MAY 2006

All these months of anticipation and here we are all moved in on the boat. We're in a marina in Bruinisse, the Netherlands, called Aqua Delta. There is a sailing school here where we are have been taking lessons. I was scared to death to leave the "box" and motor around the marina without some professional instruction. Tenaya seems huge and I want to learn how to handle her in all conditions. It looks like maneuvering in the marina might be the toughest part of this whole sailing thing. I don't remember it being this intimidating during our lessons in San Diego but then it wasn't our boat and there wasn't much wind. We've had quite a bit of wind, I wonder if it is always like this.

The month started out with a going away party in Antwerp for 3 of us american friends that were leaving this month. It was nice getting together with our husbands as it was usually just the women, but it was sad all the same knowing it would be the last time we'd all be together. How we will miss that wonderful city and our lives as ex-pat wives!

I spent 10 days in the U. S. this month. My mom lives in San Diego and I visit her several times a year. Also drove to Boulder City, NV and to Mammoth to ski and visit friends for a few days and also met up with my brother. We were back in San Diego in time for Mother's Day.

JUNE 2006

The first 2 weeks of the month we sailed just about every day, either by ourselves or with an instructor. Some days it's fun by ourselves but some days I get a little scared, especially coming back into the marina. Jim finally had to tell me to stop telling everyone that we are just learning. Of course they can figure it out themselves. People are very kind though.

We had our first guests on board, the Fletcher's from Antwerp. We'd had a minor mishap the previous day and I was still a bit shaken so we entertained them in our berth. They were gracious about it.

The next day our neighbor, Bob, from HR43 Little Giant offered to go out with us to mellow me out. We accepted and had a delightful sail with him and his wife. It worked. I'm okay now.

JULY 2006

The beginning of the month started out with Jim's son, Scott, and his girlfriend, Amy, visiting us. The weather has been beautiful so we sailed and swam every day. A couple of nights we spent at anchor which was really nice. Amy prepared some delicious snacks and lunches for us. They are both such nice people, it was great having them on board before they go on to the next chapters of their lives - Amy to graduate school and Scott to a new job as Senior Designer with an architectural firm in the Bay Area.

We sailed just about every day this month. The hot, sunny days had us out even when there wasn't much wind just to anchor and swim. We anchored out quite a few nights. I love swimming first thing in the morning and then having my shower at the stern. I like this life!

On the 25th we headed towards Antwerp, stopping at Wemeldinge. We stayed at Willemdok in the center of Antwerp. It was really fun to sail up the river and around the bend and see the tower of the cathedral from Tenaya. Then coming into Willemdok it was cool to see all the buildings I'd seen so often but from the water. I'd had physical therapy and worked out in the building on the corner for over a year so it was kind of strange seeing it everyday and not working out. It was great to have a "city fix" and to do some shopping in a town that I knew. Jim's assistant when he ran Kipling, Anouk, visited us and brought her darling daughter, Jillian. While we were there the hot weather broke and it started to rain. It was bad timing as we were walking to the Plantin-Moretus museum with another couple. After a nice dinner they drove back to Brussels, maybe a little soggy. We had a pleasant afternoon and evening but they are moving to Chile so we may not see them again unless we sail a very long way.

AUGUST 2006

It rained this entire month. I'm pretty sure it was 30 days and 30 nights. In the beginning it was a nice change to be cool sleeping at night but enough is enough. We don't have a car, only bikes and we get wet when we ride into town to get groceries. We have wet clothes and wet towels hanging in the head. If we get a break in the weather for a few hours they go out on the lifelines. I have to be on constant rain alert or all is for naught. Sometimes it's not a perfect life, this living on a sailboat.

In the middle of the month we sailed to Vlissingen to register with the Netherlands customs office. This was the first marina that hoisted the american flag while we stayed. In town I bought some clogs at a fisherman's supply store. Hard leather uppers and rubber soles. They are comfy and perfect to slip on to leave the boat. Also great for walking around in the rain. Now I see why the old dutch men wear them.

A couple that has their boat on the same pontoon have become some of my favorite people. Why? Besides being nice, they give us their Review Heralds and Time magazines after they read them. It doesn't matter that the newspapers might be a few days old. Without high speed internet, and having expensive dial-up, we only check email and anything else only if it is absolutely necessary. We really have no clue of what is going on in the world as this town only sells newspapers in dutch and german. We can get english newspapers if we take the bus to Zierikzee, about 1 1/2 hour RT if we ride our bikes to the bus stop, longer if we walk. So their gifts are prized and we both read every line of every article.

At the end of the month one of Jim's friends, the person that took over his position at Eastpak, joined us with his wife and 2 little girls. We didn't have much wind but that made it perfect for the older of the two, Chloe, aged 5, to be at the helm. She was a natural. What fun to have Gilles, Elodie and their two adorable girls on board for the afternoon.

On August 30 we left for Antwerp. Spent the night in Wemeldinge because there is a place there that has yummy spare ribs. The next day we went on to Antwerp. It took a long time to get into the lock for the marina in the city center. Commercial ships have priority over sport yachts. I'm the person designated to call locks, bridges, marinas, etc. and when Jim wanted me to call back when we weren't invited to join the second opening I was hesitant but I called and they let us in. Maybe they'd forgotten about us. There was barely room though.

SEPTEMBER 2006

We came to Antwerp because I flew to San Diego for 2 weeks and Jim would rather stay here by himself than Bruinisse. Also, it's easier for me to get to the Brussels airport from here than there. It's tough sometimes without a car.

It was great to spend all my time this trip in San Diego. I was able to spend a lot of time with my mom. She has dementia and probable Alzheimer's Disease but is doing pretty well. She is in a facility that has kind, caring owners and staff that make her feel comfortable and safe. If she needs medical attention she gets it promptly.

When I got back to Antwerp we did some shopping and then sailed back to Bruinisse in one day. The normal lock was closed so we had to exit the docks via a lock the big ships use. I was a little intimidated but what could we do? Luckily it was a Sunday and the dock workers were off so there wasn't much going on. There was hardly any traffic and it was interesting motoring that direction and seeing more of the Antwerp docks. The lock went well and we tied up to what the lockmaster call "the small ship in front", a large barge to me. But it was in front of a much larger vessel. The man on the small ship was nice and smiled when I was excited to see he had a pretty white cat on board. His dog finally stopped barking at us. When we untied and motored off he smiled widely and waved. Either very friendly or glad to be rid of us. They younger guys on the tanker in the middle smiled and waved too. Maybe because I smile and wave at everyone. I wonder if they just think I'm a crazy american and humor me. Were are the only american flag we've seen since we've been here. Sometimes those guys in the barges on the rivers wave first when I'm looking at them. That's cool.

The second part of the month we took some more lessons. There were times when I couldn't stop the leach on the jib from flappering. We have books on sail trim but I do better with a real person. Anyway I wanted to sail with someone and find out how to trim the sails properly, if it was possible to have them look good when reefed, and what to do with the backstay. I wanted everything to work as best they can. I've read in cruising articles that some guys barely pay attention to their sails and I don't want Jim thinking like that! He's already okay with the main fluttering and I'm sure that was costing us some speed.

The lessons were great! Peter, the instructor stopped those sails from flappering. Now I understand. I also understand that a reefed roller furled sail just might flapper a little, especially on one tack. I'm happy to let Jim be helmsman all the time because I love trimming the sails and watching the speed.

One weekend we sailed in company with our favorite neighbors (the ones that give us the Review Heralds) to Zierikzee. We rafted up in the center of town where about a million other people were as well. Where did they all come from? I thought the season was winding down. We were #5 of 7 in our row. Of course the guy inside of Ari wanted to leave at 0845 so we were up with the chickens. Jim and I sleep late if we can, especially on Sundays. Oh well... We had a nice walk around the town and dinner Saturday night with them and their friends and Sunday we sailed to the other end of that lake and saw a dolphin on the way.

On the 29th Jim and I rented a car and drove to Cologne to pick up his brother who had been working at his companies' trade show booth. We drove back to Bruinisse and sailed on the Grevelingmeer the next day. We had perfect weather and nice wind with very few boats on the water so a lovely day. Jim and Greg owned sailboats together years ago so this brought back fond memories. On Sunday we sailed back to Zierikzee where we left Tenaya in a berth and drove to Amsterdam. Greg flew back to L. A. Monday morning a little envious of Jim's new lifestyle. Of course at times I'm a little envious of his lifestyle! He has my dream car but I'd happily take his 16 year old daughter's Prius.