Back up and running South

9/20/17

It has been a while, I know, and when I logged on I discovered my last entry had disappeared from the  thread.  Probably user error but I prefer to blame Obama or Trump, depending on the direction you lean.

I will try to sum up the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia & Alaska adventure and prepare you for the next leg.

David, Sue Ellen and I left the boat on July 17 in the capable hands of Larry Graf and the Aspen team.
In about 3 months we had logged almost 3000 miles through some of the most beautiful and wild waterways available in North America.

We have met some fabulous people and enjoyed some very tasty seafood.  We have had some rough rides and some smooth sailing. We have seen more waterfalls than we could count.  We have dodged countless floating logs, cruise ships and crab pots. We have seen moose, bears, otters, porcupines, humpbacks, orcas and whited sided dolphins. We kayaked through bergy bits and took hikes (one of which we wish we would have skipped). We spent almost 3 months doing this and we barely scratched the surface.

For me (an east coast sailor) it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I want to express my gratitude to David and Sue Ellen for including me in their adventure and to Larry Graf and the Aspen team for building a boat that instills confidence and makes cruising a pleasure.

On to the next adventure!

The life raft is being installed, the EPIRB will be mounted, the Rainman water maker is on board, the transmission fluid and engine oil has been changed. The plan is to leave Anacortes (for the last time) Friday and start our South bound trip with the final destination being La Paz, Mexico.

The Aspen team added about 1300 NM on the boat while we were home, so we are starting this next leg with a total of 4390 NM and 442 Engine hours.  It appears we may have to modify the 10,000 part of the 10,000 Mile Tour.

I hope you stay tuned and follow us down the West coast and on to the Sea of Cortez.

Till next time....