MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM PARADISE

Saturday, December 19th, we rose early and untied the lines from the dock in Cocoa Village. It was chilly and windy but we were determined to head further south. We had made plans since July to meet a couple in Vero Beach.
Interesting story. When were in the Erie Canal in July,rising up in one of the locks, we had a brief chat with Robert and Marlene. They had been watching the Summer Wind rise up and we started a conversation. They had told us they winter in Vero Beach and we told them we should be there in the fall. Marlene invited us to visit them and she would cook a great Italian dinner when we were in the south. Cruiser's have boating cards, so we exchanged cards and kept in touch ever since. Well here it is now mid December and we're heading for Vero Beach. We grabbed a mooring and dinghied into the office. Marlene and Robert were there to warmly greet us and pick us up. They took us back to their home and indeed we hit it off wonderfully. Both are a delightfully, youthful ,retired couple whom share the same passion for enjoying life, meeting new people and sweet wonderful music.

Marlene cooked us a fantastic dinner of a fresh salad, chicken, broccoli, and dessert. But the best was her wonderful homemade pizza that she made with a thin crust. While Marlene was busy in the kitchen, Robert entertained us with his piano playing. He is an accomplished pianist and kept the Captain in awe. Later in the evening they taught us a neat card game called Phase 10. Well we hit it off so well, Marlene and Robert graciously invited us to spend another day with them.

Click on the arrow to hear Robert play a bit.

The weather was not the best, so 0n the insistence of Robert and Marlene we stayed another night.
On the second day, we learned our credit card numbers had been stolen from a Walmart. Well two nights turned into four while we waited for our new cards to be delivered. Marlene invited us back again for a wonderful meatball,sausage, and penne dinner. On the third day they came out to the boat by dinghy and spent some time aboard the Summer Wind.We enjoyed a night out at a Chinese buffet. Hey, you can't go wrong with $12 per person and we were stuffed! Each night we had a Phase 10 challenge, and believe it or not we each took turns winning , what great fun! We had a delightful time with Marlene and Robert, thanks so much!!!
Wednesday, December 23rd , we dropped the mooring at Vero Beach and headed down the ICW to Stuart. The weather is finally getting like Florida and has been hovering in the high 70's. Stopped in a nice friendly marina and filled our fuel at $2.74/gal and water tanks. Have to keep the Summer Wind happy!!!!

Here we are now in a brand new marina called Sunset Bay, right in the heart of Stuart and its beautiful. We picked up one of the last moorings of 70, the docks were full and there is a waiting list. Another interesting story, we had met Sue and Mick in Key Largo a few years back. They were prospective trawler buyers and wanted to see the Summer Wind, not that we were selling her. They just wanted to get an idea as to what they would like for their boat. Again, we exchanged email addresses and have been in touch ever since. Sue and Mick are sailors from the UK but now have their own trawler, Jenny in Indian town. They made a side trip to Stuart to reacquaint with us on Christmas Eve. Thanks Sue and Mick!!

Well, it looked like mother nature was going to have more fun with lots of rain. So we decided to spend a few more nights in Stuart. Elle is making her famous Garbanzo bean salad right now as we plan on going to a pot luck dinner today December 25,with about 50 other boaters. The marina was donating the Christmas turkey and ham. Well, it was a great turn out, and we had a great Christmas celebration. As the evening was progressing we were watching the sky go darker, but not because it was late. No, it was a race to get back to the Summer Wind, and we made it just in time before the heavens opened up!

AND THE SKIES OPENED !!! TO BE CONT'D

CONTINUING FARTHER SOUTH

Early Monday morning we slipped the lines from the dock in St. Augustine. Our trip today was going to be a short journey. Thanks to MTOA members Sarah and Phil, Dick was able to get into Palm Coast for a routine blood test. They arranged for us to be on their neighbours dock and drove us into town at the clinic. At the dock we met Isabel and her four legged friend Lady. Lady is a rescue dog, but she's a little strong for Isabel to handle so Lady is looking for a new home. Anyone interested in a friendly beagle to cuddle, Lady's your gal. Thanks Sarah, Phil and Izabel.



Tuesday morning we had to wait for the fog to clear somewhat before we could untie from the dock. It was slow again for the first few hours, luckily this trip was mostly a straight line. We could hear all kinds of radio traffic asking about fog conditions as we were heading south. Our stop today was New Smyrna Beach. It was a long day travelling and we were happy to finally tie up. Later that evening our friends Fran & Al came aboard for a little wine and appetizers. It's always great seeing them! For the evening we went to a lovely Italian restaurant and enjoyed a great salad and pizza and great conversation. Al even ordered a slice of cheese cake for all to share! YUM!! Thanks Fran and Al and congrats on the 50th Anniversary! We hope we are as young and as happy as the both of you on our 50th!!!
Wednesday morning there wasn't a sign of fog, in fact it was breezy and cool. We thought yeah, finally some decent weather.!Little did we know mother nature is having way too much fun!! Normally we would anchor at a place called Dragon Point, but the winds were kicking up, NOAA our weather said they were only 10 knots, HARDLY! To get a good idea as to what the winds were like, we were heading south and the winds were coming behind us with gusts above 30 at times and the boat was yawing (rolling side to side a little). We had to turn west into the little channel to the marina. Well the Summer Wind doesn't like beam seas and she was really rolling, the boat becomes a kite!! Normally I do the lines and fenders,( get them ready for the dock), while the Captain steadies the boat. With waves hitting the beam it was a little hairy, but the Captain handled her with excellent control. We tied her up and put extra lines on her to hold her in. Below you will see the video of the marina entrance. We were happy that the Summer Wind is on the inside.
Well, today is Friday, the last night of Hanukkah.In between the rainfalls and high winds we have taken several walks to enjoy this cute little town. There are all kinds of shops and they even have an outdoor skating rink for the holidays. We have been here for 3 days and there is a Gulf storm coming across the coast with forecasts of high winds, 100% chance of rain, and a possible Tornado. The Summer Wind is secure and we are safe. The Cocoa Village marina has a huge and beautiful facility. They even have camera links so if family or friends wanted to check up on us, they could check it out!

Hopefully if the weather is nicer tomorrow we will be heading south again and try to make Vero Beach where we will be meeting some friends that ,would you believe, we met on the Erie canal above Albany, NY. they have been in contact with us ever since. Now that is what cruising is all about... Looking forward to seeing you both Robert and Marlene.
To be con't.........

FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our last entry we were in the Wahoo River anchored and waiting out the weather. We rose early Wednesday morning to watch a beautiful sunrise. Our question for the day was. Do we go? After thoroughly checking the weather, our decision was to stay put, and it was a very good decision! The sun didn't last long , the winds whipped up a frenzy and the rain came down in buckets. So, we snuggled down and read a great book.

Thursday Dec. 10th we pulled anchor and headed out. Our journey today took us through the 'Mud River'. Let us just say its aptly named, because you definitely don't want to venture out of the narrow channel it's is very shallow and just outside the channel is lots of mud!!! The weather although wasn't rainy, it was darn cold, we wore layers of fleece, winter coats and gloves! We were lucky the temperature highs were in the high 40's because a huge winter storm was going across the whole country. Isn't this the south?? Our stop today was the Frederica River, just across from Fort Frederica. Another great anchorage.

Friday December 11th, our plans had changed, we were hoping to stop and anchor out in Cumberland Island for a few days to explore this interesting National Park. But both of us said, no way too darn cold and wet lets go to a marina. The Summer Wind needed fuel so we topped up at $2.59/gal, after researching many marinas in Florida and finding that the prices have already reached $3.00/gal.Our stop today was Fernandina Municipal marina in Fernandina Beach. We pulled in and plugged in. Ahhhhhh warmth!!! This was the first night of Hanukkah and we lit our Menorah aboard the Summer Wind. Later we checked out the cute little town and went for a lovely dinner at Pompeo's, a wonderful little Italian restaurant. Our waitress, although very nice informed us that Saturday didn't look promising, 90% chance for rain the whole day, Great!! Well, needless to say, sure enough Saturday morning it was pouring, there was no huge great decision, we stayed put. By noon the rain had 'slowed' somewhat so we decided to make the most of it and do laundry,isn't cruising wonderful? The neat thing about this marina is the Captain's lounge, there's a giant flat screen TV, comfortable seating, a table for working cruisers,wi-fi and hot coffee. Today the lounge was busy with many cruisers just waiting out the storm, so we ended up hanging out and meeting people while the rain continued to pour.

Sunday morning the dock was busy with mass evacuation, the rain and wind had stopped! Aha, but let's not get too excited, there was a wall of fog, and at times so thick you couldn't see past the bow or behind where we knew a 70 foot sailboat was trailing. So, as they say, on we went at literally a snails pace or turtle speed for about 2 hours into our trip. The good news is the temperatures rose to about 75 degrees and finally the sun burned off the fog and out came the tees and shorts, YEAH!!!! Our stop today was St. Augustine Municipal marina, in one of the oldest towns of the United States. The little town was decorated with Christmas lights and the streets were busy with many tourists. We heard they were having a Christmas event in the center of town.They were lighting luminaries which were benefiting feeding and clothing the homeless.There were boxes of clothes and volunteers serving a hot buffet to the homeless. which truly humbled us and we felt blessed to be able to enjoy the lifestyle we are enjoying.

More to follow........

If you click on the pictures they will go full screen.......

Back on the Summer Wind

Hi all, well we're back on the Summer Wind and ready to continue our journey south. We had a lovely holiday with the family up north, yes that's right up north! Our first stop north was in Arlington,VA where we spent a few lovely days with the Flynn family, Dick's middle daughter. Debby did an amazing job with her running team in organizing a school fundraiser. Then we enjoyed a spectacular division final soccer game from Meghan and her team. Both of us were amazed with the talent and athleticism these young ladies were displaying on the field. Meghan's team won with help from Meghan getting 1 goal and 1 assist from a ricocheted kick off the back of her team mates head! Way to go Meghan! We had a wonderful time with the Flynns' Thanks all!
Our next stop was home in Morristown, NJ, for Thanksgiving and a few scheduled appointments. We enjoyed many fun filled activities over the holidays which included pre turkey night prep work. Thursday morning we participated at the Morristown Turkey Trot, where there were over 1200 participants! There were about 25 of us at Judy's house for dinner and it was great fun and delicious. Friday all 22 of us travelled by train, into New York City to see Mary Poppins on Broadway which was absolutely amazing. After the show we all piled into Tony DiNapoli's restaurant to pour over a great dinner.

On Saturday all the guys went to a NJ Devils hockey game while the gals and kids relaxed and hung out. YES, the Devils won!!!!!The rest of the weekend was filled with more family gatherings and great food. Thanks all for a memorable and terrific week.

After a 2 day drive back and provisioning the Summer Wind we ended up waiting out mother nature. We finally made it off the dock at Beaufort.The night before we left, we had a nice wine and cheese party aboard the Summer Wind with all the cruisers waiting to leave. Thanks,Ben, Rick and Carol, and Don and Betty.

Early Sunday morning, December 6th, we untied our lines and off we went. We ventured up the Savannah river and spent 2 glorious days on the 'free' City docks. The town was alive with holiday celebrations, many dancers, vendors and music.

Took a walk through the City Market and came upon Savannah's renowned Candy Shop Sweets, where we watched many treats being made and of course we tested a few.We even toured one of the oldest Synagogues in the Country. Congregation Mickve Israel was started with 41 settlers that came from Spain in 1733 check out their website. http://www.mickveisrael.org/.

It is now Tuesday Dec. 8 and we are anchored in the Wahoo river which is about 50 miles south of Savannah. The trip today was cold,rainy and just miserably dreary. Where is the warm weather we are supposed to be getting. Tomorrow we may be possibly stuck here for again mother nature doesn't want us in our shorts and Tees.
We will continue on in the near future.

Wrightsville Beach to Beaufort, SC

Monday November 2, we timed our departure from Wrightsville beach so that we'd be travelling with the tide heading out and down the Cape Fear River. Well it was shortly after 6 am and we started to weigh anchor. Some of the sailboats had already headed out. We were both commenting how high the tide was along the Carolina coast. Prudent timing meant the Summer Wind was travelling well over 8 knots at less then regular engine power because the tide was running out with us. Upon reaching the bottom of the Cape Fear river, several sailboats headed out into the ocean for Charleston. Later we learned that, the trip for some was hairy. Our destination today was the St. James Plantation marina. We tied up, rinsed the Summer Wind down and did of course more laundry which took over five hours because the dryer didn't work properly. Enjoyed a lovely dinner that evening at the dockside restaurant Tommy Thompson's.

We were on the fuel dock by 7:30 in the morning. We received an updated notice on diesel prices and found out the fuel had gone up a significant amount. St. Jame's marina was the cheapest diesel locally 49cents/gallon cheaper, so we decided to top up at $2.49/gallon. Georgia and Florida showed a range from $2.90-$3.30/gallon. Our destination was Barefoot Landing at Myrtle Beach and we had the tide with us most of the time. What delayed us this day was the Sunset Pontoon bridge. This is a local one lane bridge that is literally a floating bridge which only opens on the hour.A new bridge is under construction so this time next year the pontoon bridge will be no more. As we were waiting for the bridge opening, a cruiser that we had never met had called on the radio and told us how much he enjoyed our blog and was looking forward for us to catch up. How about that! Thanks Bella Luna! Unfortunately we didn't get his name or email address.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dilass9

Early in the afternoon we tied up and noticed that Sea Pearl was pulling up in front of us. We went over to Sea Pearl and introduced ourselves and explained that we had friends in common. That afternoon Joe invited us over for cocktails where we had a lovely time meeting him and Salty his dog. Barefoot Landing marina is a fun stop for us, we love to walk around the outlet shops, check out what's playing at the Alabama Theatre and of course find good Ice Cream, very successful this time!

Wednesday morning at the sound of the first revved engine we were up and started our trek again. This trip goes through the Waccamaw river which is a narrow river that winds and the banks are lined with overgrown cypress trees and pine trees that have Spanish moss hanging from the limbs. Someone we had talked to said the Waccamaw reminds them of the movie Deliverance and we both chuckled. Although we do agree there is an eerie feeling. However we enjoy seeing the small turtles that seem to line themselves along the fallen trees.

Our destination today was Georgetown,SC. Would you believe they have Christmas garland and lights adorning the streets already? We checked out the local shops, found fat/free, sugar/free ice cream, although yummy , it just wasn't ICE CREAM and also a great price for fresh shrimp. Took our purchased shrimp back to the boat and watched a 1926 beautifully restored Matthew Trumpy named Freedom pull into the dock across from us. She had been under renovations for five years and her woodwork gleams. Found out she is the sister ship to the Sequoia which was the Presidential yacht for many years.

Thursday November 4th the captain had an interesting task of swinging the boat sideways and backing out of the slip. We were in a U shaped basin with boats in the front, side and an end of a finger pier jutting out behind. He backed out clearly without hitting anything. It was very impressive! Our destination today was Charleston City Marina. The day was long travelling but the wild life and scenery on the trip kept us entertained. Late afternoon the Captain upon arrival at the marina had to use his skills again, the current was running one direction and the wind was blowing opposite. It made for an interesting docking situation but the captain made it look elementary. After signing in at the dock office we came upon Mike, a cruiser we had met a couple of years ago. He remembered us well and invited us in to see his new Great Harbor 37. It was a very pretty boat with a galley that impressed me most because there was a full size fridge, just think of all the Publix trips!! The marina is also the home of our MTOA friends Bob and Helen. They had called to see if we needed anything and this time we needed to find a Quest for Dick's routine blood work. Bob offered to drive us and we took him up on his generous offer. Not only that we told him about our coffee pot, and he tried to help us hunt one down, unfortunately to no avail. Thanks Bob! We stayed two nights in Charleston so we were able to meet up with Joe and Renee. They came to our boat with their friends Howard and Lea and we all went to a lovely Italian dinner together. Thanks all we had a great time in Charleston!

Saturday November 5th we rose early in anticipation to head out. Unfortunately the current was running tremendously so we had to wait a few hours for it to settle because the captain needed to do a 180 degree turn to head out of the marina. That day we went to one of our favorite anchorages Tom Point Creek. It's a very quiet, secluded anchorage that we both enjoy. During the night we couldn't even tell if we were on a boat, there was no rocking or swaying. Watch the video below, note the current running against the boat, this is indicative in the Carolina's and sometimes Georgia.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dilass9
Sunday November 6th we weighed anchor and headed out for our last stop for a few weeks. Our destination today was the Lady's Island Marina in Beaufort,SC where we'll be leaving the Summer Wind over the holidays. One of the things we did first upon arrival was check the weather online. We knew Hurricane Ida was making her way somewhere up the Gulf Coast. It's a good thing this was our last travel day because Ida was making treks and our marina was booked solid. Out came the bikes for a quick small reprovisioning at Publix. We also gave the Summer Wind a much needed cleaning on her decks and bimini. Not all was work, our friends Eileen and E.Don from Shangri-la took refuge at Lady's Island. So we've spent a few days reuniting with them. We also had a great time aboard Shangri-la with Chris and Ginny from Ginny C.

Summer Wind is the sister ship to Shangri-la

Today is Thursday, we're still feeling the remnants from IDA the wind is howling and the rain at times for the past couple of days had been very heavy. We're getting things prepared for our drive back to New Jersey tomorrow. Our trip home will be highlighted with a stop in Arlington for a couple of days to visit with the Flynn's, Dick's middle daughter.

This is Dick and Elle wishing all a wonderful Thanksgiving! See you in December.

"NORTH CAROLINA''

Tuesday October 27th, our day began early with fog, cold, and again mass exodus. Early morning was the 'window' of opportunity to go down the Albermarle Sound. We had thought we could possibly go to Manteo, NC, unfortunately by the time we reached the mouth of the sound , yep, the wind had kicked up 10-15 knots and there were gusts above and the sound wasn't very friendly. We had 2-4 foot seas on our forward starboard quarter, if we took the turn east to get to Manteo they would have been beam seas and that would have definitely been a very rough ride. As it was the captain was always reassuring, saying 'only one more hour'. The sound would be narrowing down and we'd be in the Lee of the land. Later we headed down the Alligator/Pungo canal and slowly made our way to Dowry Creek Marina. It was a very long day travelling, but we wanted to be in a marina for the night because the forecast was thunderstorms and high winds. We spent two days in Dowry Creek with many other cruisers. Dowry Creek is a great marina that has a loaner car which enabled us to do a basic reprovisioning and fill our empty propane tanks. The marina also has a wonderful captain's lounge for cruisers to hang out together, a good way to wait out the weather.

Thursday October 29th as the beautiful sun was rising we untied our lines from the dock and headed out. Our journey today took us across the Pamlico River which was very calm and up the Neuse river. The Neuse was a little choppy, but nothing that gave us great concern. Our destination was Adam's creek which is a great anchorage. That evening we shared the anchorage with many sailboats. Our night there was worrisome. Michelle had told us about Barry's race event and it wasn't until early morning that we were reassured everyone was alright.

Friday October 30th, we weighed anchor and started our trek down Adam's Creek. As the morning wore on we were able to take off our jackets and then change from sweats to shorts and tees!!! Our destination today was Spooner's Creek an anchorage that we enjoy because we're surrounded by beautiful homes and we're only 3 blocks away to the local Super Walmart! Our coffee pot had broken so we were on the hunt for one that fits on the boat, it had to be less then 12 inches tall. No luck, oh well, guess the percolator will still have to do!

Saturday October 31st, Happy Halloween! Our destination that day was Mile Hammock Bay. Its a wonderful anchorage at the Camp Lejeune marine base. The marines allow cruisers to anchor there if they are not doing any training. Well, lo and behold we shared our anchorage with Ginny C among many (20) other boats.

Early the next morning we rose shortly after 6 because of time change, and noticed that we were close to the last to leave. Weren't we supposed to get an extra hour sleep? Our stop today was a jam packed anchorage in Wrightsville Beach. After dropping the dinghy down to go ashore, where we found most of the shops closed for the season, especially our favorite ice cream store. We took a leisurely stroll along the shore and enjoyed watching the surfers trying to catch a wave. They were all dressed in wet suits which told us the water was definitely cold. The temperature was dropping so we swiftly headed back aboard the Summer Wind and watched more sailboats jockeying for a spot to drop an anchor.

Our next trip down the Cape Fear river.

to be cont'd.

Adventure into the Dismal Swamp

To see in full screen click on the link below

http://picasaweb.google.com/dilass9

One week, two nor'easters and the Summer Wind was able to finally leave Solomon's area. Early Tuesday morning we rose with enthusiasm to finally be heading for warmer weather. The sun was shining and the Chesapeake was much calmer then she had been for the past week. Early afternoon we tied up at the Regatta Point marina in Deltaville,VA and both of us went to work. The laundry was tended to and various chores on the Summer Wind needed to be addressed and a trip to the local West Marine. We made great use from being docked at a marina, but by the time night came we snuggled down to watch a movie and fell asleep!

Wednesday October 21, we headed back down the Chesapeake and joined the long train of cruising boats. As we were passing sailboats and powerboats, we were waving, and received the same jubilance and smiles from other cruisers who also had been delayed. At the mouth of the Chesapeake river, we came upon a warship that we later learned was returning from deployment in Afghanistan. Hampton, Va ,our destination that day was also the home of Hampton University noted for the first black college of the United States. This area is enriched with history from the Revolutionary war, the British war, the beheading of Blackbeard and the emancipation of black slaves. Our stop was the city pier which was a free night that we received at the Annapolis boat show. Upon walking the docks we came upon a couple on their boat Ginny C that we had past a few times. We started chatting and the next thing you know we're heading out to dinner together. Thank you Chris and Ginny for a delightful evening.

Portsmouth was our next destination but before leaving we found fuel at an "economical" $2.24/gallon. So we fueled up and headed up the Elizabeth river to the Portsmouth basin. This is a great stop for us because we had the chance to meet our friends Barb and Sam Shakespeare for a wonderful dinner.We were able to see Portsmouth's historical district and enjoy Norfolk's waterfront. We visited Nauticus which is a Nautical museum which displayed a tribute to the life of Carl Brashear and USS Wisconsin. For those of you that don't know, Carl Brashear was the first black deep sea navy diver and earned the rank of Master Chief. He not only broke the racial barrier but lost the bottom of his limb and returned to active duty as a disabled diver. His record of servitude was inspiring, impeccable and honorable. If you'd like to learn more about Carl Brashear we suggest you rent the movie "Men of Honor".

Our next leg of our journey took us down the Dismal Swamp. We had read and heard so many wonderful things about the scenery from fellow cruisers who had 'done the ditch'.The ditch had to be completed in two days since there are two locks which only have 3 hour scheduled openings. In the first lock, we were able to sit and chat for about a half hour before the opening. Wow, this lock was nothing like the Erie Canal. The doors slightly open and the water rushes in and the Summer Wind was of course up front by the doors so needless to say we were surfing! After the first lock there is a lift bridge that the lock master also has to drive down to lift. So all the boats sat patiently waiting for the 'bridge tender/lock master to open the bridge. We wonder how many people in automobiles would have this type of patience. The Dismal Swamp was absolutely beautiful, the leaves were just starting to change to their autumn colors. We crossed the North Carolina state line and came upon the welcome center. This is a state park that provides free dockage which is long enough for four good size boats, however 'rafting' is expected. By the time night came we were four boats long and three boats wide. There were two catamarans 23 feet wide in our group. It made for a very interesting night with meeting new cruisers.

Early the next morning as soon as one person started to untie it seemed that most of the boats decided to leave. Of course that made an interesting wait at the next timed bridge and the second lock. This lock was somewhat small and we didn't think we were going to fit because each side was full. But lo and behold we rafted inside the lock. We were a little nervous about being tied to a sailboat in the lock, but the lock tender took his time lowering us back down the 8 feet, we hardly noticed. Our destination that day was Elizabeth City. Click on the video below or use the link to see full view, believe it or not, we're being lowered. http://picasaweb.google.com/dilass9

Elizabeth City offers 14 free slips for the night, no electric but there is water. The talk over the radio was whether the slips would be open or would we all be anchoring out for the night because the weather was deteriorating and the next body of water was Albermarle Sound which could be nasty. Well we arrived at the docks and everyone found a slip. We stayed there 2 days in rain, wind, and cold. We hardly noticed because we were busy doing laundry again and our friends Mike and Jane came with their son and we all went out to a great Tex-Mex dinner. The following day the townsfolk gave all the boaters a wine and cheese party with roses for the ladies. This is a lovely tradition carried on by the town in honor of Fred Fearing who did it all the time. He passed away 2 years ago.

So next is Albermarle sound so stay tuned........

RED SKY AT NIGHT??????????????

It is now Saturday, October 17 and we are anchored in Solomon Islands and have been for 6 days!

Since our last entry in Kent Island. Thursday morning we rented a car and drove to Dick's daughter Debby"s to spend a night. As usual she was a great hostess and made a wonderful brisket with the usual trimmings, topped off with delicious homemade brownies. Met the new cute four legged addition to the Flynn family, Daisy Jane. We also enjoyed an exciting soccer game at Meghan's school and then went to Lauren's practice. Thanks, Debby and girls.

We slept there knowing that the Summer Wind was safe at the Yacht club.

Friday morning we drove to Annapolis to the boat show. Walked our feet off in balmy 80 degree weather and even bumped into our friends Tom and Diane. It would seem impossible to find anyone you knew in that crowd. While at the boat show we had the opportunity to talk with the manufacturers of our bow thruster and got the name of a mechanic in the area to check it out. He came the next day and found the problem but we had to order parts from the factory. We left the Kent Island Yacht Club Sunday morning, having the parts delivered to the Washburn's Boat Yard in Solomon Island knowing we would be there in a few days. We entered Knapp's narrows bridge and then went to a nice little anchorage called Dun's cove which reminded us of Hamburg Cove on the Connecticut river. Lot's of boats there since it was a holiday weekend. Left Dun's cove Monday October, 12 and here we are still in Solomon Island. The bow thruster was repaired and now we wait for Mother Nature again. The weather on the Chesapeake Bay has been horrendous and we count 12 boats anchored around us just waiting. There are 5-6 foot waves, rain and high winds and the temperatures have been hovering in the low 50's during the day and have gone down to low 40's at night. We had to rescue our Down comforter from hiding in the V-berth. Thank God it was there.

One of the great things about belonging to the MTOA (Marine Trawler Owner's Assoc) is the port captains. We had contacted Dick and Carol who are listed for the Solomon's. Well last night they picked us up and we had an enjoyable dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant and then went to a movie. (Julia and Julie)

Thank you Dick and Carol, it was fun.

We will hopefully be able to move farther south by next Tuesday since that is when this front will have past. Lets hope!!!!!