Sail With Winterlude
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Perspective Beyond the Boatyard...

11/17/2012

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Nothing photo worthy happened today.  We added 2 more coats of varnish, David filled some holes where he took off the stern ladder with fiberglass, we went to WalMart for food and boat wax... and ABC for box wine... you get the picture. 

Meanwhile I started daydreaming about why we do this, why we endure the boatyard ... altho' I guess it's no different than deciding to paint your house, or rearrange furniture, although our solid teak "furniture" doesn't move.... 
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Kayaking out to this tiny sand & palm island, we had it all to ourselves -- you can barely see Winterlude's mast against the mountain green to the right.  And the nearby snorkeling was like watching the colorful reef fish in an aquarium, mesmerizing...  and we're right there with them! 
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At the Vivorillos Cayes with our four buddy boats.  A friend bought enough cleaned conch to serve an army and we had a blast with "Conch 101" -- each boat made something different and had a "pot-luck" of sorts.  Conch salad, conch fritters, cracked conch ... 
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And while spearfishing and snorkeling, David got the biggest hogfish ever - at least for us.  Best fish eating in the world!  
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Sailing with the dolphins through crystal clear waters...
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Enjoying great times with now lifelong friends, Doug & Rayene from s/v Kristiana ... currently living in Nepal just for fun, you meet the most interesting people while cruising!
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Christmas Eve dinghy caroling from friends aboard s/v Skyus
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Dancing barefoot on the beach, later, for our first anniversary at Graham's Place, Josh Caye, Bay Islands, Honduras
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And hanging out at a tiny island restaurant at Glovers Atoll, Belize for our second anniversary - Winterlude is anchored between us WAY in the background.
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Swimming ashore in the San Blas Islands was almost better than buying my own molas -- which had been my cruising objective since we bought the boat! 
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Hiking to remote mountain waterfalls in Guanaja, Bay Islands ... I'm starting to remember why we work this hard for a few days every few years in the boatyard!  
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Winterlude is anchored in the middle of the three boats ... and another day draws to a close enjoying sunset cocktails with friends.

So if you're thinking of cruising and have stumbled into my daily updates on SailWinterlude, take heart ... we haven't been hauled out or in a boatyard since 2008 (and it's 2012) ... and that's part of the problem, if you keep up with this stuff annually, it's not as demanding all at once.  Having said that, if you don't enjoy some boat projects, or if you can't afford to pay a pro, then you won't enjoy going cruising.   Boats take more upkeep than houses because of the salt air and harsh saltwater environment. 

But we like to think the upsides FAR outweigh the challenges.  You can't move your house to different neighborhoods and enjoy these views whenever you choose!   :)  

That's my philosophy on cruising for tonight... tomorrow may be different ... but probably not, we're headed to the beach for the day, a much needed break and a picnic!   
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