s/v-Ihana

It was a great summer. Home since early April. Spent much of the summer researching, planning, and improving the boat for the coming cruising season in SE Florida.

Our boat is on-the-hard in Indiantown FL, halfway between Lake Oachobee and the East Coast near Stuart.

We plan to drive our camper-van from our home in Minnesota in late October, getting to Indiantown in time for a launch on November 1. Then we work on the boat for a few weeks.

Plans include possibly meeting zero-to-three buddy boats somewhere on the South Florida coast, sailing down the coast and hopefully crossing the Gulf Stream, to spend the winter in the Bahamas. As usual, our plans are cast in jello.

Stay tuned. I hope to keep updating this blog now. Semi-regularly while in the USA; whenever we can get affordable Internet in the Bahamas.

And, late next Spring:

Leave the boat back on-the-hard for next summer in Indiantown, or
Ship the boat back to Lake Superior, or
Sail the boat back to Lake Superior, retracing our route from last year, or
Sell the boat, or
Pull a "Captain Ron" and keep going into the southern and eastern Caribbean, or
Something else

but it's much too soon to think about this really seriously.

People wonder if we will miss being around other people while we are out cruising. Not a chance.

Here's a list of some of our current sailing friends – people we have met while we were cruising last year, or old friends from recent sailing trips. These are boats we have sailed with in the last year or so - where they are from; where they are now; where they are going [in no particular order]:

s/v Tranquility -– Laurence & Joan Wright (Toronto ON) - met with Trailer Sailors in the North Channel ON; boat on-the-hard, Indiantown FL – may Buddy Boat to the Bahamas with us

s/v Utopia – Frank & Diane Albani (Fulltimers!) - met in Atlantic City NJ; cruised together off and on in South Florida; boat now in Annapolis MD, headed south – may Buddy Boat to the Bahamas with us

s/v Skye – Has & Dotty Royer (Havre De Grace DE) – met in Daytona Beach; boat now in Havre De Grace; selling their house now; may Buddy Boat to the Bahamas with us this winter. Fulltimers next?

s/v A La Mer – Tony Boldt & Michelle Bennett (St. Augustine FL) - met on the Alligator River NC & at the Hurricane Sandy Hostage Crisis; boat now in St. Augustine FL; possibly may meet them in the Bahamas

s/v Windfall – Derek Cohen (Miami FL) - met in the Men's Showers in Annapolis MD; cruised together in the Florida Keys; boat now headed down the east coast. Probably will meet him somewhere again in South FL or the Bahamas?

s/v Iroquois – Jack Markham & Debi Dennis (Madison WI) - met in the North Channel ON, last seen when we dragged anchor in South Benjamin Anchorage

m/v Memory Maker Too - David & Barbara Doyle (Jacksonville FL) – met on the Erie Canal, boat now in Jacksonville FL

m/v Semi-Local – Mark & Diana Doyle (Fulltimers!) – met with the Northern Lights Sailing Club in MN; meeting them off and on down the east coast; boat now in the Chesapeake Bay, headed down the east coast; authors of several excellent cruising and anchoring guides

s/v Harmony - Bob & Lori Frak (Marquette MI) – met in Marquette while crossing Lake Superior; sailed with them in the North Channel; they recently moved their new boat from Lake Michigan to Lake Superior; preparing for long-time cruising

s/v Aqua Mirus – John & Helen Leddy (New Hampshire) – met at the Hurricane Sandy Hostage Crisis, sailed together through NC & SC, marina-mates in Charleston SC for a few weeks; boat now in NH; selling their house this year. Fulltimers next?

s/v Windsong II – Thomas Lee (Ontonagon MI) – met on the Erie Canal; met again in Fort Pierce FL

s/v Dun Workin – Ken Roetzel (Fulltimer; Charleston SC) – met in MN; boat now in Charleston; preparing for extended cruising

s/v Northern Whisper – Eric & Cynthia Sunstrum (Ivy Lea ON)– met on the Trent Severn Canal; boat possibly back in the Thousand Islands ON or headed south?

s/v Gaviidae – Dan DeWeese & Julie Thorndycraft (Minneapolis MN) – met years ago in MN; boat now in Duluth MN; preparing for eventual long-term cruising

s/v Dilly Dally – Dale & Lisa Broom (Ham Lake MN)– met years ago in MN; boat now on-the-hard in Duluth MN; helped them move their boat from Miami FL to Norfolk VA; they have sailed from Miami to Superior WI, then for 15 months from WI to Grenada and back to WI

s/v Soñadora – Rick & Minna Beddoe (Minneapolis MN) – met on Lake Pepin MN; boat extensively rebuilt for long term cruising some day; boat now in Superior WI

s/v Muddy Wench (trailerable) – John & Susan Coppedge (Moreland Hills OH) – met in North Channel ON; sailed with them twice in the Florida Keys

s/v Can Can (trailerable) - Rob & Gabi Hoffman (Paris Landing TN) - met with Trailer Sailors in North Channel ON & Lake Havasu Pocket Cruisers AZ; boat in Kentucky Lake TN

s/v High Hopes (trailerable) – Jerry Hardin (Oakdale TN – met with Trailer Sailors in North Channel ON & Lake Havasu Pocket Cruisers AZ; boat in Eastern TN

and many many others, with the Northern Lights Sailing Club (MN) and the Trailer Sailors Assn. (everywhere) - apologies if I left you out