Interesting Facts

Hi all, its been two weeks since we left the Summer Wind at her dock on City Island. Monday June 8th we tidied her up, packed some clothes for home and enjoyed a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant called the Tree House. Arranged for a car service to pick us up on Tuesday so we just relaxed and spent the night on board. During the night there was a huge rain storm with high winds, lightning, and huge claps of thunder. We were safe and secure on the Summer Wind but little did we know what was going on at our home in Morristown, NJ.
Got home on Tuesday to find the inside of the house was perfect, but in walking around the house outside we found bits and pieces of brick and mortar. Yep, you guessed it. Found out our fireplace chimney sustained a direct hit of lightning and blew 10 courses of brick to smithereens. So, if you remember last summer we had the flood, in February, we had the roof blow off during a storm and now lightning. Elle said ,'What is next, pestilence" Probably we'll be inundated with mosquitoes and ticks.
We have been requested to give some facts about our cruising experience, so we have compiled some which we thought was interesting.

Started Journey..................September 30, 2008
Ended Journey....................June 8, 2009
Days traveled.......................251
Statute miles traveled.........3,847.3
Engine hours........................497.2
Average speed......................7.73
Fuel.......................................1,855.2 gallons (incl. Genset)
Fuel Cost...............................$4,392.47
Per gallon average................$2.37
Burn Rate...............................3.5 gallons per hour
Marinas..................................199 days
Anchorages.............................52 days
Marina costs...........................$7,690.93
Marina cost per day (avg.).....$38.65

We did not keep track of all the "Publix" food stores or ice cream parlors but we can assure there were many. we traveled from New York City to Miami Beach, back to Stuart, Fl, across the Okeechobee to Ft. Myers, up the west coast to Tarpon Springs, back up Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg, back down to Sarasota, up Charlotte harbor to Punta Gorda, back across the Okeechobee to Stuart and North to New York City.
This is Elle's second time and my 5th to traverse the east coast and both of us are still enthralled with this journey. Suffice it to say we are still in love and love the Summer Wind
Our adventures are not over and Elle is compiling the next installment.
Keep abreast of the Summer Wind for she is longing to get off the dock.

We love you all........

Dick and Elle