The Shortest Season

Normally we have been getting to San Carlos from the Northwest by November.  This last November we were involved in a house purchase that went on for awhile and even after the purchase was completed we had to furnish the place and suddenly the holidays were upon us so we only left Vancouver January 10th.  As the previous blogs showed we then worked on the boat for two months making up for three years of cruising the boat hard.

Faith has been a fantastic boat for cruising but, like any boat, she requires attention on an on-going basis.  We handled a lot of things on our list but there are still a huge number of things that will need attention before we can go very far this next season.  The autopilot completely packed it in this time so that has moved tot he top of the list, along with rewiring the batteries.  I have wind generator envy every time I see a boat with a wind generator!!  Let's just say that there are a number of lesser items that I want to tackle to make life on board more pleasant.

This season, too, we had far fewer guests and more time to explore places we have not been before.  We did not have to rush anywhere at any time and THAT proved to be very wonderful.  Abby, the boat dog, was more accommodating as well.  She has fit into our mostly mobile lifestyle and is accustomed to periods where she cannot go ashore.  She does not particularly like the occasional snotty passage, but then who does?

This season too we still are seeing things we have not seen before!!  Like the Sei whale that surfaced just off the starboard side while we were under way.  Then there were the groups of Golden Rays (15 to 20 at a time) as we came into anchor at Santa Domingo... like autumn leaves just under the surface of the water!!  Or, the skates mating along the beach in Los Candeleros, or the whale shark that surfaced just a few feet away as we dinghied into the beach at Chivato.  Many more things that surprised us that had not happened before.

So it was a good season even if it was a bit shortened.  That makes my apology for not adding to the blog a little weak but, really, we were just sooo busy!!