NEW ADVENTURES

Today we leave for a 2 week boat trip to the Canadian Gulf Islands.  We have loose plans to make it all the way to Desolation Sound and relax up there before turning back and heading home.  Home for the boat we are chartering is Anacortes Marina.  We have chartered a nice roomy "Africat" Catamaran, called the "NEW ADVENTURE".   It has to be roomy because we will have 4 other crew members on board and god knows at this age, we ALL want our own space and own head!  So off we go with Steve's sister, Christine and her husband Fred.  We are also joined by long time friends and neighbors, Nan and Bruce (I like to call him Brucie Baby) Burris.    Our group of 6 has tested the waters being together for a length of time, albeit not such close quarters.  We will see if we are still close after the trip ends....Ha!  we are also going to meet up with my old college roommate and life long friend, Kathy Bloomquist Holt and her husband, Pete Holt.  They will be all alone in a much bigger boat, the Taurus, so I know if things get too cozy on the New Adventure, I can always jump ship!

A few months ago, some of us drove to the marina to inspect the boat and it seemed very nice and roomy.  That said, I just looked in the car which is all packed.  Holy Smoke...the stuff some people think they need for a couple weeks!  I am not naming names here, because i don't want to start out on the wrong foot, but we have a lot of crap packed in that car.  Nan and I sketched out a simple menu plan taking in everyone's likes and dislikes and then said the hell with it...the can just eat what we fix!  we did most of the main shopping last week and now have packed 3 large coolers with frozen and refrigerated fare.  we are going to be in desolated areas and really don't know if there will be stores to stock up with fresh food.

Our New Adventure has already started with a big bummer and we haven't even got to the Marina yet!  2 days ago, the Marina called us to tell us the previous tenants had an accident on the boat and they wanted to make sure we knew and were ok with piloting the 42 ft catamaran in present condition.  The boaters were trying to Lower a run-a-bout to the water when something happened with the davit or with their skill set.  Anyway, the motor smacked into 2 of the Salons large windows and shattered them!

Yeah, that's what I am talking about!  Really put a damper on the whole trip.  They assured us it was safe to sail and they would try very hard to fix it better, but it was the holiday and we were set to sail in two days.  Since Steve will do most of the piloting, he felt he could do the majority from the flying bridge and we should go ahead.  There were some differences of opinions, for sure, but the compromise was we go ahead and ask to be comped extra days.  That is what was resolved.  we haven't actually seen the boat but we are ready to leave and hopefully we won't want to drown our sorrows as soon as we get there....stay tuned......