After spending a great summer visiting family and friends we are glad to be back in Aruba. We are going to miss all our Grandkids, including the teenager that didn’t spend any time with us. We love you, but we live a sailors life. We’re also going to miss our 4 legged kids, Bailey and Hank.

The first day, we still had a rental car ( air-conditioned), we did all the running around getting supplies and groceries to restock the boat. When we left, we stripped the lockers bare to ward off a infestation of critters. In the hot, windy days here, Mistress came through a little bit dustier but no mold at all inside. Very Good. We did have for the second time, problems with the stove, the solenoid an item which controls the gas, just crumbled away. Funny, how they make things meant for a boat that can’t handle what the sea throws at it.

The Anti-fouling paint here is almost $500.00 American. a gallon so we picked a local favourite at 1/2 the price, we use 2 gallons. Early on the 3rd day we started our maintenance to get the boat ready to go back in the water.  In the 95 degree weather it is slow going, water comes out your pores as fast as you can ingest it. I never drank so much water in my life., beer being my fluid of choice which only makes you feel sick.

We sanded the hull ,applied 2 coats of Anti-fouling, (everything will be smooth under the water), then scrubbed all the salt off before putting on 2 coats of wax. A great workout.

Launch Day ……..Tomorrow.