And now, a word from the Captain

Wayne here. Well, I really did not need too much prodding. After all, keeping a blog with pictures of our journey was always part of what I wanted to do with this and any other trip we may take. Michele agreed to help with finding out how and where we could accomplish this, and in the process took it on as her project. As you can see, she has done a tremendous job with it - far better than what you would be reading from me. When we stop in a port or anchor, the first thing we have to do is make sure we have a wi-fi connection so she can keep you updated! My only contribution to the blog has been the Google Map that shows where we have been.

As for Michele's contest, all of you who wrote responses are winners. We really enjoy hearing from you and getting comments. Since you are all winners, just don't show up all at once!

Knowing that Michele has kept you current on the details of our trip, I will only add that the experience has far exceeded my expectations. We have enjoyed all the places we have visited, and have especially enjoyed meeting and talking to people we meet.

We have motored more than I would have liked, mostly because we have had too little wind or a bad direction, and we needed to move on. However, most of the sailing has been very enjoyable, and often faster than motoring. Sometimes we motor and sail together to gain more efficiency.

As Michele mentioned in one of her posts, we have become accustomed to the boating routine and what needs to be done. Michele had claimed that she is not the sailor and does not know how to operate everything; …well, that is history. She can run the boat quite well now, and we work very well together for docking, anchoring, watches, and many other details.

One of my concerns was that we were leaving in a new boat with new equipment and electronics that I had installed mostly over the 90 days prior to leaving. We had very little time to learn and test everything before we left. Remember, she was commissioned May 30 and the first time we had her away from the dock was the weekend of June 30. We took her out again the following weekend, and aside for a couple of short sails with Gary around Bayfield to test the rigging and instruments, that was the extent of it until we left on July 27. We have learned and adjusted along the way and most everything has worked well, with only minor problems and adjustments necessary.

I am delighted with the boat. It is an Island Packet made in Largo, Florida. The boat sails and motors very well. It is a quality sailboat, beautifully finished, safe, fast, and stable. We enjoy the additional space, comfort, and other features. 

Thank you for reading our blog and sharing our journey. We hope you are enjoying it. If you have other questions, I will be happy to answer them.