We're Moving Aboard Tomorrow

[Sonosailor]

Well here we go. We have fixed up Cat Tales, a 1996 Tobago 35 to what we consider a high degree. New sails and bimini, all new hoses, including propane, new stove, rebuilt winches, refrigeration work, wind generator, flexofold props, shrouds, spare parts, 3 layers of bottom paint, and a lot of learning has brought us to readiness.

Thanks to all who offered advice.

Our itinerary for the next two years looks like this:

2004-10-03 Leave St. John River system, and travel by a series of day-sails to Newport, RI, arriving some time before 2004-10-25.
2004-10-25 to 2004-11-07 Find an appropriate weather window and sail direct to Bermuda.
2004-11-22 Seek weather window for direct sail, Bermuda to British Virgin Islands.
2005-01-04 Travel in short hops, with no strong itinerary, through the smaller islands of the Caribbean .
2005-06-01 Aggressively seek a safe boatyard to store Cat Tales on land, during the coming summer months, in Grenada or Trinidad, favouring Trinidad.

2005-10-01 Return to boatyard to prepare Cat Tales for launching. Keep Cat Tales south of Grenada until 2005-11-01 or as advised by the insurer.
2005-11-01 to 2006-04-01 Sail among the small islands of the Caribbean without a strong itinerary.
2006-04-01 to 2006-06-15 Sail Cat Tales back to Canada, via Bahamas and the Intracoastal Waterway.

All boat movements will be done with weather prediction assistance provided by ham radio contacts. The times provided and the route are yet to be approved by an insurer. We have two quotes, and will choose between them after clarifying some details and getting the itinerary approved. We are a little nervous about finding room in a secured boat yard down there for the hurricane layover, with so many yachts awaiting repairs after Ivan, but will do the best we can.

We loaded on our food and clothing, extra fresh water, and a reasonable library, and watched the boat sink almost two more inches to drop to the painted waterline.

Wish us luck.

Laurie and Dawn. (Sonosailor and The Admiral)

[Alan Wheeler]

Wish you a fair wind and smooth sailing. Keep posting your experiances now won't you.
Hey, my wifes name is Dawn too.

[Vasco]

Good luck, Sonosailor, Hopefully all the crap that's blowing through these days will be gone by October.
Bon Voyage.

[Sonosailor]

Well, we are back in Canada, having left the boat in Chaguaramas, Trinadad, and flying home to New Brunswick. Trip down was great.

We took 9 months, and saw most of the islands. We had 4 couples visit, and made many friends. We expect to be back in Trinidad before the end of October. Although we keep doing the math, we presently intend to sail back to Canada and return to work next July.

Missed this forum, and the contrubutors, during the trip.

[capt lar]

congrats and welcome back. hope you share some of your impressions, especially on favorite stops and places to skip. capt. lar

[Sonosailor]

I have reported this elsewhere in the forum, but:

Our itinerary went pretty much as planned, and we have been back in Canada since end of June, 2006. For those who wish to know where we went, what we did, our fun and troubles, please visit:

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/corbetl/

You will be entertained, I promise.

Interestingly, our biggest problem was last week, when we hauled out of the water. Cat Tales caught a rudder, and bent the post. A replacement will be ~$3000, landed in Canada. C'est la vie.

[Canibul]

We have a young friend here in the islands who I am sure would be happy to crew just to get the chance to see Fredericton again. He was in his last year at some aviation school there when his student visa expired and the Canadians locked him up for a month and then shipped him back to TCI.
He's 22 and knows boats like the back of his hand. Catches fish, too.