"Egret" N4674 - Scott and Mary Flanders

Ed. note: On February 10, 2011, Scott and Mary Flanders, on board their Nordhavn 46, Egret, arrived in the Canary Islands. In doing so, Egret became the eighth Nordhavn to circumnavigate the globe. It had been four years, five months since the couple departed Gran Canaria, intent on seeing as much of the earth as possible, although not necessarily with an end goal to circle the globe. Voyage of Egret documents the Flanders’ entire trip, an endless adventure that has put them in touch with the most fabulous places and interesting people. Much route planning and forecasting was required in order to get to some of their ports of call. But the days of detailed planning are over…for now. “Egret” is now back in Fort Lauderdale, the place the couple called home for so many years, and, ironically, the starting point of their world wide cruising escapade that began with the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally in 2004. They currently travel hither and yon, sometimes by boat, sometimes not. Here, the latest update from the Flanders as they keep us continually apprised.

 

March 22, 2012
Position: Back in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A.

G Day mis amigos, we announced in the last VofE we were leaving the next day. Well we left a day later because…well, perhaps NZ is 18 hours different than the U.S. east coast and are a day behind or perhaps…So anyhow MS and I took a last, last drive on the back roads near Nelson. We stopped here and there snapping a few photos enjoying the sunshine, mild weather, zero traffic on the backest roads and generally having a great day. We had lunch at our favorite little bakery/eatery in downtown Wakefield (a 20 minute drive from Richmond/Nelson), a wide spot in the road where traffic slows to 50k’s (30mph) in concession to the few folks who call Wakefield home. Of course there is no traffic light in Wakefield. Wakefield does have a police car and a police station so small they must keep the bad guys locked in the bathroom. I think the policeman lives in back. We love Wakefield. On this trip we explored some new roads and found that in the hills behind Wakefield is a relatively new subdivision of modern homes on small acre sections (lots) as well as a few small boutique farms. It makes you want everything, doesn’t it?

MS and I were invited last night to a neighbor of Dick’s across the back fence for a BBQ. James is a hunter so we had wild venison steak and wild pork sausage. James and his wife recently returned to Nelson after living and working in Perth, Australia. Their neighbors in Perth are Norwegians who are now yachties. Their initiation to yachting (sailing) was up to 65 knots across the Australian Bight and an even worse trip from Tasmania to Nelson. They got killed except for the last two days and then they didn’t have enough diesel left to motor the remaining distance. So anyhow, they arrived at 0300 the day of the BBQ and were still a bit soggy. We promised them if they watched the weather when they leave NZ they will never again see weather like that during their times in mid latitudes.

Let me explain that sentence. Weather of the world is divided in to roughly six months on and six months off. You can push either end if you are careful but that is the general rule. Mid latitudes during the cruising season may experience occasional weather* but rarely will it blow like their or Egret’s Tasman crossing. They had no wind less than 25 knots and it ran up to 55 knots, all westerly. Twenty five knots of wind at sea is common and no big deal but when that is the minimum and short lived before it ramps up again there isn’t much wave relief. Being westerlies, and their sailboat a good design, they were able to sail using a windvane in large seas. Any trawler in sustained following seas like that would have a much worse time. We Would Not attempt an eastbound Tasman crossing in weather like that aboard Egret. We would wait for a big high (relative calm seas) or change the route and run north** before heading east. But then again, if you follow the rules and know the rules*** it is no biggie.

*mid latitudes weather generally moves quickly.
**north from Tasmania is lower latitudes and generally better weather.

*** It is my opinion a TRUE ocean capable powerboat can go anywhere in the world with a single exception. That exception is circumnavigating Antarctica. A few sailboats have done it with extremely capable crews, one fairly recently (Northern Lights), but a powerboat just doesn’t have the fuel capacity and the weather so extreme it wouldn’t be prudent. However, by following the rules, going out of the way to avoid weather extremes, being patient and rounding up into the seas when things go to heck, almost anywhere on earth can be reached by CAPABLE small powerboat within reason. Of course it is easier to be an Intracoastal Weenie like Egret will be part of this year, and it makes sense. But then again…but then again, who wants to be a Weenie all their lives? Giggle.

The Norwegians are great folks and the two former neighbors swapped Oz stories. They hadn’t heard of Jimmie Cornell’s Cruising Routes of the World or World Cruising Destinations, an absolute must for world cruisers. We also told them about noonsite.com as another worthwhile resource. Their secret dream – the kids don’t know – is to cruise Cuba. If you are any nationality but American, Cuba is available to western countries and all who go love it. When the day comes Cuba really opens up it will be flooded with cruisers pouring cash into a suffering economy.

This morning we got a farewell call from Dickiedoo and Auntie Suzie. They are in Bluff at the extreme south end of South Island. It has been unseasonably cool and Bluff being that much farther south was more than cool. Dick says Suzie looks like the Michelin Man all bundled up the Austin 7 with no side windows or side curtains. They had ice on their tents this morning. Oh ho hum, we were sooooo hot and dry back in the house and took looooong hottttt showers and had a hotttttt breakfast and hottttt coffee and were generally steaming. You get the picture.

So this bit of VofE is coming from the Auckland, NZ airport. Yup, 2 hour delay. Air NZ gave us two food vouchers to help take up the slack. Of course we ate before we went to the desk and have no need for the vouchers. We will give them to a deserving family before departure.

Later. Mary gave the food vouchers to 3 Asian university students. They were thrilled.

Much later. Back in the U.S.A.!! Our happy little home was just as we left her except a bit dirtier. A few hours with Simple Green and a brush took care of that. It’s been catch up time with friends and doctor rounds. Of course MS is perfect and I had to go back to give a little more in the little cup because some fool in a lab thought I could be less than perfect. No word yet but I’m not afraid. There is too much to see and do to be annoyed by details.

Later. Of course it was a mistake. One more test to go then we be gone!!

MS is visiting her mother up north so it is kinda lonely putzing here by myself. Friends have been feeding me which is good. In any case, we have some techno to pass along. The first was something I wrote on the Yahoo Groups, Nordhavn Dreamers site and we’ll pass it along to everyone. I mentioned in a long term cost of maintenance report about replacing a number of %$#@% Dayton 12V engine room blowers until I finally gave up and installed a 12V Jabsco continuous duty model that has not failed after a number of years. This was purchased from www.lewismarine.com.

12V Figure number 3863, Jabsco number 35760-0092
115V Figure number 3863, Jabsco number 36760-0115 (60 cycle only)
“The 115V 36760-0115 model can spark. Explosion and death can occur. Do not use where flammable vapors are present”.

Another item that came up while visiting a boatyard recently, was Egret’s 110 amp wing alternator. We use this as an additional house bank charging source in case there is a problem with the generator. It works well*. This in not an original thought but came to Egret thru N46 Kanaloa who has No generator, just a wing with a large alternator. An N owner came to the yard and requested their wing alternator be changed to the Nissan Pathfinder alternator we wrote about in a VofE shortly after arriving in New Zealand. The yard could not identify it. So today I removed the wing alternator (about 6 minutes each way – 2 bolts, 4 wires, yes, you can do it too) and took it to Lauderdale Battery & Electric, Inc (sales@mgbattery.com) – 954 525-5557) in Ft Lauderdale and had them match it. This took quite a while and more than a couple phone calls. In any case, the go to guy is Mister Alternator – Dan Silverman.

The number I listed in VofE was an alternator bought in New Zealand that did not match anything in the U.S. So here’s the deal. First, neither Mr Alternator nor one other stop could identify Egret’s exact alternator. Below I’ll list two easy options as well as a few others I did not explore but have the numbers for You to explore if you wish to upgrade the wing’s alternator as a viable redundant way to charge the house bank in addition to the main alternator, generator/battery charger, and solar.

First I must say there is NO 110 amp alternator in Yanmar’s configuration that is available from these sources. The alternators that I will list below are 90 amp except for the last.

1. Because the sticker on Egret’s alternator said Nissan Pathfinder we first explored Nissan. The numbers we came up with was Lester (the Big U.S. alternator remanfacturer) number 13535. However the Big supplier did not stock the item and said they were not available. The other numbers we got for the same alternator I did not explore were: Nissan 23100-0P505 and AC Delco 334-1173.

2. Lester does stock a Mitsubishi equivalent and that number is Lester number 13478 and A002T33593 as the Mitsubishi number. This alternator is available in 2 days or so from Mr Alternator himself for about $235 U.S.P. Dave will change the pulley to what you need at no charge.

3. Next it was a trip to my favorite Yanmar dealer, Complete Yacht Service in Ft Lauderdale. Mark Malo is the second generation owner and knows the deal. He said they recommend a 100 amp Balmar alternator as an upgrade. This may be what N46 Kanaloa has because I know their alternator is 100 amps. Mark says the Balmar alternator list price is around $930 U.S.P which they sell for $850. Mark ships world wide so if you get stuck for Yanmar parts give Mark or his right hand man, Robert a buzz. comyacht@comcast.net 954 462-6997

So those are the choices we came up with. Normal rule of thumb 100 amps is as large an alternator that can be driven with a 1/2” (13mm) belt. Egret’s alternator CAN NOT be paralleled with the engine running because of belt slip. However you will see below how we get around that. A double belt, crankshaft, raw water pump and alternator pulley will not fit on Egret because there is no room forward of the crankshaft pulley for a double. Egret’s belt is a Bosch – 0861 253 13A0990. If I had to guess the 13 means 13mm width and 0990 means 990mm diameter.

*There is a trick using this large alternator to parallel its output to the house bank. Start the wing engine and let it warm. Shut down the wing, turn the N furnished parallel switch to parallel the wing alternator to the house bank. Restart the wing (open the throttle a bit on the restart) and run it up to 1100 RPM to charge the house bank. This RPM should give the wing a sufficient load. Running the wing at an increased RPM does raise the charging rate a bit but I believe the wing will be underloaded at higher RPM. The reason for the warm up and shut down is that I don’t want to put a big alternator load on the wing while it is pumping its first oil to the bearings. Also, if you parallel the wing with the engine running, the belt will slip and become loose. This is why the start up and shut down procedure needs to be done in two steps.

The new alternator requires no installation modifications except a belt diameter change and increasing the wire size from the alternator positive to the wing starter. This is a way cool way to achieve yet another redundancy and the cost is nominal. I should also mention that Yanmar now has a factory 80 amp alternator for the 3GM30 wing (27hp used on the 40-43-46) at twice the price we paid for the 110amp in NZ (the 110 amp was about $450 U.S.P.). The cost difference may be different in the U.S. or elsewhere. We kept Egret’s original 55* amp alternator as a spare.

*as a matter of course, PAE upgrades the original smaller Yanmar alternator to 55 amp as part of the wing package. (*We give credit where credit is due, just like the ^%$##& Dayton engine room blowers)

Coming up after MS gets back on Sunday is one last doctor deal and the boatyard chores. We haven’t sent a VofE for a while so we’ll fire this posting into space. We don’t have any local pics so enjoy these last few pics from New Zealand. Oh yes, Auntie Suzie is on her way home and we’ll report on her version of NZ when she gets back. All we can say now is her last e-mail said it was an unbelievable experience. Of course we already know this and is why you really NEED to turn west when your Baby Steps are completed and Its Time.

The first photo is a beach scene with somewhat rare Nikau Palms growing on the mostly unpopulated NW coast of South Island, NZ. The second, of course we have to sneak in a picture of the LRP – Little Rice Picker, and his dad when he was racing to save his wellies (sea boots) when a wave threatened to wash them back to sea. The next is of Gypsy campers. Most Gypsieshave large home builthousetype deals on an old truck chassis like the one on the right. Someare so large they look likea house on wheels complete with chimney and gables.The last photo was a wrinkled hillside Mary snapped in last light on the last drive of the last day as we headed back to D Doo’s for the last time during the last trip to NZ.

Ciao.

 

 

March 6, 2012
Position: Somewhere in South Island, New Zealand

G’ Day mis amigos, has the Egret crew been busy or what? Yup, a series of interesting day deals. LastSaturday it was our usual trip to the Nelson Saturday market. MS and I have our routine. Of course D Doo and Auntie Suzie did as well. AS just wandered taking it all in. D Doo headed straight to the Tool Man as usual. TM has tons of boy stuff tools. D Doo found little treasures like a couple whitworth spanners (wrenches to normal people) and a must have puller that removes dials off instruments. So he was happy. MS and I did our usual and hit the Coffee Lady for a cupa and a spell behind a table out of the way where we could ambush interesting folks with a telephoto lens. Coffee Lady was here while we were before. This time we noticed she had heaps of (lotsa) new tatts. Thenew ones were red and green stars and vines or something like that – shoulder to wrist. So we hid and did our deal. This interesting dude slid by wearing a straw hat with multiple dreads hanging out of a hole in the top. We nailed Dread Dude at 300mm focused on the eyes. Cool dude, eh?

Next Dickiedoo took us by a local weekend hang out. Years ago a German fellow bought a run down dock and abandoning fishing complex and turned it into a gold mine. The house size freezers were gutted and now have shops inside that retain the original sliding freezer doors. All the old out buildings are now serving or selling something. This whole complex is along a VERY tidal creek. Boats on moorings were waving like flags in the falling tide that was whipping out at lotsa knots.

There were some young teenage girls jumping off the dock floating down with the tide getting out of the water at the far end of the dock. The water was cold and the air was colder but teens being what they are were having a great time. Of course there was a group of pimply face boys checking things out fueling the ladies polar fest. However, the boys were keeping their distance because a Daddy was along. Didn’t you hate that a few years ago?

After, it was a local back road sightseeing trip with Dick showing us the sights. Within just a few miles of the busyness of the Nelson/Richmond area are small farms scattered everywhere on back roads. We fell in love with every third one. The smallest parcels – perhaps 5 – 10 acres, are called lifestyle blocks. Dick has a friend who had one and he called it a life sentence block. Once you have your mini farm and a few sheep and cattle and chooks (chickens), a dog or three and a cat you can see how you just can’t leave for more than a day or so. So for the boating lifestyle it isn’t the way to go but we can appreciate it.

Dick has been working like a wild man getting ready for an event that started today. His hobby for years has been building early Austin 7 cars. Currently he has a 1930 Austin 7 special* and has nearly completed an Austin 7 hearse. This year is the 90th anniversary of the Austin 7. To commemorate this occasion the A7 folks organized a 3 week tour of South Island in the ‘little cars’. Last night was a kick off party at the Honest Lawyer pub in nearby Monaco. (I’ll leave honest lawyer alone, it’s easier) The local participants in the tour group were there including some from North Island. Others will join the tour along the way ending in a 62 car entrant at the finish in Christchurch. Mary and I have been to a thousand million of these deals and they are always fun though ours were a different venue.

*Dick fabricated the entire body except for the radiator shell by himself and help from friends.

So this morning the group gathered at a park a few blocks from Dick house. Of course D Doo and Auntie Suzie waited until this morning to see if their stuff would fit into Dick tiny A7 special. Would you believe All this stuff fit except the red bag on the right with the cooking gear? A friend traveling by himself in another A7 special is taking the bag for them. This photo shows the first group with one missing who showed just before they got under way. There are 2 specials, chummys, rubys and I’m not sure what the green A7 is.

What was hard for us was saying goodbye to Dick. We will be gone before Dick and Auntie Suzie get back. You know Dick spent a lot of time with MS and I aboard Egret accumulating many, many offshore miles. (Nelson, NZ to Stewart Island, NZ – Nelson to Hobart, Tasmania – Fremantle, Australia to the Canary Islands via Cape of Good Hope) He was a great host during our time here in NZ, loaned us his campervan, his house was our house and so on. This is the tough part of the cruising life. However, we are sure down the road D Doo will join us aboard Egret again and we may come back to NZ some day. You never know. This photo is of Dick, Auntie Suzie and his A7 special. Check out the cute motoring overalls Dick got for his birthday and the A7 logo we drew up and had embroidered.

We were invited back to our French friends boat for lunch and to meet a friend of theirs from Tasmania who runs a large high latitude charter sailboat. While on Shana the last time we watched a 20 minute still and video the Ozzie made of South Georgia Island. Oh my gosh!! I have said a number of times I would rather go to South Georgia than any place on earth. So we met and talked about South Georgia and this n’ that. During the conversation he mentioned having trouble with his AGM batteries and is trying to get it sorted before they left the next morning. We gave him the information and told him Exactly what to do. I believe he did because the next morning he called back for final details.

So let’s look at that. They are sailing to a commercial schedule; however there is wiggle room in this case. The next weather window was 5 days out but to leave NZ for the South Pacific and little mechanical help/parts – a direct shot to the Gambier Island group, 850nm south of Tahiti – without having their batteries completely under control is not prudent in my opinion. The AGM’s are 2 ½ years old and sulphated by lack of charging. There is a simple cure.

1. Equalize the batteries at xx volts (they are 24 volt batteries and I don’t know the equalization charge – for 12 volts it is 15.5 volts) for 8 hours to solve the immediate problem. However, the long term problem is not solved until you do number two.
   

2. Install a Balmar Smart Voltage Regulator.
   

3. You must know what Victron (inverter/charger in this case) doesn’t tell you. We told him what we learned the hard way.

How do we know this? It took 8 years and many BU’s (boat units) to figure it out. This information was not available in terms I could understand anywhere I looked over these years. Bits and pieces were available but I could not find anything with the whole answer from someone who REALLY KNEW. Of course every boater has a battery opinion based on their experiences, of their requirement* and those requirements rarely are the same as ours. Once we finally understood the big picture, proved it to be so, we explained this in explicit detail in VofE during Egret’s time in NZ (2009) and continued to Tasmania.

*Most boaters bounce from dock to dock and occasionally anchor out. Egret’s requirements are the reverse.

To encourage you to peruse VofE for Techno I’ll give you just a sample. After 8+ years of fighting batteries and Egret arrived in New Zealand, we changed the 4 house bank 8D batteries to new Lifeline AGM’s as well as the 8D engine start and 4D wing/generator start battery. At the same time we replaced Egret’s undersize 50/60 cycle battery charger with a 100amp Victron 50/60 cycle battery charger. After this Egret went immediately to shore power. Then Egret left for the 3 day run to Nelson (South Island) and again went on shore power. Some months later, all the while on shore power, Egret left for Stewart Island for the winter – another 3 day run.

Four 8D AGM’s have a total amp capacity of 1050 amps at 12 volts. Roughly half are usable. While waiting on weather to make the final push to Stewart Island from an interim harbor and living on anchor we found Egret had 125 usable amps. Egret’s entire fuel load was burned during the next 4 months charging batteries. On the way back to Nelson we figured out part of the equation out and after arriving we filled in the last blank. Read it and you will know what we know, and why and in detail. And it is accurate.

So let me take the liberty to explain what we call Techno in VofE. Techno is what Egret experienced, not what we researched and wrote about. I’m too lazy to research anything to pass along, however we go to great lengths to explain in simple terms what is what, and what was the cure to issues Egret experienced This information is accurate. We did not have this information when we started and would have made our lives a lot simpler if we had. Batteries are just one real life issue of boating. Many, many more subjects are addressed in detail in VofE postings during the past 6 years. If you take the time now to research this it will save you lotsa time and money, not to mention stomach lining and worrying the admiral. Or you could learn the hard way like we did.

Let’s take the time to add a bit more about VofE. In addition to techno there is accurate at sea conditions reported every nautical mile of Egret’s travels since 2006. (Egret started August 6th, 2001) It is easy to search this information if these routes match yours. There is also Customs and Immigration details of various countries, and again this is explained in detail. The destinations and sights are discussed in detail as well.

However, this comes at a price. There is no free lunch. You must suffer thru our opinions of why you should join The Life (the Cruising Life) instead of the boring usual, predictable other. You may begin to doubt yourself and where you are headed. Of course that is our goal. And if you see things our way, goodonya. If not it doesn’t matter. All we are looking for to join Egret and her peer group of fellow cruisers is a few free sprits with a sense of freedom and adventure.

And now for a special treat. Mary and I were invited to Hopewell Lodge (www.hopewell.co.nz) by owners Mike and Lynley. (To see photos of Hopewell please visit the website because we are limited in photo space) Mike and Lynley follow VofE and would like to someday join The Life. We spent 3 days catching bits of conversation between their hectic schedules running a fully booked lodge. We stayed in their daughter’s room and hung out at the lodge between hikes. Early on, Mike presented The Book shown here under guard by the guard cat, Honey. Yup, every VofE copied in chronological order. I read a few and it is why I got up on The Box in the bit above. I basically never reread VofE once it is sent and had fun reading about the past and saw what a learning tool it could be if folks took the time.

Hopewell Lodge is literally at the end of the road in Malbourough Sounds. In road miles it appears to be the most remote drivable location in the Sounds, but not by boat miles. Hopewell is 2.5 hours drive following the sounds along twisty mountain roads. The drive in is spectacular. Our favorites were as always the tree ferns and the tough menuca trees. Hopewell is a backpackers lodge in the fact there is no served food of a sorts. The cabins share a large, state of the art kitchen, sinks, fridge and freezer space. Tenants bring their own food and save at least 50% on the room vs rooms that do not serve food but have restaurants nearby. So it costs less than 1/3 of normal and is why Hopewell runs nearly 100% occupancy. The rooms cost $35 – 65NZ/ night.

One thing that is Way Cool is Mussel Night. MN comes every other night. It is free to the guests. We went with Mike on a mussel gathering trip. Here’s the deal. Mike pulls up a dropper line and peels off enough mussels to fill a large fiberglass box. Then he adds seawater and with his boot agitates (stomps) the mussels to clean off the mud. Mike cycles the water and does this 3 times and in the end the mussels have clean shells. Then back to Hopewell and giantus pots and propane burners. The guests arrive at a set time to a long bench covered with newspaper and 3 different dips. Mike shakes the steamed mussels in piles every so far within reach of everyone. As those pile disappear, Mike puts down the next pile. They also make pizzas for the off night and bread on demand. So no one starves.

Here is a brief slice and dice of the Greenshell Mussel business (greenshell mussels are far and away the most tasty according to the locals). Mussel spat is grown to small mussels (about 1”) then are spread along a growing rope and covered by a light mesh to keep them all in place. The mesh is made of rayon originally imported from Spain. The mesh rots off soon after the mussels attach themselves to the growing rope. There are 6-7 kilometers of dropper lines per buoyed line on top. In this photo Mike is holding the growing rope covered in mussels and mesh. The mussels take 2 years to grow to the perfect size. Each line produces 40/50 tons of mussels and most farms have 9 lines in a location. Mussels cost about $550NZ/ton to grow and wholesale for $860NZ/ton.

Hopewell’s occupants are an international group. In addition to New Zealanders there were Americans, British, Canadians, Germans, Italians and Swiss during our stay. We met the Americans, a young couple from California. They arrived and left by float plane. Pretty cool. Some came by water taxi and others drove in. The average stay is 3-4 days with a few staying 2 days and some like the lone Brit, stay a month. He wasn’t there at the time but they also have a single Frenchman who stays a month and has for the past 10 years.

Mike’s brother Phil also runs a 38’ Beneteau charter boat out of Hopewell. Our second night in Hopewell, Phil had a honeymooning couple spend the night on board after the ceremony. Phil put them on a mooring for the night and left in the dinghy. Of course it blew like stink and rained that night but I doubt they paid much attention.

Mike and Lynley are on a 3 year plan with two major goals; their youngest daughter has 3 years left at university, sell Hopewell. Their dream boat is a late model, no flybridge N47. So we talked about the pros and cons of different options, perused the N Brokerage site and so on. Quite honestly, it is easy to buy a boat. Once you narrow your wants and needs, within a relatively short time it will appear. If all is well with the boat you are on your way. The boat is the easy part. Most folks make the buy a lot more difficult that it is and tend to loose focus that a boat is just a tool to adventure and freedom. The hard part is making the decision to join The Life.

We discussed selling sooner than later because with their daughter living at the university in another city, they are free to sell sooner than later if the price is right. If this were to happen and they gained 2 years of the rest of their lives, wouldn’t that be great? As far as this daughter and the rest of their children, or anyone’s children including our children and grandchildren, communication today is not an issue. There has been no time in Egret’s travels we did not have communication available 24/7.

Last night was spent with Dutch cruising friends who settled in Nelson after years of high latitude sailing aboard Terra Nova. They are skilled photographers and spent time showing us how they use Photoshop. (We use an image editing program called Lightroom, not Photoshop) Photoshop is an amazing tool but we are computer challenged so Lightroom it is. These days Corri and Willim bicycle explore for months at a time in wild and crazy places like Cambodia for example. This year they will spend 4 months cycling in western Canada.

A few days before we went with Willim to an area he heard about to see if we could see any migrating birds. Here is a photo of a pied stilt, a long distance cruiser of birds, feeding in a tidal area. It has picked a goodie from the bottom and the camera caught it gulping its catch.

Tomorrow is our last day in NZ so we need to get this VofE fired into space. Today I left before daybreak and drove into the back country for one last look and one last photo. Walking back to the car I had an audience looking to see what was whipping. They were a stubborn lot. Mary walked to town and bought a few birthday gifts for family. We will really miss NZ but it is time to return home. Once back home we have a number of Egret projects and we’ll pass them along as they unfold. In the meantime our last day will be spent mowing the lawn, doing laundry, cleaning, packing………the usual stuff.

In the good news dept, we see on the N Owners site a group gathering for a summer in Nova Scotia. So now there is a winter/spring group in the Bahamas and summer group in Nova Scotia. Oh ho hum, will you be joining either group? Or both groups like Egret and others?

Ciao.

 

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Ed. Note - The glossary of Egretism terms will be posted on the Captain's Log home page for easy reference.

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