10 weeks in

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Hi,

Welcome to my adventure. It is only just beginning and it has taken 10 weeks to get where I am now.

To update you I'm taking a carreer break and the original plan was to going skiing this winter and sailing next summer. However I decided to just go sailing and so I came to Florida to find a boat. What i found is a state which has been hit very hard by the financial crisis and property has bombed. so has the value of boats, which is good for me but not for the residents of this hard hit state.

I found a one owner Westerly Fulmer, a 32 foot Ed Dubois design from the early 80's. It needed some work to the bring it up to scratch but most of that is now done and I'm just waiting for a break in the weather, which has been unusually cold for Florida. A week ago tons of fish died due to the water temp going down to 47 F!

The people are very nice and I'm making some good friends here in Fort Myers town marina (near to Cape Coral on the Gulf coast. John is a real hoot, very dry, and Mike and Bruce are a couple of mates from Canada who have just bought a 40 footer. Mike and Bruce are also intending to head off to the Bahamas the same as me. Hopefully next week.

Speak soon.
Bob

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Photos

Harbinger in the yard having her bottom done
The boat is ready, it's just me that is holding back now. I must leave tonight or else I can see me staying here for weeks if not months. Marathon (in the Keys) here I come, ready or not.

Fort Myers. Bike night
Fort Myers is on the Western coast of the Florida. It is the administrative center for SW Florida and has its own International airport. a nice town some 10 miles inland but on the Intracoastal Waterway, which gives access to either East or West coast. Harley Davison's are very popular in the sunshine state.