Rescue!

OK, that's overstating it.  But today, we heard (for the first time since we have been here) the cruiser's net this morning.  I wondered if they had one - we did keep our radio on for the first few days, but then left it off.  So I suppose it has been going on the whole time and we just never caught it.  I just like it because you get to find out all the boats in the area and anything that is going on that is of interest to boaters.  So anyway, when the net comes on, the first thing they ask is if there is anyone out there who needs assistance or has any emergencies.  Usually no one answers and they then move on to "general check-in", but today someone did answer.  It was a 30 foot sailboat that had lost its engine and couldn't get into the harbor because of the wind direction.  They were looking for a tow.  So Mike and this other guy (who coincidentally also has a Valiant) got in their respective dinghies and went to the rescue.  They found the guy, out their dinghies on either side of him, and brought him right in.  I watched through binoculars.  It was very exciting.  So not really a rescue, but we got to help someone.

It is a beautiful day today - and our solar panels are charging to beat the band.  Ever since we lost refrigeration, we have wnough power to use this computer, watch movies, run the lights, and not have to use the engine or the generator at all.  It is amazing.  Now Mike wants to add more solar so we can do this well even after we get refrigeration again.

Last night we went out to eat - I had shrimp with a mango-ginger sauce.  It was fabulous.  This morning I finished off all our bacon, and tonight I will use up the chicken.  So far nothing has gone bad. 

To be honest, I don't like cooking as much as I used to, at least on a day to day basis.  While I do have a nice kitchen on the boat, it is VERY small.  I don't have all the equipment I used to have because there just isn't room for it, either to use it or store it.  With a top loading frig, I have to dig for everything.  And then there are dishes - no automnatic dishwasher, that is for sure.  It is just way more of a hassle.  So with no refrigeration, we have to eat out more.  And that is a lot less pressure on me.  I often draw a blank on menu ideas, and Mike gets irritated with me when we eat the same things over and over again.  Now, on board cooking is a bit more limited.  As I have said before, it is only an issue when we are underway, because we can't get a bag of ice everyday to cool the beer and the milk.  And it will be awhile before we set sail for longer than a week or so without pulling in somewhere.  How is that for a Pollyanna attitude towards the loss of something most cruisers would be having fits over? 

We are leaving day after tomorrow and I think it will take five days to get where we are going figuring an average speed of 2.5 knots per hour.  Of course, it will be longer if the wind is on our nose and we have to add miles by tacking.  You never know.  We are hoping we have the wind behind us so we can use the asymmetrical spinnaker again.

So that is all for today,  I am going to make a real effort to take more pictures and post them.  Thanks Rachel. 

"It is not down in any map; true places never are."  Herman Melville