Endings and beginnings

October was a month of mixed emotions for us.  A surprise visit from a long lost cousin of Michael's created a flurry of Levy family based activity over our Thanksgiving weekend.  Cousin Roy's mother and Michael's father were siblings.  She married a Dutchman, and the family grew up in the Netherlands.  The 'boys' had not seen each other for 58 years!!  Roy was on a mission, visiting as many relatives in Canada as he could find...and there are quite a few.  We caught up with another cousin who was camping in Parry Sound for the long weekend, and we were invited to join them for Thanksgiving dinner, which was great fun.

Roy and his wife, Marina, are also sailors, so a trip out was required.

The Trojan was hauled out of the water and put to bed at the end of October, bringing an end to our season in Georgian Bay.  And just in time, too, as the day after we left the area for Toronto, it snowed in northern Ontario!

October was also a time of loss for us, as we said a sad farewell to Edee, our intrepid boat cat.  After 3 surgeries for cancer, it became clear that she was in pain, and we had to make that difficult final decision. She was with us for many years,and is missed.

We began our trip south with a full car, and a nervous approach to the US border.  Sure enough, my passport has been flagged after my last encounter, and we had to speak with the officials in the office.  After a wait of about 30 minutes, we spoke to a very nice border guard who told me to expect to be interviewed every time I cross, but if I stick to the rules, and can demonstrate strong enough ties to Canada, I should be OK.  And so....we're in!

We traveled via Alabama to pick up new registration stickers for the President, and to visit with friends there.  Roger and Deena put us up for a couple of nights, and were able to catch up with several others on the dock.  I was taken to task by several of them, who complained (very nicely) about the recent lack of activity on this blog, and I have promised to do better over the coming months.

Our arrival in Punta Gorda started several days of hard labor to get the boat ready to launch.  We scraped barnacles (well dried after 7 months on land), and painted the bottom and all the running gear (props and shafts and rudders), and cleaned, and tested batteries (finding some needed professional help), and did whatever else needed to be done.  We were very lucky to be staying with friends, so could walk away at the end of the day, and not have to worry about staying on board while we got her ready.

Launch day promised wind and rain, and we kept one eye on the sky as our time grew nearer.  They had to move two other boats in order to get to us, so we waited, and watched.  Finally, as the travel lift moved slowly towards the launch slip, the rain started out of a sky that had turned almost black, and the wind howled around us.  But the rain only lasted for about ten minutes, and the sun reappeared for the rest of the day.  The wind, however, was sticking around, so we arranged to stay at a slip at the boatyard for a day or two before we headed out of the protected canal system into the open waters of Charlotte Harbor.

I seem to be a magnet for every kind of biting insect that lives in the mangroves surrounding the boatyard, and my arms and legs were quickly covered in itchy red spots that made it look like I had measles. Antihistamines and hydro-cortisone cream have worked wonders, and the spots are finally fading away.

We left on Monday, at about noon, in order to exit the lock into the harbor waters at high tide.  It was still very shallow, but we made it through without incident.  The wind was still blowing, with seas of about two feet...nothing for us to worry about in this boat.  She ran very well, and got us safe into Laishley Park Marina by late afternoon.  We have some work to do before we are really ready to head out anywhere, so will make this our base for the next few weeks...at least until after Thanksgiving, which we will spend with our friends here in Punta Gorda.

We are very happy to back in the warm sun, and looking forward to the next few months.