crew were about forty miles from Bermuda. He has opted to `try` to get the forty miles in before the break of dawn and be on solid ground early tomorrow. I am not sure if he priorized a beer and a bath, or a bath and then a beer. A woman would choose to have a beer while she bathed.

It is nice to be able to relax and chuck some stuff at the guys. Both Al and Mack deserve a break. I just might surprise them and knock on the hull on Wednesday. They probably need directions to the nearest `MacDonald`s.

Almost There!

2009-11-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

Having talked to Allan yesterday, they were about 100 miles from Bermuda, enjoying sunny warm weather and a nice wind at the stern. Ryen's Quest is enjoying the trip now that she isn't being beat up by the wind and waves. The guys are eating and feeling much better. Both the Bermuda and Halifax coast guard have been in touch with them to possibly aide in contacting another boat that left Halifax at approximately the same time. Al said he could see and hear the planes flying overhead looking for this solo-sailor. The sattelite phone has sure eased my mind during the last two weeks. Money well spent me thinks!!

Although Allan expects to be in a marina sometime today or tonight, he will get there on Mother Nature's time. Finally, retirement has kicked in, and life is no longer a race!!

Where To Start?

2009-11-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

Today is November 17, a week and a bit since Ryen's Quest left Halifax. The first three days saw the guys in fine weather, and down to their shorts and tee's. And then they ran into Ida....Hurricane Ida. It could only be described as a great shake down cruise with the new gear. The seas over the past week were so bad that Mack was sick. Allan had never seen Mack so sick in the thirty or so years since knowing him. The weather forecast from Tuesday until Sunday noon, was spot on at 30 foot seas, and 50k wind. That's worth getting sick over! Although the boat held up well, it's contents were not so lucky. Things stowed in the quarter cabin had to be moved to the aft cabin, and moved again to fix something that went sour with the steering. The dining table came right out of the boards, screws and all, and the engine needs to be looked at when the boat gets into Bermuda. With that came the water from their foulies and no surprise, the boat got miserable and damp. Sleeping was not an issue, it was an impossibility. As of yesterday and today, the guys got to be in nice weather again. I thought Al was sounding more rested, but he corrected me and said he was only less tired.

This may well have been Allan's most uncomfortable trip. Although he wanted me to make this passage with him, he thinks my decision to stay back was good given the poor weather. I am thinking I may stay back and wait until they get to the Carribbean Islands and fly to meet him there. Or, the option of flying down now and meeting them poolside when the boat gets there seems viable too.

To anyone planning to sail to Bermuda, I would strongly encourage you to visit the RCC Bermuda webpage and complete their forms. Yesterday, when I called them to give them an update of Ryen's Quest's new eta, they were familiar with us. They were going to begin radio contact! That gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to know that someone was going to start looking for them, had we not made an update contact.

Oh, and the news is...the boys are approximately 230 miles off shore of Bermuda. They spent lots of hours between the wind and the waves, going nowhere. But for them, nowhere is pretty darn close to heaven. As of 2030 hours today, all is good.

If you are reading this James Brown, I hope you have a smile on your face.

Finally - Departure

2009-11-08T11:02:00.001-08:00

With less than ideal weather conditions, Ryen's Quest left the jetty today at 1330 hours. In an effort to avoid the possibility of running into bad weather north and west of Bermuda, Allan has decided to sail south east and sail into Bermuda from the south. Weather looks favourable until Thursday, so with some strong wind on the stern he hopes to make good time and hopefully be below foul weather before Thursday.

Ryen's Quest could not be more ready for this passage. She looks like a boat ready to do some serious passage-making and she is packed to the max with safety equipment (some would say overkill, until you need it), and she has enough food aboard to keep the crew of a small ship well fed for months. All systems are up and running and the engine purred like....a tiger.

I was amazed while sitting in the clubhouse having a soda with Brad and Joe, when one member said he watched Ryen's Quest leaving from Magazine Hill. She may not have gotten around a lot these past months, but she sure is recognizable to members of the club. I wish now that I had asked him if the sails were up. That would have been sweet!

Al will be calling me daily, with updates and I will post as soon as I hear anything. Oh my nerves, I am tense, and nervous, and anxious, and worried, and excited, and happy. All at the same time! But this time too shall pass and before I know it, I will be in Bermuda knowing that Al is just on the other side of Customs waiting for me. Or not! And that will be a whole other blog site.

Party Pictures

2009-11-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Photos were taken on the evening when our boat's name was officially changed to Ryen's Quest. All persons depicted in these photos gave their permission to have them posted on the blog. I can't believe that they actually agreed to that!

Beginning at the top, Shelly and Louise are cracking up over our tape cassette. Okay, so it's old. I do remember that Shelly promised to buy us a CD player. Sure do hope she comes through on that. Hey Shelly, when can I pick that up? I don't know why Louise thought it was so funny...she still uses an 8-track! They were hysterical!!

Second from the top, we have Shelly practicing her moves on the dance pole, which is really the compression post for the mast. I tried to tell her, but she saw a "dance pole", and she wanted to dance. Go figure!

Third one down. This is Brad later in the evening. Earlier you couldn't take his picture no how!

Fourth photo, that would be Allan and I just after the champagne was poured overboard. We were happy to have the business part of the evening over with, and happy to be in the company of our friends.

The following photo is Allison and Shelly very early in the evening. Before the promise of the CD. I really wish Allison could have stayed longer, she can be quite entertaining. So smart!

Next is the energizing bunny couple of Brad and Louise. They told us later it was the best time they have had in some time. Thanks, that means a lot.

The following photo is a wonderful addition to our get together and she taught me something I hope I will be able to pass along to other women. Thank you Jilly! Jilly's husband Roddy is to her left. Another great guy. Hope we can keep in touch with them as they continue to do upgrades to their beautiful Mason 54. Quite a proper yacht.

The second last photo is Allan and Jim. Jim has dedicated much of his time working on Ryen's Quest and feels a special connection to her. Hope Jim and Allison get down to see us somewhere in the Caribbean. The invite is there for them anytime they like.

Finally, we have Brad and Louise chuckling about something. We can never get enough of those two.

Biding Our Time

2009-11-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

The weather window we had hoped for closed pretty hard, leaving us tied alongside possibly until Friday or Sunday. With the exception of provisioning the boat with some grub, this weather forecast gives Al and Mack some time to relax and rest for the trip. The boat is safe to sea, and all systems are in prime working order. Maintaining Ryen's Quest will be an on-going project, as any boat owner can attest. But when you think about it, we have to have something to do when we are bored with snorkeling or walking the beach or fishing or whatever people do when they have thrown their watches into a drawer and have to ask what month it is. We will be biding our time with our boat, and with each other.

Heads Over Hoses

2009-11-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

While researching the Bermudian water laws, Al learned that it is required that all visiting boats must have a working sewerage treatment system aboard. Though we do have a system on Ryen's Quest we weren't quite sure that it worked. Yesterday, while I left for land to do a few domestic chores like laundry, Al went head first under the back cabin berth. Armed with his new tools and pretty white new hose, clamps, and y-valves the old hardware was removed and replaced with the new. It wasn't quite as easy as that. I heard a lot of partial words, some beginning with "fah", "kah", "jee". (Phonetics are wonderful to play with.) Dragging himself out of the hole after 11 miserable hours, Allan, wiped his brow and with a half smile determined it was time to turn the system on. I stood back with lots of trepidation (and paper towel), as Mack pumped water and Allan turned the knob....the machine groaned, then sort of whistled, green lights started to dance on the switch board. Yippee! No hoses broke loose, no leaks so far; but we had to do a series of "flushes" before the first flush gets macerated properly to meet the Bermudian standard for going out the through hull. Understand, that we aren't practicing with the real thing, we improvised with harbour water which is much the same only different. Al had gotten the system working and Bermuda was that much closer.

After a long hot shower, and before falling to sleep in freshly laundered sheets, Al confessed to me that he was glad he hadn't chosen plumbing as a career. I smiled in the darkness and kissed him good night. He was a plumber. Today he had been a magnificent plumber and did exactly what needed doing to keep our journey going. One job at a time, one day at a time.

The Definition of A Party

2009-11-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Being somewhat superstitious, it was becoming a matter of magnitude to undergo a proper name-changing ceremony for Ryen's Quest. To make a long story short, the new boat owners are to keep the Sea God Neptune happy by pouring copious amounts of champagne over the bow of the boat while chanting an appeal to keep the boat and those aboard safe. To this end, I casually told a friend or two of our intention and asked them to join us for the event, which was to take place last night.

Surprisingly, people began to arrive. Brad and Louise were first, probably because of Brad’s humbug attitude towards little children seeking out free candy on Halloween. Next, young Shelley arrived unannounced, but always and forever welcome. Our British neighbours on the jetty beside us, Jilly and Roddy knocked on the hull next. And finally, Jim and Allison showed up, but not without first making sure that the little children in their neighbourhood got their loot.

I wasn’t expecting anyone, but I was prepared for everyone. Having made a call to the Superstore on Friday, I had enough sandwiches, cheese, dips, pickles, and frosted cupcakes to satisfy the appetites of the local high school football team. Allan was entrusted with the liquid refreshments. He exceeded everyone’s expectation!

The weather for the evening was windy. Not cold. Just real windy. Someone mentioned 30 knots. When the whole ceremony thing was explained to those who showed up by their own volition, there was an awkward silence. Indeed, we were all to go up on deck, while the Skipper made his appeal, and I poured the copious amounts of too expensive champagne over the bow of the boat and into the grimy waters of the marina. In the wind. I might have heard Louise sobbing quietly as the bottle was up-ended because she does like her sparkly. However, in retrospect, I believe it was Brad I heard trying to suck the champagne out of mid air as it and the wind blew over the bow of the boat. It was dark, so it could have been either, or quite possibly both.

With the ceremony complete, everyone returned below and continued where they left off, which was drinking. The sandwiches weren’t such a big hit. Hardly noticed really. Quite disappointing for the person who made that phone call to the Superstore.

Even with the time falling back an hour; our guests were dropping like flies. Everyone except….you guessed it….Brad and Louise. The responsible, and children friendly, Jim and Allison were the first to leave. Morning comes early for those who still work for a living, even if it’s a Sunday morning and you might or might not be a church-going citizen. Roddy insisted he and Jilly leave before their adult son realized they were gone. Shelley sneaked away to the back cabin, but we later found her on the settee hidden under a blanket. Shelley snores. The quarter cabin was offered to the Bradbury’s at approximately 2 am after the time fell back. It sounded like an attractive offer until Brad saw what was on top of the bunk. There was stowed everything from diesel conditioner, to q-tips. Realizing that this stuff needed to be moved by someone before assuming a horizontal position on said bunk, Brad graciously declined the offer, and patiently nudged his beautiful bride who slept still chanting to the sea god Neptune in her dreams. It was at this point that the only sober person on the boat intervened. The recent weds were lead to and stuffed into the car and delivered safely to their door with the love akin to a duck and her ducklings.

This morning, all was well. Jim was on the job for 8 am while Allison was planning her teaching schedule for the week. Jilly and Roddy were back on their boat, work as usual. Shelley was on the job again, hanging out with Cohen. Brad was feeling seedy, as Louise caught up on missed episodes of Coronation Street.

All was as it should be.

Inventory check: 30 pints of beer gone, four bottles of sparkly Yellow Tail gone, one bottle of Bailey’s gone, forty ounces of Captain Morgan Black rum gone, three bottles of Gold Label Moet champagne gone. Sandwiches, cheese, dips, pickles, frosted cupcakes, and utensils are gone as well.

Definition of a party? A group of people who have gathered to participate in an activity especially for pleasure or amusement.

We definitely had a party!!

Sea Trials Complete And Ready To Go

2009-10-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

After two years of not leaving the dock with Ryen's Quest, today we had two great trips out into the harbour. She wanted badly to head toward the mouth of the harbour and seek out warmer climates I am sure.

Many members from the club have come by to wish us well as we get closer to the departure date. After Friday, the boat will be leaving as soon as we get a good weather window from Chris. Thank you to all of you who have come over, we appreciate your kind words and best wishes very much.

While on the topic of thanking folks, we must take this time to thank all those contractors who, without their expertise, we would never have been able to have the boat ready to go.

Bill Pierce of A + DC Electric, our marine electrician, was here every time we needed him. Even showing up in his swimming trunks on a late Friday afternoon. Thank you, thank you!
Ken Knickle, was the best of the best in tearing down our diesel and finding a lot of things that required maintenance. A great savings for us, not having to buy a new engine. Thank you Ken.
To Jim Newell, of Life Line Marine, who has been here so often, we think of him as family. The work he did on the boat which included the complete overhaul of the plumbing, instrumentation installation, and all the other things he agreed to do for us. We love you Jim!
Joe Miller, the carpenter, never gave up on the hatch installations, even after several do-overs in the sweltering heat we had in August. Can't find any better guy than Joe...thanks buddy for everything.
Eugene, Brian, and Joe, from CMC Electronics, installed and repaired our remaining electronics and now we have a wonderful, efficient, and running auto-pilot. Leaving us with the confidence in knowing that the equipment will work and do their job for some time to come.
Thanks to Signs Now for our new name "RYEN'S QUEST"on our transom. We love it!
To Wayne Blundell from the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, thank you for allowing us and Atlantic Industrial Cleaners, in particular Al Cox, for permitting us to use your dock for this job.
To Marie-Lise Sakkal, from Stratos, for her assistance and Kerissa Mott at Sat Works for their help with our satellite phone and data package. Great friends!
Paul Moir, thank you so much for getting the outboard motors to work. Now I have to learn how to drive them. Thanks, I really mean it.
Kevin, did bang up job getting us new upholstery in our saloon, we love it!
Shelley, thanks for the keys to your place to do laundry and just hang out to watch the shopping channel and an occasional over-night. You have no idea what a great escape this was for me. Much love and future happiness!
Hats off to Curtis at Millennium Sheet Metal. We love our custom sink, and it seems everyone else does too!
A huge thank you to Dan Gallina,and staff of the Dartmouth Yacht Club, and especially the summer students who often helped me lug provisions to the boat when I could not do it myself. They are good kids!
Bill and Pascal with Amphibian Boats thank you for an amazing job taking our tender from bleak to chic! It's better than we could have imagined.
Thank you to my brothers, Gerard and J.J. and their wives for opening their homes to me while I wait out the time until I can join Al in Bermuda. And to my children, Dana, Corey, and Emily thank you for your support and patience while I explore some of the wonders of this world. You are each my favourite!!
And, last but not least, Brad and Louise, who help us out in countless ways. We value your friendship and extend an open invitation to you both aboard Ryen's Quest.

There may be other folks that I have missed here; but they are in no way forgotten. Many people have played a major role in getting us to this point as we begin our journey with the sea.

We are really beginning to feel the fatigue and stress of getting this show on the road; however, we also see the faintest light at the end of the tunnel. Soon we will be able to suck back and begin to enjoy this time so fondly referred to as "retirement".

Debutante Debut - Nearly

2009-10-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

After more than 18 months of primping, our lady Ryen's Quest is ready for her debut. She is now proudly sporting her new threads, in the way of stackpacks and sails, a boatload of new equipment on deck, including anchors, chain, lines, deck repair work, new plumbing, electrical, electronics, enclosure....wow, the list goes on and on. I don't even want to re-visit that in my thoughts ever again. And, as anyone knows, it ain't cheap. But, to us, it has been worth the four miserable months living aboard in weather conditions making it illegal to turn a dog out. Bright side? Two more weeks and this debutante will be heading south to be our home away.

So what if it rains everyday, for an hour? So what if the wind speeds are 20 knots of tropical breeze? So what if there isn't any snow.? So what if we have to learn to do nothing? So what if we have to sail our boat in crystal blue waters? So what if people call us ex-pats? So what if we learn to eat fusion food? So what if the lush, incredibly beautiful countryside finds our nature lover side? So what if people fall in love again? So what?

The First Three Didn't Hurt. OUCH!!

2009-10-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

It truly is amazing what an impossible deadline does to people. Especially me. So I ask, why did I wait until today to get my immunization shots? And more to the point, did I really need them at all? Whatever the answers, I now have bragging rights to and ownership of a little booklet with the shots all neatly stamped, plus the often sought after "Internationally Recognized Yellow Fever" add-on to my passport. Let's see...I'm covered for yellow fever, malaria, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis diseases, cholera, and the dreaded TD (Traveller's Diarrhea, aka Montezuma's Revenge). Y'all know what I'm referring to. It's not all paradise. I digress!

So it's early morning, around 0930 hours, the nurse did a bang-up job explaining everything to me. I understood nothing. Under other circumstances I might consider her as a friend. But she was shifty too. While I was at another work station paying for this health care, Mary (not her real name) arranged the vials of active deadly bacteria (her words, not mine) on a sterile sheet. When I returned, she was rather insistent that I sit in the big comfy, blue chair; however, the hard upholstered chair I had been using was quite all right. She was most interested in what "handed" I was. Something was up, but I have never been accused of being the brightest candle on the cake. The first needle was wayyy too easy! Ha! Gimme another one just like the other one! The second one wasn't so bad either. It was at this juncture that I seriously questioned what infants really had to cry about. Needles really didn't hurt! Hardly a butterfly kiss, I thought. It wasn't like in the "old days" when a needle looked more like a spike than anything else. As my mind drifted to visions of sandy beaches, sunny days, and crying babies, Mary, the kindly nurse, drifted to my other side. My "right handed" side. What happened next should not be read by the faint of heart.

I felt her hands, cold, grip the muscle of my right arm. Her knees locked into position, and given her position I knew her feet were well planted into the cement floor hidden beneath the cheap government issue carpet. She threw her arm back and before I could yell "Jimmy cracked corn", she brought her arm forward with enough G force to shame a jet fighter plane. I know I screamed, but I heard nothing. My eyes rolled back into my head, my brain was mush, and I could feel my sweat-drenched body melt into the big comfy, blue chair. The only thing keeping my head from hitting the floor was the foot rest of the dungeon queen's torture chair. The spit of the deadly virus charged through my veins like liquid fire. I was grateful for the small gasps of air my lungs took in to keep me alive. I vowed silently to track the beast who puts my child's child through this hell on earth today or any day in my future.

Quietly, the b**** Mary said, these needles werent as comfortable as the new ones brought in, and wondered if I would be returning for the Swine Flu or Seasonal Flue shot. The question required no response. I can only be glad that the health care system is using what remains of the circa 1950's needles on us Oldtimers.

My next appointment is in two weeks! :)

Five Weeks and Counting !!

2009-09-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Things have been happening at a very quick pace. Once we caught on that Baetech wasn't going to come through for us, we were able to hire some pretty terrific contractors. Thanks to "Bill" for his hours of work on the electrical system, even on short notice and weekends. Joe got the hatches in, and has one or two smaller things to do and he will be off the hook. Jim continues to show up as we find yet another job for him to do. And the sailmaker has booked tomorrow to come to finish up his work on the sails. Then there are sea trials. And I think that means that we get to sail Ryen's Quest somewhere, maybe even for a few days.

It's getting quite chilly to be going sailing these past few days, but with our newly installed furnace, that shouldn't keep us along side.

Mac has moved aboard full time now, and the plan is to push off around the end of October, direct to Bermuda and then to the islands where I will fly and meet the guys. So it looks like five weeks from now the dream will move away from the pier here in Halifax and journey down to the Carribean just in time for Old Years celebration in the sunny south. Al mentioned something about Christmas at Roxy's.(I mean Foxy's sorry if it is spelled incorrectly!) Who knows! We will be wherever we end up.......and this is just the beginning.

She Is a Beauty

2009-09-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

I realize that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; however, " RYEN'S QUEST"is beginning to look like a ship that is ready to take on a trip anywhere the wind blows. The past two months I waited painfully for the workmen to come to do the things needing to get done. This past two weeks Allan has been going to school with a very experienced marine electrician and we can rest at night now, knowing the boat shouldn't catch fire. We found wires that were hooked up directly from the battery to the switches. No fuses, nothing labelled....it was a nightmare. And scarey enough, there were live wires that didn't go anywhere. The hart system is doing what it is supposed to do, talking to the batteries. Computers can do anything!!

One of the stackpacks is on, the other is waiting to get installed. It is hard to pin the sailmaker down to a time, especially during the summer months when everyone wants their stuff done yesterday. We expect he will be here soon, and take the boat out to make sure they fit the boat correctly.

Mac still works part time, but when he can he comes to the boat to work on the lines, anchor chains and all the stuff that he does so well. We are waiting for rope for the stern anchors and that job should be done in the very near future. He moves aboard this weekend permanently. Mac has a great sense of humour, and is even tempered unless aggravated by someone. He knows a lot about sailing, and has skills that every boat owner should know. And he says he can cook!

Plumbing kinks have all be identified and fixed. LifeLine Marine certainly stands behind their work. We are happy knowing all the plumbing has been replaced with new hoses throughout and our SeaGull system seems to be working flawlessly. We are unable to find someone with experience with the electrosan system, so that can wait until we get to a place where the workers have the expertise in these systems.

The autopilot has not been working since the guys started their trip to bring the boat home. It was last week when we had an electronics guy in and found that there wasn't a drop of oil in the unit. We are hoping that the fix is just putting some oil in as it sets a course but it doesn't keep the course because there is no resistence on the rudder. We feel there was little daily maintenance done on the poor girl, but that has all changed. If the problem is more than oil, we are probably looking at buying another autopilot, and that won't be cheap

We haven't even looked at the watermaker since it was "pickled" last year. When we get to a place where there are people who work on these things on a regular basis, we will get that up and running. We love the custom stainless steel sink that we had made. It was made to our specific measurements and works like a charm. No more water backing up when she rolls to the starboard side. It is not very deep, only four inches, but it is very wide which can easily hold big pots of anything. Have I mentioned how much I love the galley?

Admittedly, "STARDUST" may not have been the spoiled child I had expected when we purchased her. But I can say, without hesitation, that "RYEN'S QUEST" will be properly maintained and looked after as best we can. She does have beautiful bones, deck and hull, and everything else can be fixed or replaced.

And The Frustration Continues

2009-08-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, as of today we do have two of the four new hatches installed. I have no idea where the other two hatches are. By the way, if any Vagabond owners are considering replacing original hatches, they are bolted to the entire deck area. So you have to remove the ceiling liner and cut the bolts out. Otherwise, it will be an almost impossible challenge to get the hatches out. We think we are happy with the hatches but we are waiting for the hurricane which is supposed to hit sometime this weekend. It sure would be nice to have dry sheets after a downpour.

Today, we had an experienced marine electricial come to re-wire some of the switches that were "jerry rigged" (sp) and we found a lot of things wrong and possibly a fire hazard. It's all just gutting us, but I guess that's what to expect when you buy someone else's boat. The electrician expects to work on the wiring for three days, and then the electronics technician can come in an install the electronics properly. He thinks he might just be able to get the auto-pilot to work. Fingers crossed!

Think the mizzen boom stackpack is all finished and we are just waiting for the sailmaker to find time in his busy day to bring it down and fit it on. Mac has been busy working around the boat, while I pretty well do nothing. Whenever I clean out a corner, a little elf finds something to put there. I guess space on a boat is a valuable commodity.

I think I will be happiest when Ryen's Quest is finally put on the stern and we celebrate by making the Gods happy.

I am not entirely sure that Ryen's Quest will be ready to push off in October, but Allan swears if he has to row the boat out of the harbour, he will be leaving on his date. And with Mac as his crew, this is one thing I can count on!

So in two days I will be leaving the boat and going to visit with my family for as long as they will have me . Hopefully, all will be done when I return.

Can Almost See The Forward Cabin!

2009-08-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

We have been working steadily to get things stowed properly and although there is still lots to do we can almost see the forward cabin which is good for Mac. As soon as he can get to his bunk, he is moving aboard as well. Mac has been coming down to the marina, when he can, and helps to roll rope and do all the stuff a bosun does. Al and Mac are so anxious to shove off, it's like watching kids waiting to go to Disney Land.

We put up the main mast stack-pack and it almost felt like Ryen's Quest wanted to get off the jetty as much as we do. She pulled against the lines with the slightest of wind. It won't be long!

As much as I love the galley on the Vagabond 42, cooking has been frustrating. I am not familiar with propane, and the stove door opens if I lean against it. We have a bar to install in front of the stove knobs, so that should fix the door issue.

We have gotten to know more of the members here at the Club. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful. We met a crew from Italy who put their boat on the hard and will return in the spring to begin the next leg of their journey up the St Lawrence canal to Ottawa. They have been cruising for two years, their most recent stop being in the Carribean. We also met a young man who works in Iraq with the University of America. The stories he told about his personal security and the local culture was amazing. He goes back to Iraq in a couple of weeks for what he thinks will be his last year. I can only imagine the stress he lives with on a daily basis.

Joe the carpenter was just here to measure up the hatches one last time. He expects to have them in by the end of this week depending on the weather. No more leaks, and no more garbage bags on the deck. The garbage bags definitely do not enhance the appearance of Ryen's Quest. This is finally her turn to have a make-over and show her as the beautiful boat she is.

Our First Month

2009-07-28T09:00:00.004-07:00

It has been almost a month since moving aboard Ryen's Quest. The weather has been totally terrible. We are living along-side which gives us all of the amenities of home. Electricity, and water being the biggies. So life hasn't changed a lot, except it feels like we are camping or on a coastal cruise without moving. Actually, we don't mind this so much.

Al has been out of commission for the last couple of weeks, and for a few weeks to come. He had surgery and as in any surgery he has had to keep himself lieing low. Al makes a terrible patient. He would much rather be the caregiver. His retirement is looming and although he has complained and whined about having to go to work these last few months, I think he will miss the navy. Thirty years is a long commitment to service.

Getting things done on Ryen's Quest has been a challenge. A lot of things can't be done before something else is done first. And it is always the guy who has to do the first thing that doesn't show up. We have been frustrated with merchandise being held up in customs, chain coming in the wrong lengths, hatches being sent or perhaps back ordered, and contractors who bait us that they are coming and never show up at the scheduled time. There has been a tremendous waste of time this summer that could have been used doing some sailing, but we just suck it up and remind ourselves that in a few short weeks we won't be restricted to a two month sailing season. That eases the pressure and we just curl up to a good book. Ryen's Quest is our home now. So whether we are tied up along-side the jetty here, or anchored in some beautiful warm cove down south, we will always be home.

All Work, No Play

2009-07-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well we haven't started having any fun yet, but we are happy to finally be moved in. I can't imagine where everything is going to be stowed, but Allan assures me there is lots of room. And having watched him pack in the past, he will probably have lots of room left over. The weather has been less than ideal for working on the boat. Only one sunny day since June 16th, I heard today. The humidity is off the charts.

We didn't get out for a sail yet. Something to do with a gooseneck. There is really too much to do yet to even think about going sailing anyway.

As I write this I am thinking that this brief period of getting things in order is work, but we are having a great time. Every once in a while, one of us comes out with a, "this time next year...."

Who knows what next year will bring? I hope we are having as much fun as we are having right now. The dust and boxes will soon be replaced with excitement, anticipation, expectation; and good health will hopefully prevail.

Countdown to "Live-Aboards"!

2009-06-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

We have approximately 72 hours before we become official live-aboards on Ryen`s Quest. In 24 hours family come to take what is not going on the boat. And the following hours begin our task of moving personal items, and the rest of what is boat gear.

The past few months have been busy changing the entire plumbing system. Big "thank you" to Jim Newell of Lifeline Marine Services. The bilge, although a big job, is also cleaned and we are happy with the outcome. Thank you Allan! The ice box has been modified thanks to Joe the carpenter. We will now have a generous freezer area plus ample refrigeration. Looks like it is going to work and meet our needs. The engine has been looked at, the electrical guys are coming up to make sure that we are safe electrically, and to give us schematics of everything. Seems like we have bought a lot of electronic equipment. I hope I don`t need to know what it`s for until I have had a little bit of experience under my belt. Upholstery has been replaced in the saloon, which really makes a nice place to sit around with friends, to have dinners together, or just have a quiet evening watching television or reading a good book.

The new sails are ready to be installed with the stackpack system on both the main mast and the mizzen. With any luck we may be able to sail the harbour during the "Tall Ship" visit in mid July. We are hoping for the July 1st weekend to take Ryen`s Quest out even if it`s just a quick sail to somewhere quiet and drop the anchor.

Poor Ryen`s Quest is confused. But we will take our time to stow things away and go through the things that we really don`t or won`t need on our journey south. She should be a happy lady then. For all that had to be done, she is feeling more like our boat with each passing day.

There is a multitude of things that have to be done before we push off later in the year, but we are confident they will be done. Miyamoto Musashi wrote: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." We are taking one step at a time, so we are on our journey of a thousand miles.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday

2008-12-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

Jean and I would like to wish Peace in your family and may this be a season of joy for you and all those dear to you. We would also like to wish you a Chrismas warm with happiness and a New Year filled with great adventures and Fair Winds.

What Was I Thinking!

2008-04-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

It has been ten days since the fellows pushed off from Georgia. My best guess is that they didn`t need that rest in Bermuda, and are pushing their way home to Halifax. No contact for a few days sure gets scary, after a few days. Satelite phone for us or an enabled communication system the next time any of us will be out of contact "for a few days".

No Contact After Tomorrow

2008-04-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight Allan called to say this would be his last contact for a least a few days. He and Mac are not sure if they will go via Bermuda for a few days rest (sure!) or hope for a good wind to bring them straight up the Gulf Stream. They are tired, but are glad they had today to get some things done, and to better acquaint themselves with RYEN'S QUEST. I hope they keep a journey log so that I can post.

Unfortunatelyly, the winlink system didn`t get hooked up, so no email from them. Al isn`t so concerned about these as they can be dealt with when he gets back to Halifax.

Attached are a couple of photos of the boys.

She's Ours!

2008-04-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 18th, I received a call from Al who was sitting aboard STARDUST. When I answered the phone, all I got was......"We own the Boat!" The transaction went without any problems.

After four days of listening and learning the systems of the boat, both Al and Mac were very tired, as I am sure was the owner. Al says the hardest part is remembering where all the switches are. When I asked why they were staying in St Mary`s, Al told me the alternator was broke, and immediately quipped "She`s a Boat!". So at last call they were awaiting the mechanic to return to fix the alternator and also waiting for a lady to visit them to show them how winlink works so that they can remain in contact with STARDUST`S owner during their trip back to Halifax.

Saturday`s weather called for Thunderstorms, so they decided to stay nice and close to this welcoming dock until Sunday.

Survey Says!

2008-04-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

Round one of the survey took place this week. Our surveyor was able to determine that the hull and deck of the boat is sound. What great confirmation! When she goes into the water at the end of this month, the surveyor will go back and do the last part of the survey. Allan can`t wait to fly to Florida mid-April for sea trials and to then bring her home to Halifax.

Allan and Mac left for Jacksonville on Sunday, April 13, just a couple of days earlier than expected. Al`s viewing and the sea trials went perfectly.

Survey Says.....she`s the right one for us!!

Tic Toc....

2008-04-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Not much has happened since our last post. Lots of communication back and forth with STARDUST`s present owners. The time is drawing near for all of the essential things to get done, like certification for first aid and survival training, and of course updating sea time certification. Al hopes to leave Halifax sometime close to the end of April and take three to four weeks to bring her back via Bermuda. We recently found a blog of another couple on a Vagabond 42, and hope to maintain contact with them.

STARDUST`s owners couldn`t be nicer or more generous to us. They are almost as worried about us getting back to Halifax as we are. Their offer to let us have the essential things that will be needed on the trip home has certainly relieved us of some unnecessary purchases such as pots and pans, cutlery, dishes, etc. Hope the guys remember to buy dish soap. The sellers are doing everything possible to make the transition easy on us. Truly, these are great folk.

Both John and Al are creating list after list of things that are needed on the way home, and which can`t be taken on the plane, such as CO 2 tanks on the life jackets. Al has a list as long as his arm of things he wants to buy at the Marine Warehouse, where he is fortunate to be able to take advantage of wholesale prices. The "Bimford" first aid kit is first on the list.

During the Halifax Boat Show we bought our foul weather gear. We got some pretty good prices, but it sure wasn`t cheap. April 15th will come quickly. We absolutely can`t wait.

HAM'ing It Up

2008-04-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

I guess with cruising comes a lot of responsibility for the safety of everyone on board. Al and I enrolled in a Ham Radio licensing course. It`s not fun. It`s technical, with formulae, inducers, conductors, and other stuff that seems to be falling in a huge black hole in my head. I just want to be able to get weather reports and email from the boat. And, of course, be able to get help in the event something happens.The HAM course was tough for me. It was very technical, and not very interesting. We have opted to buy into the SailMail system. We get to send email via a licensed HAM operator. Cost is approximtely $250.00 per year. Maybe next year I will try the HAM operators course again....but I doubt it.

IT`S SOLD!!!

2008-04-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Some people say things happen for a reason. Shortly after committing to buying STARDUST our house sold. Nice to have that itch scratched. The closer we get to retirement, the less we want to do on land. We are moved into a comfortable two bedroom apartment not far from the Dartmouth Yacht Club. The Canadian dollar is worth more than the American dollar.....how great is that! Hopefully, the dollar will hold strong for the next few months. At least until we, as Al says, have the bill in one hand and a beer in the other.This should be a good opportunity for us to fill the coffers to buy what needs buying for the boat.

Al and Jean.....Who are We Anyway?

2008-04-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

Allan and Jean have been together for eleven years. It has been a 20 dream of Al`s to sail a Vagabond 42. After a thirty year career with the Canadian Navy, the plan is to set sail full time with the help of our very good friend, Mac. Between Al and Mac, the two have over 55 years sailing experience off shore and racing regattaes. Jean has little to no experience, but what she lacks in experience she makes up with her enthusiasm. "Arwen" a 30 foot Dufour has been their cottage on the water for ten years and has been a great little boat to cruise the coast of Nova Scotia. The time to push off is slowly approaching, but first we have to get RYEN`S QUEST here to safe harbour in Halifax.

RESUME FOR RYEN`S QUEST

2008-04-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

RYEN`S QUEST is a 1983 George Stadel III designed Vagabond.
LOA is 42 ft
LWL is 34 ft
Beam 12 ft 10 in
Displacement 28500
Draft 5 ft 6 in
Bridge Clearance 55 ft
Ballast 9200 lbs

RYEN`S QUEST was originally owned by a dentist from New Jersey who named her Exodus. After five years of sailing her in the Chesapeake Bay, the yacht was sold to a another gentleman who changed her name to Delphinus. Again, five years later, she was bought by a Michigan couple who had intially planned to sail her full time. They renamed her to Stardust, because of their fondness to the Willie Nelson version of the song "Stardust". Because of Transport Canada`s regulations to not duplicate vessel names, we thought RYEN`S QUEST was a beautiful alternative for a beautiful vessel