Back on Caribee

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We arrived back on Caribee about three weeks ago, and we were very happy with her condition. We had put in an air conditioner and left it set at around 80 degrees, we had all the light blocked out with our window covers, we stored all linens and clothes in air tight bags, we had moisture trapping bags in all rooms, and a fan to circulate things. We also had someone come in and check things once a month, and fix any situation that might come up. We heard it was a very wet summer with driving rains from all directions, and we had water in the bilge. Talking to others on the dock made us more relaxed though- many people with otherwise dry boats had water for the first time as well. Caribee did very well over the summer, and we didn't come back to a nightmare this time. Very happy and thankful for that!

That being said, there is still a lot of work getting everything back together, and these past few weeks have just flown. We cleaned inside and out, put everything away, unburied the back rooms, checked for anything that might not have made it through the summer, scrubbed the decks, got the dinghy in the water, set up and tested all our systems, cleaned and re-cleaned the bilge.... the list goes on. We still don't have the dinghy motor running because we discovered a broken part. Our motor is a european version, so even though it is Yamaha no one has this part..... we are exploring more options. In the meantime we did buy an inflatable two man kayak, and we plan to go exploring the nearby rivers and islands.

We still have a lot of projects. They may not be as important as last year's, but they are still things we need/ want to do. Two windows seem to leak more than last season, so that has gone up in priority. The wood decks really didn't fare well with the product we used, I'll have to redo them for sure, and soon. We want to replace the diesel lines because the only ones we were able to buy in Nassau are not very good quality. There are many other things, and time goes fast. There will not be a dull moment!

We are not planning to go to the West Indies this season. We need to stop rushing, relax ourselves physically and mentally, and smell the roses. We will do some little trips, anchor out in places and enjoy our boat and the area we are in. There are dolphins, manatees, herons, fish, otters, osprey, turtles, new vegetation and new places to experience, and wonderful people to spend time with. We have to learn to slow our pace, work only half the day and enjoy the rest while we have the opportunity to do so. We are lucky to be in our current working/living situation, and it's time that we learn to appreciate Every moment of it. We will take this year to work on ourselves, and then we will be more ready to work on future plans.

On that note, I'll get going on my projects so I can go to the beach this afternoon!

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Comments

[Roger Gaby and Sarah]

Good for you
Glad to hear everything is getting better and you are taking time to smell the roses.