Back in the saddle

We returned to L'ORIENT on April 30 and held our collective breath. We had never been off our boat for even 2 weeks since we moved aboard......much less 9 weeks. Everything was OK and we quickly bought food, fuel, and prepared to get out of Jolly Harbor.

Our time in the US was productive, if a bit wierd. I gradually got used to working and living out of a suitcase.........even having a bit of fun with business meeting introductions....."so, Tom did you fly in from Washington ?"........"No, my commute was a bit further."

We were able to visit parents, kids, cousins, and friends......which was nice. We also were able to purchase some hard to find boat parts.

As of this writing we are in Deshaies, Guadelope.........a notorious internet and wifi black hole. We just found out that the SIM card we bought in Antigua (36 miles away) doesnt work here although Digicel operates networks in both countries. More evidence that we are aging.......our ability to use and master the basic technology of our world is slipping away.

We've started making friends (although we still havent had a playdate yet). Mostly european cruisers with a variety of funny backgrounds.......on some half-assed boats. "We dont have any power on our boat"........,"Oh, you might want to fix that before the next storm........I find radar, navigation instrument, and lights really helpful".

Our fishing was ruined the other day as we sailed in mahi infested deep water. The waves were just too big to safely stand on the back of our boat. Oh well, maybe during the next passage. Its embarassing how much brand new fishing technology I have.

So, segment two begins. This one is a bit of a different animal........no more bashing into the wind for 1500 miles. Just heading slowly south.......one eye on the boat and the other on the weather report. We are 250 miles north of the line of safety regarding hurricanes........just 1 1/2 days if we had to run for it. Hopefully we can enjoy the scenery as we slowly head for Grenada.