Writing this blog seems to serve multiple purposes for me, and I may have said this before, so forgive me if I am repeating myself. It started off as a way for us to keep in touch with friends and family on our first cruise which lasted about 7 months in 2014. It was a convenient way to share experiences without writing multiple emails - so efficiency was certainly a driver. I know we have gained a small group of friends and followers - some of whom we know and others that have only vaguely identified themselves, and they have used our blog to either help with their own planning or to "cruise vicariously" through our experiences. Either way, we are glad and honored to have you join us on our journeys.
I will also admit, that I have tended to use the blog as a bit of a journal to log our experiences. One day, I will figure out how to print this so that it can be stored away, and perhaps be given to grandchildren to give them some insight into the antics of their crazy grandparents. Note - at the time of writing, there are no grandchildren, so this is all speculation! But when i think back to my childhood, I only had the opportunity to meet one grandparent, so i know very little about their lives. Whatever your reason is for reading this blog - I thank you for taking the time, and hope that it provides some benefit. Also, if you have a spare minute, drop me an email as I would enjoy hearing about who you are and your sailing or life experiences. If you have suggestions for improvement, they are certainly welcome too.
Anyway, I have digressed and back to catching up. It is now December 2015, in fact it is just after Christmas. I took the opportunity of some Christmas downtime to catch up with the blog. Midnight Sun II is now in the boatyard undergoing repairs, and time seems to be slipping away fast. I have learned that dealing with insurance companies and boat repairs is not a speedy process; however, credit where it is due, our insurers, BoatUS have been very professional and easy to work with. They have basically accepted our repair estimates with only a depreciation deduction on the materials cost of the sails - so far, so good and fingers crossed. I would prefer not to publish the settlement amount, but believe me, I got major sticker shock, when I saw all the estimates totaled up - thank goodness for insurance!
Recognizing that there would be lead time in ordering the mast and rigging, we took the opportunity to have her hauled out and get the bottom painted. This has now been done and minor repairs to scuffs on the topsides and painting of the non-skid surfaces is next on the list. We are hoping to hear some news on the mast delivery very soon - hopefully next week.
Zern Rigging is our General Contractor for the rigging and project manager for all work. Rick Zern has been a pleasure to work with, and I am looking forward to him keeping the project on track for us. I intend to write a couple more blog posts on progress - hopefully early in the new year. I am trying to avoid posting "damage photos" as it is just depressing to see the boat like that - she needs to be fixed and back in action! But here are some shots of her being hauled out and getting a new "bottom job"
Haul-out
New Bottom-Job in process
Cuba Trip P.S.
One post script here from previous posts - I did take some time to prepare a summary video of the Cuba trip. Unfortunately, i made the mistake of using commercial music, so YouTube will not post it. I may go back and re-do the music, but in the meantime if any friends or followers would like to see it, send me an email and I will make arrangements for download.
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