to be continued....

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Gust O'Wind is back on the hard for the summer. That is hard for us to deal with - winterizing the boat has been a routine in September for the first 8 years - this is the first experience of summerizing her.

Since our last report we returned to Cayo Costa for 5 really good days to wind up our season. The fishing was successful - finally! - thanks to some good advice from a fellow cruiser from Lion's Head (just north of Wiarton)

After a rough (30 knots) crossing to the canal system leading to our hauling yard we spent 3 full days prepping for the summer..... foil covering the hatches and ports to deflect the heat .. screening stuffed into all the through hulls and vents to keep out the mud wasps.. fresh water & treatment flushed through the engine to get out the salt... major cleaning of the stainless to get the salt off... a power dehumidifier to combat the major problem - mould! etc,etc... we like the yard and the staff and the fact that the yard is well inland - away from the worst effects of storm surge - so we'll hopefully rest easily this summer when the "H" words roll in.

1876 miles covered so far... at 5 / 6 mph no wonder it took us 5 months.

Since Christmas we spent 60 nights at anchor and 28 in marinas - a better ratio than the first leg and a reflection of the much better weather

We'll be back in November to continue the adventure....

Cheers!

Ian & Marlene &
Gust O'Wind

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