April 11th

Well everything that needs to be done before leaving has been done, finally. We're a couple of days late, but that's OK. Dennis has been a trooper and if it hadn't been for him departure wouldn't have been for another week or so. We've painted, top and bottom, replaced electronics nd cables, stepped the mast, resized boltholes in the zincs and bled fuel lines. We're vittled and stocked. Now if only the temperature would rise, oooh, say about 40 degrees.

Its been cold, and wet, nights have been getting down below freezing and in in a steel boat sitting out of the water that means COLD. Perhaps I should have packed for something other than tropical. The saving grace has been a little ceramic heater that we could run off of shore power. Well that and an overstuffed Canadian sleeping bag still on the boat from Quebec. Dennis had to make do with blankets and a bag quite a bit skimpier. As a host I guess should have lent him the Canadian bag, but you know, I'd already used it, and I am the captain after all.

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